Sacramento County
Biographies
HARRY DOLE OWEN
The associations of a lifetime bind Mr.
Owen to Sacramento county in ties of deepest
intimacy. Here he was born in the city of Sacramento December 26, 1863;
here he received a fair education in the city schools; here he entered
upon life's activities as a member of the great army of farmers whose efforts
have transformed the commonwealth into a garden spot of beauty and
productiveness; and here he now owns and occupies a ranch of five hundred acres
near Bruceville. The raising of grain is the
principal business on the farm, but stock is also kept, and hogs particularly
have proved a profitable investment. A fine orchard of twenty-five acres
of Bartlett pears, apricots and plums is to be seen on the farm, and
the marketing of the fruit adds to the annual income in a gratifying
degree. The entire appearance of the tract indicates the thrift and
energy of the proprietor and furnishes silent testimony as to his farming
ability.
The Owen family has been identified with
American history for several generations. The first of the name in the
new world settled in New England, according to tradition. The exact date
of immigration is unknown. Suffice it to state that there were a goodly number of the name to assist in the agricultural
upbuilding of the northeast. Eben Owen was born in Portland, Me., November 26, 1812, and
attended the common schools of his native city. At the age of sixteen he
left school and began to assist his father in a general mercantile store,
continuing in the same establishment until he had reached the age of
thirty-six. A desire to see something of the world led him to New
Orleans, where he taught in the city schools for one year. About that
time the discovery of gold brought California into world-wide prominence, and
he determined to join the thousands of Argonauts seeking fortunes there.
By way of the Isthmus of Panama he came to California in 1849 and landed in San
Francisco, whence he proceeded immediately to Michigan Bar, a mining camp of great
temporary importance. For one year he followed the adventurous and
exciting existence of a miner.
Upon leaving the mines and establishing
headquarters in Sacramento Mr. Owen opened a wholesale grocery establishment,
which he conducted with remarkable success. In 1857 he sold the business,
returned to Maine and at Portland, July 30, of the same year, was united in
marriage with Miss Mary Dole, who was born at Alna,
Lincoln county, that state. Accompanied by his
wife, he again came to California in 1858 and settled in Sacramento, where
their happy wedded life was terminated by the death of Mrs. Owen September 28,
1865. He long survived her, living retired from business activities, but
personally superintending his property interests until shortly before his
demise, which occurred October 28, 1892. He left two sons, Eben B., who is a farmer on a part of the old home, and
Harry Dole Owen. The latter has been of the greatest help to him during
his later years, for he personally cultivated the large ranch of thirteen
hundred acres, attended to the dairy department of the ranch, took charge of
the sowing of the grain, worked untiringly in harvesting, threshing and
marketing the wheat, and proved altogether a genuine talent for agricultural
work. His subsequent prosperity proves that he made no mistake when he
selected ranching for his chosen occupation. His ranch comprises five
hundred and twenty-two acres, located on the Consumnes
river, about one and one-half miles east of Bruceville. Irrigation for the ranch is supplied by
means of a ditch from the Consumnes as well as a
pumping plant.
December 15, 1886, H. D. Owen was united
in marriage with Miss Margaret Utter, a native of Franklin, Sacramento county, and a woman of capability and education. They
are the parents of three children, namely: William E., born November 16,
1887; Mary Gladys, May 1, 1889, and Dorothy Grace, who was born November
22, 1894, and died July 5, 1910, when almost sixteen years of
age. Mr. Owen is identified with the Modern Woodmen of
America, and with his wife and family is associated with the Bruceville Methodist church.
Transcribed by Sally Kaleta.
Source: Willis,
William L., History of Sacramento County,
California, Pages 740-742. Historic
Record Company,
© 2006 Sally Kaleta.