Stowell, Alfred W

From Lane Co Oregon

Revision as of 21:40, 14 June 2008

ALFRED W. STOWELL

Came to the Pacific coast in 1856, and has been thoroughly identified with Oregon and its interests for thirty years or more. Mr. Stowell was born in Delphi, Carroll county, Indiana, February 26, 1841. His grandfather, George Stowell, was a silk merchant in London, England, as were his father and grandfather before him. He came to America before the Revolution and had started on his return home when war was declared. He turned back and took sides with the colonists, entered the colonial army and fought through the war and settled in Rockbridge county, Virginia, where he married. From there he moved to Tennessee, where his son, John Stowell, was born, in 1797. He was raised in his native State and married there Miss Margaret Armstrong, of the same State. She was the daughter of John Armstrong of North Carolina. They removed to Indiana, where he was engaged in farming and surveying, in Wabash county. They had twelve children, of whom six are living. Our subject was the tenth child, and in 1856, when he was in his fifteenth year, the family came to California and were engaged in the stock business two years, and then came to Oregon and settled at Eugene, which he farmed till 1874, and then retired from active business and moved into Eugene City, and resided there until the time of his death, which occurred in 1882. He was eighty-five years of age. His wife survived him two years, and died at Eugene City, in her eighty-fourth year. They had attained to a good old age, and raised their large family, and were highly respected by all who knew them.

Mr. Alfred Stowell began life for himself as a clerk in a store in Eugene City, and after having learned the business, he opened a store of his own and continued it until 1871, when he sold it and later accepted a position in the office of the Surveyor General as Chief Clerk, and he served in this capacity for three years, and continued his connection with the surveying business until 1882, when he came to Portland, Oregon, and engaged in the wholesale and retail business in partnership with Mr. A. H. Morgan. The business was located from Nos. 247 to 251 Front street. Here they conducted a successful business for six years. In 1888 he engaged in brokerage, with Mr. R. A. Frame as a partner, and they have continued the same business ever since.

In 1867, Mr. Stowell married Miss Blandina E. Thurston, of Oregon City, Oregon, daughter of Hon. S. R. Thurston, a prominent pioneer of the Territory. He was elected the first member of Congress from the Territory. In 1851, after having creditably served his term in Congress and was on his was home, he died of the Panama fever. He was buried at Acapulco, but later the Legislature of Oregon, in acknowledgment of his success in Congress, had his remains removed and buried in the cemetery at the State Capitol. His wife survived him until 1890, when her death occurred, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Stowell of 275 Clay, Portland, Oregon. She was one of the most gifted women and they were most prominently identified with Oregon's history.

Mr. and Mrs. Stowell have four children, all born in Oregon. Their names are: Walter Thurston, Blandina Elizabeth, Margaret Gertrude, and Curtis Alfred. Mr. and Mrs. Stowell are worthy members of the First Presbyterian Church, of which he has been an Elder since 1884. In all the affairs of the church, the city of Portland and the State, they take a deep interest.

Transcriber's additional notes:

"Marriage Records Lane County, Oregon; 1852 - 1869 Compiled by Oregon Pioneer Research Bureau; Eugene, Oregon; 1968 Page 41: A. W. Stowell and E. Blandena Thurston; November 13, 1867 by D. B. Gray, at the house of W. H. Odell; witnessed by R. Stratton and W. F. Dunn

CENSUS 1870, June 8; Lane Co, OR; Eugene City, p 464 A. W. Stowell, 28, IN, clerk in store, 1200 pers. prop. Blendina, 21, OR, keeping house, 4000 / 1000 George Thurston, 23, IA, clerk, 3500 real estate

1880, June 2; Lane Co, OR; Eugene, p 255 A. W. Stowell, 39, IN, TN, TN, farmer E. B., wife, 31, OR, MA, ME, keeping house Walter, son, 8, OR, IN, OR, att. school Oren Moore, 27, drayman

1900, June 5; Clark Co, WA; Preston Pct, p 184 Alferd W. Stowell, 59, Feb 1841, IN, TN, TN, mar 33 yrs, farmer Elizabet B, wife, 51, May 1849, OR, ME, ME, mar 33 yrs, 4 children-4 living Blandina E, dau, 19, Sept 1880, OR, IN, OR, att. school Margret G, dau, 17, July 1882, OR, IN, OR, att. school Curtis A., son, ---, Sept 1884, OR, IN, OR, att. school

Hines, H. K. "An Illustrated History of the State of Oregon." Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co. 1893. p. 1264.