Edwards, Rev. Jonathan. "An Illustrated History of Spokane County, State of Washington." San Francisco: W. H. Lever, 1900. p. 477. GIDEON HOWELL A pioneer of 1883, is a native of Wayne county, New York, born September 9, 1824. When three years old he was taken by his parents to Michigan, where he grew to manhood on a farm. He returned to New York in 1844 and found employment as an engineer in a saw mill, a line of work which he followed for several years afterwards. On October 3, 1861, he enlisted in Company E, Seventy-sixth New York Infantry, but was transferred later to the Ninety-third New York Infantry, which was sent to Washington, District of Columbia, thence to Fortress Monroe. He served in the Peninsular campaign and participated in the battles of Williamsburg, Spottsylvania and the Wilderness, also in may other engagements. In 1863 he was discharged on account of ill health and returned home, but he again enlisted, identifying himself with the Fiftieth New York Volunteer Engineers. He was mustered out in 1865, with the rank of sergeant. His war record, unsullied by a single dishonorable or cowardly act, stands as a monument to his patriotism and his manliness. At the close of hostilities he returned home and resumed his engineering and planing mill business. In 1877 he went to Franklin county, Nebraska, where he secured a soldier's claim. While there he served two terms as county assessor and was justice of the peace for a like period. He came to Spokane in 1883, since which date he spent eleven years as sexton of the cemetery. In recent years he has directed his energies towards mining and prospecting. He is a member of the J. L. Reno Post, No. 47, G.A.R., of which he has been chaplain, surgeon and senior vice-commander. He also belongs to the Pioneers Association of Spokane. He was married in New York, July 1, 1848, to Miss Elvira Sherman (a cousin of General Sherman), who died in Spokane in 1888. On October 28, 1889, he married Anna E. Rhea, a native of Rhode Island. By his first marriage Mr. Howell had four children, namely: Albert M.; Emma, now Mrs. William Sweet, and Frank M., living; also Lucinda, deceased. * * * * Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in March 2006 by Diana Smith. Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the individual featured in the biographies.