Kahloww
Transcribed from "History of North Washington, an illustrated history
of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties", published by Western
Historical Publishing Co., 1904.
WILLIAM R. KAHLOW owns a fine
estate adjoining the town of Alma, Okanogan county. In addition to
general farming and stock raising, he operates a good hotel and feed stable.
He is also proprietor of a ferry. He is one of the well known and
substantial men of the county and has shown a commendable spirit in his
labors for building up the country.
William R. Kahlow was born in Prussia, Germany,
on September 27, 1838, the son of Frederick and Mary (Richter) Kahlow,
both natives of the same place in the Fatherland. On June 21, 1851,
they came to Henderson, Sibley county, Minnesota, being among the earliest
settlers there. The father and mother were the same age, were married
when about twenty, lived together happily until seventy-five and then died
on nearly the same date. Our subject was educated in the public schools
where he lived in his youthful days, and as soon as he was able, he began
working on the rivers. In 1862, he volunteered to fight the Indians
and was in the horrible massacre of 1862, during the battle of Birch Coulee,
where eighteen were killed and forty-five wounded out of 150 men, or where
twenty-four hundred white people were killed, as history gives it.
He received a slight wound. For some time after the slaughter he
was busy assisting in burying the dead. In 1868 Mr. Kahlow came to
San Francisco, having gone via New York, Graytown, in Nicaragua, and Costa
Rico, thence crossing the Andes. Later he was in Portland, then went
to Alsea, Benton county, Oregon, where he bought a farm, but which he sold
later. He now owns four hundred and eighty acres of valuable land,
all under cultivation, near Pasco, in Franklin county, Washington.
In addition to farming, he was engaged on the construction of the Oregon
and California railway, and later was contracting on the western part of
the Northern Pacific, under the superintendence of H. H. McCartney and
later H. W. Fairweather. After this he was in Pasco, and in 1890
he came to his present home place, where he bought one hundred and sixty
acres located at the mouth of Salmon creek. It was known as Salmon
Jim's ranch, the first Indian ranch in the county. He has his place
well irrigated and raises alfalfa and other hay, besides handling stock.
His farm is well improved and he has a large eleven room residence, which
he utilizes for his hotel building.
In October, 1864, Mr. Kahlow married Miss
Lois, a daughter of Thomas and Maria (Dickenson) Harvey, now deceased.
Mrs. Kahlow was born in St. John, New Brunswick, and four children are
the fruit of this marriage: Alma, wife of Captain C. Hanson, of Seattle;
William H.; Bert, deceased; Ione, wife of Ansel S. Griggs, vice-president
of the Columbia & Okanogan Steamboat Company of Wenatchee. Alma
was the first postmistress of Okanogan county and from her the town of
Alma is named.