Sheriff of Lafourche Parish
Stephen BOWIE was born in 1797 in Elliott Springs, Tennessee. and died on January 29,1833 in Adams County, Mississippi.
The Bowie family came to Louisiana from Tennessee in 1802 and settled in what is now Rapides Parish. As children the family lived in Saint Landry and Catahoula Parishes. As young men, Stephen and his brothers, Jim, John and Rezin, headed South to fight in the Battle of New Orleans in 1814, but they arrived too late. It was there they befriended Jean Lafitte. In 1819, the Bowie Brothers descended upon Bayou Black, near the current location of Southdown Plantation in Houma.
Stephen married Mary Ann Compton Bowie (1804 - 1831) of Maryland in 1819 in Avoyelles Parish, La
Their three known children were
(1816–1855)
The Bowies lived near present-day Houma until the Atchafalaya River flooded its banks, putting the Bowie farm underwater. With a suggestion from Lafitte, the Bowies sought higher ground on Bayou Lafourche in 1827.
The brothers then began purchasing adjoining plantations, forming a 1,500 acre estate they called Acadia, located next to the current location of Nicholls State. [1] See Acadia Plantation
While in Thibodaux, the Bowies continued to run a slave trade operation, but they also got involved in the sugarcane industry and built Louisiana’s first steam-powered sugar mill.
With additions, Acadia grew to 2,100 acres. Acadia would go on to be owned by Phillip Barton Key (nephew of Francis Scott Key) and Andrew Donelson, (nephew of Andrew Jackson.)
In 1830 Stephen became sheriff of Lafourche Parish
The plantation became known as a "model estate", but on February 12, 1831 they sold it and 65 slaves for $90,000. With their profits, Rezin and James bought a plantation in Arkansas
No. 617 On March 29, 1828 James BOWIE, through his attorney Stephen BOWIE sold land... a sample of many transactions in Terrebonne Parish . There were over one hundred twenty claims made involving persons that had purchased land from the Bowies that never received title.
BOWIE STEPHEN JAN 29, 1833 35 YRS (ABOUT) BILIOUS PLEUIRSY DR. S.A. CARTWRIGHT[2]
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Stephen is 25 degrees from Herbert Adair, 21 degrees from Richard Adams, 19 degrees from Mel Blanc, 24 degrees from Dick Bruna, 19 degrees from Bunny DeBarge, 34 degrees from Peter Dinklage, 18 degrees from Sam Edwards, 16 degrees from Ginnifer Goodwin, 19 degrees from Marty Krofft, 13 degrees from Junius Matthews, 16 degrees from Rachel Mellon and 16 degrees from Harold Warstler on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.