Owens, Jacob

Submitted by Mike Miller 11/98

Among the self-made men of East Carroll Parish, La., who have carved out their own fortune and made their own way through life, none is more deserving of mention than Jacob Owen, who was born in Louisville, Ky., on April 9, 1820, the second of eight children born to Shapley and Lucy (Harding) Owen, natives of Jefferson county, Ky. The father removed to Louisiana in 1835, and at once engaged in planting, which calling he continued to successfully follow until his death, in 1866. He was eminently successful and accumulated a fortune valued at $500,000. Not only did he become well known throughout the parish in which he lived, but also throughout the entire northern part of the state, for he possessed unusually fine business qualifications, and was a man of exceptionally fine traits of character. He was a son of Jacob and Nancy (Ross) Owen, natives of Virginia, the latter being a relative of Governor Ross, of Texas. The Owens are of Welsh ascent, and are descended from Bracket Owen, who came to America at a very early day and settled in Kentucky during the pioneer days of that state. His old fort, or residence in Shelby county, is still standing. Two of his sons, the grandfather of Jacob Owen, and a brother, returned from Kentucky to Virginia between 1770 and 1780 for ammunition, making the entire trip alone, which was at that time considered a very daring undertaking, as the country was full of wild beasts and warlike Indian. Jacob Owen was reared in Louisville, Ky., and all the schooling he has ever received was before he was eleven years of age. He was then taken from school and put into a book store in Louisville, where he remained about two and a half years, after which he entered the largest dry goods establishment of that city, where, for two years he served in the capacity of bookkeeper. His education has been derived principally from hard, practical experience, for he never owned a school book, but notwithstanding this he is a thorough business man, and is a wide-awake, intelligent and enterprising gentleman While at work in Louisville he commanded as large, if not the largest sale, of any of his contemporaries. He is an omnivorous reader, and as a result is well posted on all the general topics of the day, and thoroughly up with the times. He came to Louisiana in 1840, since which time he has been identified with the interests of his adopted state, though he did not make it his permanent home until 1860. He then located on a plantation in Carroll parish, adjacent to his present home, where he has since devoted his attention to planting. In 1844 he was married to Miss Eliza Stewart, a native of Louisville, and a daughter of James and Mildred (Gray) Stewart, both of whom were born in Jefferson county, Ky. To their union five children have been born, only one of whom is now living, George S., who still resides with his parents. Mr. Owen is a man whose kindness of heart is proverbial. His manners are courteous and sincere and he is very generous and charitable, giving liberally of his means to enterprises of a worthy nature. His naturally fine mind has been strengthened and enriched by contact with the world and by self improvement, and he is an exceptionally intelligent and interesting conversationalist. Although Mr. Owen exercises his right of suffrage, he is not particularly interested in politics, much preferring to devote his attention to his private interests. Socially he is a member of the A. F. & F. M., and he and his wife, are members of the Episcopal church.

Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Louisiana, (vol. 2), p. 294. Published by the Goodspeed Publishing Company, Chicago, 1892.