North Cascades

SETTLEMENT PATTERNS IN THE NORTH CASCADES

CORRIDORS OF SETTLEMENT: STEHEKIN RIVER

Bowan

Across the river opposite Lesh's homestead was Alfred D. Bowan's claim of 76 acres (T33N R17E, Sections 15 and 16). Arriving in Stehekin in 1910 Bowan settled on his claim the following spring. He lived on this land year-round except for periodic absences during the winters of 1912, 1913, and 1914 when he was trapping animals on various Stehekin River tributaries. Besides trapping, Bowan earned a living working at the Lesh sawmill, cutting timber on his land and selling or trading it for sawn lumber at Lesh's, and working for the USFS. In 1918 Bowan's claim was evaluated for homestead eligibility by the USFS. Ranger Blankenship reported that Bowan's place had an "appearance of a permanent home." Improvements included a two-room log cabin (14' x 40'), a frame barn, 6-1/2 acres of fenced land, and 4-1/2 acres of wheat, corn, beans, melons, and a variety of other garden vegetables. [244] Bowan received patent on his homestead on February 3, 1920; however, he did not remain in the valley for long after. Today Bowan's land is owned in its entirety by the NPS.