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Bowman's 208 North
Cedar |
Bowman’s Vernon County Title Company is one of the oldest land title firms in Missouri. The company has been in continuous operation since 1865 with records dating back to that date.
Owner, David W. Litten, purchased Bowman
Abstract and Title Company in June, 1977. He operated
Abstract record keeping
began in Vernon County by John T. Birdseye in 1865. When John T.
Birdseye was a first lieutenant in the Ohio volunteers infantry, he was
mustered out of the Union army in June, 1865 after having participated in
a number of Civil War campaigns. One of these campaigns included the
Atlantic Campaign with General Sherman. Mr. Birdseye chose Nevada,
Missouri as the place to found a title company. At that time the town of
Nevada was still in ashes having been burned to the ground by federal
forces two years earlier. Birdseye began abstracting immediately upon his arrival in Nevada in the Fall of 1865. Fortunately, the county records dating back to 1855 had been removed from the courthouse before the town was burned and only one volume was lost during the war years. Birdseye built one of the first houses to be erected in Nevada after the Civil War. In 1868, he built an office building on the Northeast corner of the public square. This corner of the square was the home of the Birdseye Abstract Company for 95 years before it was moved to larger offices facing the front door of the Vernon County Courthouse.
Birdseye’s son, Henry F. Birdseye, entered his
father’s abstract company after receiving his law degree from the
University of Missouri in 1902. Henry F. Birdseye continued to operate
his father’s business until his death in 1927. Soon after this, the
company was incorporated and became known as Birdseye Abstract Company
with George Braham as its President.
After Mr. Braham’s death,
his widow, Vesta Braham, continued to operate the company until 1955. At
this time the controlling interest was purchased by Barth and Katy Hinkle.
In 1957 the name of the corporation was changed to Vernon County Abstract
and Title Company. This was done to better identity the firm with the
area which it served. Their office was moved in 1960 to the south side of
the Nevada square. Barth and Katy Hinkle continued operation of Vernon County Abstract and Title Company until January 1, 1987 when David W. Litten purchased their interest. David had owned and operated Bowman Abstract and Title Company, thus he merged the two companies to create Bowman’s Vernon County Title Company. Bowman’s Vernon County Title Company underwrites for both First American and Ticor Title Insurance companies. They are also a member of the Missouri Land Title Association and the American Land Title Association. Bowman’s Vernon County Title Company maintains a complete set of records back to the U.S. Government patent on every parcel of land in Vernon County.
Bowman's Vernon County Title Company is proud to |
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as
Bowman Abstract and Title Company until January 1, 1987, at which time he
purchased Vernon County Abstract and Title Company and merged the two
companies.
