The April meeting of the Rowan History Club will be held on at 7 p.m. Tuesday with the program being presented by Travis Bowman on ěHercules of the American Revolution.
Bowman is a sixth-generation descendant of Peter Francisco. Francisco was called the ěHercules of the Revolutionî because of his enormous size, massive strength and unbelievable bravery.
George Washington had a 6-foot broadsword made for him and even made the claim that we would have likely lost the whole Revolutionary War without Peter Francisco. His legacy continues today with five monuments that stand in his honor and a U.S. bicentennial stamp.
A novel based on the life of Francisco written by a sixth-generation descendant of similar stature enshrined him in 1976, in addition to the three states that observe Peter Francisco Day.
ěPeter Franciscoís story is not just another legend from the battlefields of the Revolution,î says bestselling author and film producer Robert Whitlow. ěThis truly is the American Braveheart story.î
Travis Bowman, is similar in stature standing the same height and looks remarkably similar to one of Peterís portrait paintings. As an actor, Bowman enjoys performing dramatic impersonations of Peter with a replica broadsword similar to the one George Washington had made for him.
In 2009, he self-published a historical novel entitled Hercules of the Revolution, and has recently produced the first documentary about his ancestor which airs around the country on select television networks.
The meeting will be held in the Messinger Room. Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month, September to May. The Museum is located at 202 N. Main St.
Guests should enter through the rear entrance.
A roundtable format will allow for a 30- to 45-minute presentation, followed by a question and answer period.
For more information, contact the Rowan Museum at 704-633-5946 or email rowanmuseum@carolina.rr.com.