I had a lot of fun working on the family of David Owens - check the tag list on the sidebar to see all
the posts related to him which cover his arrival in Iowa, move to Davison, South Dakota, and the lives of his children.
I also love that they keep adding newspapers over at NewspaperArchives.com, my favorite source of news articles. Recently, they added Iowa State Reporter, a small press that published from Waterloo.
Here are a few tidbits that look into the life of David Owens' life in Iowa. What I see is a good farmer, a wise man, a sometimes frustrated father, and a responsible, participating member of his community. It also nailed down the time of the arrival of the Owens' party in Poyner Township. And I had no idea he was a fruit grower primarily. He had some rough weather years here in Iowa. These take him all the way to just after his move to South Dakota:
PUBLIC NOTICE
Notice is hereby given that I have, this day, given my son,
James D Owens, his time and that hereafter I will not be responsible for any debts or business engagements he may make. David Owens, Poyner Township, May 27, 1874
Iowa State Reporter May 27, 1874
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Sheriff's Sale
State of Iowa, Black Hawk County > xx
Notice is hereby given, that on the 30th day of May AD 1874, at 10 o'clock am at the Court House, in the city of Waterloo, and county aforesaid will be sold at public auction to the highest bidder, for cash, the following described real estate, levied upon and taken by virtue of a general execution issued from the office of the clerk of the circuit court within and for the county of Black Hawk, State of Iowa, in favor of Rena Chapman and against the property of EE McStay, Charles B Case, and David Owens, to-wit:
Lot No four (4) in block No nine (9) in village of Raymond, Black Hawk County, State of Iowa, excepting the north forty-two feet (42) of said lot or so much thereof as may be necessary to satisfy said writ of execution and all accruing costs. GW HAYZLETT, Sheriff of Black Hawk County, Dated at the Sheriff's office, Waterloo, April 30, 1874.
Iowa State Reporter May 27, 1874
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David Owens, of Poyner township, tells us that his section the storm destroyed the fences and quite a few and quite a number of trees. Fifteen of his large fruit trees were either entirely destroyed or badly injured.
Iowa State Reporter June 10, 1874
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David Owens, of Poyner township, has sold to Thompson Bros., forty barrels of apples this year. They were mostly of the gros pommier variety and as handsome as any apples ever seen in this market. Mr Owens has been one of the most successful fruit growers in the county.
Iowa State Reporter October 21, 1874
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...In 1855, L Doud, C Chamberlin, David Owens, William Wheeler, Albert Taylor, John Helton, John Hollar, Henry Kimble, John Linderman, IT Corwin, Martin Zimmerman and James Poyner settled in the southern part of the township.
Iowa State Reporter May 26, 1875
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David Owens of Poyner Township came in on Monday with a big egg, expecting to beat the Lester township production furnished by Enos Wood. It was not quite large enough to do that, and Mr Owens has gone back to induce his hen to make another effort.
Iowa State Reporter August 18, 1875
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...The reports in regard to corn are just as varied. David Owens, of Poyner Township, tells us his opinion, made up from actual observation, is that the crop will not be more than half the usual yield, taking the average into consideration. The weather recently has been too cool to make a crop, for the late planted. Oats are potatoes are generally good.
Iowa State Reporter August 18, 1875
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David Owens of Poyner, exhibited twenty varieties of apples, making a very fine show.
Iowa State Reporter October 3, 1877
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POYNER.
Justices - J. N. Marble, J. P. Keiffer.
Assessor - James K. Winsett.
Clerk- J. J. Hoxie.
Trustees- Ed. Marble, W. S. Deitrich, David Owens.
Constables- Joseph Barker, C. Miller
Iowa State Reporter October 16, 1878
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David Owens of Poyner township says his apple crop will be about six hundred bushels of excellent fruit. He also tells us that for the last two years he has been getting all his fuel from groves of his own raising.
Iowa State Reporter September 24, 1879
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BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING, 17 Oct 1881
...The following bills were audited as follows viz:
ON THE POOR FUND
David Owens, vinegar and apples for poor house $2.37
Waterloo Courier October 26, 1881
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David Owens, of Poyner, who has one of the large orchards of the county, informs us that the prospects now are that he will not have more than a quarter or a third of a crop. At first he expected an immense yield, but the last frost injured the fruit so that it has been dropping from the trees ever since. He also says his cherry crop will be light.
Iowa State Reporter June 28, 1882
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The Mount Vernon, Dakota Gazette says that David Owens of this county has purchased a timber claim four miles southeast of that town.
Iowa State Reporter March 8, 1882
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WG met David Owens of Poyner township the other day. He has for a good many years given much attention to fruit raising. he thinks the past winter killed about 70 per cent of his trees, notwithstanding a good many have budded and blossomed this spring. He says the wood is already turning black under the bark and by August will be dead. The trees that stood the winter best with him are the Haas, Duchess, Walbridge and the Perry Russett. The last he pronounces a poor thing in the way of fruit, but he has a good opinion of Walbridge, both as to fruit and tree.
Iowa State Reporter May 23, 1883
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David Owens, formerly an old resident of Poyner township, came in Tuesday night from Dakota, where he is now living, near Mt Vernon. He has left at this office specimens of sod corn, wheat and American and Russian flax. He is loud in praise of the productiveness of the soil, and in his general surroundings, and the specimens we have from him certainly corroborates his enthusiasm. He will spend a couple of weeks among his old neighbors.
Iowa State Reporter October 16, 1884
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