The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1922-02-23
JUDGE BLOWERS is
PIONEER OF BUSINESS

Judge L. N. Blowers. who has an
nounced that he will retire soon from
active mercantile business, having
advertised the sale of his hardware
stock, may be truthfully termed the
dean of local business men. for he has
been engaged here since 1889, when he
and his father. the late Capt. A. S.
Blowers, purchased the mercantile
establishment founded by E. l.. Smith.
MIR. Smiths store was the first organ
ICED in the Hood River valley, and in a
way the cessation of Judge Blowers
store will be the ending of the valleys
first mercantile establishment.
Judge Blowers, eldest son of Capt.
Amby S. and Ellen Damon Blowers,
was born April Is, 1867. in Iowa. He
was reared in Minnesota, where he
attended the public schools. He left
school, however, at the age of Ia to
work in his fathers general merchan-
disc store in New York Mills. Mimi.
He continued his studies, however, at
nights, reciting to Prof. j. I. McCul-
Ioch, friend of the family, and now
prominent attorney at Washburn, N. ID.
Judge Blowers has been active in
civic and political affairs since early
manhood. At the age of q years he
was elected city recorder of New York
Mills, running on the anti-saloon
ticket. He was the youngest delegate
in the Republican county convention at
Fergus Falls, Mimi, in 1888.
The Blowers family arrived in Hood
River March 4, 1889, the day of Pres
ident Harrison's Inauguration. The
store they purchased occupied build
ing on the present site of the Butler
Bank corner.
Soon after the arrival of Capt.
Blowers and family, Company d. Srd
Regiment, o. N. G.. was organized.
Mr.. Blowers. who was a veteran of
the Civil war, was elected captain
Audubon Winans, first lieutenant and
l.. N. Blowers, second lieutenant. The
three commissioned officers in those
days were all elected by the men of
the company. The company was active
and the members were proud of it.
At competitive drill held at The
Dalles at which the entire regiment of
10 companies participated. Sergeant
]. B. Hunt proved himself the best
drilled man, in the manual Of arms, in
the company and the third best in the
regiment of !. GOO men. Warren Miller,
though placed under a handicap. proved
the fastest runner in the regiment for
the one-mile distance. Company ID
brought home to Hood River the first
prize, a large silver pitcher. for being
the best drilled company in the regi-
ment, although only organized about
six months previously. 1t is fair to
state, however, that one company was
DISQUALIFIED for unfair tactics, and that
other companies refused to drill on ac-
count of resentment at the unfsirness-
Hood River was first called 70 the drill
ground, and had completed its work
before the offending company was
caught and exposed by Lieutenant
Blowers. Governor Pennoyer and reg
uIar army off fi-ers from Vancouver
reviewed the regiment.
Judge Blowers was married to Miss
Bertha Miflin, Of Washington, D. C..
in 1891. They have five children.
In 1896 be was elected the second
msvor Of Hood River. About a year
later be removed to Sumpter, Or, and
was elected the first mayor Of that
rustling mining town, then a typical
frontier mining town with al The
sppurtensnces thereunto belonging.
Returning to Hood River, with his