2092 Lee, Salem, OR (boarder) 

156 N 13th St, Salem, OR (boarder at sister Bessie’s res) 

625 East 11th St, Long Beach, CA (shared home with Bessie) 

Elizabeth “Lizzie” Owen was born in England on 25 Jan 1864. Her parents were Matthew Owen (1831-1867) and Sarah (Cooper) Owen (1833-1877). Her father died when she was three, her mother died when she was thirteen. The parents left five daughters and a son. 

In their early twenties Lizzie and her sister Bessie left their home in High Compton, England. They boarded the vessel named “Catalina” in Liverpool England and arrived in Boston, MA on or around 7 Nov 1887. They left their 3 sisters and a brother behind. 

The sisters lived in Massachusetts and worked in a woolen mill there. In 1895 Lizzie’s sister Bessie met and married a man named George Baillie in Leicester, Massachusetts. The marriage record lists George as a wool sorter and Bessie as a weaver.  

Records show George T. Baillie arriving in Salem, OR in 1896, another shows him arriving in 1898. Lizzie and her sister Bessie also moved west to Salem, Oregon. They all worked at the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill. Lizzie and Bessie were weavers and George was a wool sorter.  

On 22 July 1901, Bessie’s husband George died from stomach cancer. He was 39 years old. Bessie and Lizzie were there for each other. And in 1902 they purchased property in the Capital Park addition of Salem. They continued to work as weavers at the TK woolen mill. 

By 1905 a man named Arthur Webster Lord came to Salem and worked at the Thomas Kay woolen mill. Arthur worked as a wool sorter but was also very involved with the opening of the Eugene Woolen Mill alongside Thomas Kay. 

On 11 Sep 1907 Lizzie and Arthur were married at Trinity church in Salem, OR. Lizzie was 43 years old; this was to be her only marriage but it appears to be Arthur’s 2nd. Arthur became a partner in the woolen mill in Eugene when it was incorporated.  

Lizzie and Arthur’s marriage was short lived and divorce petitions were filed in October of 1910. First Arthur filed, then Lizzie filed a cross petition asking for a divorce and her maiden name restored. Lizzie alleged cruel and inhuman treatment. She also said Arthur had deserted her on 13 Apr 1909. No children came from this marriage and Lizzie was granted her divorce in November of 1911. 

In 1917 the women employees of the Thomas Kay Woolen Mills sent a delegation to appear before Governor Withycombe to protest against the efforts of the Welfare Commission. Lizzie and her sister Bessie were most assuredly at this rally. They were independent women. 

Lizzie continued to live and work alongside her sister Bessie as weavers at the woolen mill. Records show them through 1917, but they were probably working until 1920 when Bessie sold the house at 156 N. 13th street. After a big auction sale in June 1920 the sisters moved to Long Beach, California.  

The sisters were active members of the St Luke’s Episcopal Church. A 1930 census record lists Lizzie and Bessie working as servants in a private home. Lizzie’s sister Bessie passed away in 1935.  

Lizzie remained in their home in Long Beach until her death. Lizzie died in a sanitarium in Los Alamitos, CA on 7 Jan 1947. Entombment was at the Sunnyside mausoleum in Long Beach, CA where her sister Bessie is also laid to rest. 

1907 – Lord Mrs Lizzie, weaver TKWM Co, res S 19th cor Lee 

1908 – Owens Lizzie, weaver TKWM Co, bds 19th s w cor Lee 

1908 – Owens Lizzie weaver TKWM Co, bds 2092 Lee 

1909 – Owens Lizzie, weaver TKWM Co, bds Lee s w cor 19th 

1909 – Owens Lizzie, weaver TKWM Co, bds 2092 Lee 

1910 – Lord Mrs Lizzie, weaver TKWM Co, res S 19th cor Lee 

1913 – Lord Mrs Lizzie, weaver, bds 156 N 13th 

1913 – Owen Lizzie, weaver TKWM Co 

1915 – Owen Lizzie, weaver TKWM Co 

1917 – Owens Lizzie, rms 156 N 13th Long Beach, CA 

1923 – Owen Elizabeth, r 625 E 11th Long Beach, CA 

1910 – Lizzie Lord – Age in 1910: 42, Birth Date: 1868, Birthplace: England, Home in 1910: Lee St, Salem, Marion, Oregon, Race: White, Gender: Female, Immigration Year: 1889, Relation to Head of House: Sister, Marital Status: Married, Father’s Birthplace: England, Mother’s Birthplace: England, Native Tongue: English, Occupation: Weaver, Industry: Woolen Mill, Employer, Employee or Other: Wage Earner, Able to read: Y, Able to Write: Y, Enumeration District Number: 0224, Years Married: 3, Number of Children Born: 0, Number of Children Living: 0, Out of Work: N, Number of Weeks Out of Work:0, Enumerated Year: 1910. Household members: Bessie Bailey (44), Lizzie Lord (42), Susan Carpenter (49). 

1920 – Lizzie Owen – Age: 53, Birth Year: abt 1867, Birthplace: England, Home in 1920: East 11th St, Long Beach, Los Angeles, California, Race: White, Gender: Female, Immigration Year: 1893, Relation to Head of House: Sister, Marital Status: Divorced, Father’s Birthplace: England, Mother’s Birthplace: England, Native Tongue: English, Able to Speak English: Yes, Occupation: Servant, Industry: Private Family, Employment Field: Wage or Salary, Naturalization Status: Naturalized, Able to read: Yes, Able to Write: Yes. Household members: Bessie Baillie (55), Lizzie Owen (53). 

1930 – Lizzie Owen – Birth Year: abt 1866, Gender: Female, Race: White, Age in 1930: 64, Birthplace: England, Marital Status: Divorced, Relation to Head of House: Sister, Home in 1930: 625 East 11th, Long Beach, Los Angeles, California, Attended School: No, Able to Read and Write: Yes, Father’s Birthplace: England, Mother’s Birthplace: England, Language Spoken: English, Immigration Year: 1887, Naturalization: Naturalized, Able to Speak English: Yes, Occupation: Servant, Industry: Private home, Class of Worker: Wage or salary worker, Employment: Yes. Household members: Bessie Baillie (66), Lizzie Owen (64). 

1940 – Lizzie Owen – Respondent: Yes, Age: 75, Estimated Birth Year: abt 1865, Gender: Female, Race: White, Birthplace: England, Marital Status: Divorced, Relation to Head of House: Head, Home in 1940: 625 11th Street, Long Beach, Los Angeles, California, Farm: No, Inferred Residence in 1935: Long Beach, Los Angeles, California, Residence in 1935: Long Beach, Resident on farm in 1935: No, Citizenship: Naturalized, House Owned or Rented: Owned, Value of Home: 10000, Attended School or College: No, Highest Grade Completed: Elementary school, 6th grade, Weeks Worked in 1939: 0, Income: 0, Income Other Sources: Yes. Household members: Lizzie Owen (75). 

Oregon Statesman 10 Sep 1907, p. 4 – Marriage License 

The Capital Journal 10 Sep 1907, p. 1 – Four Happy People 

Morning Register (Eugene, OR) 9 Oct 1910, p. 5 – Divorce 

The Twice-A-Week Guard (Eugene, OR) 10 Oct 1910, p. 1 

Morning Register (Eugene, OR) 5 Nov 1911, p. 5 – Divorce 

The Capital Journal 6 Mar 1916, p. 7 – Women at Woolen Mill Object to Efforts of Welfare Commission 

Press-Telegram (Long Beach, CA) 13 Apr 1023, p. 21 – Deed 

Independent (Long Beach, CA) 2 Feb 1944, p. 5 – Robbery 

Independent(Long Beach, CA) 9 Jan 1947, p. 27 – Obituary 

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