Will County ILGenWeb Biographies..... 
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File contributed for use by:
Dori Leekly & Margie Glenn

Author: History of Will County, Illinois; Chicago: Wm LeBaron Jr & Co, 186 Dearborn Street, 1878.

James L. OWEN, farmer and breeder of Norman or Percheron horses from imported stock; P. O. 
Mokena; one of our first settlers and pioneers; was born in Clarke Co., Ky., Sept 19, 1824; 
came to this State with his father's family and settled in Frankfort Twp., Will Co., in 1834, 
although the township at that time was not organized and did not have a name; he is the son 
of the late Francis OWEN, who purchased the first land pre-empted from the Government that 
is now in the township of Frankfort; his pursuits have been those of a farmer and stock raiser 
from boyhood; he has been a breeder of the Norman or Percheron horse since 1865, and a breeder 
of and dealer in the the English draft horse since 1853; he is now one of our largest 
live-stock dealers in the county; his farm consists of 400 acres, valued at $25,000. He was 
married Dec. 23, 1853, to Miss Catherine MADDEN, who was born in the city of Dublin, Ireland, 
Dec. 25, 1822; Mrs. OWEN, during her recent travels through Europe (A. D. 1874) visited 
Glassneven Churchyard, Ireland, wherefrom she plucked tufts of grass from the graves of 
Daniel O'CONNELL and William P. ALLEN and also from the graves of Michael LARKIN and Michael 
O'BRIEN, who were hanged by order of the British Government A. D. 1867, and whose last words 
were, "God save Ireland;" the monuments had been newly decorated; she had also the honor to 
visit St. Michael's Churchyard wherein is the grave of Robert EMMETT, who was the leader of 
the Irish insurrection of 1803; the place of burial, over which she waved the American flag, 
is marked according to his request, with but a single slab which bears no epitaph. Most tombs 
are engraved with the names of the dead, But yon dark slab declares not whose spirit has fled.