OWEN
OWEN
report which was re-issued in 1859. James
Whitcomb, governor of Indiana and commissioner
of the general land office, selected him to
superintend a government survey of the Dubuque
and Mineral Point districts, which comprised
11,000 square miles of the Northwest territory,
the object being to reserve from sale the sections
containing mineral wealth. This was one of the
first surveys under the auspices of the national
government. The results of his investigations
were published in a Report of a Geological
Exploration of a Part of lotva, Wisco7isin, and
Illinois made under Instructions from the
Secretary of the Treasury in 1839, with charts
and illustrations (1844.) He was engaged in
assorting the collection of minerals and fossils
left by William McLure in 1840, was appointed
U.S. geologist and dii-ected to make a survey of
the Chippeway district, a preliminary report of
which was published in 1848. In 1849 the task
was broadened and he was directed to undertake
a survey of the territory lying mainly within
the states of Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota,
for which the svim of $40,000 was reserved. This
task required five years of field work and a final
year of office and laboratory work, the results of
which appeared in a Report of a Geological
Exploration of a Part of Iowa, Wisconsin and
Minnesota, and Incidentally a Portion of Nebraska
Territory, with plates (1852). He was state
geologist of Kentucky, appointed by Governor
Powell, 1854-59, presenting four Reports of
the Geological Survey in Kentucky, with an atlas
(1836-61). He was also appointed state geologist
of Arkansas by Governor Conway, serving, 1857-
59, and publishing the results of his efforts in a
Report of a Geological Reconnoissance of the
Northern Counties of Arkansas (1858) and in the
Report of the 3Iiddle and Southern Counties
(1860). He was appointed geologist of Indiana in
1859, but owing to his impaired health, the work
was done by his brother Richard, who published
Report of a Geological Reconnoissance of Indiana
(1862). His museum and laboratory were con-
sidered among the finest in the United States,
and his collection of specimens was purchased by
the Indiana State university for $20,000. He
died in New Harmony, Ind., Nov. 13, 1860.
OWEN, Edwin lorwerth, educator, was born in Wales in 1825, and immigrated to the United States in his early youth. He was graduated from Georgetown college, Kj'., B.A., 1849, and became a Baptist clergyman in Kentucky. He was pastor at Weston, IMo., 1857-59, and professor of ancient languages at William Jewell college, 1859-61. At the outbreak of the civil war the college was suspended, reopening in 1863 as a private school under the presidency of Dr. Wil- liam Thompson, who retired after a few months. VIII. — 11
Professor Owen became his successor and held
the office until his deatli. He received the hon-
orary degree of LL.D. from William Jewell
college in 1859. He died in Chicago, 111., in 1867.
OWEN, George Washington, representative, was born in Brunswick county, Va., in 1795, son of a planter, who removed his family to Davidson county, Tenn., in 1808. He was graduated at the University of Nashville, studied law under Felix Grundy and was admitted to the bar in 1816. He practised in Claiborne, Monroe county, Ala., in partnership with John Gayle, represented Monroe county in the state legislature, 1819-20, and was speaker of the house in 1820. He was representative from Alabama in the 18th, 19th and 20th congresses, 1823-29 ; removed to Mobile ; was collector of that port, 1829-36, and mayor of Mobile, 1836-37. He was married to Miss Hollin- ger of Mobile, Ala. He died at his plantation near Mobile, Ala., Aug. 18, 1837.
OWEN, John, governor of North Carolina, was born in Bladen county, N.C., in August, 1787; son of Col. Thomas and Eleanor (Portersfield) Owen. Colonel Owen was born in Chester county. Pa., in 1735 ; settled in North Carolina with his father in 1740 ; represented Bladen in the general assem- blies of 1775-76 and 1776-77 ; served as 2d major of a Bladen regiment in the Revolutionary war, and commanded a regiment in the brigade of Gen. Isaac Gregory. He was a descendant of Robert and Rebecca (Humphrey) Owen of Mer- ionethshire, Wales, who settled in Merion. Penn., about 1688. John Owen at- tended the University of North Carolina in 1804 ; be- came a planter, and was elected to the North Carolina legislature, serving in the house and senate, 1812-28. He was governor of North Carolina, 1828-30, and was defeated as a can- didate for the U.S. senate by Willie P. Mangum in 1830, which contest produced an antagonism which very nearly resulted in a hostile meeting. He was a member of the state constitutional convention in 1835, and president of the Whig national convention at Harrisburg, Pa., Dec. 4, 1839, at which William H. Harrison was nomi- nated President, and John Tyler Vice-President, he himself having declined the nomination for the latter office. He was married to a daughter of Gen, Thomas Brown of Bladen county, N.C., an officer of the Revolution. His brother, James Owen (1784-1865), was a representative in the 18th congress, 1817-19. He died at Pittsboro, N.C., Oct. 14, 1841.
OWEN, John Jason, educator and author, was born in Colebrook, Conn., Aug. 13, 1803. His parents removed to Johnstown, N.Y., where he
