RUFAS BOWEN, the oldest son of Henry Richard and Barbara NAUMOFF Bowen was born in Kodiak October 22, 1879. His father died in a ship disaster in 1895 and his mother was left to raise ten children. The family moved to Seldovia after the Novarupta eruption in 1912. He built a cabin near the current harbor and grazed horses in a pasture located where the current SVT building stands. Later he lived in a cabin on the edge of the Russian Orthodox Church Cemetery.
From Mae Fox Sharp: “The Russian Orthodox records say that his name was Smith Bowen and wasn’t changed till later years from Smith. Rufas I believe was the oldest child of Henry and Barbara, but a David and Ollie were mentioned in the book From Humboldt to Kodiak by Fred Roscoe.
Rufas was a quiet gentleman. We all loved him and went to his house whenever we could. He had a tiny cabin, like a doll house. It was near the graveyard and his sister Florence’s house. The beach was his front yard. When he first settled in Seldovia he owned that property where Mr. Morris built his big house and store. He built a log house and raised his family there. He had horses that he and my grandfather Andy Johnson used to haul logs to build their houses. One of his horses was named Kayuse, which didn’t like to stay at home. He liked the run of the town.
In 1912-13, he with brother-in-law Charlie Olssen and Andy Johnson built their houses. Rufas and his brother-in-law James Ward were the only licensed steamboat pilots in Alaska at that time. Rufas worked on many ships, one being the Tyonek. He was also an interpreter for the trading ships that traveled all over the world. He spoke Russian, Aleut, and English. When I was young I went with someone in a big skiff to pick Uncle Rufas up from his ship that he was caretaker on. The ship was so big and it had huge sails. It was the only time that I could remember seeing a sailing ship. The name of the ship was the Star of the Sea. The ship was anchored in Seldovia Bay, out from the Old Cannery.
Rufas married Sally (Salomoniia) Chebotnoi, who was born August 1885 in Kodiak. She went to the mission school in Wood Island, along with the Bowen children. Ella Chabitnoy was Director of the Kodiak Baptist Mission. Sally’s father was Ioann (John) Chebotnoi, born 15 January 1853, and her was mother Olga Arkinmandritov, born about 1860. John’s father was Gregorii. Gregoriii married an Aleut girl, possibly Solomonida. Children of Rufas and Sally: • Barbara Bertha Elizabeth Bowen, born 6 September 1905, Kodiak; died 2 April 1945 in California. • David C. Bowen, born 15 February 1906, Kodiak; died of tuberculosis 3 September 1940 in Anchorage. • Rufas Henry Bowen, born 30 June 1907; died 1910, Kenai. • Frederick Bowen, born November 1908, Kodiak; died 1947. • Henry Bowen, born 12 November 1909, Kodiak; died of tuberculosis 22 September 1960, Seattle. • Sally, born 16 March 1913, Seldovia; died August 1964.
He traveled the world on merchant ships working for Alaskan trading companies. He knew several languages including Russian and was sometimes a caretaker on the ships”
March 1919 - ARRIVAL OF PILGRIM MARKS FIRST MOVEMENT IN ANCHORAGE HARBOR THIS YEAR. With the arrival here at 12.40 o’clock p. m., March 9 from Seldovia of the gasoline power boat Pilgrim, the first movement of craft in Anchorage harbor was recorded for the 1919 season. The movement this year was almost a month earlier than in 1918 when the sailing April 11 of the gasoline power boat Swan for Knik marked the first water activity. The Pilgrim, with a cargo of six tons of fresh eggs, fresh fruit and butter consigned to J. J. Chisholm and with four persons aboard of her, left Seldovia the fore-noon of March 6. She encountered no ice until after she had passed the forelands, which are about six hours’ run from Anchorage. After having passed the forelands, she sighted ice near to her but it did not interfere with her navigation and required no attention at all until she was off Fire Island. Then she had to take into account the ebb and fIow of quite a field of slush ice, but she lost no time on account of it. She landed here near the dock of the Alaskan Engineering Commission and was unloaded with-out difficulty. The Pilgrim on her voyage from Seldovia was in the charge of Pilot Rufe Bowen. Her owner, Captain William Nelson, was aboard of her. She is scheduled to leave Anchorage on her return to Seldovia late this afternoon or to-morrow.
POWER BOAT PILGRIM LEAVES ON HER RETURN VOYAGE TO SELDOVIA. With three persons aboard, the power boat Pilgrim left Anchorage at 2 o’clock p. m. March 12, for Seldovia. Those on her were Captain William Nelson, her owner; Rufe Bowen, her pilot, and William Murray. The Pilgrim was the first craft to put into Anchorage harbor this year, having arrived March 9 with six tons of fresh eggs, fresh fruit and butter from Seldovia.