Fred William GOWEN

(b. 26 July 1881 , Westbrook, Maine, USA d. 2 November 1968 , Portland, Maine, USA )

Am I Your Ancestor?
GOWEN Family Tree – Connecting the Past to the Present!

What started out as our family is now your’s too!

Fred William GOWEN was born 26 July 1881 in Westbrook, Maine, USA

Fred William GOWEN was the child of Nathaniel Wakefield GOWEN and Almira S SWETT

Fred William was a soldier in World War I.

Tracing Ancestors Through Military Service Records: Unveiling Family Heroes

Fred William GOWEN died 2 November 1968 in Portland, Maine, USA .

Spouse:
Edna Marion Nye (1892 - 1981)

photo/ portrait (above) from ancestry.com

Details of the family tree of Fred appear below.

The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914

The First World War: A Complete History

Honoring WWI Heroes Ceramic Coffee Mug – World War I Remembrance Gift for Veterans, History Buffs & Patriotic Homes

Honor the courage, sacrifice, and legacy of those who served in World War I with this timeless 'Honoring WWI Heroes' ceramic coffee mug. Designed as a daily reminder of bravery and remembrance, this mug is perfect for veterans’ families, history enthusiasts, educators, and anyone who values the stories that shaped our world.

A Glimpse into the Everyday Life of the Average American Man in the Mid-1900s

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Discovering the Ancestry of Fred William GOWEN: Events, Photos & Historical Records

Are you related to Fred William GOWEN? Fred William probably heard all about this.
Androscoggin's Secret - Based on the 1900 murder of Jessie Cobb in Lewiston, Maine
In 1900, people in Maine were talking about THIS. Read all about it.

1881 Birth
Name: Fred William Gowen
Gender: Male
Christening Date:
Christening Place:
Birth Date: 26 Jul 1881
Birthplace: Westbrook, Maine
Death Date:
Name Note:
Race:
Father's Name: Nathaniel W. Gowen
Father's Birthplace:
Father's Age:
Mother's Name: Almira S. Swett
Mother's Birthplace:
Mother's Age:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: I03043-9
System Origin: Maine-EASy
GS Film number: 9794
Reference ID:

'Maine, Births and Christenings, 1739-1900,' index, FamilySearch (familysearch.org/ pal:/ MM9.1.1/ F49D-GF8 : accessed 24 Oct 2013), Fred William Gowen, 26 Jul 1881.
familysearch.org (Mormon Genealogy Records)
Unofficial Guide to FamilySearch.org: How to Find Your Family History on the World's Largest Free Genealogy Website

1884 - Photographic film is invented (George Eastman, United States)

The first gravity roller coaster amusement ride (LeMarcus A. Thompson, United States)

1885 - Grover Cleveland becomes President of the United States

1886 - October 28 - Statue of Liberty is Unveiled

1889 - The automobile is invented (Gottlieb Daimler, Germany)

1889 - Benjamin Harrison becomes President of the United States

1891 - The zipper is invented (Whitcomb L. Judson, United States)

The motion picture camera is invented (Thomas Alva Edison, William K.L. Dickson, United States)

First Perforated Toilet Paper Roll is Patented

1893 - Grover Cleveland becomes President of the United States

1897 - Aspirin is invented (Felix Hoffmann (Bayer), Germany)

1897 - William McKinley becomes President of the United States

1898 - April 25 – Spanish-American War: The United States declares war on Spain

1898 - December 10 – The Treaty of Paris is signed, ending the Spanish-American War.

1900 Westbrook, Cumberland, Maine
Name: Fred W Gowen
Titles and Terms:
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1900
Event Place: ED 82 Westbrook city Ward 1, 4, 5, Cumberland, Maine, United States
Birth Date: Jul 1881
Birthplace: Maine
Relationship to Head of Household: Son
Father's Birthplace: Maine
Mother's Birthplace: Maine
Race: White
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Single
Years Married:
Marriage Year (Estimated):
Mother of how many children:
Number of Living Children:
Immigration Year:
Page: 14
Sheet Letter: A
Family Number: 329
Reference ID: 39
GS Film number: 1240591
Digital Folder Number: 004119818
Image Number: 00809
Household Gender Age Birthplace
Head Nathaniel W Gowen M 65 Maine
Wife Elvira Gowen F 58 Maine
Daughter Eliza N Gowen F 23 Maine
Son Fred W Gowen M 19 Maine
1900 Census Ancestry (U.S.)
Exploring the U.S. Census: Your Guide to America’s Data

1901 - King Camp Gillette and William Emery Nickerson invented the world's first disposable razor blade in 1901. (Boston, Massachusetts, USA)

1901 - William McKinley, the 25th president of the United States, was shot on the grounds of the Pan-American Exposition in the Temple of Music in Buffalo, New York, on September 6, 1901, six months into his second term. He was shaking hands with the public when an anarchist, Leon Czolgosz, shot him twice in the abdomen. Theodore Roosevelt becomes President of the United States.

1902 - July 17 - Willis Haviland Carrier designed the first modern air-conditioning system. (Buffalo, New York, USA)

1903 - The first engine-powered airplane is invented (Wilbur & Orville Wright, United States)

1904 - June 28 - U.S. begins construction of Panama Canal.

1906 - August 22 – The first Victor Victrola, a phonographic record player, was manufactured, revolutionizing the way people listened to music at home.

In 1906, Reginald Fessenden made the first AM radio broadcast on December 24th. This event marked a significant advancement in radio technology, paving the way for the modern broadcasting industry.

1907-1908 - The electric washing machine is invented (Alva J. Fisher, United States)

1908 - First Model-T car is produced by Henry Ford (United States)

1909 - William Howard Taft becomes President of the United States

1912 - April 15 - Titanic sinks in the North Atlantic

1913 - The assembly line is invented (Henry Ford, United States)

The bra is invented (Mary Phelps Jacob, United States)

1913 - Woodrow Wilson becomes President of the United States

1913 - October 31 – The Lincoln Highway, the first automobile road across the United States, is dedicated

1915 - January 25 - First United States coast-to-coast long-distance telephone call

1917 World War I Draft Registration
Name: Fred William Gowen
Event Type: Draft Registration
Event Date: 1917-1918
Event Place: Portland County no 1, Maine, United States
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 26 Jul 1881
Birthplace: , , United States
Nationality: United States
Affiliate Publication Title: World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards
Affiliate Publication Number: M1509
GS Film number: 1654014
Digital Folder Number: 005207065
Image Number: 00365

'United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918,' index and images, FamilySearch (familysearch.org/ pal:/ MM9.1.1/ KZFY-K3K : accessed 25 Oct 2013), Fred William Gowen, 1917-1918; citing Portland County no 1, Maine, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d); FHL microfilm 1654014.
U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
A World Undone: The Story of the Great War, 1914 to 1918

1917 - March 2 – The enactment of the Jones Act grants Puerto Ricans United States citizenship.

1917 - April 6 – WWI: The United States declares war on Germany

1918 - March 19 – The United States Congress establishes time zones and approves daylight saving time

1919 - June 4 – Women's rights: The United States Congress approves the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which would guarantee suffrage to women, and sends it to the U.S. states for ratification

1920 - January 17 - Prohibition goes into effect on January 17, 1920, under the provisions of the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution

1921 - Warren G. Harding becomes President of the United States

1921 - Charles Strite of Minnesota patents the pop-up toaster.

1923 to 1927 - Television is invented (Vladimir Kosma Zworykin (Russia), Philo Taylor Farnsworth (United States))

1923 - Calvin Coolidge becomes President of the United States

1927 - The aerosol can is invented (Erik Rotheim, Norway)

1927 - April 7 – Bell Telephone Co. transmits an image of Herbert Hoover (then the Secretary of Commerce), which becomes the first successful long distance demonstration of television

1928 - Sliced bread (bread slicing machine) is invented by Otto Frederick Rohwedder (United States)

1929 - Herbert Hoover becomes President of the United States

1929 - October 29 - Black Tuesday - Stock market crash - The Great Depression Begins - It lasted until 1941 (WW2)

1930 - Scotch tape is invented (Richard Drew (3M), United States)

1930 Westbrook, Cumberland, Maine
Name: Fred W Gowen
Titles and Terms:
Event Type: Census
Event Year: 1930
Event Place: Westbrook, Cumberland, Maine, United States
District: 0109
Gender: Male
Age: 49
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Race (Original): White
Relationship to Head of Household: Head
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Head
Birth Year (Estimated): 1881
Birthplace: Maine
Immigration Year:
Father's Birthplace: Maine
Mother's Birthplace: Maine
Sheet Number and Letter: 5A
Household ID: 110
Line Number: 41
Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
Affiliate Publication Number: T626
Affiliate Film Number: 832
GS Film number: 2340567
Digital Folder Number: 004584732
Image Number: 00545
Household Gender Age Birthplace
Head Fred W Gowen M 49 Maine
Wife Edna M Gowen F 37 Maine
Son Frederick W Gowen M 5 Maine
1930 Census Ancestry (U.S.)
Exploring the U.S. Census: Your Guide to America’s Data

In 1930, on February 18, Pluto was discovered by astronomer Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, marking a significant milestone in the study of our solar system.

1931 - The paper towel is invented (Arthur Scott, United States)

1931 - March 3 – The Star-Spangled Banner is adopted as the United States National anthem.

1933 - Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes President of the United States

1933 - December 5 – The 21st Amendment to the United States Constitution is passed, repealing Prohibition

1934 - The metal beverage can is invented (American Can Co., United States)

1935 - The snowmobile was invented by Joseph Bombardier (Quebec, Canada)

1935 - August 14 – United States President Franklin Roosevelt signs the Social Security Act into law

1938 - The ballpoint pen is invented (Lazlo Biro, Hungary)

1938-1944 - Sunscreen is invented (Franz Greiter, Switzerland and Benjamin Green, United States)

1938 - October 27 - Du Pont announces a name for its new synthetic yarn: nylon.

1940 Westbrook, Cumberland, Maine
Name: Fred W Gowen
Titles and Terms:
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1940
Event Place: Ward 5, Westbrook, Westbrook City, Cumberland, Maine, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 58
Marital Status: Married
Race (Original): White
Race: White
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Head
Relationship to Head of Household: Head
Birthplace: Maine
Birth Year (Estimated): 1882
Last Place of Residence: Same Place
District: 3-156
Family Number: 296
Sheet Number and Letter: 16A
Line Number: 13
Affiliate Publication Number: T627
Affiliate Film Number: 1477
Digital Folder Number: 005462021
Image Number: 00927
Household Gender Age Birthplace
Head Fred W Gowen M 58 Maine
Wife Edna Gowen F 47 Maine
Son Frederick Gowen M 15 Maine
1940 Census Ancestry (U.S.)
Exploring the U.S. Census: Your Guide to America’s Data

1940 - April - 1st electron microscope demonstrated (RCA), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

1941 - December 8 - (the day after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor) United States declares war on Japan (WW2)

1944 - D-Day, which occurred on June 6, 1944, was a pivotal World War II operation where Allied forces launched a massive invasion on the beaches of Normandy, France. Known as Operation Overlord, it involved over 156,000 troops from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and other Allied nations. The operation aimed to liberate Western Europe from Nazi German control. The landings marked the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany, leading to the eventual Allied victory in Europe.

1945 - The atomic bomb is invented (J. Robert Oppenheimer, et al., United States)

The microwave oven was invented accidentally in 1945 by Percy Spencer, a Raytheon engineer. While testing a magnetron, he noticed microwaves melted a candy bar in his pocket. Experimenting further, he discovered microwaves could cook food quickly. Raytheon patented the process, and by 1947, they built the first commercial microwave oven, called the 'Radarange.' Initially used in commercial settings, microwaves becomes affordable for home use by the 1960s and 1970s, revolutionizing cooking.

1945 - Harry S. Truman becomes President of the United States

1945 - On September 2, 1945, World War II officially ended with the formal surrender of Japan. The surrender ceremony took place aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, where Japanese officials signed the Instrument of Surrender in the presence of Allied representatives, including General Douglas MacArthur and Admiral Chester Nimitz.

1948 - Velcro is invented (George de Mestral, Switzerland)

1950 - June 25 - Korean War begins when North Korean forces invade South Korea.

1953 - Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes President of the United States

1953 - On July 27, 1953, the Korean War ended with the signing of an armistice agreement at Panmunjom. This ceasefire halted the conflict between North Korea, supported by China and the Soviet Union, and South Korea, backed by United Nations forces primarily from the United States. The agreement established the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) near the 38th parallel, effectively maintaining the pre-war boundary and creating a buffer zone between the two Koreas.

1961 - John F. Kennedy becomes President of the United States

1961 - Vietnam War officially begins with 900 military advisors landing in Saigon.

1962 - The Cuban Missile Crisis was a tense 13-day standoff in October 1962 between the United States and the Soviet Union over the installation of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles from the U.S. coast. The crisis is considered the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a full-scale nuclear war. It began when American spy planes discovered the missiles, leading to a U.S. naval blockade of Cuba and intense negotiations. The crisis ended when Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles in exchange for the U.S. promising not to invade Cuba and secretly agreeing to remove American missiles from Turkey.

1963 - I Have a Dream Speech - Martin Luther King's Address at March on Washington August 28, 1963.

In 1963, on November 22, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, while riding in a motorcade through Dealey Plaza. The assassination shocked the nation and the world, leading to widespread mourning and a period of intense national introspection. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as the 36th President of the United States shortly after Kennedy's death. The assassination sparked numerous conspiracy theories and investigations, with the Warren Commission ultimately concluding that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the assassination. Kennedy's death had a profound impact on American politics and society, marking the end of an era often referred to as 'Camelot.'

Death
Given Name: Fred
Middle Name:
Surname: Gowen
Name Suffix:
Birth Date: 26 July 1881
Social Security Number: 006-10-4764
State: Maine
Last Place of Residence: Westbrook, Cumberland, Maine
Previous Residence Postal Code: 04092
Event Date: November 1968
Age: 87

'United States Social Security Death Index,' index, FamilySearch (familysearch.org/ pal:/ MM9.1.1/ VSZF-5X7 : accessed 25 Oct 2013), Fred Gowen, November 1968; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
familysearch.org (Mormon Genealogy Records)
Unofficial Guide to FamilySearch.org: How to Find Your Family History on the World's Largest Free Genealogy Website