A Tribute to the Memory of Robert L. Owen, Box 1, Folder 1, Item 1
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The photograph in the booklet (A Tribute to the Memory of Robert Latham Owen) has been reproduced. A negative exists in the photograph collection. TJK 11/18/94 Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis I Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 1856 - 1947 Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis / l I Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis A TRIBUTE To T he Memory of Robert Latham Owen by T he Officers and D irectors of T he First N ational Bank and T rust Company M uskogee, Oklahoma Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis ROBERT LATHAM OWEN by GRANT FOREMAN OBERT LATHAM OWEN, who became one of the first United States Senators R from Oklahoma, was born February 2, 1856, at Lynchburg, Virginia, of Scotch-Irish and Indian ancestry. He was the son of Robert L. Owen, member of Virginia Senate and Presi dent of the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, and of Narcissa Chisholm of the Cherokee Nation. He went to private school in Lynchburg, Baltimore, then to Washington and Lee Uni versity, and, identified as the most diligent stu dent in the University, received the President’s scholarship in 1876. The degree of Master of Arts was conferred upon him; he received the gold medal as the best debater, and delivered the valedictory of his class in 1877 Soon after wards he came to the Cherokee Nation. Owen was the principal teacher of the Cherokee Orphan Asylum, 1879-1880, and secretary of the Board of Education of the Cherokee N a tion, 1881-1884. During these years Mr. Owen practiced law and often appeared in the Chero kee courts in important litigation. As secretary of the Cherokee Board of Education, he was Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis responsible for many important decisions touch ing the policy and functioning of this Board. Well qualified by these experiences, in the autumn of 1885, Mr. Owen was appointed agent for the Five Civilized Tribes, with head quarters at Union Agency, Muskogee, Indian Territory, of which he assumed charge on September 11, 1885. Thereafter a grateful Cherokee government expressed its apprecia tion of the appointment and its high regard for Mr. Owen in the following resolution, the original of which is in the archives of the Oklahoma Historical Society: " Whereas a U. S. Agent for the five civ ilized nations has been selected from the limits of these Nations thus choosing one ivhose future life is identified with the Coun try and whose intimate acquaintance with the people and their needs peculiarly fits him for valuable service as such and Whereas the Agent thus chosen is connected with the Cherokee people by blood and justly stands as an exponent of Indian integrity, capacity, and energy; and Whereas we deem his ap pointment a substantial recognition of the Indian Territory and a precedent worthy to be sustained; Therefore, "Be it resolved by the Senate and Coun cil, That the Cherokees cordially endorse and approve the appointment of Robt. L. Owen Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis as U. S. Indian Agent for the five civilized Nations as a man of unquestionable integrity, capacity, and energy, and as a fit representative of the Indian Territory in the Federal service and who will make the United States Govern ment a faithful and efficient officer and that our thanks are hereby tendered the Govern ment for its action in his appointment. Passed the House this 2nd of Dec. 1885. C. C. Lipe, Clk. Council. Alexander Hawk, Speaker House. Concurred in by the Senate Dec, 11, 1885. R. T. Hanks, Clerk. L. B. Bell, Pres. Senate. Approved Dec. 12, 1885. "D. W. Bushyhead, Principal Chief.” The printed laws of the Choctaw Nation record the passage of Bill 47, being: ffA RESOLUTION Endorsing the appoint ment of Robert L. Owen to be United States Indian Agent as fit and fust. "Be it resolved by the General Council of the Choctaw Nation assembled: That the Choctaw Nation deems the appointment of Robert L. Owen as a handsome recognition of the Indian Territory, a just appreciation of the advancement and progress of the five civ- Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis ilized tribes, and a precedent practical and worthy of continuance by the United States Government. Robert L. Owen is alike a fit representative of the Indian Territory in the United States’ service, and of the United States government in its Indian service; is striving to fill up the full measure of his official designation, and deserves the support of the Choctaw Nation. ''Proposed by S. S. Stephens. Approved October 30th, 1886. teT. McKinney, Principal Chief, Choctaw Nation.” The printed laws of the Choctaw Nation contain the following: No. 36 (’A Joint Resolution of the General Coun cil of the Choctaw Nation. rrBe it resolved by the General Council of the Choctaw Nation assembled, that Col. Robert L. Owen, Fiscal Agent of the Choctaw Nation, is hereby cordially invited to deliver an address to the members of the General Council now in session in Representatives’ Hall, on Wednesday evening the 6th day of November, 1889, at half after 6 o’clock p. m., concerning the Leased District of the 98th Degree, west longitude. Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis "Be it further resolved, That this resolu tion shall take effect and he in force from and after its passage. "Approved Nov. 6, 1889.” Mr. Owen served as Indian agent for the Union Agency at Muskogee from September 11, 1885 until May 17, 1889- The last day of that year, on December 31, 1889, Mr. Owen was married to the accomplished Daisy Hester, daughter of Capt. George B. Hester, a prominent merchant living at Boggy Depot in the Choctaw Nation. He thereupon brought to Muskogee his beautiful bride, to preside over the new home that was to be for many years a scene of hospitality and social graces known throughout the Indian Territory. The Muskogee Phoenix of January 2, 1890, carried an account of the wedding of Mr. Owen and Miss Hester, as follows: "At the home of the bride’s parents at Boggy Depot, Choctaw Nation, Ind. Ter., at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday morning last, Col. Robert L. Owen, ex-United States Indian Agent, and Miss Daisy Hester, only daughter of Capt. and Mrs. G. B. Hester, were united in mar riage, Rev. T . F. Brewer of this city officiating. "The wedding was a private one, there being present only a feiv of the immediate relatives of the parties. The bride' wore a Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis dress of white silk with full bridal veil, and the groom wore the conventional full dress suit. "The bridal party after partaking of a sumptuous lunch, drove over to Atoka and caught the northbound train at 2 P.M. They arrived in Muskogee at 7:15, but remained only for supper, when they proceeded on their way to Washington City, where they will re main the greater part of the winter. They will stop over a few days in St. Louis. "They were met at the depot in this city by a number of friends who extended con gratulations, wishing them a bon voyage not only to Washington but through life. "Mr. and Mrs. Owen will return to Mus kogee in the spring and will make this place their permanent home. A handsome house will be erected in the west part of the city on Col. Owen’s place which they will occupy. Their arrival will be a great acquisition to Mtiskogee society.” Mr. Owen’s responsibilities as Indian agent were complex and required from him a know ledge of varying conditions and activities in all the Five Civilized Tribes. There were times that a rare degree of tact, diplomacy and resourcefulness were required to adjust differ ences between factions of the tribes; such for instance as when, in the Cherokee Nation, Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis bitter contention developed between those who wished to lease the surplus lands of the Nation to cattle men for pasturage, and other elements of the tribe who were opposed to this policy. In the face of a serious situation, in which charges of bribery were hurled back and forth, and the question had become a political issue involving the election of a chief, Mr. Owen entered the controversy, and with skill and diplomacy backed by the department at Wash ington, straightened out the whole business to the infinite satisfaction of the Indians and to his superiors. Another time he performed a similar service for the Chickasaw Nation where like issues were precipitated by cattle men of Texas. To this writer, one of the outstanding ac complishments of Indian Agent Owen was the annual report he was required to make to Washington. Of the reports made by the scores of Indian agents over the country, Mr. Owen’s are by far the most literate, compre hensive and informing. Without being ver bose, they covered in simple language every phase of every subject on which the Indian Department in Washington needed to be in formed.