Perry Owens
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Commodore Perry Owens (1852 - 1919)

Commodore Perry (Perry) Owens
Born in Hawkins County Tennessee, United Statesmap
Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married 1902 in Seligman, Arizona,United Statesmap
[children unknown]
Died at age 66 in Flagstaff Coconino County Arizona, United Statesmap
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Profile last modified | Created 4 Sep 2014
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Biography

Perry Owens was an[1] American Cowboy,lawman and gunfighter of the Old West.He was known for the Owens-Blevins Shootout in Arizona Territory during the Pleasant Valley War.

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Perry Owens



Commodore [2] Perry Owens was born on July 29, 1852,in Hawkins County, Tennessee . His father was Oliver Perry Owens . He was raised on a farm in Liberty Township, Hendricks County, Indiana, he ran away from home at age thirteen to work as a cowboy in Oklahoma and New Mexico.

In September 1883, Perry Owens was arrested by [3] Indian Agent Denis Matthew Riordan, for shooting and killing a young Navajo boy in Navajo Springs, the young Navajo was trying to rustle horses. Perry Owens was acquitted of the murder by the Apache County authorities.[4] Perry Owens was elected Sheriff of Apache County, Arizona.Perry was responsible for 21,177 square miles (54,850 km2) of territory.One of his Deputies said Commodore Owens had a great reputation as a brave man and many wonderful things were promised and expected after he was in the sheriff's office. Lawlessness was everywhere.

Perry Owens attempted to serve the warrant he held for Andy Cooper,in September 1887 . Andy Cooper killed three Navajos and was suspected of rustling a herd of horses from the Navajo reservation. His half-brothers from John Black and William "Hamp" Hampton were also suspected cattle rustlers. During this period, a range war had erupted between the Graham and Tewksbury families, which would become known as the [5] Pleasant Valley War. Andy Cooper and the other Blevins brothers were in league with the Graham family, who were cattlemen in the area in opposition to the Tewksbury family, who had herds of sheep, but who were once also cattle ranchers.

On Sunday, September 4, 1887,Sheriff Perry Owens, travelled to Holbrook to serve the outstanding warrant on Andy Cooper.But Andy Cooper refused and Perry Owens shot Cooper through the door, hitting him in the stomach. His half-brother, John Blevins fired a shot at the Sheriff. He missed and killed Cooper's horse. Owens fired wounding John Blevins in the arm. Perry Owens saw Andy Cooper moving inside, he fired a through the front wall of the cottage hitting Cooper in the right hip. Mose Roberts who was a boarder with the family, jumped out of a side window. Perry Owens shot him the bullet passing through his back and out of his chest.It was later said that Mose Roberts was unarmed, but the coroner's jury report found that a blood covered pistol was found near the backdoor of the cottage where Roberts had re entered the home after being shot. Fifteen-year-old Samuel Blevins ran out the front door, holding his brother Andy's Colt's revolver, Perry Owens fired killing him instantly.

The gunfight took less than one minute the shootout made Perry Owens a legend.Perry Owens was not charged, the shooting it was ruled self defense .However he was dismissed by the County Commission over the incident, because of death of the fifteen year old boy , regardless of the fact that the boy was armed.

Perry Owens retired to Seligman, Arizona, where he bought property and opened a general store and a saloon. In 1902 Perry married Elizabeth Jane Barrett,they had no children. [6][7] On May 28, 1919 Perry Owens died of Bright's disease he was 67years old. He left his wife Elizabeth an estate worth over $10,000.Perry Owens was buried in Citizens Cemetery in Flagstaff, Arizona.



Sources

  1. Cowboy Way Show -Commodore Perry Owens
  2. Google Books - Encyclopedia of Western Gunfighters By Bill O'Neal
  3. Google Books - Flagstaff By James E. Babbitt, John G. DeGraff by the 1880's Denis Matthew Riordan was the agent for the US Indian services
  4. Round Valley az.com - Sheriff from 1887 - 1888 Commodore Perry Owens helped clean up early years of Apache County By Jack A. Becker
  5. Sharlot.org - Pleasant Valley - A historic and legal perspective
  6. "California, County Marriages, 1850-1952," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8ZJ-CZK : 8 December 2017), Commodore P Owens and Lizzie Barrett, 30 Apr 1902; citing Los Angeles, California, United States, county courthouses, California; FHL microfilm 2,073,997.
  7. Find a Grave - Burial - Citizens Cemetery ,Flagstaff,Coconino County,Arizona, USA Plot: Tract J Block A Lot 13 Space 2 Find A Grave Memorial# 7998295
  • "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9VZ-3JG : accessed 6 March 2020), Commodore P Owen, Seligman & Chino Valley Precinct, Yavapai, Arizona Territory, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 62, sheet 6A, family 159, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,047.
  • FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9VZ-3JG : accessed 6 May 2019), Commodore P Owen, Seligman & Chino Valley Precinct, Yavapai, Arizona Territory, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 62, sheet 6A, family 159, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,047.
  • Outlaw Journal - A story about Apache County Sheriff Commodore Perry Owens
  • JSTOR - Commodore Perry Owens The Man behind the Legend by Larry D Ball.
See also






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Comments: 1

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Good morning!

Per the death certificate of Commodore Perry Owens, the father was Oliver H. Perry Owens (1822 - 1891) and Frances "Fannie" (Conner) Owens (1822 - 1910). These profiles have been created; however, this is a project protected file, so I won't add them. Here are the id links below.

Owens-9961 Conner-4646

All the best, Janet

posted by Janet (Spivey) Clifton

O  >  Owens  >  Commodore Perry Owens

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