Donald, I'm probbly not much help but looked t the 1900 census for William. Noticed two things. 1) He was living with a family that included a old pioneer family name of the area, Officer. 2) there was a chineese fellow there as well. In the 1880's there was a pretty large Gold rush going on in the John Day/ Canyon City Area which is in Grant County. I did not think to look at the 1890 census but did look at find a grave and found a William Owens in Fossil, Wheeler County, Oregon that fit the birth year, 1869. there are several Owens families around this area.