Matthew Owens Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1420-1421 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	MATTHEW OWENS, who has charge of the business of the Tuttle Lumber 
Company at Humboldt, Minnehaha county, claims as the place of his 
nativity the old Pine Tree state, having been born in Franklin county, 
Maine, on the 5th of June, 1852, and being a son of Thomas and Abigail 
(Tarr) Owens, the former of whom was born in County Wicklow, Ireland, 
while the latter was born in Maine. The father of the subject was reared 
and educated in the Emerald Isle, where he remained until he had 
attained the age of twenty-three years, when he emigrated to America, 
where he believed better opportunities were afforded for the attaining 
of success throug1l individual effort. He located in the state of Maine, 
where his marriage occurred, and in 1852 he removed thence with his 
family to Wisconsin, becoming one of the pioneers of Lafayette county, 
that state, where he continued to reside until 1864, when he located in 
Wabasha county, Minnesota, where he continued to be identified with 
agricultural pursuits until his death, his wife also passing the closing 
years of her life in said county. Of their twelve children five are yet 
living, the subject of this sketch having been the ninth in order of 
birth. 

	Matthew Owens passed his boyhood days in Wisconsin and Minnesota, 
where he secured such educational advantages as were afforded in the 
public schools in the meanwhile assisting his father in the work of the 
farm. At the age of twenty-one years he secured employment in a hardware 
store at Plain View. Minnesota, and there learned the tinner's trade. to 
which he gave his attention until 1879 when he came to the present state 
of South Dakota and cast in his lot with its pioneers. He arrived at his 
destination on the 22d of July and shortlv afterward filed entry upon a 
homestead claim in Buffalo township, Minnehaha county, retaining the 
property in his possession for two years and then exchanging the same 
for a farm about a mile distant from the same. There he continued to be 
engaged in farming and stock growing for the ensuing two years, at the 
expiration of which he removed to Madison, Lake county, where he 
followed the work of his trade for the following four years, within 
which time he assisted in the erection of the normal school building and 
other large structures. He thereafter devoted his attention to the 
cultivation of his farm until 1891, when he took up his residence in 
Montrose, McCook county, and there engaged in the hardware business. In 
the following year he sold his farm, and in December, 1893, his hardware 
establishment was destroyed by fire, entailing practically a total loss, 
with no insurance indemnity, and under these adverse conditions he found 
it expedient to again resume work at his trade, which he there followed 
for two years. In 1898 Mr. Owens came to Humboldt and accepted his 
present position in charge of the local interest of the Tuttle Lumber 
Company, in which connection he has accomplished an excellent work in 
extending the scope of the business, while he is also a stockholder in 
the Farmers' Bank and the owner of good town property In politics Mr. 
Owens is arrayed in support of the principles of the Populist party, and 
he has shown a deep interest in public affairs and in the furthering of 
the cause of his party. He has held various township and school offices, 
and in 1890 was candidate on the independent ticket for representative 
of his district making a spirited canvass, but meeting defeat with the 
remainder of the ticket. He is identified in a fraternal way with the 
local lodge of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and also with that 
of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. 

	On the 13th of October, 1875, in Minnesota, Mr. Owens was united 
in marriage to Miss Augusta Fricke, who was born in the state of New 
York, of staunch German lineage, and of their children we enter the 
following brief record: Earl G. died at the age of nine years; Mabel I. 
completed her education in a normal school at Winona, Minnesota, and is 
now a successful teacher in the public schools of Minneapolis, 
Minnesota; Alfred E., who was born in the original sod house built by 
his father on section 3, Buffalo township, on the 30th of December, 
1880, a winter memorable in the annals of the state by reason of its 
extreme severity, was a young man of fine character and marked ability, 
and a most promising life was cut short by his death, at Lead in the 
Black Hills, on the 22d of March, 1904; Mattie was graduated in the 
state normal school in Madison, as a member of the class of 1904, and 
remains at the parental home, as do also the younger daughters, Annie 
and Minnie.