Conrad H. Owens Biography


	This biography appears on page 343 in "History of Dakota Territory" 
	by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

	This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit 
	organizations for their private use. 

	Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval 
	system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other 
	means requires the written approval of the file's author.

	This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside
	a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at

	http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm


				CONRAD H. OWENS. 

	Conrad H. Owens is the cashier of the Chester State Bank and a 
well known figure in the financial circles of Lake county. Minnesota 
claims him as a native son, his birth having there occurred on the 21st 
of October, 1881, his parents being Carl and Ellen (Bengtson) Owens. At 
the usual age he entered the public schools and after mastering various 
branches of learning therein taught he supplemented his knowledge by a 
commercial course in a business college of Minneapolis. After leaving 
school he engaged in farming with his father for a number of years, and 
in 1910 he removed to Chester, where he entered the Chester State Bank 
as assistant cashier, winning advancement to the position of cashier in 
1911. This bank was organized in 1905. Its deposits at the time of the 
organization were thirty thousand dollars. Today they have reached 
seventy-seven thousand nine hundred and forty-three dollars. The 
officers of the bank are C. E. Olstad, president; W.  O. Gienapp, vice 
president; and C. H. Owens, cashier. The bank is capitalized for ten 
thousand dollars, has a surplus of two thousand and undivided profits 
of thirty-three hundred. In January, 1912, the bank had deposits of 
fifty-six thousand three hundred and forty-four dollars; in 1913 of 
sixty-nine thousand six hundred and twelve dollars; January, 1914, 
seventy-four thousand three hundred and eight dollars; in March, 1914, 
seventy-five thousand seven hundred and four dollars; and on the 30th 
of June, 1914, seventy-seven thousand nine hundred and forty-three 
dollars, showing a substantial and steady growth. The savings deposits 
have doubled in the last year and good business is being done in the 
real-estate loan department. The bank is well equipped with safety 
deposit vaults and in connection with a general banking business the 
firm conducts an insurance business and also acts as agents for leading 
steamship lines. 

	Mr. Owens enjoys all kinds of outdoor sports and exercises and 
his social nature furthermore finds  expression in his membership in 
the Knights of Pythias lodge, of which he is vice chancellor, the 
Modern Woodmen camp of Chester and in the Odd Fellows lodge at 
Wentworth. He exercises his right of franchise in support of the men 
and measures of the republican party and is a Lutheran in religious 
faith. He is a young man of many admirable qualities, as displayed in 
business and other connections, and he has won a creditable position in 
the high regard of his fellow townsmen in Lake county.