Occupations - Blacksmith;
Merchant of farm implements;
He held various elective offices at Nampa, including those of Commissioner of Public Safety; and of Mayor.

Arthur married

1 Celia MORDEN
on 20 November 1898
at Nampa, Canyon, Idaho.
They were the parents of 5 children;
Percy, Freeman William, Victor,
Cecil Arthur, Raymond N.

2] Ida L.
on 9 November 1915
at Ontario, Malheur, Oregon.
{born 1890 in Arkansas}.
She was granted a divorce on 13 June 1925.

3] Lillie May HOWARD
on 1 January 1926
at Mountain Home, Elmore, Idaho.

On 12 September 1918, Arthur registered for the draft
for service in WW I.

IDAHO FREE PRESS - 7 December 1970:
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Arthur Lewis Gowen, age 96, died Sunday at a Nampa nursing home following an extended illness. He has been in ill health for the past seven years.
He moved with his parents from Maine to Boise in 1887 and came to Nampa in 1896.
He was well known in the community where he built and operated the 'Gowen Machine Shop', retiring in 1945.
Interment in Kohlerlawn Cemetery.
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MEMOIRS - Raymond SKILLINGS:
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Arthur was a very prominent and influential man in Nampa, serving on the City Council, and, was Justice of the Peace. He was financially ‘well-to-do' as he had a thriving blacksmith business; he built the building
out of big blocks of rock. He also built two nice houses in Nampa. Arthur was a large man, standing six feet tall, and was a ‘rough and tough' person, somewhat on the ornery side. He enjoyed teasing his step-daughters; Elsie told of the time when he put them under a box, then sat on it and would not
let them out. Elsie and Lillian hated those types of experiences because they were trapped and helpless.
Arthur never had any teeth; he would cut
up his food very small, then ‘gum it down' and his chin would touch his nose as he chewed. He hated false teeth, and left them soaking in a glass. He had to wear hearing aids in both ears. He was a ‘tough old bird', had diabetes, but lived to the age of 96.
He drove a car until age 93, then became careless and his license was taken; however he continued to drive without a license. He had an old Plymouth Coupe and never used second gear; always went from first gear to third.
Arthur finally had to go in an old folks home. He had a difficult time eating, and there was more food on his front than in his mouth.
He enjoyed talking, but lost his current memory, and his discussions were always about events that happened fifty years, or more, in the past.
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MEMOIRS - Lillian May (Perry) Gowen:
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Arthur married Ida. I do not know how long they were married until she left him. She was a big woman, light skinned, but had Negroid features. I saw her once, when she came to Arthur, with her suitcases and wanted to move in again. Arthur would not let her, so she yelled, kicked, broke a window then tried to hit my mother and my sister and I; we were very frightened. Arthur called Cecil from the shop and they carried Ida out bodily from the house, set her on the curb, then called the police.
After the marriage of Arthur and my mother, Lillie; he adopted my sister, Elsie and I; we went by the surname of Gowen. At first we were afraid of him because of all the stories we heard about how he beat his wives; however, he was very kind to my mother and us and we liked him and were happy living there.
Arthur was a large man, with a sadistic personality. He physically abused his first and second wives, but not Lillie May.
His three sons, Freeman, Cecil, and, Raymond also had his cruel nature and physically abused their wives.
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