1  Name as appears on Birth Certificate. He was named after his uncle David MacClement.
2  Birth Record, Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio
3 Marriage Certificate
4  Birth Record, Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio
5  ibid.
6  Thomas MacClement, b. November 03, 1811 Ireland d. January 21, 1883 Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio
7  Rowe, David MacClement, Autobiography (unpublished), probably between 1903-1935
8 Dayton City Directory. Rowe, David McC., clerk The National Cash Register Co, res. 152 S. Linden Av
9 Montgomery County Marriage RecordsVol V, p. 29 #7317
10 Estabrook, Harry M.  A History of the Barney & Smith Car Company, 1911.
11 The Evening News: Dayton, Ohio.  Friday October 31, 1890.  “Pretty Wedding.”
12 Newspaper clipping showing him as a lieutenant.
13 Officers’ Roster of the Ohio National Guard Corrected to July 15, 1896  Columbus. p. 29
14  Actual certificate of D.M. currently in my possession.
15  Officers’ Roster, 1896 p. 9 & 29 currently in my possession.
16  Official History of the Ohio National Guard and Ohio Volunteers in the War With Spain. Pp 16, 18-19.

linda_trent@att.net






David MacClement and Anna Maria Stevens Rowe.
David MacClement Rowe 1  was the son of Benjamin Norris Rowe and Caroline Mary (or Mary C.) MacClement, and was born  Jan 22, 1868, in Dayton, Ohio. 2   He married Anna Maria Stevens 3 (daughter of James Hadley and Romelia Hanks Miller Stevens) 4 Anna was born Sept. 24, 1868, in Dayton, Ohio. 5

David was born at 60 Perry street, the home of his maternal grandfather. 6  At some point after his brother Norris was born, David’s family moved to Evansville, Indiana, and then from there to southern Illinois, and back to Dayton again.  Sometime, after returning to Dayton, his father lost everything when his grocery business failed.  David attended several schools starting with the Second District school on Perry Street, then to the Intermediate School on Brown Street, and from there to Central High School. 7
I have reason to believe that the photograph to the extreme left is that of David MacClement Rowe taken by Stewart & Co., Photographers No. 8 N. Second St., Evansville, IN.  Compare it to one of his son Clement James (to the near left) taken decades later.

One of my dear friends who’s very knowledgeable about 19th century children, agrees with my conclusion and puts the child in the photograph at about 3- 4 years. 
D.M. Rowe age 3-4
D.M's son Clement taken when he was 4.
Like most of my family, David also worked for Barney Car Works.  According to the 1889-90 Dayton City Directory he was a clerk in the lumber department.  I’m not sure how much earlier or later he was there, but this was an interesting fact, since his soon to be father-in-law James H. Stevens was a “lumber agent” for the company, from 1888-1889 and 1891-92, and probably in 90-91 as well, but I didn’t think to look up that year.

In, or about January 1890, 8 David went to work for the National Cash Register, in Dayton.    
          1                                2             3         4    5  6
The picture to the left is of David MacClement Rowe at NCR on the back of the photograph it reads NCR Order Dept. photo taken September 26, 1895.  The names on the back in period script are:
1.David MacClement Rowe
2.Clair Gibbs
3.Herbert C. Clevenger
4.Arthur Marshall
5.Arthur Vanausdal
6.John Roser
The photograph to the right is undated, but appears to be another of the office at NCR about the same time as the first, 1895.  David is sitting on the stool on the far right of the photograph.  The men with him are unidentified.
On Oct 30, 1890, David married Miss Anna Maria Stevens, 9 granddaughter of Ansel E. Stevens (one of the corporate founders of The Barney & Smith Manufacturing Company 10) and Harriet N. Barney Stevens (of the Harriet Stevens Literary Society).  

Together they had four children:  Margaret, Clement, Romelia and Dorothy.  It is surprising to me that while I have a number of photographs of both David and Anna, I have none of them together.

David became active with the 3rd Regiment First Battalion Co. G “The Phoenix Light Infantry,” of the Ohio National Guard, sometime prior to his marriage (October 30, 1890), as his wedding ceremony write-up states that “The groom is the honored and worthy sergeant of this [Phoenix Light Infantry] organization."11

Sometime before January 11, 1893 he was promoted to Second Lieutenant, 12 and on November 6, 1893 13 he was elected to First Lieutenant though his signed commission is dated January 16,1894, and signed by Ohio Governor William McKinley. 14  D.M. remained active with the guard through at least July 15, 1896, where his name appears in the “Officers’ Roster of the Ohio National Guard 15  What is known is that he was no longer with the guard when the Spanish American war broke out (1898).  16  In June 1894 the regiment was called out to Wheeling Creek during the coal riots.  During this time David sent at least two letters home to his wife and children.  

On Friday October 17, 1902, David accompanied 27 men from NCR, and recorded in some detail their activities during the “Second Educational Trip.” The group arrived home on Sunday Nov. 1.  During this time they toured the Niagara Falls area, Boston, New York City (where they stayed at the Waldorf-Astoria), Philadelphia, Washington (and the surrounding area), and Pittsburg.   

But things were going to get worse for David and his family, for at home fighting for her life, was his lovely bride Anna who was dying of cancer.  Having the good fortune of having money the family did everything they could, including co-purchase an x-ray machine but to no avail. Anna's father wrote in his journal “January 15… Drs. Welliver & Plattfant had a council this PM slightly hopeful... David & I went to see Dr. Welliver about putting in Electricity.  He agreed to contribute $100. and the treatment free of chg if I would pay the rest and let him have the machinery estimated about $250.00 in all besides setting up...”   J.H. Stevens also goes on to mention Anna starting the Alexander treatment. “Monday January 26… Consulted Dr. Welliver about a heavier electric machine which he did not advise.  Also about the Alexander treatment which he is writing further about.”  She had her first dose of the Alexander treatment on Jan. 30.  Anna died Feb 22, 1903 due to Sarcoma of Mesentery (roughly malignancy in the small intestines) leaving a husband and three children.

On February 28, 1903, James H. Stevens received a $200 dividend from the Car Shop which he endorsed to David to help with funeral and other expenses.

Life goes on and David continued to work at NCR.  On p. 18 of an NCR publication, in 1904 it reads.  THE NCR    Mr. D. M. Rowe Appointed Assistant Head of the Foreign Department.   The following is the article along with the accompanying picture. 
THE NCR
                Mr. D. M. Rowe  Appointed Assistant Head of the Foreign Department.

“Mr. D. M. Rowe was appointed assistant to Mr. E. C. Morse, head of the Foreign Department,  December 1, 1903.

“Mr. Rowe was first employed by this Company in January, 1890.  He has held various positions with us, and for the past few years has acted as assistant to the head of the Order Deparment, being in direct charge of the construction division of that department.  Mr. Rowe’s knowledge of the work performed in the different departments at the factory, and of our business in general, should make him a valuable assistant in the Foreign Department.”
The year 1905 would bring some changes to David's life.  First he married on June 27 to Miss Mary Edna Fairchild (she went by Edna).  Edna was born November 13, 1878 in Logansport, Cass County, Indiana to Charles H. & Laura Frances Scharf Fairchild, and she died in Dayton on May 24, 1948.