Unidentified

Unidentified

Printed: Wiker, Amethyst P.O., Creede, Colo.

Intriguing medallion on his vest.

The McDowell Brothers?

Unidentified

Printed: M.E. Chase, Ouray, Colorado

So here's the story I was told about the McDowells. The Pater familias was one Walter McDowell, born in Venango County, Pennsylvania in 1811. He earned his living making hats and gloves. As he made his way West, through Ohio, then to Casey, Illinois, he married at least four times and each marriage resulted in children.

My line connects to marriage # 3, with Kiziah Jane Albright. That union produced two children, my great grandfather Benjamin F. (born in Casey in 1858), and his sister Ruth "Mamie" (born 1867).

Kiziah died shortly after Ruth's birth. Not long following, Walter married a fourth time.

At some point in the 1880s, according to legend, the large family had some kind of major fight. Walter, now widowed again, and some of the adult children were said to have migrated to Oklahoma and Texas where they became cowboys. Ruth married into Choctaw culture. Walter died in the Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory, in 1892.

Meanwhile, the other half of the family moved to Ouray, Colorado and became silver prospectors. The brothers who moved there were John, Henry, Joseph, Ben, and Walter Jr.

Ben McDowell was said to have struck it rich two or three times, and lost everything at the gambling tables. He deserted the family in 1896 and lived out his life in Cripple Creek, Colorado, site of the last great gold rush in the lower 48, where he made a living sharpening tools. He died in 1910.

My Mom recalls being told this photo depicts the McDowell brothers, with my great grandfather possibly being the guy standing in the upper left. But she isn't 100% sure.   

Unidentified

Printed: Matson Bros., 162 Main St., Salt Lake City.

Unidentified

Printed: Elite Studio, Union Block, Leadville, Colorado

The McDowell Family Album

The McDowell Family Album is something of a mystery. This family has never been real big on recording their history. In fact, during the 20th century family members were unable to name their grandparents for official documents like death certificates.

To illustrate this point, my Mom's cousin gave me this album when we visited him in Centralia, Washington over 30 years ago. "Here kid," he said, "Take it. I'm not into this gynecology crap."

Though the photos are mostly unmarked, they are interesting portraits of a colorful family who were part of the history of Colorado in the era of the silver boom in the 1880s-1890s. And obviously, they didn't look back.

The album was curated by my great grandmother, Ellen McDowell. She was born Ellen Snyder in Casey, Illinois, Apr. 17, 1862. She married Benjamin F. McDowell in 1879 and the young family moved to Ouray, Colorado in the 1880s. Ben deserted the family in 1896 and Ellen supported her four sons and two daughters by running a laundry-- by hand-- for the silver prospectors. She followed her sons to Centralia, Washington in the 1920s, where she died Feb. 15, 1949.