"Portrait and Biographical Record of Portland and Vicinity, Oregon." Authors: "a
compilation of this work....by a number of writers".  Chapman Publishing Co;
Chicago, 1903. p. 806.
 
MRS. MINERVA C. BOWLES

     is a well-known resident of Portland, where she owns a good home and in
addition has valuable property interests elsewhere in the state.   She is
a daughter of Gen. Andrew Wilson, who was a native of Virginia, born in the year
1815. In early life he removed from the Old Dominion to Missouri, becoming one
of the early settlers of Boone county, that state. There he formed the
acquaintance of Mrs. Sarah Switzler Logdon, whom he later made his wife. She was
born in 1817 and was also a native of the Old Dominion, but the marriage of the
young couple was celebrated in Missouri. They afterward removed to Saline
county, that state, where they remained for a short time, when, with the other
members of the family, they came to Oregon.
     General Wilson was fitting himself for the work of the ministry, thus
following in his father's footsteps. He was an only son, and he had moderate
financial resources at his command. He was a graduate of Yale and a gentleman of
scholarly attainments, whose influence was widely felt for good. It was through
his efforts that the members of the Wilson and Switzler families established
homes in the northwest. They journeyed overland with a wagon train numbering
about one hundred and fifty people, and it required the entire time from April
until October, 1845, to reach their destination. The party started with a large
amount of stock and moderate means, and at length reached The Dalles whence they
started in Indian canoes for Portland, but were swamped below the Cascades
and spent the first winter in St. Johns. The Wilson and Switzler families
located claims side by side General Wilson, with remarkable foresight
and business capacity, purchased large bateaux and transported people down the
river. He also raised a great deal of stock and likewise purchased considerable,
and in order to feed his animals he cut large amounts of wild hay. In 1848 Mr.
Wilson went to the mines amid the mountains of California and was there
stricken with the fever, dying in 1849. He was among the first to cross the
mountains into the mining country, and his efforts were noticeably felt
in behalf of the general improvement and progress of this Pacific coast
district. After the death of the husband and father, the mother remained with
her family until 1852. Unto them had been born four children, who reached years
of maturity, namely: Mrs. Bowles; John G., who is a resident of San Francisco,
Cal., where he is now living; James H., a farmer of the Walla Walla valley, and
Sarah, who was born in Oregon and became the wife of A. M. Brown, and died in
Vancouver, Wash., in 1880. General Wilson was a young man of marked
capability, well fitted to cope with the condition of pioneer life, and his
efforts in behalf of the early development and progress of the country
were far-reaching and beneficial. He left the impress of his individuality upon
the early history of the state, and the community in this part of Oregon
acknowledges its indebtedness to him for what he accomplished in this direction.
He became quite well-to-do and left considerable property. This includes three
hundred and twenty acres of the original tract taken up by the father, and which
is now a dairy farm.
     Mrs. Minerva C. Bowles was born in Saline county, Mo., October 30, 1841,
and was therefore only three and a half years of age when her parents crossed
the plains to the northwest, yet she well remembers a heavy hail storm which
occurred at that time and which greatly frightened the people in the wagon
train. The animals also became desperate, and the men had to put ropes in the
horns of the oxen in order to hold them back and keep them from stampeding. Mrs.
Bowles was educated in this state, becoming a student in the Portland Academy.
She remained with her parents and grandparents until their respective deaths,
and then went to live with her uncles, with whom she remained until August 8,
1861. It was on that day that she gave her hand in marriage to Jesse T. Bowles,
who was a pioneer settler of Oregon of 1852. His paternal grandfather was a
lieutenant in the Revolutionary war and served under General Washington. The old
musket which he used was in the possession of Mr. Bowles for many years. Mr.
Bowles was born in St. Charles county, Mo., in 1830, and his maternal
grandfather was John McKay, a Scotchman, who crossed the Atlantic to America and
became a surveyor in this country, accumulating considerable wealth through his
efforts in that direction. He built the first brick residence in St. Louis.
Jesse T. Bowles was educated in Montgomery county, Mo., where he attended
college.  He was the son of a farmer and was eighteen years of age when he first
came to the coast. He afterward returned to the east, but again crossed the
plains in 1852, and after his marriage followed farming. He was a member of
the Masonic lodge and a man of progressive ideas, who took an active interest in
everything pertaining to the welfare and substantial development of his
community. He secured a claim located in the macadam road and now forming a part
of the site of the Jewish cemetery.
      Unto Mr. and Mrs. Bowles were born four children, who reached years of
maturity: Charles D., born in 1864, and now an attorney at Vancouver, was
educated at the Eugene State University and read law at Portland and in
Salem, Ore. He married Almeda Thompson, of Albany, Ore., in 1889, and by his
marriage has three sons: Jesse C., Ward R. and Nelson C. John Bowles, born in
1862, was educated in Eugene, Ore, and died in 1882. Annie J., born in
1867, became the wife of Charles N. Johnson, a son of A. H. Johnson, one of the
honored pioneer settlers of this state.  She has five daughters and one son,
namely: Bertie C, Annie M., Isabelle, Carrie N., Alleyne and Charles N.
The Johnson family reside at Forest Grove, where Mr. Johnson is a farmer. Joseph
R. Bowles, born in October, 1869, is now engaged in the hardware business in
Portland. He was educated in the high school of that city and married Bernice
Washburne of Portland.
     After living for some time upon the home farm of General Wilson, the Bowles
family removed to Vancouver, and in 1883 their present home in Portland was
erected upon land purchased by Mr. Bowles. Many changes have occurred since they
arrived here. They now rent the home farm, to which they have added from time to
time, until it now comprises four hundred and twenty acres of valuable land, and
in addition to this the family property comprises twelve acres of land near
Mount Taber. Mrs. Bowles is a member of the Pioneers Association of Oregon and
also of the Episcopal Church. She is a most estimable lady, who has a wide
acquaintance in the state, and certainly deserves mention in this volume.


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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in August 2008 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.