"History of Southern Oregon, Comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and
Coos Counties.  Compiled from the Most Authentic Sources."  A. G. Walling,
Publisher.  Portland, OR.  1884.  pg. 525.

B.F. DOWELL

     Benjamin F. Dowell was born in Albemarle county, Virginia, October 31,
1826.  He was named in honor of the great philosopher, Ben Franklin, who was an
uncle to his grandmother.  The parents of the subject of this sketch were both
natives of the state in which their son was born -- both having been born within
a mile of each other.  Mr. Dowell's mother, originally Miss Fannie Dalton, was a
lady of culture and refinement, and was of Scottish descent, while the Dowell's
are traced back to English nativity.  When but a child young Benjamin, with his
parents, moved to Shelby county, Tenn., where he acquired a liberal education at
the male academy.  After having finished his academic studies, he returned to
Virginia and entered the State University, where he graduated in law in 1847,
before he was twenty-one years old.  After completing the course young Dowell
went back to Tennessee, where he practiced his profession with good success
until 1850, when he was imbued with the spirit,  "Westward the course of empire
takes its way," and accordingly followed the human tide into the gold regions of
California.  Having taken the cholera soon after his arrival in Sacramento, he
was advised by his physician to go north.  Mr. Dowell started for Portland,
Oregon, in a small schooner, which after being driven back to sea from the mouth
of the Columbia, finally reached its port, seriously damaged, after thirty-five
days' sailing.  Mr. Dowell stopped in the Willamette valley a short time, and
then moved, in 1852, to Southern Oregon.  Here he engaged in trading and packing
until 1856.  In 1857 he again resumed the practice of law, settled in
Jacksonville, where he still resides, and is one of the most widely known
attorneys in the state.  In 1861 our subject married Miss Anna Campbell.  They
have now a family of three children; Fannie, Annie and B. F. Jr.  In 1862 he was
elected prosecuting attorney.  In 1865 he bought the "Oregon Sentinel," which,
under his administration, was the first Pacific slope paper to advocate the
enfranchisement of the negroes, and the first to nominate General Grant for the
presidency.



     

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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in July 2005 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.