by Charles W. Bowman
Biographies
HON. JOHN W. PROWERS
John
Wesley Prowers was born near Westport, Jackson Co., Mo., January 29, 1838.
The educational privileges of that day and place were limited, but such as
the district schools were young Prowers enjoyed the benefits for thirteen
months only, after which practical life became his school, and his naturally
good perceptive facilities, aided by reason, his teacher. In 1856, being
then eighteen years of age, he crossed the plains to Bent's New Fort (now
known as Old Fort Lyon) with Robert Miller, Indian Agent for the Upper
Arkansas Agency. Miller's Agency included the Kiowas, Comanches, Apaches,
Cheyennes and Arapahoes, for which tribes, on the occasion referred to, he
brought out large stores of annuity goods and employed Prowers as clerk. The
distribution of these goods took place at Bent's New Fort, and occupied two
months. Mr. Prowers at this time entered the service of Col. William Bent,
who was an Indian trader at the same post. He remained with Col. Bent seven
years, during which period he made ten trips across the plains in charge of
wagon trains, bringing supplies from the Missouri River to the trading-post,
and during the same period made several trips to Fort Union, and one to Fort
Laramie, making in all twenty-two round trips across the plains, twelve of
which were on his own account. After leaving Col. Bent's service, Prowers
had charge of the suttler's store of Mr. Windsor and his successors Stewart
& Shrewsbury, at Old Fort Lyon. From 1865 to 1871, he engaged in freighting
Government supplies from Leavenworth to Fort Union. Mr. Prowers was married
in 1861, to Amy, the daughter of Chief Ochinee, of the Cheyenne tribe.
Ochinee was better known as One-Eyed Chief. He was at the head of the band
and was reputed to be an influential counselor. Ochinee was killed at Sand
Creek. It is related of him that he had been instrumental in bringing the
Indians into camp there under the impression that they would be protected;
that at the first dash made at the camp, he made his escape from
Chivington's men, but seeing all were to die, returned into the thickest of
the massacre with the evident intention of dying with his people. In 1868,
Mr. Prowers opened up his farm at Boggsville, where Mr. Tom Boggs had
already made some improvements. Upon the organization of the county, the
county seat was located at Boggsville, and that became an important business
point. Mr. Prowers was appointed by the Governor as one of the first
Commissioners of the county, and was afterward returned to the office by the
people. In the fall of 1873, upon the founding of West Las Animas, he
removed to this point and engaged with his brother-in-law, Mr. Hough, in the
commission business and general merchandise, at which he continues. In 1873,
he was chosen to represent the county in the Legislature, having by request
come out as an Independent candidate. In 1880, Mr. Prowers was again elected
to the General Assembly as a Representative of Bent County. He was a member
of the committees on stock, irrigation, and representative apportionment. He
was the originator of the bill on apportionment, which, after a hard fight,
became a law just before the adjournment of the Legislature. The late Col.
Jacobson gave it the title of the "Sliding Scale" bill, and it will be known
as such in the future. Mr. Prowers is well known far beyond the bounds of
Bent County as a large and successful stock raiser and dealer. He has paid
much attention to the improvement of his herds. He is a firm believer in the
Hereford stock and was one of the first to introduce it into this portion of
the State. In 1871, he bought "Gentle the Twelfth" of Frederick William
Stone, of Guelph, Canada. Her increase during the following ten years number
fifty-seven head. Three met with accidents and died. The remaining
fifty-four averaged her owner $200 per head; a sum total of $10,800. He has
inclosed 80,000 acres of land in one body, and owns forty miles of river
frontage, controlling 400,000 acres of range. He believes the Government
ought to lease the various ranges and make them a source of revenue, from
which it now receives nothing. Mr. Prowers started in the cattle business in
1862, with a cash capital of $234. His first venture was the purchase of a
black steer in June from D.B. Powers, of Leavenworth, but before the end of
the year he had just 100 head. Nineteen years later, his herd numbers more
than 10,000 head, many of which are of the best blood. It will be seen that
Mr. Prowers' career has been an eventful one, and is intimately connected
for nearly twenty-five years with the history of the section which now forms
Bent County. The story of his experience on the Santa Fe trail and his
experience at Bent's trading post, then in the midst of a country occupied
by Indians, would be sufficient for a volume.
