Bottomleyj
Transcribed from "History of North Washington, an illustrated history
of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties", published by Western
Historical Publishing Co., 1904.
MRS. JENNIE BOTTOMLEY resides
four miles south of Oroville, and no compilation of the character of this
work would be complete without a mention of her. An account of the
life struggles of Mrs. Bottomley is a sufficient encomium, without any
other words. She was born under the British flag at Gibraltar in
March, 1842, the daughter of William and Margaret (Newcomb) Devlin, natives
of Arma and King counties, Ireland, respectively. The father was
a soldier under the British flag for twenty-one years, and was stationed
in various places. When our subject was four years old, the father
was transferred from Gibraltar to St. Lucy. From St. Lucy he went
to several West Indies islands to take on troops and then sailed from Jamaica
in a seventy-four-gun ship to Halifax, and from there to New Brunswick,
she accompanying him. She was the fourth in a family of nine children,
and the parents lived at New Brunswick until their death. Following
that, Mrs. Bottomley went to Boston, joining her sister there, and arrived
a few days before the assassination of President Lincoln. In due time she
engaged in tailoring for Freeland, Beard & Company, and worked eight
years for them. In 1873 she went to New York. She traveled
thence by steamer via the Isthmus to San Francisco, where she engaged in
dress making. In that state, in November, 1876, Mrs. Bottomley married
Robert Bottomley, a native of Scotland, now about seventy years of age.
He spent his early life at sea and traveled to almost every portion of
the globe. After their marriage they lived in several places in California,
generally engaged in farming, until the spring of 1884, when with a large
California wagon and six horses, they journeyed from Oaksdale, California,
to Okanogan county. On account of the high water, bad roads, and
so forth, they consumed six months in the trip. Mr. Bottomley took
sick and was delirous and Mrs. Bottomley had to drive across one range
of the Blue Mountains. At the Columbia they paid the Indians twenty
dollars to swim their horses and transfer their goods across the river.
They got to the Okanogan river in the fall of 1884, and Mrs. Bottomley
was one of the first white women from the Columbia to the British Columbia
line. Some of stockmen opposed the settlement of families and they
being without means and the country very new, the greatest hardships were
endured. They struggled along, Mrs. Bottomley doing washing and nursing
as occasion required, until 1888, when her husband left her. She
had four children, the eldest ten years of age. Mrs. Bottomley was
delicate and slight and with those to support, and no means, and on the
frontier, she was confronted with a very discouraging outlook. It
was with difficulty that she kept the wolf from the door, and many times
was she forced to leave her children while she walked miles to her work
to earn a living. She took the homestead where she now resides, four miles
south of Oroville and bought her first cow, paying for the same by washing.
She and her children now own over one hundred and fifty head of cattle,
and are among the prosperous people of the county. This has all been
gained by their own industry and thrift and they are well worthy to enjoy
the fruits their labors. The children are Charles M. and William
A., both born in Santa Clara county, California, and now own two ranches
on Funk creek; Margaret J., born in Fresno county, California; Mary J.,
born in this county in 1885, being the first white girl born in the Okanogan
valley, south of the British Columbia line. She died at the age of
four years. Mrs. Bottomley has her farm all fenced, a good orchard,
comfortable house, barns, and so forth, and handles the land to general
crops. She has won the respect and esteem of all who know her and
is an industrious and upright woman. She and her children are members
of the Catholic church. Mr. Bottomley was not a member of any church.