Oldman River emailed me with a revelation:
"hi ernie, i spect your eyebrows have gone up at the mention of andy bowman being on those indian raids?! given that he was born in 1857,
Well, no, it doesn't suprise me a bit. Thanks in part to Cousin Penny's research, and thanks in part to your own research, I can guess where the story came from. Andrew Bowman was born in Sonoma County August 24th 1857. Andy's mother, Eliza Bowman, was a widow. She moved her kids to a place "near Hydesville" according to bullshistory, but some other stories that I've heard puts her Cabin and land near Camp Grant on the main Eel River. That's probably why she fled south when she was attacked by Indians. and not north towards Hydesville. The tribe that atacked her was supposedly from Klamath. The attack took place march 25th 1869. Andy would have been about 10 years old. Andy's and his mother rounded up the other six kids, all younger that him, and took them to the Dave Ward place were they where able to stand-off the raiding party. Andys mother was shot in the hip during the raid. Andy hiked south for help and brought his mother a Doctor. They left the ranch and moved to a place about ten miles north of Laytonville.
Not knowing how else to do this, I put a link here. If you look at the lower Right hand corner of the map there is a piece of property owned by one Ethel C. Bowman. I have no idea if there is any connection, but it is in the right place to be eliza Bowmans place.
Camp Grant on the Plate #2 of the Belcher Map of Humboldt Co.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
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16 comments:
yes, this is a man you can write alot about. he was a famous hunter, tracker, and father. and he had hunting dogs which were the envy of all who knew him which in those days was the sign. the good news is that his son richard, or bud, is still alive at 90 something and is still sharp as a tack about the old days and he could probably tell a few tales about his dad. he certainly knew my family up at spyrock and his dad andy was friends with foxie burns too. check out andy and his relative marvin. they know the rest of the story.
Ernie, I gave you a paper saying that this was the Wilson family version handed down some time after the event that mentions Andy Bowman. Please stop using my emails, which have not been prepared for internet consumption for your posts. Thanks.
As you have been told, I have been patiently waiting for a savvy Long Valley local to arrange a meeting with Mr. Bowman, because of family priorities and out of respect for his health concerns, that time hasn't arrived yet.
spy --I was delighted to hear that you have been corresponding with him, via phone, I think I heard. Good for you, spy!
The Wilson version states that Fox Burns came back from a raid on the Indians in Humboldt County by some of the Long Valley men, allegedly including Andy Bowman, Jonathon Wilson, and Benjamin Burns.
"The story that was later passed down in the Wilson family was that Andy Bowman brought back two baby girls, strapped into boxes on his horse, while Jonathon brought back a six-month old baby boy strapped to his.
Once back home in Laytonville, it was decided that the Burns family would keep the boy. They named the child Fox and kept him until he was in his teen on his own,..."
This was from an excellent series of family history articles by an as yet unknown author in the Willets News, October 19, 1977. The article was entitled 'Fox Burns--famous Indian raised within the Wilson family'.
Ernie will probably scan and download that article for its view on Fox Burns life, do you need a darker version of that one pic of Fox in his familiar pose?
So the issue is Fox Burns being born in 1860, brought here in 1862 as he claimed. How does Andy Bowman, born in 1857 do something in the early 1860's? That is what prompted the email. Fox, in his own words says that he was from Trinity county, here we have him from Humboldt County, I believe we went through an aha about him being from Modoc county. Ah the work of the bullshistorian!
In the 1910 census. Fox, listed as Jay Burns, is listed (with his wife and child), as a Wailaki, from Hettenshaw Valley.
YES! Andy Bowman's life would be a great biography.
OMaR, there is something I would like to tell you about but can't do it here. It might be a big help to you... or it might not. Please get my e-mail address from Ernie & I'll get back to you. Thanks.
OMR
Mia culpa, I took our conversation out of context. I see the error of my ways. In my mind I was remembering the fox Burns connection that you were yet to check-out, and I purposefully did not mention that.
My biggest mistake, and for which I offer my deepest apology, is for using your private words without your expressed permission. I hope that I haven't caused too much harm to your continuing story. I feel a big dent in my character at this point. Sorry.
I agree that the Andy Bowman story would be a great history and adventure story. One would hope that the Bowman family would be willing to tell it.
I'm going to go in the back yard and eat worms as punishment now...
Oh no, please don't use the hammer on yourself. I believe your apology, accept it, and if those are angleworms you are eating, do you have an Indian recipe? They were into them at Round Valley in particular.
Well, we got ahead of our stories, that's all Ern. No need to grovel in mortification like that gabby would do.
We have a lot of good stories to come here this summer, an' we will get there. No damage done.
Isn't Mia Culpa an Italian exotic dancer?
when my dad got into his 90's the only thing he wanted to talk about was the old days. someone would ask him a question about something in the present and he would just start talking about what he wanted to talk about which usually happened over 60 years earlier. the local city bosses got tired of his phone calls trying to tell them how to run city hall so they gave him his own oldtimers booth to tell stories during special events in the city like maybe your farmers market. most younger people are so busy trying to make ends meet that they forget about the old ones who don't have email but still have numbers in phone books.
To clear up any misconseptions of the Eliza Bowman story, you might research Anna Morrison Reed's transcript: Mrs. Eliza P. Bowman's Encounter with Reservation Indians, "A Heroine of Humboldt Co." Information from the John Keller collection. John Keller was Anna Morrison Reed's grandson. Morrison stated the Indians involved were from the Hoopa reservation. She also wrote that Eliza's spread was 3-miles from Fort Grant, Humboldt Co., about 30 miles from the town of Hydesville, Humboldt Co., on the main Eel River.
Information in Elder Book Vol. III states a difference in acreage for Mrs. Bowman, "near" Hydesville - 300 acres of grazing rights. This information was provided/written document by the Bowman/Pinches families. In Anna Morrison's transcript it stated that she took up 160 acres.
I would give credibility to Anna M-R's account as she was a lecturer who spent a goodly amount of time traveling thru Humboldt Co., and published this story.
cousin
Unfortunately, Mervin Pinches, who loved to talk about the history of our valley passed away during the last year. He will sorely be missed.
cousin
spy, you are so lucky to have that kind of a father!
Not knowing how else to do this, I put a link here. If you look at the lower Right hand corner of the map there is a piece of property owned by one Ethel C. Bowman. I have no idea if there is any connection, but it is in the right place to be Eliza Bowmans place.
Belcher map plate two
I've tried to entice some Bowmans to your blog, Ernie. Don't know if they'll show up or not.
I'm Sheridan Bowman, Robert Bowman's middle child. My Dad's father was John Bowman & his granfather was Andy Bowman. Uncle was "Bud" or Richard Bowman. I love reading about the Long Valley lore and how brave our family was. They seemed fearless and resourceful. I spent many summers in Laytonville with my sister, Jacque, on Bethel (Grandpa John's 2nd wife) and Grandpa's farm. We caught blue gill all day long, ran from their bull by the saw mill pond, picked blackberries and ate the most wonderful pies Bethel made, found stray cats at the dump, visited with our amazing family and had wonderful experiences that we never had growing up in Campbell, CA.
My Father and Mother are gone... Martha and Norman Bowman, Andy Bowman (all Richard, or Bud & Catherine's kids) are still living. My sister, Jacque and brother Brad and I are healthy. It's sad to think how many have gone before us.
Did you know that actress Deanna Durbin was also related to us and is buried in the Laytonville Cemetary?
Thank you for your posts; my kids are now taking interest in our family heritage, which is rich indeed.
Nice job Sherry. Obviously, a lot of confusion about Grandpa Andy and relatives. Bowmans start in California in the 1830's. Truckee was their scout (yes, my grandfather's named the Truckee River after him). They found land in Sonoma county, then homesteaded in Oregon until California became a state. They homesteaded propery in Graton, Sonoma county. Andy was born there in 1857. After Andy's father (John Bowman) died, they went to Humboldt Co. After an Indian attack on March 25, 1869, they moved to Laytonville.
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