Robert L. Owen Sr.
| Robert L. Owen Sr. | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Virginia Senate from the Campbell County district |
|
|
In office October 5, 1869 – December 5, 1871 |
|
| Preceded by | n/a |
| Succeeded by | Thomas J. Kirkpatrick |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
July 3, 1825 Lynchburg, Virginia |
| Died | June 2, 1873 (aged 47) Norfolk, Virginia |
| Spouse(s) | Narcissa Chisholm Owen |
| Children | Robert Latham Owen Jr. |
| Residence | Point of Honor |
| Occupation | railroad executive |
Robert Latham Owen Sr. (1825-1873) was a civil engineer and surveyor, Virginia plantation owner and President of the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad.
Robert Latham Owen was born to Dr. William Owen of Lynchburg, Virginia and his wife Jane Latham Owen. His Owen ancestors had emigrated from Wales, and the family had a record of public service as politicians, doctors and teachers. His brother Dr. William Otway Owen Sr. (1820–92), like their father practiced medicine in Lynchburg, and became Surgeon-in-Chief supervising thirty Confederate hospitals in Lynchburg during the American Civil War.
As a young civil engineer, Owen surveyed for various railroads. In Jonesborough, Tennessee, he met schoolteacher Narcissa Clark Chisholm, orphaned daughter of Cherokee chief Thomas Chisholm. A granddaughter of Chief John D. Chisholm who led an expedition along the Arkansas River, she had been born in Arkansas before the Trail of Tears. Rev. David Sullins married them. They had two sons: Maj. William Otway Owen M.D. (1854-1924, born in Tennessee and who became a U.S. Army doctor) and Robert Latham Owen Jr. (1856-1947, born after they moved back to Lynchburg, and who became one of the first two U.S. Senators from Oklahoma).
The family lived in Lynchburg's best-known mansion, Point of Honor until 1870, and Dr. Owen Sr. operated the Vista Acres plantation in Campbell County.
During the American Civil War, Robert Latham Owen accepted Confederate rifles to defend the railroad, which were delivered by Gen. Thomas Stonewall Jackson. Owen also criticized the chaotic military demands on his railroad's rolling stock, which was a crucial link to the salt in Saltville, Virginia, as well as Tennessee, among other routes. His wife Narcissa led about 500 women who sewed uniforms and otherwise assisted the Confederate cause.
Union troops never conquered Lynchburg, although the city was threatened in the Battle of Lynchburg. Owen was among the citizens surrendering the short-term Virginia Capitol on April 12, 1865, three days after the surrender at Appomattox Court House. However, the conflict destroyed most of its rolling stock and much track.
...
Wikipedia