View source for W. Smith Fowler



'''Born:''' 1845

'''Died:''' 1926

'''Married: '''Jesse M., born C. 1869

'''Children:''' Hazel Fowler

'''William Smith Fowler''' was a [[Liveries|liveryman]] and blacksmith who owned [[Fowler%27s%20Livery|Fowler's Livery]] and was also a quite active real estate speculator and developer. Over a period of years, Fowler bought much of the land between the [[Saranac%20River|Saranac River]] and [[Main%20Street|Main Street]] and [[Broadway|Broadway]] that [[Anna%20O.%20Miller|Anna O. Miller]] had inherited from her grandfather, Captain [[Pliny%20Miller|Pliny Miller]]. Fowler built the [[Fowler%20Block|Fowler Block]] on a portion of this land in 1900. His livery was at [[2%20Broadway|2 Broadway]]; in 1910, he sold it to [[William%20H.%20Jack|William H. Jack]].

Other major Saranac Lake properties built on land owned at one time by W. Smith Fowler include the [[McIntyre%20Block|McIntyre Block]], sold in 1889, and the [[Kendall%20Building|Kendall Building]], sold in 1890, eighteen days after Fowler bought it from Anna Miller. He owned a farm on [[Lake%20Flower%20Avenue|Lake Flower Avenue]] that he called [[Spion%20Kop|Spion Kop]].  He turned the property into a Sanatorium, were he ran it for awhile.  It then was purchased by the Northwestern Fire Insurance Company of New York for its employees.  In 1927, 40 acres were sold to E.F. Albee, the President of the National Vaudeville Artists as a Sanatorium for anyone that was connected with the Vaudeville Theaters (Managers, Performers and the employees to cure for free.  The building originally the National Vaudeville Home but to most people it was known as the  [[Will%20Rogers%20Hospital|Will Rogers Hospital]]. Since 2000, it is now known as the Saranac Village at Will Rogers.

A very young [[Hazel%20Fowler|Hazel Fowler]] was [[Winter%20Carnival|Winter Carnival]] queen in 1898, swathed in furs and drawn in a handsome sleigh. The float also served to advertise Fowler's Livery.

Fowler is buried in [[Pine%20Ridge%20Cemetery|Pine Ridge Cemetery]]. Hazel A. Thompson (1892-1957) is buried nearby, with James D. Thompson. It seems likely that she is Hazel Fowler.
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''Plattsburgh Sentinel'', April 26, 1901

—W. S. Fowler, our leading liveryman, is expected home this week from the South, where he has been a vacation for nearly six weeks.