In 1883, Franklin Pierce Stowell and his wife, Eva Branch Stowell, and their young daughters; Rachel, Susan and Edythe, came to Tower City on the Northern Pacific Railroad and were driven by stage to the Little home in Raritan Township, near Lucca. Mr. Stowell had been given 160 acres by his aunt, Mrs. Calvin Porter Smith, and she had had a house built on the property the fall before. This was early spring and, on the train journey from Iowa, many immigrant families and other travelers had smallpox. The children and Mrs. Stowell had been feverish on the train, and as soon as they arrived they were very sick with the disease and possibly would have died had it not been for the skillful nursing given them by the neighborhood nurse, Mate Vance. Mrs. Stowell later recalled that the first time she saw her new home, a badger had made his home in the living room and had to be evicted before the family could move in. Both of the Stowells had been born in Erie County, New York State, and they had been married there in 1877. Shortly before their marriage, they had come to Peoria, Illinois. They stayed there for about a year and Rachel was born there. From Peoria, they moved to Taylor County, Iowa, where they spent about four years.
Three more daughters; Bessie, Helen and Ruth, were born near Lucca at the homestead.
All six of the girls attended Valley City State Normal School, graduated and went out into the various rural schools and the towns of the state to teach. They made quite a contribution to education and two are written up in Pioneer Teachers of North Dakota.
In 1903, the Stowells moved to Valley City. Frank worked at the light plant. While he was looking at some property in Saskatchewan, Canada, Franklin Stowell caught pneumonia and died May 1911. Mrs. Stowell continued to live on at the family home and although she died in 1940, the family lived in the home until 1967.
Rachel married Frank Hughson and became a Canadian citizen. She was a very helpful neighbor and practical nurse until she was over 90. Susan was Mrs.
Roy Vance and lived in Enderlin until her death in 1974. Her daughter, Mrs. Waldemar Kapaun, lives in rural Barnes County. Bessie, now Mrs. Anton Wohlen, has lived in Idaho for almost 60 years. Edythe and Helen were Valley City teachers for many years and retired from the system and continued to be active in church and community life in Valley City.
Ruth, Mrs. Harvey E. Konshok, lives at Park Rapids, Minnesota.
Three of the second generation graduated from State Teachers College and carried on the teaching tradition by teaching successfully. Mrs. Kapaun's daughter in the third generation also graduated from VCSC and taught. She is now Mrs. Charles Taft, and lives at Rhame, North Dakota.
Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 239