Silas Owens Sr. (1907 - 1960)

Born 26 Dec 1907 in Solomon Grove, Faulkner County, Arkansas, United States

Died 4 Apr 1960 at age 52 in Faulkner County, Arkansas, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: LaMyra Morton [send private message]

Biography

Silas Owens Sr. is a part of US Black heritage.

Silas Owens Sr. is Notable.

Silas Owens Sr was born on 26 December 1907 in Solomon Grove, Arkansas.^[1][2]

He fathered a child, Hillard Ealy, with Bettie Ealy.

He married Georgia Dooley on 25 January 1925 in Faulkner County, when he was 19 years old.^[3] They were the parents of:

1. Mason
2. Dawson
3. Silas
4. Pauline
5. Lillie Mae
6. Farris^[4][5][6]

He became known for high quality, mixed masonry construction designs that were popular in his region of Arkansas. These home styles are sometimes nowadays called giraffe homes for the reddish-brown giraffe spotted pattern that is created in the exterior walls that were built from locally quarried sandstone rocks combined with other materials. Through a Works Progress Administration (WPA) contract, he participated in the construction of the Elephant House and the Reptile House at the Little Rock Zoo in 1936. The Hughes-Smith School at Solomon Grove, and on the National Register of Historic Places since 1994, is another example of his work, and only one of 29 structures that he built that are on the Register. He developed a style of design that was uniquely his which combined the sandstone with cream colored bricks used to trim out building features.

Silas died on 4 April 1960 after living out his life in the same county he was born in. He was buried in Solomon Grove Cemetery in Faulkner County, Arkansas.^[7]

Research Notes

Solomon Grove was merged with Zion Grove to become Twin Groves in 1991.

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," citing Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Affiliate Publication Number: T624; Digital film/folder number: 004970227; FHL microfilm: 1374062; Image number: 1086; Sheet number: 16; Sheet letter: B; Packet letter: A; Indexing batch: N03325-1, FamilySearch Record: MKJ5-R7T FamilySearch Image: 33SQ-GRVF-PWX, Name: Silas Owens; Race: Black; Marital Status: Single; Birth Date: 1908; Birth Place: Arkansas; Census Date: 1910; Census Place: Walker, Faulkner, Arkansas, United States; Age: 2; Relationship To Head: Son; Record Nbr: 51915; Mother Birth Place: Tennessee; Father Birth Place: Tennessee; System Of Record: SLS.

   Haywood Owens M Black 40 Married Head Tennessee

   Matilda Owens F Black 35 Married Wife Tennessee

   Arthur Owens M Black 14 Single Son Arkansas

   Roy Owens M Black 12 Single Son Arkansas

   George Owens M Black 10 Single Son Arkansas

   Haywood Owens, Jr, Jr M Black 6 Single Son Arkansas

   Silas Owens M Black 2 Single Son Arkansas

   Lee Owens M Black 0 Single Son Arkansas

   Rachel Owens F Black 79 Widowed Mother Virginia

2. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," citing Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Affiliate Publication Number: T625; Line: 12; Digital film/folder number: 004964243; FHL microfilm: 1820062; Image number: 314; Sheet number: 18; Sheet letter: A; Packet letter: A; Indexing batch: N01906-3, FamilySearch Record: MDNV-T8Y FamilySearch Image: 33SQ-GR68-QF3, Name: Silas Owens; Marital Status: Single; Race: Black; Census Date: 1920; Census Place: Faulkner, Arkansas, United States; Birth Date: 1908; Birth Place: Arkansas; Age: 12; Father Birth Place: Tennessee; Relationship To Head: Son; Mother Birth Place: Tennessee; Record Nbr: 14975; Vis Status: VISIBLE; System Of Record: SLS.

   Haywood Owens M Black 50 Married Head Tennessee

   Matilda Owens F Black 45 Married Wife Tennessee

   Haywood Owens M Black 15 Single Son Arkansas

   Silas Owens M Black 12 Single Son Arkansas

   Lee Henry Owens M Black 10 Single Son Arkansas

   Rachael Owens F Mulatto 87 Widowed Mother Virginia

3. ↑ "Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957," citing Page: 264; Digital film/folder number: 004326306_002_M9ZD-R3V; FHL microfilm: 001976420; Image number: 160; Packet letter: A; Indexing batch: M02648-6, FamilySearch Record: NMKL-CVZ FamilySearch Image: S3HT-D18D-R2, Name: Silas Owens; Birth Date: 1906; Residence Place: Damascus, Faulkner, Arkansas; Age: 19; Marriage Date: 25 Jan 1925; Marriage Place: Faulkner, Arkansas, United States; MarriageLicense Date: 17 Jan 1925; Collection Title: Arkansas County Marriage Records, 1837-1957; Vis Status: VISIBLE; Record Nbr: 977; Template: ARMAR2; System Of Record: SLS.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," citing Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Affiliate Publication Number: T626; Line: 73; Digital film/folder number: 004950011; FHL microfilm: 2339809; Image number: 593; Sheet number: 3; Sheet letter: B; Packet letter: A; Indexing batch: N03772-2, FamilySearch Record: XML9-F2W FamilySearch Image: 33S7-9R42-QW9, Name: Silas Owens; Birth Date: 1908; Birth Place: Arkansas; Census Date: 1930; Census Place: Walker, 30, Faulkner, Arkansas, United States; Race: Negro; Marital Status: Married; Age: 22; Mother Birth Place: Tennessee; Relationship To Head: Head; Father Birth Place: Tennessee; Record Nbr: 28110; System Of Record: SLS.

   Silas Owens M Negro 22 Married Head Arkansas

   Mason G Owens M Negro 4 Single Son Arkansas

5. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," citing Affiliate Publication Number: T627; Line: 36; Digital film/folder number: 005461509; Image number: 724; Sheet number: 8; Sheet letter: A, FamilySearch Record: KQVL-3MX FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-L9M1-F4WC, Name: Silas Owens; Birth Date: 1908; Birth Place: Arkansas; Census Date: 1940; Census Place: Walker Township, Faulkner, Arkansas, United States; Residence Date: 1935; Residence Place: Same House; Marital Status: Married; Race: Negro; Age: 32; Relationship To Head: Head; Ims Ctl File Id: 680377; System Of Record: SLS.

   Silas Owens M Negro 32 Married Head Arkansas

   Georgia Owens F Negro 32 Married Wife Arkansas

   Mason Owens M Negro 14 Single Son Arkansas

   Dawson Owens M Negro 11 Single Son Arkansas

   Silas Junior Owens M Negro 8 Single Son Arkansas

   Paulene Owens F Negro 7 Single Daughter Arkansas

   Lillie Mae Owens F Negro 5 Single Daughter Arkansas

   Franis Owens F Negro 1 Single Daughter Arkansas

6. ↑ "United States 1950 Census," citing Page: 24; Line: 28; Digital film/folder number: 108895965; Image number: 25, FamilySearch Record: 6XBX-MNDT FamilySearch Image: 3QHK-9QHW-XF4K, Name: Lilor Owens; Marital Status: Married; Race: Negro; Occupation: House ??? Carpenter; Census Date: 10 April 1950; Census Place: Walker Township, Faulkner, Arkansas, United States; Birth Date: 1907; Birth Place: Arkansas; Residence Date: 1949; Age: 43 years; Misc Code C21950Census: 1; Misc Hours Worked: 48; Household Continued: Yes; Relationship To Head: Head; 3Plus Acres: yes; Occupation Category: wk; Ag Questionair Nbr: w; Misc Code C1950Census: 510; Lived On Farm: yes; Image Dimensions: 3904,4492; Misc Code C11950Census: 346; Misc Worker Class: p; Occupation Industry: House Building; Image Folder1950Census: 43290879-Arkansas-150137; Enumerator Name: W H Davis; System Of Record: SLS.

   Lilor Owens M 43 Married Head House ??? Carpenter Arkansas

   Georgia Owens F 43 Married Wife Arkansas

   Dawron Owens M 21 Never married Son Farming Arkansas

7. ↑ Find a Grave (has image), Find A Grave: Memorial #131727090, Memorial page for Silas Owens Sr. (26 Dec 1907-4 Apr 1960), citing Solomon Grove Cemetery, Faulkner County, Arkansas, USA; Maintained by MM Jones (contributor 48328755).

See also:

• https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/silas-owens-sr-14201/
• FamilySearch Person: GS25-HSP
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silas_Owens_Sr.
• https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7514206