Josephine:

Saw your message re: WILLIAM HENRY ROWE. I got chills! Have been searching for any information on my Great Grandfather William Henry Rowe. He was an oilfield Wildcatter, was adopted when he was approximately 2 years old. Born 31 JAN. 1880 in Troy, Alabama (Pike County), d. 7 OCT. 1944 Shreveport, LA . We know his natural parents surname was BELL. This was always known by the family, however, all older ROWE family has died. He was adopted by William and Mary Ann Rowe. He married my Great Grandmother JOANN HOLLINGSWORTH in Hamilton, TX on 22 JUN. 1898. One of his most notible accomplishments was his discovery of the first oil well in northern Louisiana in 1918, known as the Homer Oil Field. He was also active in the developement of the El Dorado, Arkansas Oil Field in 1921 and Rodessa and East Texas Oil Fields in 1928-1930. He also loved race horses. He owned a number of them, Oil Cook, Little Hope and Oil Man. Oil Man won a race at Saratoga Handicaps for a purse of $5000. During their marriage, there were seven children born. William Kirby, Isham Grady, Lora Sybil, Olmer James, Eula Grace, Mary Eunice and John Raymond. They lived in Monahans, TX, Dallas, TX, Vivian/Shreveport, LA. Joann and "Will" (called by his family) were divorced sometime later and he married Corrie Bradford and resided in Shreveport, LA until his death while in the Pines Sanatorium (His donation to the city) from Tuberculosis. He is buried in Vivan, LA. We would love any information you may have regarding his natural parents. My father Gus Key Jones III (who has Leukemia) is the grand son of William Henry Rowe. His mother is Eula "Grace" Rowe, father Gus Key Jones II.