The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1915-09-09
AGED PIONEER
CELEBRATES
BIRTHDAY
|. B. Cowen of Pierce City,
Idaho, Has Spent So Years
in Gem State.


ence that has fallen to the allotted
q span of life of but few men and can
never again be experienced by any
81 one in the United States. Butt such
81 has been life's trail for the venerable
81 Judge I. B. Cowen of Pierce City.
& Clearwater county. Idaho.
j On Sunday. August 20. 1915. Mr.. Cow
en- celebrated his S7th birthday. at Ids
home in erich Old Pierce" the famous
Idaho pioneer placer mining camp which
Is still thirty miles remote from radl-
road and keeps ON the map as a gold
producer Mr.. Cowen came to Pierce
City from California in 1862, SO years
ago. and is the oldest pioneer stim
living in the camp, coming into the
wilderness with a party the first year
4 after the discovery of rich placer gold
in this section OF the northwest terri
tory which was but little known or
explored at that time by whites. Even
at that time pioneering was not new
to him for when very young man he
came TO California during the early
rush of COLDS seekers and passed thru
the varied experiences of the older
mining camps In that territory And
still farther back in the earlier DAYS
of his long life as frontiersman he
can remember his boyhood days, being
born In 1928 in wisconsin, where he
spent his childhood which was about
as far removed from what is known
as civilization as one could get at that
time. He has never followed a rail-
road-the railroads have followed him
and come Long after his time in every
section where he has spent his life.
Born near the Mississippi river many
years before Chicago had even thought
of or dreamed of such a thing as rail
transportation. his memory runs back
to the old FrinlS & Walker stage line
to Galena and the history Of "The Ban
ditti of the Prairie" Mr. Cowen came
to the Pacific coast at a time when
such transportation was considered i'm
practicable IL not impossible. Then
vending his way from California along
the westerns coast in search of the
elusive yellow metal which has spurred
men on through more privations and
hardships than any other one desire
that ever burned it's way into the
minds of men, Mr.. Cowen LANDED almost
among the first whites in these rugged,
treasure laden old mountains, canyons,
and valleys of Idaho. With the party
at that time was also MIR. Frank Carl,
who spent the remainder of his days
in Pierce City, from which place he
crossed the last divide about two
years ago at the age of "a or SIS years.
Mr.. Governs entire life has been
spent in close association with various
tribes of American Indians, of whom
he always speaks of being on the
friendliest OF terms--in fact but few
men understand the Indian character
better than he. The same can also be
said of the Chinese, with whom he
has been as closely allied, both In
every day life and business dealings
for many years in mining camps as 1t
has been possible for white man to be.
Back in the sixtses Pierce City land
the original camp Of Orc Fino) was one
OF the richest placer mining sections
the world has ever known producing
tens OF millions OF dollars In gold.
Later on. in 1885, there were but few
white men left and several hundred
Cinnamon engaged in working over the
old diggings. At this time d. M Fra
ser was operating the only white store
In the camp. One morning Mr.. Fraser
was found in his store horribly muir
dered, having been literally hacked to
pieces with knives. The news spread
RAPIDLY throughout the surrounding set
Elements and dt was but short time
Till white men were on their way, many
coming from a distance of a hundred
miles, bent on dealing vengeance on
the Chinese mnrderers. This Chink
aynchdng history is a long story by it
self. But in this connection 1t can be
said that Judge Cowen. who was one
OF the few white men on the spot, and
an realizing their dangerous position
among the Cinnamon until outside help
arrived, and wel knowing what was
liable to happen to the Chdnamen when
the outsiders did reach the camp. was
a leading spirit in ferreting out the
actual murderers and counseling good
Judgment to prevent a wholesale slaugh
ter Of Cinnamon. AS Ii was, after be-
ing duly tried and a conviction OF the
real csilprits secured beyond a reason
able doubt, five OF the Cinnamon were
iynched by parties unknown" just as
an object lesson. The Chink merchants
were Jealous of Fraser on account Of
his square dealings with the Indians
who brought supplies to the camp, and
Cinnamon were in the habit of cheat
ing the red men in the tricks of han
ding their gold dust, which was the
commodity of exchange.
Mr.. Cowen has outaived for several
years the sturdy old fir tree which was
left standing in the middle of the prin-
cipal street OF Pierce City and was
known as the Confession Tree" This
tree fell during high wind one eve
ming in the summer of 1911. This was
The tree on which the accused guilty
Cinnamon were strung up one at
time On an effort tn procllre a confess
sion from some of them as to what
party of Cinnamon were guilty of muir
der.
In connection with this brief narra-
ton of Judge Governs Ene which If
fully told in all his frontier experiences
would make an interesting volume, the
writer can state that from an expert
ence of living next door to the judge
Tor several months and conversing with
him personally daily, VIE never heard
him <zasnalr IN fla uord NJ a xxs1,fAa man