Dr. DeWitt Clinton Fowler, born November 6, 1841, in Delphi, Madison County, New York, pursued his medical education at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City, graduating in 1863. He served as an assistant surgeon during the Civil War, enduring capture and imprisonment. Post-war, Dr. Fowler practiced homeopathic medicine in New York before moving to Aberdeen, South Dakota, in 1882 due to health concerns. He became a prominent physician and successful businessman, owning valuable properties and mining interests. A dedicated Mason and Episcopalian, Dr. Fowler significantly contributed to Aberdeen’s medical and religious communities.
DeWitt Clinton Fowler, M.D., of Aberdeen, is a native of New York, born November 6, 1841, in the town of Delphi, Madison County, where his father, Smith T. Fowler, a representative of an old and highly respected Quaker family, long made his home. The Doctor’s early years were spent in his native village, and after attending for some time the public schools of the same, he finished his education in the old Cazenovia Seminary, an institution of high grade, five miles distant from Delphi. Having decided to make the medical profession his life’s work, he subsequently began the study of the same, and after a three-year course in the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New York City, was graduated in 1863. Immediately following the completion of his professional course, the Doctor was appointed assistant surgeon of the First New York Dragoons, originally the old One Hundred and Thirtieth New York Infantry, which, after two years’ service, was converted into a cavalry regiment, and as such took an active part in the Virginia campaigns, until the close of the rebellion. In his official capacity, Dr. Fowler accompanied his command through all its varied experiences of march and battle, participating in a number of hard-fought engagements, notably among which were the battles of the Wilderness, Cedar Creek, the various fights in the Shenandoah Valley, and Winchester, being captured at the last-named place and sent to Libby Prison at Richmond, where for a period of six months he was kept in close confinement, suffering great hardships the meanwhile. From Libby, he was transferred to Macon, Georgia, and after spending three months in the prison pen at that place, his exchange was effected, after which he rejoined his regiment in readiness for duty. At the close of the war, he was mustered out of the service at Rochester, New York, and during the ensuing three years lived at Syracuse, where, in addition to trying to recover his health, he further prosecuted his professional studies, his later reading leading him, in 1868, to adopt the homeopathic school of medicine, in preference to the one in which he had previously practiced.
From 1868 to 1873 Dr. Fowler practiced in Oswego, New York, and in the latter year changed his abode to Fayetteville, in the same state, where he enjoyed a large and lucrative professional business until his removal, in 1882, to South Dakota. He was induced to come west by reason of continued poor health, his lungs having become seriously affected. In the hope of finding the pure and invigorating atmosphere of the Dakotas conducive to improvement, he joined a colony consisting of about forty persons, with whom in due time he reached what is now Brown County, where he at once took up a claim, and opened an office in Aberdeen, being the third physician in this part of the country. His success since coming west has been marked, and the distinction accorded him of being one of the leading physicians and surgeons in the northeastern part of the state has been fairly and honorably earned. His career has also been fortunate when considered from a financial point of view. Being a prudent and sagacious business man, his earnings have been judiciously invested from time to time, until he now possesses an ample competence, owning, in addition to valuable city property, several fine tracts of land in Brown County, from the proceeds of which no small share of his income is derived. He is also interested in mining, having good mineral properties in the Black Hills, some of which have already been developed and pay well, and others promising rich returns at no distant day.
Dr. Fowler is a member of the state and national medical associations, also belongs to several local societies, and in his practice works in harmony with the different schools of medicine, his long and valuable professional experience enabling him to appropriate what is best in each. During the past twelve years, he has held the position of United States pension examiner, being a member of the board at Aberdeen. In politics, he is staunchly Republican, but party work not being exactly to his taste, he has never aspired to leadership nor sought public office at the hands of his fellow citizens. He is first of all a physician, thoroughly wedded to his profession and appreciating its usefulness and dignity, consequently he has made every other consideration subordinate to the one idea of becoming a true healer of men and a benefactor of humanity. The Doctor is one of the prominent Masons of South Dakota, standing high in the order, and at different times has filled important official stations in the various branches with which he is identified. He belongs to Damascus Commandery, No. 10, Knights Templar, which organization he has represented in national conclaves, first at Boston. He is also identified with the Valley of Aberdeen Consistory No. 4, Scottish Rite, being a thirty-second-degree Mason and one of the leading and influential spirits among his brethren in that high branch of the mystic tie. Religiously, the Doctor is an Episcopalian, the parish of St. Marks of Aberdeen having been organized in his office and largely through his instrumentality in the year 1882. Since that date, he has served as warden of the vestry, in addition to which he has also been actively identified with the general work of the church, contributing of his means and influence to its growth and watching over the varied interests of the parish with a kind and fatherly care. The strenuous life the Doctor has led has been fruitful of great good and lasting benefits to his fellow men, and to say that he is regarded as one of the notable physicians and leading citizens of this day in South Dakota, is to express what the public willingly and cheerfully concedes.
Source: Robinson, Doane, History of South Dakota: together with mention of Citizens of South Dakota, [Logansport? IN] : B. F. Bowen, 1904.