Contra Costa County Biography

HON. JAMES C. OWENS 

Transcribed by Kathy Sedler.

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm

 
is numbered among the distinguished men of California because of the prominence 
he has attained in promoting the permanent interests of the State along all 
lines. Senator Owens was born in Maysville, Kentucky, November 22, 1871, and 
acquired his education in the public schools of his native State. He is the son 
of J. S. Owens, who was one of the representative farmers and stockmen of his 
locality. In 1893 Senator Owens came to California and was identified with the 
San Francisco Street Railroad Company. He later engaged in the tobacco business. 
At the outbreak of the Spanish-American War he enlisted and went to the 
Philippines, where he saw active service for eighteen months. After the war he 
served as chief sales clerk in the United States Depot Quartermaster's 
Department at Manila, and later as secretary-treasurer for the Provincial 
Government under Governor Taft. Upon his return to the United States, Senator 
Owens came to Richmond and took the management of a brick-manufacturing plant 
for a period of two years, after which he was identified with the hotel business 
at Richmond for several years, and in 1911 he engaged in the real-estate 
business. He is interested in several properties, the most important of which is 
the Owens Addition to the city of Richmond. Previous to his election as State 
senator the honors of the mayorality of Richmond were conferred upon him, and he 
served during 1911 and 1912, resigning to take the office of State senator. 
While mayor he carefully studied every situation that bore upon the welfare of 
Richmond. The knowledge he gained in this office had much to do with shaping the 
policy of State matters. During his office as mayor bonds amounting to 
$1,170,000 were voted by the city to improve the water-front. Senator Owens is 
the first democratic senator to be elected from his district in forty years. He 
was elected in 1912 by a plurality of fifteen hundred votes over the Republican 
candidate. He was very active and particularly successful in getting legislation 
for the benefit of his district. Among the bills that he introduced and passed 
were a bill providing that all the tide-lands along the Richmond water-front be 
granted by the State to the municipality, so that it might improve these lands 
as it saw fit, a bill providing that saloons be closed between the hours of two 
and six a. m., and a number of bills simplifying the street and other municipal 
improvement acts, which he found cumbersome during his term of office as mayor 
of Richmond. During Senator Owens' administration as mayor Richmond expended 
three million dollars on street and other improvements. On May 22, 1907, he was 
united in marriage to Miss Edith Berryman, a native of California. To this union 
one child, Mildred B., was born on August 29, 1909. Senator Owens is prominently 
identified in the fraternal and commercial circles of Richmond. He was the 
organizer of the Richmond Industrial Commission, and has served as president of 
the Sequoia Commercial Club. In 1913 he was the official representative of the 
city of Richmond, heading the delegation which went to Washington to lay their 
project before the Engineering Board for the approval of the district engineer's 
plan to improve the Richmond water-front and harbor three miles in length. 
Fraternally, Senator Owens is a member of the B. P. O. E. and I. O. O. F. of 
Richmond, and a member of the Spanish-American War Veterans. He is a man of 
progressive views and staunch honesty of purpose, and rose to a high place among 
the representative citizens of California. His name adds to the list of those 
whose labors have been so far-reaching and beneficial in effect that they have 
influenced many phases of community development.
 
Source: "The History of Contra Costa County, California," Elms Publ. Co., 1918, 
pp. 445-446