Nathan W. Stowell was born in Claremont, New Hampshire, on December 15, 1851. He learned engineering and hydraulics in New England before moving to Los Angeles, California, in 1874. In Southern California, he worked on numerous irrigation and land development projects, including Rialto, Corona, Cucamonga, Ontario, East Whittier, and the Imperial Valley. He founded or took leadership positions in several companies, which included the Stowell Cement Pipe Company, the Cucamonga Fruit Land Company, the Cucamonga Land and Improvement Company, the Ontario Power Company, the Pacific Sewer Pipe Company, the California Development Company, and the Imperial Valley Water Company Number 1. Stowell worked closely with George and William Chaffey, Canadian brothers involved in the irrigation development of Ontario, California and the Imperial Valley. Stowell retired from his Imperial Valley interests in 1902, and thereafter became known for his work in and around Los Angeles. Among these projects was the twelve-story Hotel Stowell, which was completed in 1914. His date and place of death are not known.
From the description of Papers of Nathan W. Stowell, 1852-1925. (Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens). WorldCat record id: 122369268
