Since 1869 , there has lived, five miles from Elk City, a gentleman, who by his upright character and by his unity of purpose has earned the esteem of a large community of friends. There are few in the ranks at the “Old settlers” of the county who are better or more favorably known than Mr. McDowell, and we present his record in brief, that posterity may know him and something of his antecedents.
October 9th, 1858 marks the date of birth of Mr. McDowell, in Caldwell county, Kentucky. He is of Irish extraction, his father, Allen McDowell, having been a son of Alexander, who was the Irish founder of this American family. They settled in Kentucky, where Allen McDowell was born, and where he married Martha Freeman, daughter of Hardy F. Freeman, of the North Carolina family, which settled in Caldwell county Kentucky.
Allen McDowell enlisted in the Union army during the Civil War, and died at home while on a furlough, but his widow still lives and resides with her son, Our subject.
James A McDowell was a lad of ten years when his mother settled in Montgomery county, Kansas with her came her father, together with a brother and two brothers-in-law. Each of the male members of the party preempted a quarter section of land in Louisburg township, as also did our subject’s mother. The latter proved up to her claim, sold her land and purchased the farm of eighty acres upon which Mr. McDowell now resides, and which he has continued to cultivate since he grew to manhood.
Mr. McDowell married, in January 1863 Miss Lola Lewis, daughter of Abraham and Martha (Reed) Lewis. To his marriage have been born three children: Alvis, born December 8th, 1894; Frances Anna born March 28th, 1896; and James Allen, born June 7th, 1898.
The farm on which Mr. McDowell now resides is not extensive in acreage, but it is well kept and shows the hand of an intelligent and skilled agriculturist.
In fraternal life, Mr. McDowell is a member of the Modern Woodman of America and in politics he affiliates and votes with the Republican party.