William (Michigan Bill) STOWELL (b. 1903)

Residence: Clearwater River; Bovill area
Occupation(s): Lumberjack
Family Origin: Came in the mid-twenties; father had a farm and sawmill in Quebec

Interviews

William (Michigan Bill) Stowell Interview #1, 10/29/1975

Topics:
Clearwater River log drives: wanigans, pilots, drownings. Tramp lumberjacks; wide open towns. IWW's and direct action. Foremen and gyppo logging. 10-29-75 2 hr 43p
Duration:
1:56:09
Interviewer:
Sam Schrager
Keywords:
logging logging camps IWW strikes lumberjacks gyppos sawmills fighting foremen working conditions rivers death bootlegging
Locations:
Michigan Bovill Clearwater River
View Full Interview (audio and transcript)
Download MP3

William (Michigan Bill) Stowell Interview #2, 2/24/1976

Topics:
IWW Strike of 1936: murder of pickets; arrest and blackballing. Strikes on the job. Lumberjack sociability. Picking timber on river drives; fluming. 2-24-76 1.5 hr 42p
Duration:
1:47:45
Interviewer:
Sam Schrager
Keywords:
gambling cards lumberjacks logging camps log drives accidents reading sports gyppos IWW death strikes working conditions
Locations:
Bovill Clearwater River Clarkia
View Full Interview (audio and transcript)
Download MP3

William (Michigan Bill) Stowell Interview #3, 9/28/1976

Topics:
Riding the rails. Jungles. Blowing-in. IWW community; support for 1936 strike in Pierce. Jail and blacklisting. Girl friends. Depression in California. Prostitutes. Fights; gambling. 9-28-76 2.8 hr 56p
Duration:
2:51:19
Interviewer:
Sam Schrager
Keywords:
railroads death alcohol Prohibition drinking logging camps thieves lumberjacks IWW strikes music jails unions sawmills politics CCC fighting prostitutes disease illness winter gambling moonshine foremen reading women log drives rivers unions floods
Locations:
Bovill Clearwater River Clarkia
View Full Interview (audio and transcript)
Download MP3
Source
Preferred Citation:
"William (Michigan Bill) STOWELL (b. 1903)", Latah County Oral History Collection, University of Idaho Library Digital Collections, https://www.lib.uidaho.edu/digital/lcoh/people/stowell_william.html
Rights
Rights:
In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted. For more information, please contact University of Idaho Library Special Collections and Archives Department at libspec@uidaho.edu.

Contact us about this record