Tulare County
Biographies
J. M. BOWLES & SONS
J. M. Bowles & Sons, proprietors of the Tulare
City Flour Mills. - J. M. Bowles was born in Bourbon County, Kentucky, November
10, 1817. He was born and educated upon the farm, and in 1842 emigrated to Adams
County, Illinois, and in 1852 pushed still farther west and crossed the plains
for California, and settled in Colusa County. He then engaged in the stock
business very extensively and successfully, making a considerable amount of
money. In 1856 he moved to Petaluma and purchased 300 acres of land, continuing
the stock business and doing some farming. Scott Bowles, the manager of the
Tulare mill was born in Adams County, Illinois, in 1848, and was educated at
Brayton College, at Oakland, and at the State Normal School at San Jose. Bourbon
Bowles was born in Petaluma in 1857, and was educated at McClure's Academy at
Oakland. Upon arriving at years of discretion the sons became identified with
the father in the farming business, and in 1879 they built a stone flour mill at
Petaluma, with a capacity of 100 barrels every twenty-four hours, doing a
general milling business. This they continued very successfully for several
years, until the erection of roller mills in this vicinity, and then, rather
than alter their stone mill, they decided to come to Tulare County, the banner
County in wheat, and there build anew. They bought eight acres south of Tulare,
on the line of railroad, and there built their fine structure, 30 x 50 feet,
four stories high, with two additional storage rooms, 20 x 70 each. The mill is
fitted with the most improved machinery, using five double sets 9 x 18 rolls,
Stevenson's patent, with a capacity of 100 barrels of flour every twenty-four
hours. The flour thus made is on the gradual reduction process, and is
considered vastly superior to that made by the old stone mills. The Messrs
Bowles are identified among their competitors as making a good grade of flour,
and being centrally located on the Southern Pacific R. R., they do a large
amount of shipping business, besides supplying their local trade. They have also
improved the quality of wheat to a great extent in their section of the county,
by encouraging the growth of white wheat, which is the superior for flour
purposes, and is now extensively raised.
.
SOURCE. Memorial and Biographical History of the Counties of Fresno, Tulare and
Kern, California.
Chicago, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1892, Page 817 Transcribed by Beverly
Green
JAMES ANDREW BOYD
James Andrew Boyd, a successful horticulturist
of Traver, crossed the plains to California with his father and family in 1859.
He was born in Arkansas, June 24, 1848, the eldest child of James Saxton and
Mary M. (Little) Boyd. (See their history in this book.)
After the family arrived in this State they spent their first year in Napa
County, thence to Placer County, thence to Calaveras County, and in the spring
of 1866 located in Tulare County, where James A. worked for wages. Visalia was
then a small town, and only a few settlers were scattered throughout the county.
Since that time the growth and development in this section of the country have
been marvelous.
Mr. Boyd at first took up what he supposed was government land, but when
surveyed was found to belong to the railroad company, and he lost it. He then
purchased 160 acres, improved his property and added to it by other purchases
until he had 800 acres, on which he lived and farmed until 1888. That year he
sold out and came to his present locality, three miles north of Traver. Here he
owns forty acres of choice land, abundantly supplied with water, on which he is
engaged in horticultural pursuits, his trees and vines showing luxuriant growth
and bearing heavily.
Mr. Boyd was married, in 1869, to Miss Letha A. Work, a native of Missouri and a
daughter of Flemming Work. They have one daughter and two sons, namely: Annie
L., now the wife of John H. Johnson, resides at Dinuba, this county; James F.
and Zachariah Elphenos.
In politics Mr. Boyd is a Democrat. When a young man he held the office of
Constable, but he is not a politician. He is a member of the Christian Church,
is an honorable and upright man and is held in high esteem by his
fellow-citizens.
SOURCE: Memorial and Biographical History of the Counties of Fresno, Tulare and
Kern, California
Chicago, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1892, Page 739, 740 Transcribed by
Beverly Green