J. H. Dow
J. H. Dow was born in Erie county N. Y., in 1835; his father, John Dow, was born in 1807 in Vermont, and came to Olathe in ’68, where he still resides. The subject of this sketch immigrated to De Kalb co., Ills. in ’48 with his parents, where he was engaged in farming until ’55. For a short time he was a student at Hillsdale College, Mich., but soon went to Washington Territory and there was engaged in mining and “packing,” or carrying merchandise on the backs of mules and ponies, from the out-fitting points on the Columbia river to the mines; after remaining about four years he came home by the then unused route, via. Ft. Benton, on the upper Mo. River, having traveled 700 miles through the mountains by Indian trails, with but a single companion until he reached F. Benton, and from there to Sioux City in a skiff, being the first point reached where public conveyance could be secured. From the fall of ’62 until ’66 he was engaged in trade in Sycamore, Ills., except while in the army; he was a member of the 132 Ills. Inf. Until the regiment was mustered out of service, he having been promoted to 1st Lieutenant; afterwards he entered the 147th as 1st Lieut., serving until this regiment was mustered out. In the winter of ’66 he was married to Miss Mary Judd, of Sycamore, Ills. and in the following spring he came to Kansas and located in Olathe, engaging in the mercantile business. He erected a number of dwelling houses, and is not engaged in the clothing and furnishing goods trade in the second business house erected by him; this building, a view of which will be seen on page 77 of this work, was erected in ’71; the third story is occupied by the Masonic order, the second as offices, (and tailor shop run in connection with his store, on the first floor.) Attentive and obliging in his business, he has enjoyed a steadily increasing trade; he has always been thoroughly identified with the interests of his adopted town and county, so much so that in the Spring of ’74 he was elected Mayor of Olathe, which position he now holds. His family consists of two children—a son one year old and a daughter seven.
Atlas Map of Johnson County, Kansas, E. F. Heisler and Co., 1874, p. 70.
