JOSEPH BOWYER
History of Arizona, 1896

Joseph Bowyer, mining expert and metallurgist of Phoenix Arizona 
first saw light in Philadelphia, Pa. April 20, 1846.  His father, 
Joshua Bowyer, was born in Manchester, England, and was a cotton 
manufacturer, carrying on his business in the outskirts of that 
city for many years.  During the latter part of his life he came 
to America and settled in Utah, where he tilled the soil until 
his death.  To his marriage were born five children, two sons 
and three daughters, three of whom survive at the present time.  

Joseph Bowyer, the only son living, attended the schools of 
Philadelphia until fifteen years old and then emigrated with 
his father and one sister, Sarah Ann, to California in 1861.  
They went by train and by steamer as far as Omaha which was but 
a small hamlet at that time and there bought teams and joined a 
train of twenty four wagons bound for the West.  In crossing the 
plains they were obliged to corral against Indians, three times 
and at one time were threatened with destruction, but made peace 
by giving three ponies, some provisions and two rifles with 
ammunition.  About November 20, 1861 they reached Carson City, 
remained there one season, and then removed to Salt Lake City, 
Utah where the sister married the following season. Mr. Bowyer, 
Sr. proceeded to Southern Utah, took up a homestead and there 
passed the remainder of his days. 

Our subject remained in Salt Lake City, attended Salt Lake 
University from which he was graduated, and finished a course 
in telegraphy. Later he became the operator at Ogden Utah during 
the construction of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific 
Railroads and was thus employed from 1867 to 1870.  At the 
beginning of the construction of the Utah Central he resigned 
his position with the Western Union and accepted a position as 
assistant agent at Ogden for the Utah Central, where he 
remained until he was removed to Salt Lake City.  There he 
was appointed agent for Utah Southern and when the terminus 
landed at Sandy Station he removed his office to that point.  
This was the place where all the smelters and ore were shipped. 
Mr. Bowyer remained there until 1874, when he went to Idaho and 
engaged in mining, having organized a company at San Francisco 
known as the South Mountain Consolidated Mining Company.  They 
opened the South Mountain Mines and worked there for two 
years.  Then Mr. Bowyer removed to Silver City, Idaho and 
engaged in merchandising, purchasing a ten thousand dollar 
stock of goods.  This business he carried on until 1879 when 
he left for Arizona locating December 25 of that year in the 
Sansimon Valley which was at that time the terminus of the 
Southern Pacific. He organized the Texas Consolidated Mining 
Company and worked a group of eight claims known as the Texas 
group.  Building a smelter he worked the mines until 1884 when 
he removed to Benson and accepted a position with the Benson 
Smelting Company as general ore buyer, continuing with the 
company five or six years. In 1890 he came to Phoenix and 
here he has since made his home. In 1891 he became associated 
with the Crittenden Smelting Company and put up the smelter 
for that company but later went to Sonora, Mexico, where he 
took charge of the mines for the same company.  After getting 
everything in shape for shipping ore he returned to Crittenden 
and started the smelter, which he ran for one year. He was 
then appointed general manager for the Elplomo Mining and 
Smelting Company at Salaro, Arizona which position he still 
retains.  In 1893 Mr. Bowyer leased the mines and ran them 
himself for some time. He is now engaged in prospecting mining 
property and is one of the finest mine experts in the Territory.  
He has a number of valuable mining claims and is also one of the 
best assayers to be found.  Mr. Bowyer owns considerable real 
estate in Phoenix and is in comfortable circumstances.

Mr. Bowyer was married in 1871 to Miss Dorleskie Taylor, a 
native of Kaysivlle, Utah and they have three children, Joseph 
D., Roy T. and Eva L.  He and family have had some experiences 
with the Indians but always escaped without injury.