John Fowler Trow (30 January 1810, in Andover, Massachusetts – 8 August 1886, in Orange, New Jersey) was a printer and publisher in New York City.

Life

Born in Andover, Massachusetts, he moved to New York in 1833. He began publishing city directories in 1848. His business eventually became "John F. Trow & Son," the son being John Fowler Trow Jr. (1850–1912). The publisher then became "John F. Trow & Co."^[1][2] Employees included Peter C. Baker.^[3] After Trow's death in 1886, Trow's Directory continued annually for some years.^[4]

Trow's Directory

• Henry Wilson, ed. (1852). Directory of the City of New York. New York: John F. Trow. hdl:2027/chi.27275303.
• Trow's New York City Directory. 1857.
  • 1859 ed.
  • 1865 ed.
  • 1872 ed.
• Wilson's New York City Copartnership Directory. New York: John F. Trow. 1864.
• Trow's Business Directory of Manhattan and Bronx. Trow (Formerly Wilson's) business directory of the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx, city of New York1903-1911. Trow Directory, Printing & Bookbinding Co. 1898.
• Trow's Business Directory of the Borough of Queens. NY. 1899.((cite book)): CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Trow's Business and Residential Directory of the Borough of Richmond, City of New York. NY: Trow Directory, Printing & Bookbinding Co. 1899.
• Trow's General Directory of the Boroughs of Manhattan and Bronx. NY: Trow Directory, Printing & Bookbinding Co. 1909.
• R.L. Polk & Co.'s 1918-19 Trow New York Copartnership and Corporation Directory, Boroughs of Manhattan and Bronx. NY: R.L. Polk & Company. 1919.

Family (descendants)

John F. Trow was the grandfather of organist Ernest Trow Carter (1866–1953). He was a great-great-grandfather of American essayist, novelist, playwright, and media critic George William Swift Trow Jr. (1943–2006).