The passing of Amos Bowman, Anacortes founder

Amos Bowman died at his home in Anacortes yesterday afternoon, after an illness of several weeks, the result of hardships experienced in making a trip to Victoria in a small boat. Amos Bowman was 55 years of age and had been a conspicuous figure on the Coast since the early days of California. He was a native of Ontario, but crossed the line to Ohio early in life. From there he went to New York, where he took a medical course in one of the universities, at the same time studying shorthand. His proficiency in the latter branch enabled him to secure a position on the New York Tribune under Horace Greeley, whom he knew. Coming to the Pacific coast he drifted into journalism again, this time in the employ of the Sacramento Union. After serving in this capacity for several years he went to Germany and graduated as a civil and mining engineer from the universities of Freiberg and Munich. While abroad he acted as correspondent of the New York Tribune. He returned to California and became editor of the Mining and Scientific Press until he took charge of the California geological survey and ran the line between the states of Nevada and California. He remained in this service until invited to join the geological survey of the Canadian government, under whose employ he remained more or less actively engaged until the time of death. Early in his travels in the Northwest he became impressed with this locality, and at one time owned large landed interests here. A considerable portion of this land he gave to the railroad company, and during the boom of 1890 he was looked upon as a very wealthy man. He leaves a family consisting of a wife, a daughter and three sons. The town of Anacortes was named for Mrs. Bowman.