Alex Bowling in Ky

This is a photo of Alexander "Alex" Bowling, born about 1852 (or 1855). He was the son of Isham Bowling and Mary "Polly" Garland. Isham may be the son of Joseph Bowling in Clay Co., Ky. Alex married Lucinda McFadden in Laurel County, Kentucky (the daughter of Westerfield McFadden and Mary Williams). This photo was probably taken in the early 1900's in either Clay County or Laurel County, Kentucky. My great aunt Kathleen (Parsley) McFadden shared this photo copy with me in 2002.
My grandmother, Beulah (Parsley) Tuttle Caudle always said there was Native American (Cherokee? "Indian") in her family on her Bowling side of the family. But it might not be from the Bowling line. Alex looks like he has Native American in him in this photo. I still haven't found any document to prove it. Census records only says that Alex was white for his race. It could just be a coincidence that he just looked Native American at the age he was in this photo and working out in the sunlight. In a younger photo and an older photo of him he doesn't look like he has any Native American in him at all. None of his children look like it either. There are stories of some Bowling families descended from Pocahontas. There's just too many Bowling families (white and red). I have not found any documented proof of this Bowling family descending from her. Some Bowling families are and some are not (and some 'others' may have other things in them). Not all are related.