Commodore Perry Owens
Encyclopedia
Commodore Perry Owens was an American
-born lawman and gunfighter of the Old West. One of his many exploits was the Owens-Blevins Shootout in Arizona Territory
during the Pleasant Valley War
.
's victory over British
naval forces in the 1813 Battle of Lake Erie
. Owens was born July 29, 1852, not on September 10. His father was named Oliver H. Perry Owens in Commodore Perry's honor. Commodore was named by his mother. He was born in Hawkins County, Tennessee
and raised on a farm in Liberty Township, Hendricks County, Indiana
, but ran away from home at age thirteen to work on the ranches of Oklahoma
and New Mexico
as a cowboy
. Owens is known to have been working on Hillard Roger's ranch outside Bartlesville, Oklahoma on his twenty-first birthday. In an interview given later in life, Owens admitted running with a "gang of tough characters" in his youth and was possibly involved in rustling, whiskey running and other depredations in the Indian Territory.
By 1881, Owens was working as a ranch foreman for James D. Houck and A. E. Hennings in Arizona
. There are a myriad of myths surrounding Owens' dealings with the Navajo during this period. In one incident, when attacked by Navajo
locals who were attempting to steal horses he was guarding, he allegedly killed at least two warriors, and earned the nickname "Iron man" for his stance. In truth, in September 1883, Owens was arrested by Indian Agent Denis Matthew Riordan, for the murder of a young Navajo boy near James Houck's ranch in Navajo Springs, whom he shot while the youth was trying to rustle horses. Owens was subsequently acquitted of the murder by the Apache County authorities. Owens had red hair and had adopted the habiliment of a typical cowboy as evidenced by the famous photo which was taken in New Mexico during this period. He wore his hair long in his youth, often curling it up underneath his hat, was popular with the ladies, and often made fun of due to his unusual name. Around this time, he homesteaded outside Navajo Springs, Arizona
, building a small dugout/cabin, well, and stables for his livestock near the stage station there. Owens is said to have his place the "Z-Bar Ranch", but this brand was not officially registered with the Apache County Recorder's Office.
of Apache County, Arizona
. Apache County was split into two counties in 1895, with the western part becoming Navajo County
. However, at the time when Owens was Sheriff, he was responsible for 21177 square miles (54,848.2 km²) of territory. Though he had been elected by a margin of only 91 votes over Democratic candidate Tomas Perez, Owens was well liked within his jurisdiction, and often described as having a calm demeanor. Upon taking office in January 1887, Owens was entrusted with 14 bench warrants that had been left unserved by his predecessor, Jon "Don" Lorenzo Hubbell. Included among these were warrants for the Mormon gunman Lot smith, former Tombstone badman Ike Clanton, and rustler Andrew Arnold Cooper alias Andy Blevins. His first year was relatively normal, with nothing of consequence short of a few arrests of drunken cowboys and cattle rustlers
, mostly around Holbrook, Arizona
, with only three reported shooting incidents in which he shot at least two men. Only one of the men is believed to have died. Owens would claim in interviews to have killed 14 men during his career, but this claim cannot be substantiated.
In September 1887 Owens attempted to serve the warrant he held for Andy Cooper. A native of Texas, Cooper had come to Arizona in 1885 with his brother Charlie Blevins, in order to escape arrest for crimes he had purportedly committed in Texas. The Blevins brothers were eventually joined by the remainder of the Blevins clan. Cooper was known to have killed three Navajos and was suspected of rustling a herd of horses from the Navajo reservation. Cooper's half-brothers from the Blevins family, including John Black and William "Hamp" Hampton were also suspected cattle rustlers. During this period, a range war
had erupted in neighboring Yavapai County between the Graham and Tewksbury families, which would become known as the Pleasant Valley War
. Cooper and the other Blevins brothers allied themselves with the Graham family, who were known as cattlemen in the area in opposition to the Tewksbury family, who had herds of sheep, but who originally were also cattle ranchers. Though the feud occasionally spilled over into his county, Owens seems to have remained neutral.
On Sunday, September 4, 1887, Sheriff Owens, traveled to the Blevins' cottage in Holbrook, A.T. to serve the outstanding warrant on the outlaw and rustler Andy Cooper. There were twelve people present in the house that afternoon when Owens stepped onto the porch, including Cooper (the eldest Blevins brother), John Blevins, Samuel Houston Blevins, house guest Mose Roberts, the brothers' mother, Mrs. Blevins, John Blevins' wife, Eva, and their infant son, a family friend, Miss Amanda Gladden, and several children. Cradling a Winchester in his arm, Sheriff Owens knocked upon the door and, when Andy Cooper answered with a pistol in hand, the lawman told him to come out of the house, stating that he had a warrant for arrest. Cooper refused to comply and tried to close the door. Owens dropped the rifle to his hip and shot Cooper through the door, hitting him in the stomach. His half-brother, John Blevins, then pushed a pistol out the door to Owens' right and fired a shot at the Sheriff. He missed and killed Cooper's saddle horse which was tied to a tree in the street. Owens turned towards his assailant and fired, wounding John Blevins in the arm, and putting him out of the fight. Owens then backed out into the street so he could see all sides of the house. Seeing Cooper moving inside, Owens fired a third time through the front wall of the cottage striking Cooper in the right hip. A man named Mose Roberts, who was boarding with the family, jumped out of a side window. Roberts saw the Sheriff and immediately turned to run. Owens shot him, the bullet passing through his back and out of his chest. Roberts stumbled around the back of the house and fell in the back door. It has been alleged, by Arizona Sketchbook author Frank Brophy and others that Roberts was unarmed, and that he only jumped from the window to avoid Owens' third shot which passed through the front wall. However, the coroner's jury report indicated that a blood covered pistol was found near the backdoor of the cottage where Roberts had re-entered the home after being shot. After shooting Roberts, Owens chambered another round into his Winchester. At that moment, fifteen-year-old Samuel Houston Blevins ran out the front door, gripping his brother Andy's Colt's revolver, which he had taken from the mortally wounded outlaw. His mother attempted to hold him back, unsuccessfully. As the boy came towards him, Owens fired once more, killing the boy almost instantly. Shot through the chest, the youth staggered backward, dying in his mother's embrace. The whole incident took less than one minute and the shootout made Owens a legend
.
Locally, Owens was praised for ridding the county of one of its most notorious outlaws, Andy Cooper. Three separate coroner's juries found Owens' actions justifiable. While the Gunfight at Holbrook was lauded in most circles, Owens' lack of formal education became a liability and, as Apache County became more civilized, the constituency began to wonder if Owens had the skills to be as good an administrator as he was a fighter. Additionally, Owens had problems retaining his bonds and his sureties. Owens would have "twenty-three different citizens underwriting his honesty and effectiveness in office." There were also the outlaws Robert W. "Red" McNeil and "Kid" Swingle, who on separate occasions managed to escape Owens' custody, and his treatment of John Blevins, whom Owens held in custody even after Blevins had received a gubernatorial pardon for his attempt to shoot the sheriff during the infamous gunfight. Commodore Perry Owens finished out his term as Apache County Sheriff. However, he was defeated in the elections of November 1888 by his former deputy. St. George Creaghe. On January 1, Sheriff Owens left the Apache County Sheriff's Office.
and was appointed by Governor Louis Cameron Hughes as the first Sheriff of the newly-created Navajo County in 1895, serving two years in this capacity. Owens appointed as his Under Sheriff his nephew by his sister Mary Francis, Robert Hufford. Owens' later law enforcement career lacked the drama and excitement of his days as Apache County Sheriff, but he was still considered a formidable opponent to the lawless element that remained in the territory.
After his term as Sheriff of Navajo County expired, Owens did not seek reelection. The former lawman retired to Seligman, Arizona
, where he bought property and opened a general store and a saloon
. While the other buildings have long-since been torn down, Owen's house still stands today. In 1902 Owens married a woman named Elizabeth Jane Barrett. The couple had no children. The census of 1910 shows Owens and his wife were residing in San Diego, California
. Owens eventually returned to Seligman and on February 14, 1912 saw the Arizona territory he had helped to settle become the 48th state in the Union.
In the end the stalwart lawman turned entrepreneur succumbed to Bright's disease
(or possible paresis of the brain) and died on May 28, 1919, aged 67. He left his wife an estate totaling over $10,000. Commodore Perry Owens buried in the Citizen's Cemetery in Flagstaff, Arizona
. Elizabeth Jane Owens survived her husband by 21 years, dying in San Diego on April 30, 1945. For Photograph see
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-born lawman and gunfighter of the Old West. One of his many exploits was the Owens-Blevins Shootout in Arizona Territory
Arizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863 until February 14, 1912, when it was admitted to the Union as the 48th state....
during the Pleasant Valley War
Pleasant Valley War
The Pleasant Valley War, sometimes called the Tonto Basin Feud, or Tonto Basin War, was commonly thought to be an Arizona range war between two feuding families, the cattle-herding Grahams and the sheep-herding Tewksburys...
.
Early life
In spite of the assertions of his numerous biographers, the famed Arizona lawman Commodore Perry Owens was not born on the anniversary of the American naval commander, Oliver Hazard PerryOliver Hazard Perry
United States Navy Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry was born in South Kingstown, Rhode Island , the son of USN Captain Christopher Raymond Perry and Sarah Wallace Alexander, a direct descendant of William Wallace...
's victory over British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
naval forces in the 1813 Battle of Lake Erie
Battle of Lake Erie
The Battle of Lake Erie, sometimes called the Battle of Put-in-Bay, was fought on 10 September 1813, in Lake Erie off the coast of Ohio during the War of 1812. Nine vessels of the United States Navy defeated and captured six vessels of Great Britain's Royal Navy...
. Owens was born July 29, 1852, not on September 10. His father was named Oliver H. Perry Owens in Commodore Perry's honor. Commodore was named by his mother. He was born in Hawkins County, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and raised on a farm in Liberty Township, Hendricks County, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, but ran away from home at age thirteen to work on the ranches of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
and New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
as a cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
. Owens is known to have been working on Hillard Roger's ranch outside Bartlesville, Oklahoma on his twenty-first birthday. In an interview given later in life, Owens admitted running with a "gang of tough characters" in his youth and was possibly involved in rustling, whiskey running and other depredations in the Indian Territory.
By 1881, Owens was working as a ranch foreman for James D. Houck and A. E. Hennings in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. There are a myriad of myths surrounding Owens' dealings with the Navajo during this period. In one incident, when attacked by Navajo
Navajo people
The Navajo of the Southwestern United States are the largest single federally recognized tribe of the United States of America. The Navajo Nation has 300,048 enrolled tribal members. The Navajo Nation constitutes an independent governmental body which manages the Navajo Indian reservation in the...
locals who were attempting to steal horses he was guarding, he allegedly killed at least two warriors, and earned the nickname "Iron man" for his stance. In truth, in September 1883, Owens was arrested by Indian Agent Denis Matthew Riordan, for the murder of a young Navajo boy near James Houck's ranch in Navajo Springs, whom he shot while the youth was trying to rustle horses. Owens was subsequently acquitted of the murder by the Apache County authorities. Owens had red hair and had adopted the habiliment of a typical cowboy as evidenced by the famous photo which was taken in New Mexico during this period. He wore his hair long in his youth, often curling it up underneath his hat, was popular with the ladies, and often made fun of due to his unusual name. Around this time, he homesteaded outside Navajo Springs, Arizona
Navajo Springs, Arizona
Navajo Springs is a community located on the Navajo Nation, near Holbrook, Arizona. The community is almost exclusively Native American, and a permit is required from the Navajo Nation for off-road travel in that area. During the time of the Old West, this area was frequented by notable western...
, building a small dugout/cabin, well, and stables for his livestock near the stage station there. Owens is said to have his place the "Z-Bar Ranch", but this brand was not officially registered with the Apache County Recorder's Office.
Lawman, gunfighter
Nominated by the People's Party and enjoying the support of the Apache County Stockgrowers Association, in November 1886, Owens was elected SheriffSheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of Apache County, Arizona
Apache County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*23.3% White*0.2% Black*72.9% Native American*0.3% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.0% Two or more races*1.3% Other races*5.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
. Apache County was split into two counties in 1895, with the western part becoming Navajo County
Navajo County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*49.3% White*0.9% Black*43.4% Native American*0.5% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.5% Two or more races*3.3% Other races*10.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
. However, at the time when Owens was Sheriff, he was responsible for 21177 square miles (54,848.2 km²) of territory. Though he had been elected by a margin of only 91 votes over Democratic candidate Tomas Perez, Owens was well liked within his jurisdiction, and often described as having a calm demeanor. Upon taking office in January 1887, Owens was entrusted with 14 bench warrants that had been left unserved by his predecessor, Jon "Don" Lorenzo Hubbell. Included among these were warrants for the Mormon gunman Lot smith, former Tombstone badman Ike Clanton, and rustler Andrew Arnold Cooper alias Andy Blevins. His first year was relatively normal, with nothing of consequence short of a few arrests of drunken cowboys and cattle rustlers
Cattle raiding
Cattle raiding is the act of stealing cattle.In Australia, such stealing is often referred to as duffing, and the person as a duffer...
, mostly around Holbrook, Arizona
Holbrook, Arizona
-Historical events:*During 1881 & 1882, railroad tracks were laid down and a railroad station was built. The community was then named Holbrook after the first engineer of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad...
, with only three reported shooting incidents in which he shot at least two men. Only one of the men is believed to have died. Owens would claim in interviews to have killed 14 men during his career, but this claim cannot be substantiated.
In September 1887 Owens attempted to serve the warrant he held for Andy Cooper. A native of Texas, Cooper had come to Arizona in 1885 with his brother Charlie Blevins, in order to escape arrest for crimes he had purportedly committed in Texas. The Blevins brothers were eventually joined by the remainder of the Blevins clan. Cooper was known to have killed three Navajos and was suspected of rustling a herd of horses from the Navajo reservation. Cooper's half-brothers from the Blevins family, including John Black and William "Hamp" Hampton were also suspected cattle rustlers. During this period, a range war
Range war
A range war is a type of conflict that occurs in agrarian or stockrearing societies. Typically fought over water rights or grazing rights to unfenced/unowned land, it could pit competing farmers or ranchers against each other...
had erupted in neighboring Yavapai County between the Graham and Tewksbury families, which would become known as the Pleasant Valley War
Pleasant Valley War
The Pleasant Valley War, sometimes called the Tonto Basin Feud, or Tonto Basin War, was commonly thought to be an Arizona range war between two feuding families, the cattle-herding Grahams and the sheep-herding Tewksburys...
. Cooper and the other Blevins brothers allied themselves with the Graham family, who were known as cattlemen in the area in opposition to the Tewksbury family, who had herds of sheep, but who originally were also cattle ranchers. Though the feud occasionally spilled over into his county, Owens seems to have remained neutral.
On Sunday, September 4, 1887, Sheriff Owens, traveled to the Blevins' cottage in Holbrook, A.T. to serve the outstanding warrant on the outlaw and rustler Andy Cooper. There were twelve people present in the house that afternoon when Owens stepped onto the porch, including Cooper (the eldest Blevins brother), John Blevins, Samuel Houston Blevins, house guest Mose Roberts, the brothers' mother, Mrs. Blevins, John Blevins' wife, Eva, and their infant son, a family friend, Miss Amanda Gladden, and several children. Cradling a Winchester in his arm, Sheriff Owens knocked upon the door and, when Andy Cooper answered with a pistol in hand, the lawman told him to come out of the house, stating that he had a warrant for arrest. Cooper refused to comply and tried to close the door. Owens dropped the rifle to his hip and shot Cooper through the door, hitting him in the stomach. His half-brother, John Blevins, then pushed a pistol out the door to Owens' right and fired a shot at the Sheriff. He missed and killed Cooper's saddle horse which was tied to a tree in the street. Owens turned towards his assailant and fired, wounding John Blevins in the arm, and putting him out of the fight. Owens then backed out into the street so he could see all sides of the house. Seeing Cooper moving inside, Owens fired a third time through the front wall of the cottage striking Cooper in the right hip. A man named Mose Roberts, who was boarding with the family, jumped out of a side window. Roberts saw the Sheriff and immediately turned to run. Owens shot him, the bullet passing through his back and out of his chest. Roberts stumbled around the back of the house and fell in the back door. It has been alleged, by Arizona Sketchbook author Frank Brophy and others that Roberts was unarmed, and that he only jumped from the window to avoid Owens' third shot which passed through the front wall. However, the coroner's jury report indicated that a blood covered pistol was found near the backdoor of the cottage where Roberts had re-entered the home after being shot. After shooting Roberts, Owens chambered another round into his Winchester. At that moment, fifteen-year-old Samuel Houston Blevins ran out the front door, gripping his brother Andy's Colt's revolver, which he had taken from the mortally wounded outlaw. His mother attempted to hold him back, unsuccessfully. As the boy came towards him, Owens fired once more, killing the boy almost instantly. Shot through the chest, the youth staggered backward, dying in his mother's embrace. The whole incident took less than one minute and the shootout made Owens a legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
.
Locally, Owens was praised for ridding the county of one of its most notorious outlaws, Andy Cooper. Three separate coroner's juries found Owens' actions justifiable. While the Gunfight at Holbrook was lauded in most circles, Owens' lack of formal education became a liability and, as Apache County became more civilized, the constituency began to wonder if Owens had the skills to be as good an administrator as he was a fighter. Additionally, Owens had problems retaining his bonds and his sureties. Owens would have "twenty-three different citizens underwriting his honesty and effectiveness in office." There were also the outlaws Robert W. "Red" McNeil and "Kid" Swingle, who on separate occasions managed to escape Owens' custody, and his treatment of John Blevins, whom Owens held in custody even after Blevins had received a gubernatorial pardon for his attempt to shoot the sheriff during the infamous gunfight. Commodore Perry Owens finished out his term as Apache County Sheriff. However, he was defeated in the elections of November 1888 by his former deputy. St. George Creaghe. On January 1, Sheriff Owens left the Apache County Sheriff's Office.
Later life
In the fall of 1892 Owens again sought nomination for the office of Apache County Sheriff, this time on the Democratic ticket, but lost out to Joseph Woods, who was defeated in the election by Republican W. R. Campbell. Owens went to work for Campbell as his Chief Deputy. In 1894, Owens ran again for the position of Apache County Sheriff, this time securing the nomination of his party, but was defeated by the Republican Candidate by a margin of 50 votes. There have been assertions that Owens also worked as a guard for Wells Fargo and as a special officer for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad, though no documentation has been found to verify these claims. In August 1893, Owens was appointed to the position of Deputy U.S. Marshall under William Kidder MeadeWham Paymaster Robbery
The Wham Paymaster Robbery of 1889 is the popular name for the theft of $28,000 dollars from the United States Army in Arizona Territory. On May 11, a gang of bandits attacked a small troop of Buffalo Soldiers under the command of Major Joseph W. Wham. During the ensuing shootout, the outlaws...
and was appointed by Governor Louis Cameron Hughes as the first Sheriff of the newly-created Navajo County in 1895, serving two years in this capacity. Owens appointed as his Under Sheriff his nephew by his sister Mary Francis, Robert Hufford. Owens' later law enforcement career lacked the drama and excitement of his days as Apache County Sheriff, but he was still considered a formidable opponent to the lawless element that remained in the territory.
After his term as Sheriff of Navajo County expired, Owens did not seek reelection. The former lawman retired to Seligman, Arizona
Seligman, Arizona
Seligman is a census-designated place in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. The population was 456 at the 2000 census.-History:Between 1889-1891, Seligman was established by the Theut and Moultrie families. Both were prosperous slaughterhouse owners in Southern antebellum families who lost...
, where he bought property and opened a general store and a saloon
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
. While the other buildings have long-since been torn down, Owen's house still stands today. In 1902 Owens married a woman named Elizabeth Jane Barrett. The couple had no children. The census of 1910 shows Owens and his wife were residing in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. Owens eventually returned to Seligman and on February 14, 1912 saw the Arizona territory he had helped to settle become the 48th state in the Union.
In the end the stalwart lawman turned entrepreneur succumbed to Bright's disease
Bright's disease
Bright's disease is a historical classification of kidney diseases that would be described in modern medicine as acute or chronic nephritis. The term is no longer used, as diseases are now classified according to their more fully understood causes....
(or possible paresis of the brain) and died on May 28, 1919, aged 67. He left his wife an estate totaling over $10,000. Commodore Perry Owens buried in the Citizen's Cemetery in Flagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff is a city located in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. In 2010, the city's population was 65,870. The population of the Metropolitan Statistical Area was at 134,421 in 2010. It is the county seat of Coconino County...
. Elizabeth Jane Owens survived her husband by 21 years, dying in San Diego on April 30, 1945. For Photograph see
Further reading
- Earle Forrest's Arizona's Dark and Bloody Ground
- Will C. Barnes's Apaches and Longhorns
- Robert Carlock's The Hashknife: The Early Days of The Aztec Land and Cattle Company
- A Little War of Our Own by Don Dedra
- Gunfight in Apache County by Will C. Barnes (ed. Neil Carmony)
- Commodore Perry Owens: The Man Behind the Legend by Larry D. Ball (published in The Journal of Arizona History Spring 1992)
- Commodore Perry Owens : The Life of an Arizona Lawman (an excerpt) by David Grasse (2006 Arizona Historical Convention Paper)