Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-02-18
CHUMS OF
BOYHOOD RALLY
TO LOWDEN
Sunrise, Minn., Birthplace Of
Illinois Governor, Backs
Him for President.
THE LOWDEh SWIMMING HOLE
Early Friends Of Governor See Village
Famous as Cradle Of President
Born in Sunrise and Been
Awake Ever Since"

Sunrise, Mimi, a sleepy little village
with a population of 200, has found
place in the political sun. Politics has
put the village on the map and it eX-
o. Lowden Of Illinois, one of the lead
ing candidates for the Republican
presidential nomination, was born in
Sunrise fifty-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 century, in fact-but the
village has never forgotten the family,
least of all "little Frank" The old
shed where Lorenzo Lowden, the gov
ernor's father, had his blacksmith
shop, still stands. 1t 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 rise
Of ground two miles from the village.
There IS 4 !lird building % Sunrise
that figured In the governors boyhood.
That is the schoolhouse. Lorenzo
Lowden helped to build it so his boy
could have schooling. The one-room
structure Is but q stones throw from
the blacksmith shop. It is no longer
q school, having been succeeded by a
more modern building, but is now the
village hail. A picture of the Illinois
governor hangs on the wall, and I'M
der Its roof the Lowden club holds
meetings.
The Sunrise folk are full OF, stories
about Frank Lowden.
"He was 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 and home, dis
lance Of two miles, carrying a book
before his face. The boys would speak
to him and he wouldn't answer. IL
we annoyed him when he was interest
ed he would stop and trounce us. Or"
he'd try to-"
In 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 60 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. Voss
saw his head bob up, go down, come
up a second time and again disappear.
TheO dived in, few feet down the
current, caught him by the hair and
dragged him ashore. We poured the
water out of him and In Il few minutes
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 friends
are now at North Branch, ten miles
from Sunrise. Among them is s. w.
Runyan, who had something to do
with Franks education.
II taught Frank to hunt squirrels"
said Runyan. "We covered many
mile of this country with our gun and
dogs"
The Lowdens left Sunrise In the
late sixties. The last picture of
Franks bOyhood that remains with
the old residents is that of a sturdy
little chap, dressed for travel, march
ing Off down the road behind the
prairie schoSner" that bore all the
Lowden effects to their new home In
Iowa. There was nothing forlorn
about the picture. The boy was cheer
full, wideawake and on the lookout for
something to do. Alertness was char
acteristic Of him.
Said Henry yoss, the village philos-
opher. speaking of his old friend:
Frank was born here In Sunrise,
and 1t kind of appears that he has
been awake ever since"