Owen

History

In 1880 the Wisconsin Central Railroad built its line through what would become Owen, on its way from Abbotsford to Chippewa Falls. In 1904 the Village of Owen incorporated, with 315 people. In 1906 the Owen Company started the Owen Box and Crating factory, the Woodland Hotel, and began providing electrical service within the village of Owen. In 1907 the Owens organized the State Bank of Owen, headed by J.G. Owen. By 1914, Owen's population was 1,000. The Owens organized the State Bank of Withee, headed by A.R. Owen. The Owens also had a hand in a bottling works, a theater, a telephone company, and three hotels. They donated land for a city park and churches. In 1915 the company opened a retail lumber store. By 1918 the Owen Company was running 25 miles of railroad in Clark and Taylor Counties, hauling logs from their timber holdings in to their sawmill. At one point they thought their supply might last for five or six years, but it ended up lasting 40. The last log was sawed in 1932.

Geography

Owen is located at (44.948330, -90.564740). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Most-observed species

• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  504
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  492
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  482
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  442
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  354
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  307
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  303
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  229