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From 1869 to 1879, Howbert was the elected County Clerk and Recorder of El Paso County, which includes Colorado Springs.  In that capacity, he worked to secure land to establish the city of Colorado Springs, situated between [[Denver]] and Pueblo. He was nominated as clerk by the [[Republican Party]] and endorsed as well by the [[Democratic Party |Democrats]]. At the time the county had a valuation of only $225,000 and some three hundred registered voters. In his autobiographical ''Memories of a Lifetime in the Pikes Peak Region,'' Howbert recalls: "All the county officers elected at that time were men of more than usual efficiency and business ability. Although little revenue was at their disposal, they managed the affairs of the county during the next three years without incurring any indebtedness whatever." <ref name=elpasocounty/>

From 1869 to 1879, Howbert was the elected County Clerk and Recorder of El Paso County, which includes Colorado Springs.  In that capacity, he worked to secure land to establish the city of Colorado Springs, situated between [[Denver]] and Pueblo. He was nominated as clerk by the [[Republican Party]] and endorsed as well by the [[Democratic Party |Democrats]]. At the time the county had a valuation of only $225,000 and some three hundred registered voters. In his autobiographical ''Memories of a Lifetime in the Pikes Peak Region,'' Howbert recalls: "All the county officers elected at that time were men of more than usual efficiency and business ability. Although little revenue was at their disposal, they managed the affairs of the county during the next three years without incurring any indebtedness whatever." <ref name=elpasocounty/>

When Howbert assumed his office, the structure had been one room behind a house on Colorado Avenue in the area known as "Old Colorado City." Howbert recalled that the house was so poorly built that the office's inkbottles would freeze overnight. His first daily task was hence to thaw the ink for use during the day. The commissioners permitted Howbert to rent an adjacent log cabin for additional space. The cabin later became a [[China|Chinese]] laundry.<ref name=elpasocounty>{{cite web|url=http://car.elpasoco.com/Pages/HistoryoftheClerkandRecorder.aspx|title=History of the clerk and recorder's office|publisher=elpasoco.com|accessdate=January 20, 201; information no longer accessible on-line}}</ref>

When Howbert assumed his office, the structure had been one room behind a house on Colorado Avenue in the area known as "Old Colorado City." Howbert recalled that the house was so poorly built that the office's inkbottles would freeze overnight. His first daily task was hence to thaw the ink for use during the day. The commissioners permitted Howbert to rent an adjacent log cabin for additional space. The cabin later became a [[China|Chinese]] laundry.<ref name=elpasocounty>{{cite web|url=http://car.elpasoco.com/Pages/HistoryoftheClerkandRecorder.aspx|title=History of the clerk and recorder's office|publisher=elpasoco.com|accessdate=January 20, 2014; information no longer accessible on-line}}</ref>

From 1882 to 1886, Howbert was a member of the Colorado State Senate.<ref name=ihqf/> During his Senate tenure, the chamber designated the pioneering Methodist circuit rider missionary, [[John Lewis Dyer]], who had also arrived in Colorado about the same time as Howbert, as the Senate's official chaplain.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://legisource.net/2012/02/23/verifiable-oddities-in-colorados-history-the-snowshoe-chaplain-of-the-state-senate/|title=Verifiable Oddities in Colorado’s History - The Snowshoe Chaplain of the State Senate|author=Ashley Zimmerman|publisher=legisource.net|date=February 23, 2012|accessdate=November 27, 2020}}</ref>

From 1882 to 1886, Howbert was a member of the Colorado State Senate.<ref name=ihqf/> During his Senate tenure, the chamber designated the pioneering Methodist circuit rider missionary, [[John Lewis Dyer]], who had also arrived in Colorado about the same time as Howbert, as the Senate's official chaplain.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://legisource.net/2012/02/23/verifiable-oddities-in-colorados-history-the-snowshoe-chaplain-of-the-state-senate/|title=Verifiable Oddities in Colorado’s History - The Snowshoe Chaplain of the State Senate|author=Ashley Zimmerman|publisher=legisource.net|date=February 23, 2012|accessdate=November 27, 2020}}</ref>