Bio- Alley Bowen
SURNAMES: BOWIE

 Whose portrait will be found in these. pages, was born in Grafton county, New Hampshire, February 11, 1823 Losing his mother at an early age he was soon cast upon his own resources, and in 1838, leaving the place of his birth, he proceeded to Merrimac county, in the same State, thence, after a year, to Quincy-, Massachusetts, where he was engaged in driving a milk wagon for an uncle, Hon. J. W. Robertson, during the Winter months, and in the Summer employed in delivering ice and driving an ice wagon to Boston for Winslow & Bright of Cambridge, there being associated with him his brother, R. C. Sargent. In 1844, R. C. and J. P. commenced the ice business on their own account, delivering ice in Boston. In 1848, we find him and his brother, R. C., in the ice business in Chicago, but in March, 1849, they sold out, crossed the plains to California, and arrived at Weaversville, El Dorado county, October 1st, of the same year. Here he commenced his business career in this State.

 In Weaversville , they embarked in mercantile pursuits and mining; in 1850 they engaged in the purchasing of stock from immigrants, the partners being, our subject., and his brothers, R. C., J. L., and B. V., (they continued the store until 1855,) in the meantime locating a ranch near Woodbridge, in which Mr. Sargent still has an interest, and finally, in 1853, the gentleman whose name appears at the commencement of this memoir came to Santa Clara county, located on the Los Agules rancho (now in the adjoining county of San Benito) and there continued stock-raising until 1854 when he removed to a tract near " Soap Lake " and there dwelt until 1856, in which year he purchased the property on which he now resides, comprising seven thousand acres.

In the year 1872, J. P. Sargent was elected to the State Legislature on the Republican ticket, while he is a life member of the California  Pioneers; has been a director of the Santa Clara Valley Agricultural Society for the past ten years, being elected its President in 1877 and served as such  for one term. It will thus be seen that he has held positions of trust that  are a credit to himself and an honor to the community in which he resides, while individually a more whole-souled man cannot be found than Jim Sargent. His extensive ranch is located five miles south from Gilroy and one mile north of the station on the Southern Pacific Railroad, known as "Sargents"

 Married, October 29, 1865, Agnes Bowie, a native of Montreal, Canada, and has: James A., born August 12, 1866; Roswell C., born November ¬ 27, 1869; Agnes C., born October 15, 1871; Ida, born April 30, 1875; Louisa L., born October 1, 1878.

page 628  History of Santa Clara County, California : San Francisco: Alley, Bowen & Co., 1881
-------------------------------------------
Free Lance- Hollister
Monday January 7, 1924

MRS. J.P. SARGENT DIED SATURDAY
Mrs. J.P. Sargent, a pioneer resident of Sargent, passed away at her home there about two o'clock Saturday afternoon.
The deceased was over eighty years of age and had resided at Sargent for over 50 years.She is survived by three daughters and one son, her sister, Mrs. Charlotte Smith, and the following nieces: Mrs. Flora Finch and Mrs. Richard Flint, of San Juan, Mrs. George Rubbe of Hollywood, and Mrs. I.W. Moore of Santa Cruz.
The funeral was held from a Gilroy undertaking parlor in Gilroy at two o'clock this afternoon.
transcribed by Susan Cherry Boyer


 SANTA CLARA COUNTY BIOGRAPHY PROJECT

SANTA CLARA COUNTY The Valley of Heart's Delight