The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1920-02-20
Sunrise, Minn., Birthplace Of
illinois Governor, Backs
Him for President.
THE LOWDEN SWIMMING HOLE
Early Friends Of Governor See Village
Famous as Cradle Of President
-"Born in Sunrise and Been
Awake Ever Since"

with a population Of 200, has found q
place in the political sun. Politics has
put the village on the map and it ex-
poets to stay there. For Gov. Frank
o. Lowden Of Illinois, one Of the lead
ing candidates for the Republican
presidential nomination, was born In
Sunrise ifty-nine years ago. His boy
hood chums and neighbors are con-
scious of the fame thrust upon them.
Perhaps the most enthusiastic Lowden-
for-president club in the country Is
the one that meets in Sunrise, now in
the village hall, now in Andrew Lind's
general store.
1t is many years since the LOwdens
made their home in Sunrise-more
than half a century, in fact-but the
village has never forgotten the family,
least of all 'little Frank" The old
shed where Lorenzo Lowden, the gov
errors father, had his blacksmith
shop, still stands. It is the property
of the Lowden children, used only for
storage purposes-and for the ghost
games which. the folk say, were start
ed by Frank Lowden. The Lowden
home still stands. too. 1t is an old
| fashioned dwelling that occupies a rise
of ground two miles from the village.
There is a third building in Sunrise
that figured in the governors boyhood.
That is the schoolhouse. Lorenzo
Lowden helped to build 1t so his boy
could have a schooling. The One-room
structure is but a stones throw from
the blacksmith shop. 1t is no longer
a school, having been succeeded by a
more modern building, but is now the
village hall. A picture of the Illinois
governor hangs on the wall, and I'M
der it's roof the Lowden club holds
meetings.
The Sunrise folk are full of stories
about Frank Lowden.
"He was a studious child" said
Henry voss, one Of the governors
schoolmates. "After he had learned
to read he used to walk back and forth
between the school inc home, a dis
lance Of two miles, carrying a book
before his face. The boys would speak
to him and he wouldn't answer. If
we annoyed him when he was interest
ed he would stop and trounce us. Or"
Voss added, with a twinkle. "at least
he'd try to-"
In a bend Of the river near town is
the swimming hole where Franks
career was almost cut short. The boy
was ~passionately fond Of the water
and in the spring could scarcely wait
for the ice to go out.
"See right over there in the center?'
asked VOss. 'That's where Frank
nearly drowned. Trying to do what
the older and stronger boys did he
got up on the springboard and plunged
off in ten feet of water. Theo. Vos.
saw his head bob up, 60 down, com
up a second time and again disappear
Theo dived in, a few feet down TIN
current, caught him by the hair ant
dragged him ashore. We poured tn
water out of him and in a few minute
he was as right as'ever."
Lowden's swimming hole" is still
popular with the boys of the neighbor
hood.
Many of the governors old friend
are now at North Branch, ten mile
from Sunrise. Among them is s.. W
Runyan, who had something to d
with Franks education.
81 taught Frank to hunt squirrels.
said Runyan. "We covered many
mile of this country with our gun an
dogs"
The Lowdens left Sunrise in tn
late sixties. The last picture
Franks boyhood that remains wit
the old residents is that of a sturd
little chap, dressed for travel, marcl
ing off down the road behind til
"prairie schooner" that bore all til
Lowden effects to their new home
= Iowa. There was nothing forlol
about the picture. The boy was chez
eff full, wideawake and on the lookout fl
an something to do. Alertness was cha
as acteristic of him.
X, Said Henry Voss, the village philo
es opher, speaking of his old friend:
le- "Frank was born here in Sunris
of and If kind Of aDpearS that he h