Lewis Nowlan was born in Montpelier, Vermont, United States on 31 MAR 1850. He is the 1. child of James Nowlan (ABT 1827) and Catherine Donahue (ABT 1828). Daniel Nowlan (ABT JAN 1851), Margaret Nowlan (ABT 1854), Mary Nowlan (ABT 1856), Patrick J. Nowlan (ABT JAN 1857) and Ann Nowlan (ABT 1859) are his siblings. In ABT 1873 he married Ellen "Nellie" Dunn (ABT 1854). Ellen "Nellie" Dunn (ABT 1854) bore his daughter Katie Claire Nowlan (ABT 1880). In ABT 1882 he married Ella Elizabeth Cullinan (10 AUG 1858). On 28 APR 1903 he married Katherine L. McGoon in Mt. Sterling, Brown, Illinois, United States, age 53. He had 2 children with Katherine L. McGoon: Lewis Maxwell Nowlan (1 AUG 1905) and Robert A. Nowlan (10 SEP 1909). When Lewis Nowlan was 36 years old, his father James Nowlan died on 3 MAR 1887. When Lewis Nowlan was 63 years old, his mother Catherine Donahue died on 6 NOV 1913. In the year ABT 1923, Lewis Nowlan died in Bevier, Macon, Missouri, United States. He was buried in Mt. Sterling, Brown, Illinois, United States.
Article from Quincy Journal Lewis Nowlan, the oldest employee in point of service on the Burlington Missouri lines, was retired on a pension November 20, on the 44th anniversary of his service as station agent at Bevier Mo. Nowlan is now in his seventy-second year. He was born at Montpelier, Vermont and raised at Mt. Sterling, ILL. He was appointed agent and operator at Bevier November 20, 1878, which position he has continuously held until the present time, and has never lost a day on account of sickness until May, when he became afflicted with a disease that has confined him to home most of time since then, during which time he has been on sick leave of absence. As the affliction did not respond to treatment he requested that the railroad company place him on the retired list. On the occasion of his retirement he was made the recipient of a silver loving cup by all the boys of the office force, which was accompanied by a sympathetic address, expressing the sincere friendship, respect and admiration for one who had long been as a father, advisor, benefactor and friend to the many young men who had received a valuable business training by his aid and council.
"Nowlan Boys" University. Many are the young men who have gone forth from the Bevier depot with an efficient business training that has led them to high positions of trust and responsibility in the railroad and business world. F.H. Ustick, general superintendent of the Burlington Iowa lines, and W.F. Thiehoff, general manager of the Burlington lines West, received much valuable training and experience under Mr. Nowlan in the Bevier yards. A.J. Rees, city ticket agent for the Burlington at Kansas City and W.T. Thomas, traveling Santa Fe freight agent, St Louis, are graduates of the "Nowlan Boys" university of practical experience. Besides many others who became fuel agents and inspectors, train dispatchers, station agents and operators, lawyers physicians, etc.
Agent During Coal Fight Mr. Nowlan was elected the first Mayor of Bevier, and served four terms in succession. He was agent at Bevier through all the great coal strikes of the past. In the Swede strike of 1888 the depot stood between two fires during a riot and was riddled with bullets. In this strike half the business section of the town was burned out, supposed to have been set on fire by strike breakers. Thomas Wardell, wealthy mine operator of Macon, was shot and killed in front of the depot. The car capacity has increased from 24,000 to 30,000 to 80,000 to 100,000 and the dinky little engines with big barrel smokestacks have been replaced by the modern locomotives since Nowlan has been agent at Bevier. He has had a number of offers for promotion to higher and more responsible positions, but preferred to remain in the old town with those who know and love him best. Nowlan's family consists of his wife and two sons; Lewis Jr. is attending a Quincy college. Robert is just getting ready to wrestle with high school problems.
The Station Agent Who Declined Promotion Nov 20 1921 In explaining his method of training boys to be good railroad men, Lewis Nowlan says: “As early as possible give them some responsibility, hold them to strict account for what you trust them with. Nothing so stiffens a boy’s respect as to know that he carries something on his shoulders. While I never publicly humiliated a boy by calling him down for a mistake, I let him clearly know that an error in the railroad business was always a serious thing. One of the important things to teach a lad is loyalty for the man or concern he works for. My boys acquired a real love for the old railroad, and they were ambitious to see it always at the head of the transportation systems of the country. That means everything in railroading.” Bevier, MO – November 20, 1921 KANSAS CITY STAR Lewis Nowlan will have completed forty-three years of continuous service as station master of this town. But this does not represent all of his railroad work by thirteen years. He began at the age of 15, April 14, 1865, as water boy for a gang of section men at Mount Sterling, Ill., on the old Toledo & Western railroad, now the Wabash and continued work with the section men for five years. The last two years of that service he had charge of a gang. Then he became chief clerk for C.S. Walker, agent at Clayton, Ill., and there completely mastered the business as station agent. He held his clerkship three years and was for two years night yardmaster. During this time he learned telegraphy, Mr. Nowlan’s ambition was to have a station of his own, and after serving three years as day operator at Mount Sterling he came to Missouri and became agent for the Hannibal & St. Joseph railroad at Bevier, then a small but active mining town. It was at Bevier Mr. Nowlan took stock of things and reached a momentous decision. He was comparatively young. On the railroad his reputation as a painstaking, reliable man was of the best. The way was open for him, step by step, to reach the top. He knew the business and he loved railroading. His job at Bevier was simply that of depot master in a small wooden building. But Nowlan was thinking of others, of the boys who passed by his window in the early morning hours, pit Lampson their hats and tin dinner pails in their hands, going in to the pits. He knew many of those boys, bright, capable fellows they were-boys who could give a good account of themselves where brains and energy were required. LAUNCHED HIS “ACADEMY Nowlan stopped a pair of these lads one morning as they were on their way to their work far below the sunlight. Two positions soon would be open about the depot, hard work at first, not much in it but a future. He described that future in short, business like terms. The first of the month the boys took service with the railroad, wheeling trucks, marking cars, checking bills, the ordinary routine of a small town freight and passenger office. But Nowlan saw to it that every day they learned something new, for he had resolved to make the Bevier office a sort of “railroad academy”. A boy can learn a great deal about the railroad business in a live mining town. It’s not like the ordinary cross-roads station where business slows down after the train passes. Here there’s something to do every hour of the day and night. The mines are constantly sending into the main line long strings of loaded cars and the locomotives are taking the empty out. Oftentimes miles of switchtracks are full of loaded cars awaiting shipment. These cars go in all directions and every one of them has to be checked up in the office and the man in charge has to be able to answer promptly and correctly all the queries from conductors and dispatchers as to what coal is on hand, what track it is on, its destination and so on. Nowlan quickly realized that it was the ideal place to develop young railroad men. Ehen his first two boys were ready to go higher he saw to it that their positions were ready. It was not long before the general offices were aware of the fact that the Bevier office was turning out exceptionally good men. And it occurred to the management that a man who could turn out such efficient railroad material ought to be in a higher place himself. So a very good offer was tendered Mr. Nowlan – a position in a much larger town, with greater responsibility and a larger salary. REFUSED A PROMOTION But Mr. Nowlan had made his decision. He thanked the company and said he preferred to remain at Bevier. Never did he ask anything except that when his boys were ready for a higher trust it should be given them. The company didn’t think that was enough – It wanted to do more. Finally Mr. Nowlan said: “This is an old depot and is beginning to look its age; a new one wouldn’t be bad considering the business we have here”. Never was a request complied with more quickly. Other towns were petitioning for better depot facilites, some much larger place than Bevier and then petitions were filed away. But Bevier got hers, brick, with tiled floors, steam heat, a fine large window for the sale of tickets, large and well lighted office – the best depot on the Missouri division, some say. And across the street in a large freight house, where on an upper floor Mr. Nowlan has his private offices. It’s just like a terminal. It really is a terminal, for now three coal roads are running into Bevier from the coal fields north and south, and a great many trains report daily at the Bevier office. STUDIED ABILITIES OF HIS “GRADUATES” Mr. Nowlan studied closely the boys he selected for railroad work, deciding the departments in which they would succeed best. One of them wrote the superintendent, applying for a job as a brakeman. The application was referred to Mr. Nowlan who briefly answered: “Turn him down.” The boy applied again. No answer came; he surmised Mr. Nowlan was the cause of it and with some indignation wanted to know what he had against him. “Nothing in the world, my lad,” said Mr. Nowlan, “only I have other plans for you.” And the station master explained. The boy’s forte was telegraphy, bookkeeping and accounting work. The boy saw the point. He now has a good position in a large terminal. Following are a few of the men who passed through Mr. Nowlan’s “Railroad Academy,” though they may have advanced some steps since this list was compiled: William E. Thiehaft, general manger of the Burlington lines west of the Missouri river, with headquarters in Omaha. C.C. Handlbode, dispatcher for the Chicago & Alton, Kansas City. Arch Reese, Traffic man for the Burlington, Kansas City. William D Thomas, traveling freight agent for the Santa Fe, St Louis. Robert E. Davis, fuel agent for the Grand Island. Michael Lyog, fuel agent for the Burlington, Chicago. NOT ALL RAILROAD MEN D.R. and John R. Hughes became proficient railroad men under Mr. Nowlan and would have made it their life work, but Superintendent P.H. Houlahan picked Dan R. Hughes for a lawyer and encouraged him to go to Ann Arbor. John H. Hughes became a first class dispatcher but later joined his brother in the law business. “But it was Mr. Nowlan who put us in the way of finding our life’s work,” said D. H. Hughes. “He admits that now and then a fellow is adapted for something besides railroading, and frankly tells him so. Mr. Nowlan’s great idea was to find boys who had the germs of ambition in them and put them on the way to rise. If he’d care to show the letters from young men – and older ones – he received it would open your eyes as to what that man has done for others. And I’ll wager he has saved every one of those letters – they represent the realized ambition of a good life.” Some years ago a New York magazine printed a brief sketch of Mr. Nowlan in its department of “Interesting People.” Coming out of Kansas City one day the train newsman sold several copies of this magazine. Some of the travelers read the story. Someone in the rear car noted they were on a train that would pass through Mr. Nowlan’s town. All the passengers in that car began to listen for the call of the Bevier station. The observation car was crowded as the train passed through. Mr. Nowlan was on the platform. All recognized him by the picture in the magazine and cheered. A woman tossed toward him a white rose. It was a tribute from the public to a man who had made his life useful for others.