Page 92 - Jefferson County AR 1889 History (Goodspeed)

JEFFERSON COUNTY. 203

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1.'pursuit carried on until his death, which occurre-d j opponent. The Judge is a man whose decisions

in 1887, at the age of eighty-eight years. Ha was are not made without careful and painstaking

in the Black Hawk War. The mother died in 1 ~ t o d yof the evidence adduced, but on the con.

!1846. They were the parents of seven children, trary all feel that his judgment can be relied upon.

three of whom are living a t the present time. By He is o r of the most efficient officials the wunty
his second marriage the father had two children, j has ever had. When first elected to the position

one now living. Judge J. W. Owen was reared ' of judge the connty had $46,000 script out, but

on his father's farm, and received a good praoticnl it is now clear of debt and has over (8,000 in the

education in the schools of Illinois. At the age of ! treasury, which will be increased to $30,000 at

sixteen he I d t the parental roof and went overlnnd ! the next tax paying. R e has now a move on foot

with a stock train to California, where he remained for the erection of a new w u r t house and jail, and

until after the war. While in that State he en- no doubt the work will soon be begun. While

gaged in mining a t Virginia City, when the silver living a t Comer Stone h e was magistrate, and

mines were first discovered, and this continued ' filled the duties iucumhent upon that ofice ably

until the war broke out. He then joined the Cali- and well for ten years. He was married, in 1866,

fornia Hundred, or Company A, Second Massa- to Miss Nannie B. Collins, a native of the Old

chusetts Cavalry, at San Francisco, and went to , Dominion.

/Boston, Mass., paying his ownway. Enlisting as ' Melvin Parse (deceased). Among the well-

a privste, he was promoted to the rank of first known and high1y.esteemed business men of Pine

lieutenant of his company, and was also commis- ' Bluff was Mr. Parse, who was born in Ohio in

sioned captain, hut beiig wounded at the battle 1838, and died in May, 1882. He left the pareu.

of Cedar Creek, Shenandoah Valley, in 1864, was h l roof a t the age of fifteen or sixteen years, and

1never sworn in. He participated in the battles of went to Cincinnati, where he learned the jeweler's

Gettysburg, Wilderness, and was in the Army of trade, subsequentlg, on turning from Ohio, set-

the Potomac. He was twice wounded at Cedar ' tling at Cairo, Ill., and thence to Arkansas in 1857

/Creek and once by a hayonet a t Williamsburg. Va., or 1858. He located at Pine Bluff, and engaged

lying in the hospital for a b u t nine months a t ! in the jeweler's business, carrying on a suoeessful

Idifferent pointe, and when the war closed he came trade until his patriotic instincts led him to join

home to Illiuoia Out of his company there were the United S t a t a army in the late war, and he

but fifteen men left alive, and but one man died i enlisted in 1862, serving till the close. He re-

iof disease. Mr. Owen was twice captured, but [ turned to Pine Bluff upon the cessation of hostil-

made his escape b t h times before h e could he ities, and in 1868 was married to his second wife

gotten to prison. After going home he engaged and surviving widow, Mrs. Mary (Elliott) Coustey,

iin railroading and was a contractor on grading, ' who still carries on the business left by her hns.

which he continued until 1870, when he came to band. Sbeis a very estimable lady, and a memher

IPine Bluff. H e located s t Corner Stone, Jeffer- of the Xethodist Episcopal Church, in which she

son County, engaged in merchandising and farm- j is active and prominent, as was Mr. Parse in his

1ing, and this carried on until the fall of 1886, ' hfetime. The latter was much interested in po-

w h r he was put on the ticket for wnnty judge, he litical events, though not an OEMholder There
Inot even knowing that such a thing was going to he. ; were no children by her last marriage, but Mrs.

He at first refused to be nominated, but after con- Parse had a daughter by her former husband, Mary,

/ children,siderable persuasion u2asprevailed upon to do so who married Harry H. Shinn, a photographer of
by his friends, and was elected by a handsome P ~ n Be luff. She died June 1,1889, leaving two

majority. Althongh a Republican pulitidly, he Hallie and Mary, who are living with

has won a vast number of friends, who have stood their gaudmother. Mrs. Parse is a native of Vir-
Iby him, and at the re-election in 1888 he had no ginia 'When a child, she moved to Mississippi

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