Duval County FlArchives Biographies.....Owen, Frank H. August 25, 1871 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/fl/flfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Nancy Rayburn http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00025.html#0006128 September 8, 2015, 10:33 pm Source: Vol. II pg.67-68 The Lewis Publishing Co. 1923 Author: History of Florida, Past and Present FRANK HOKE OWEN, a representative business man and citizen of Jacksonville, is chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Florida metropolis, and has been identified prominently with industrial and commercial interests of important order. Mr. Owen was born at Anderson, South Carolina, August 25, 1871, and is a son of SAMUEL HYDE OWEN and MARY ELIZABETH (HOKE) OWEN, the former of whom was born in Virginia, April 8, 1834, and the latter of whom was born in North Carolina, in 1839, she being now a loved member of the family circle of her eldest child, Frank H., of this sketch, and the other three children being two sons and one daughter. SAMUEL H. OWEN, whose death occurred January 9, 1912, was a jeweler and watchmaker by trade, and was engaged in the jewelry business at Newberry, South Carolina, at the time of the outbreak of the Civil war. He forthwith manifested his loyalty to the Confederacy by enlisting, at Anderson Court House, as a member of Company D in Orr’s First Regiment of Riflemen. He was made a lieutenant of his company, and later he became a member of the Rutledge Mounted Riflemen, with which he participated in many engagements, including a number of major battles. In January, 1865, at the battle of White Oak, he was captured by the enemy and taken to Point Lookout prison, where he remained until he received his parole, in July of that year, after the close of the war. After the close of his military career he engaged in farm enterprise in Abbeville County, South Carolina, where he continued his productive activities as an agriculturalist and stock grower until 1882, when he came with his family to Florida and engaged in orange growing at Floral Bluff, Duval County. In 1886 he removed to Jacksonville, and in this city he continued to be engaged in the jewelry business until the time of his death, more than a quarter of a century later. He was a stalwart democrat, was affiliated with the Masonic fraternity, and was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, as is also his widow, who is now venerable in years. FRANK H. OWEN was about 10 years of age at the time of the family removal to Florida, and here his educational advantages included those of the Jacksonville High School. In the meanwhile he gained practical experience also, as he sold newspapers both morning and evening while attending school, and at the age of fourteen years gave service as a messenger for the Western Union Telegraph Company. After leaving school he found work in a saw mill, and also entered upon an apprenticeship to the trade of woodturner. After the passing of four years he was made foreman of the shop in which he had been an apprentice, and he next became foreman of the planing mill operated by HENRY CLARK. Later he formed a partnership with WALTER B. DeWITT, and they successfully operated a planing mill at Jacksonville until the same was destroyed in the disastrous fire that swept away much property in the city in 1901. Within three weeks the firm constructed a new building and resumed the operation of the planing mill business and novelty works. About two years later Mr. Owen sold his interest to his partner and associated himself with the Merrill-Stevens Engineering Company, of the South Jacksonville shipbuilding plant, of which concern he was made superintendent in 1915. This company, with which he continued his connection until 1920, was engaged in building steel and wooden vessels for the Government in the World war period, and as superintendent Mr. Owen made the first sidewise launching of a vessel in the South while the company was producing vessels for the Government. In 1918 he had become one of the organizers of the Dekle Lumber Company, of which he became the president and an active factor in the conducting of its planing mill and retail lumber business. In 1903 Mr. Owen was elected a member of the City Council of Jacksonville, as representative from the Second Ward, and he was reelected in 1905 and 1907. In 1909 he was again elected to the Council, to serve the unexpired term of W. B. CLARKSON, who died while in office. In 1915 he was again called into service in the Council, and in 1918, as a representative at large, he was once more elected to office, he having served two terms as president of the City Council, in the year 1920 having marked his election to the position of city Commissioner, he being made chairman of the board under the new commission system of municipal government, which has effected a great saving in the administration of municipal affairs. In the Masonic fraternity Mr. Owen is affiliated with Temple Lodge No. 23, F. and A. M.; Jacksonville Chapter No. 12, R. A. M.; Damascus Commandery No. 12, Knights Templars; and Morocco Temple of the Mystic Shrine. He is a member also of Jacksonville Lodge No. 221, B. P. O. E. Mr. Owen is influential in the local councils and campaign activities of the democratic party, and he and his wife and daughter are communicants of the Protestant Episcopal Church. On 24 August, 1895, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Owen and Miss LEONORA DREW, who was born and reared at Jacksonville, a daughter of WILLOUGHBY and MARY EDNA (WANDELL) DREW, the former a native of Florida and the latter of the State of New York. Mr. and Mrs. Owen have one daughter, MARY EDNA. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/fl/duval/bios/owen153bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/flfiles/ File size: 6.1 Kb