Pioneer of the Month- Sarah Bowman "The Great western"

According to Sarah Bowman, only a thin sheet of sandpaper separated Yuma from Hell. Bowman was a towering figure—both in stature and reputation—who followed the U.S. Army through Texas and Mexico before settling in the remote desert town by the Colorado River.

Standing over six feet tall and weighing 200 pounds, the red-haired and buxom Bowman was known as a shrewd and industrious businesswoman, despite being unable to read or write. She worked tirelessly as a laundress and cook for the military, earning a mix of awe and fear from the soldiers she served. Her nickname, “The Great Western,” was likely inspired by one of the largest steam-powered ships of the time.

Born between 1812 and 1817, likely in Tennessee or Missouri, Bowman first joined the military in 1846, possibly as the wife of a soldier serving under General Zachary Taylor. During the siege of Fort Texas, she set up a makeshift kitchen in the garrison’s center, determined to provide hot coffee and meals for the troops. While she charged for her services under normal conditions, she refused payment during the siege.

For seven intense days, cannonballs and musket fire rained down as Bowman continued her work. Reports described her calmly cooking and caring for the wounded, even as bullets pierced her bonnet and bread tray. When the siege ended, she followed Taylor to Matamoros, Mexico, where she opened her first restaurant, the start of many businesses along the military trail.

By September, Bowman was in Monterrey, enduring a four-day battle to take the city, where she established the American House, offering food, liquor, and other comforts to soldiers. As Taylor moved on to Saltillo, she followed, setting up another American House, famously charging $2.50 for her services. Her fiery loyalty to Taylor was on full display when she punched a deserter spreading rumors of his defeat, loudly declaring her unwavering faith in the general.

After the U.S.-Mexican War ended in 1848, Bowman sought to travel with the troops heading west but was told she couldn’t join without a military husband. Undeterred, she humorously offered herself to the highest bidder, boasting her wealth and famously large legs. A soldier named Davis stepped forward, and the two married on the spot.

In 1849, Bowman was running a hotel near El Paso, and by 1850, she had relocated to New Mexico with five orphaned children of unknown origin. She later married Albert Bowman, a German-born soldier, and the couple made their way to California’s gold fields, stopping at Fort Yuma along the way.

Sarah took a job cooking for officers at Fort Yuma, winning over skeptical commander Major Heintzelman, who helped her move across the river to start a restaurant free from Army restrictions. There, she offered her signature combination of hearty food, strong whiskey, and lively company, attracting soldiers from the fort.

By 1856, the Bowmans moved to Tucson to open a boarding house, and later to Fort Buchanan, before returning to Yuma in 1860. After the Gadsden Purchase and Arizona’s territorial formation, Bowman became the first Anglo woman to operate a business in Yuma.

Bowman died on December 23, 1866, likely in her early fifties. She was the only woman buried in Fort Yuma Cemetery, and her remains, along with others, were later moved to the Presidio in San Francisco, ensuring her legacy as a pioneer of the Southwest endures.