An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., 
The Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL., 1893, page 404

	CHARLES E. BURROWS, a pioneer of the coast and a prominent business man of
Walla Walla county, Washington, was born in Troy, New York, January 12, 1828. He
was the oldest in a family of ten children born to Dr. Charles Eldridge and
Sarah A. (Gager) Burrows, natives of Connecticut and New York, respectively, of
German ancestry. Dr. Burrows died while a young man, only reaching his
forty-fourth year, but Mrs. Burrows lived until 1884, dying at the age of eighty
years. Six of their ten children are yet living, and the greater number of them
reside in California.
	Our subject lived in the State of New York until he was twenty-four years
old. He had received instruction in the common schools. In 1851 he started for
the Pacific coast by way of the Isthmus and landed in San Francisco in May,
1852. After landing he was soon employed, his first work being assistance in the
building of the bridge over Sutter's slough. Following this he opened a hotel in
Sacramento, resigning that business to become bookkeeper, but later he became
interested in the gas business and up to the present time has successfully been
so employed with but slight intermissions. He thoroughly understands this
business and has been called upon to put in plants in California, Oregon and
Washington. In 1870 he put in the plant at Salem, Oregon, and in 1875 he went to
Carson City, Nevada, and straightened out the gas business there. There he was
employed fifteen months and then took charge of a bank for his brother-in-law,
which position he held for six years. In 1882 he moved to Portland, Oregon,
where he remained for three years, and in 1885 he came to Walla Walla,
Washington, where he has since lived.
	Since coming to Washington he has been employed in the gas business. In 1881
the Walla Walla Gas Company was organized by Mr. A. Pierce and C.M. Patterson,
with a capital stock of $50,000, but in 1885 Mr. Burrows organized a new
company, calling it the Walla Walla Gas and Electric Company, with a capital
stock of $100,000. He purchased the old plant and put in the electric-light
works. The company are putting in two large Pelton wheels on Mill creek, five
miles east of the city. This provision will give them 275-horse power for the
operation of the plant, and the company are enlarging their electric works at
heavy cost. They have laid 5,500 feet of forty-eight inch pipe, and when
completed Walla Walla will have the best system of electric lights in the west.
Mr. Burrows may have the credit of all of the improvements in that line of the
city of Walla Walla. He has been manager and secretary of the company ever since
its organization.
	Our subject was married in 1861 to Miss Frances S. Wadsworth, a native of
Ohio and a descendant of Joseph Wadsworth of Charter Oak fame. Mr. and Mrs.
Burrows have a family of four children, as follows: Mary E., Ella F., Charles
E., Jr., and Albert J. All of those are at home with their parents. For forty
years our subject has been an Odd Fellow, is a member of the California Grand
Lodge and has filled all of the subordinate positions. Politically, he is a
member of the Republican party and intelligently views all public questions.

Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in October 2003 by Jeffrey L. Elmer

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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.