This is a photograph of Rowdy Joe Lowe who was born in 1845. Not much is known about Joe until after the Civil War, when he and his wife, "Rowdy" Kate, moved from Illinois into Kansas. They owned and operated saloons and dance houses in Ellsworth, Newton, and Wichita. The Lowes made good money with their saloons. It was in Wichita where Edward "Red" Beard set up a saloon 50 feet from the Lowes' saloon, and the two establishments were soon in hot competition. Beard decided to shoot Rowdy Joe Lowe and a gunfight ensued. Both Beard and Lowe survived; however, a young man, William "Billie" Anderson, was shot in the head and permanently blinded. Later that night after the gunfight, Lowe shot and killed Beard from behind. Most considered he had done the town more good than harm by getting rid of Beard. However, when Lowe was charged for the shooting of Billie Anderson, he and Kate decided to leave town.
They spent some time is Dodge City, but were eventually told to leave. They then traveled to Tombstone, Arizona, where they set up a bar and brothel with Big Nose Kate. Eventually Joe Lowe was killed in Denver, Colorado, by policeman E.A. Kimmel. Rowdy Kate disappeared.