William M. Bowman
From Kook Science
| William M. Bowman | |
|---|---|
| Born | 15 August 1834 Stark County, Ohio |
| Died | 30 September 1933 (99) Placerville, El Dorado Co., California |
| Burial | Shingle Springs, El Dorado Co., California |
William M. Bowman (August 15, 1834 - September 30, 1933) was an American prospector and inventor who received press attention for his construction of an "automatic tomb" at his claim near Shingle Springs in El Dorado county, California, where he spent the last decades of his life in relative seclusion, earning him the moniker the Hermit of Sierra. Bowman was also reported to have spent several years working on the problem of perpetual motion, though was forced to abandon his experimenting due to failing vision.
Press Coverage
- "Hermit Builds His Tomb on Hill Top", Morning Union (Grass Valley and Nevada City, CA): 1, 13 June 1919, https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=MU19190613.2.23&srpos=2&e=-------en--20--1--txt
- Hintz, Hamilton L., "Nonagenarian Builds Own Tomb - William M. Bowman Establishes Death Semaphore - El Doradan About To Realize Ambition Of Two Decades", Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, CA): 1, 9, 29 Oct. 1925, https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/616968274
- "91-Year-Old Hermit Won't Need Funeral: Waits For Grim Reaper by Side of 'Automatic Tomb' He Built", Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, CA): 7, 21 Nov. 1925, https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SRPD19251121.1.7&srpos=9&e=-------en--20--1--txt
- "Hermit of Sierra Buried In Tomb Built by Himself", Oakland Tribune (Oakland, CA): 27, 15 Oct. 1933, https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=OT19331015.1.29&srpos=10&e=-------en--20--1--txt