Page:History of Barrington, Rhode Island (Bicknell).djvu/388

 310 THE HISTORY OF BARRINGTON. The Bowen Tavern, built on the Bicknell farm by Joshua Bicknell, stood on the west side of the main road, north of the Congregational meeting house. This was the most noted and best patronized public house of the town, and has won more than a local notoriety from its leading proprietor, Mr. Henry Bowen, who kept the tavern before and during the Revolutionary War. Mr. Bowen kept a country store as well as an inn, dealing in all the usual family supplies, including dry and wet groceries. He was a careful book- keeper as well as a popular landlord, and his account book, kept between February 4, 1775 to December, 1883, is a faithful and true witness of the family supplies and temper- ance principles of the people. In addition to his business affairs, our tavern keeper was collector of taxes, assessor of taxes, tithing man, Sunday constable, and recruiting officer for the army. Much of the business of the town must have been transacted at the Bowen tavern, and during the exciting years of the Revolution, many plans of the town patriots were discussed and matured at Bowen's. Among his patrons we find the leading citizens of the town and we have but to consult the old account book to find the names of Rev. Solomon Townsend, Samuel Bosworth, Capt. Viall Allen, Col. Samuel Allen, Joshua Bicknell, Hannah Adams, Matthew Allen, Matthew Watson, Solomon Peck, Jr., Dr. Samuel Allen, Rehoboth, Nathaniel Smith, Philip Traffern, Nudigate Adams, Nathaniel Paine, of Rehoboth, Daniel Kinnicutt, Samuel Adams, James Brown, Joseph Mauran, Edward Adams, George Salisbury, Hez. Kinnicutt, William Andrews, Simon Smith, Capt. Elkanah Humphrey, Lieut. James Smith, William Kelley, Richard Harding, Daniel Bears, Samuel Conant, Solomon Townsend, Josiah Viall, George Salisbury, Peleg Heath, Consider Tripp, Asa Bicknell, Ebenezer Tiffany, James Humphrey, Daniel Drown,