John Sowers, grain and stock dealer, Bradford; of the firm of J. Sowers & Son, grain and stock dealers; is a son of Henry S., a native of Maryland; came from Maryland to Pennsylvania, and, in 1836, he moved to Ohio and located in Richland Co., living there until his death. The subject of this sketch was born and raised in York Co., Penn., Feb. 6, 1814, when 17 years old, he learned house carpentry and cabinet-making; in 1835, he came to Ohio; in the spring of 1836, returned to Pennsylvania, and, in the fall of the same year, came back to Ohio and located in Covington, Miami Co.; he worked at his trade in all about fourteen years; he then began railroading and merchandising, carrying on business himself awhile, afterward was in the firm of Routson, Leonard & Co.; when the Piqua & Union Railroad was built, he had the agency; built a warehouse and began dealing in grain and stock; he carried on business there until 1868; sold out and came to Bradford; built a warehouse (the first building put up in Bradford), and bought the first grain sold in the town; he had also a business room in the house and sold the first goods; they are doing a very good business; their annual sales being about 100,000 bushels. His marriage was celebrated Jan. 3, 1838, with Miss Mary, a daughter of John Thompson, one of the first settlers in Miami Co.; they had eight children, of whom six are living-William H., John T., Ora B., Annie, Frank F. and Sylvester S.