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A biography/family history and portrait of William Rowe are included in "Montana, Its Story and Biography", Vol 3, pages 680 & 681.
William Rowe was born, 2 Feb 1840, son of James and Julia (Williams) Rowe, both natives of Cornwall. The father was born 1801 and died 28 Apr 1877, age 76. The mother was born 1802 and died 29 Dec 1876, age 74. James Rowe grew up in Cornwall and worked in the mines. After his marriage, he went to Honolulu, later to California, and drifted into Mexico. In 1844, he returned to England and then brought his wife and children to America, landing in Quebec. One of the children died at sea. From Quebec they went by horse and wagon to Montreal to Detroit, MI, and then to Chicago. They proceeded to Elizabethtown, Jo Daviess County, IL, where James Rowe commenced mining. He was adept with tools and was a carpenter, shoemaker and was able to make his own shoes. He later was in farming and stock raising for a time, but on the death of his wife, and while on his way to Montana to visit his son, James Rowe died on the steamer Benton on the way up the Missouri River. He was buried at Fort Beaufort.
William Rowe attended schools in Elizabethtown until age 8 when he became a wage earner dropping corn and earned enough to pay for a cow. In Dec 1849 he left home and got a job watering horses and the following spring he went to work for his brother-in-law, Henry Roberts, at farmwork. Later he was employed at cabinetwork at Galena, IL, for a time, but later returned to work for Henry Roberts and stayed with him until he was age 17. Then he was employed to mix mortar and carry hod. Then he was employed by a Mr. Coleman and at the end of nine months William went to British Hollow, WI, where he drove a team hauling lead for Hymer and Vance, and they sent him to Fairplay to buy lead for the firm. Later he went to Portage Lake, MI, and worked in the Franklin iron mine. From there he went to Detroit, Chicago then Galena, IL. He was a driver for the Wisconsin Stage Company after which he took 80 head of horses to LaCrosse, WI, for the Minnesota Stage Line. After breaking the horses, he took them to Winona, MN, and put them on the road on 1 Oct 1861. He drove stage on several routes for several years in Minnesota. For a time he operated a saloon and billiard hall at St. Cloud, MN. About 1864, William had a serious misfortune where he lost the sight of both eyes for about two years. He went to visit his family in Illinois and had his eyes successfully treated. For one year he was in business at Grant County, WI, but in Jun 1867 came up the Missouri on the steamer "Deer Lodge" and landed at Fort Benton, MT. Fhen he went to Helena and to the Blue Cloud gulch to prospect and mine. Eventually he gave his claim away for a tin cup and a butcher knife and returned to Helena. For a while he drove a stage between Helena and Canada Ranch, but returned to Fort Benton and went into the feed stable busienss. In the spring of 1869 he bought a span of mules and started for Silver Creek, but his mules got away and he chased them to Wolf Creek, then to Helena where he hauled dirt. He sold the the outfit and went to Pioneer City where he mined, then he went prospecting and mining at French Gulch, was successful in finding gold and mined there for a year. He sold out and spent the winter at Arkansas Springs, Arkansas, hoping to recover his health. He then went to Deer Lodge, MT, where he was appointed under sheriff and night watchman. After two years he opened a billiard hall, which he later sold and in the fall of 1872 returned to Fort Benton and went into the hotel business. He was appointed sheriff of Choteau county, MT, and served two terms. He was then appointed US Deputy Marshall, serving about six months, then was appointed US Mounted Revenue Inspector for Montana and Idaho for about a year-and-a-half. He then continued operation of the hotel at Fort Benton and took a contract to carry mail between Fort Benton and Helena for four years, and another contract to carry mail between Fort Benton and Fort Assinniboine for two years. He sold his contracts and in the fall of 1884 began buing horses, with his headquarters at Fort Benton. The for a year-and-a-half he had a livery business. William owned a 340 acre cattle and horse ranch near Fort Benton. He was an extensive breeder of English shire horses and shorthorn cattle.
On 18 Jan 1876, Fort Benton, MT, William Rowe married Kate Jane Babbage, born 1 May 1860, VanCouver, WA. Her parents were John and Catherine (Cullinane) Babbage, the former a native of Devonshire, England, and the latter a native of Limerick, Ireland. The parents were married in San Francisco, CA, 24 May 1858. They had six children, four living.
Sixteen children were born to William and Kate Rowe (six passed away in infancy, except Harry who died at age 24). The living children: Grace E. (Mrs. Richard J. Pennock), Wilbur Garfield (m. Jessie M. Jenkinson), Emma A. (Mrs. William Jenkinson), Leslie Charles (m. Philamon Dupee), George Francis, John McKinley, Mary Catherine (m. Josiah F. Lester), Minnie N.
William Rowe died 11 Jan 1925, age 84, Choteau Co., MT
Katie J. Rowe died 12 Apr 1937, age 76, Choteau, Co., MT
I am not related.
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