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Transcribed from "An Illustrated History of The Big Bend Country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams and Franklin counties, State of Washington", published by Western Historical Publishing Co., 1904.

     JOHN T. OWENS resides at Ephrata and is one of the leading citizens of that progressive little city. He is engaged in handling grain for the Orondo Shipping Company of Wenatchee and out of the one hundred and thirty thousand bushels shipped from Ephrata last year, he handled sixty thousand, thus indicating that he is doing a very prosperous business.
     John T. Owens was born in the Weise Valley, Idaho, on November 15, 1871. His parents are Edward and Amanda (Dodson) Owens, natives of Maine and Virginia, respectively. The father was a pioneer in Oregon and also in Douglas county, Washington. The mother died in Moses coulee, in 1894. Our subject attended the schools in various places and completed his training in the Ellensburg high school in this state. Then he spent sometime in partnership with his father in the stock business and also was engaged in riding the range in various places. Later, he took a homestead which he relinquished in 1896. He went to North Yakima, there purchasing a large tract of land. For two years he raised hay, then sold it and returned to Moses coulee and engaged again in business with his father, giving attention to farming and fruit raising. In 1901, he sold his interests there to his father and moved to Ephrata where he erected a livery stable. He operated it for some time then sold and built several dwelling houses which he rents at the present time. It was 1902, when Mr. Owens engaged with the Orondo Shipping Company and since then he has been actively interested in promoting the town of Ephrata. He is personally interested in considerable property here and has done much to forward the welfare of the place. Mr. Owens is a stirring business man and judging the future by the past, we feel sure that he will be one of the leading property owners of Douglas county in a short time.
     Mr. Owens is one of a family of six children, the other five being named as follows: James, Edward, Mrs. Rachel Harring, Mrs. Ella Cunningham, and Mrs. Myrtle Ogle.
     The marriage of our subject and Mrs. Elizabeth Vincent occurred on October 1, 1895, at Waterville. Mrs. Owens' parents are William and Mary M. Howard, natives of Tennessee and now dwelling at Rock Creek, Whitman county, Washington. The father served in the Confederate army. Mrs. Owens has two brothers and three sisters, Lee, George, Mrs. Kittie Helma, Mrs. Ollie Spates, and Elsie. By her former marriage, Mrs. Owens has one daughter, Bessie. She is a member of the Baptist church, but her husband does not belong to any denomination. They are people of excellent standing and have many friends in this section, where they have labored enthusiastically for its upbuilding and promotion.

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