Faxon Bowen: North Adams Mayor, 1941-1943.

Faxon Bowen was born in Readsboro, VT on May 11, 1876. His father was for many years a judge of the Bennington County Court. He went to school in Readsboro through the eighth grade, and then attended the Bennington High School for two years; he completed his education at the Greenwich (NY) High School. In 1925 he came to live in North Adams with his mother and sister. Bowen first came to the attention of the people of North Adams through a series of letters he wrote to The Transcript on local affairs. For many years he write to The Transcript signing his letters “The Black Hound,” after a pet that had been his companion for years. Bowen was elected to the North Adams City Council in 1929, and was re-elected in 1932. He resigned in 1935 to take a government position in the Civilian Conservation Corps, (CCC) in Sandisfield, but in 1936 he left the CCC and returned to North Adams. After his return, he ran for state representative, losing that race to Joseph N. Roach. In 1938, he was elected once more to the City Council; again, he resigned in 1940, this time with the intention to run for mayor. Running on an independent ticket and a platform of ridding city government of corruption, he announced his candidacy only three weeks before the election. Being a carpenter, he had the support of all the laborers in this city, and was endorsed by the Carpenter’s Union, the Bricklayer’s Union, and the Painter’s Union. His opponent - Dr. Francis J. O’Hara - was supported by the mill owners and wealthy businessmen, many of whom he had made wealthier, allegedly through corrupt deals with the city. But in the end, it was O’Hara’s overconfidence that won Bowen the election. Seeing no real competition in him, O’Hara did not bother to campaign until shortly before the election, when he wrote a letter to The Transcript denouncing Bowen as “...a common laborer.” O’Hara’s supporters deserted him at that point. It was the first time in North Adams history that a laborer was elected to the mayor’s office. Once taking office, Bowen’s first action was to appoint himself commissioner of Public Works, as this department was most in need of cleaning up. He was known to spend an average of 15 hours a day in the office. Bowen was a strictly honest man, who put the good of the city first, often making impulsive decisions, such as having things repaired and putting in the request for the money later. He fired corrupt administrators, and became famous for his scuffles with the City Council. Bowen was unsuccessful in his next two bids for re-election, and finally ended his political career. In 1950, he moved with his wife to Pownal, VT, where he lived for 21 years until his death in 1971 at the age of 95.

*This is not actually Faxon Bowen's gravesite. He had originally planned to be buried in Southview Cemetery with his first wife. He later moved to Pownal, VT and is buried there.*

Map Coordinates: 42.6749859, -73.0981588

Adapted from a story by the North Adams Historical Society.