An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., 
The Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL., 1893, pages 423-424

	JAMES D. LOWMAN, one of the active, enterprising young business men of
Seattle, Washington, was born in Leitersburg, Maryland, October 5, 1856, and is
a son of Daniel S. and Caroline (Lytle) Lowman, natives of the same city, and of
German and English descent respectively. He was educated in the common and high
schools of Leitersburg, and taught school for one year.
	In 1877 Mr. Lowman came to Seattle, where his uncle, Henry L. Yesler,
resided, and secured employment as assistant wharfinger on the Yesler wharf,
being thus engaged for four years. He then purchased a half interest in the book
and stationery store of W.H. Pumphrey, and, after the business was conducted
under the firm name of Pumphrey & Lowman for two years, he purchased the entire
interest and operated it alone up to 1885. That year he organized the Lowman &
Hanford Stationery and Printing Company, with a capital stock of $100,000, he
continuing as president and principal stockholder, the business now employing a
force of sixty people in the several departments.
	In 1886 Mr. Lowman was appointed trustee of all of Henry L. Yesler's
property, and assumed its entire control and management. This estate, which was
vast and extended in its proportions, had become encumbered through the
extensive business operations of Mr. Yesler preceding a depression throughout
the Sound country, and it required a man of keen judgment and business sagacity
to bring order out of the existing chaos. Under the energetic and capable
management o Mr. Lowman, only a few years were required to restore the property
from an almost insolvent condition to be one of the most valuable estates in
Seattle, notwithstanding the great loss from the fire of 1889, when the income
of the property was suddenly reduced from $60,000 per year to nothing, and only
$65,000 of insurance was received. Since that date Mr. Lowman has erected on
Pioneer Place, in the very business center of Seattle, three of the finest
buildings in the city, aggregating upward of $400,000; and the improvements in
other parts of the city will increase that amount by many thousands of dollars.
The present indebtedness of the estate is much less than when he assumed control
of the property. With the death of Mrs. Yesler in 1887, Mr. Lowman was also
appointed administrator of her estate, a property valuation of about $250,000.
He also organized the Yesler Coal, Wood & Lumber Company, built a sawmill on
Union Bay, Lake Washington, for the manufacture of lumber and lath, on the line
of the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railroad, and has platted the town site of
Yesler, he continuing as secretary and principal stockholder in the company.
Notwithstanding the demands of these several interests, he is prominently
connected with various other enterprises. He is secretary and a large
stockholder in the Union Trunk Line, known as the James Street Railroad System,
with a capital stock of $1,000,000; is trustee and stockholder of the Washington
National Bank, the Guaranty Loan & Trust Company, the Home Insurance Company,
the Denny Hotel Company, and the Seattle Steam, Heat & Power Company; is
president of the Seattle Theatre Company; built the Lowman-Hanford Block, and
has been engaged in many private enterprises of somewhat lesser proportions.
	He is a member of no societies and is not active in politics. The manifold
duties which he is called upon to perform require his constant attention and
most able efforts, the result of his labors being well known to Seattle's
business community. His good judgment has been vindicated and his integrity of
character has become an established fact, so that he possesses the absolute
confidence of the business men of Seattle. His connection with any enterprise
readily commends it to public support.
	Mr. Lowman was married in Seattle, in 1881, to Miss Mary R. Emery, a native
of Pennsylvania, and has a spacious and handsome home in Seattle on the corner
of Eleventh and Marion streets.
	Such is a brief sketch of one of the enterprising men of the Northwest.

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

* * * * 

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.