George Washington Owen

George Washington Owen (October 20, 1796 – August 18, 1837) was an American attorney and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for Alabama’s 3rd congressional district and as the 10th mayor of Mobile, Alabama. He was born in Brunswick County, Virginia, on October 20, 1796. During his childhood he moved with his family to Tennessee, where he was raised and received his early education in the developing frontier region of the American South.

Owen pursued higher education at the University of Nashville, an important early institution of learning in Tennessee, where he studied law. After completing his legal studies, he was admitted to the bar in 1816. Soon thereafter he moved to Alabama, which was then a newly settled territory on the path to statehood, and established a law practice. His legal career in Alabama provided the foundation for his entry into public life and state politics.

In Alabama, Owen became active in the state’s political affairs and served in the Alabama House of Representatives, participating in the legislative work of the young state. Aligning himself with the emerging Jacksonian movement, he was associated with the Jackson Party, which supported the policies and political philosophy of Andrew Jackson. Owen first sought election to the United States Congress in 1821 but was unsuccessful in that attempt, reflecting the competitive and fluid nature of early Alabama politics.

Owen’s national political career began in 1823, when he successfully ran for Congress and became the first representative of Alabama’s newly created 3rd congressional district. As a member of the Jackson Party representing Alabama, he contributed to the legislative process during three terms in office. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1823 until 1829, a significant period in American history marked by the rise of Jacksonian democracy and debates over federal power, economic policy, and westward expansion. During these years he participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of his constituents in a rapidly growing state. His tenure concluded in 1829, when he was succeeded by Dixon Hall Lewis, who later became a member of the United States Senate.

In his personal life, Owen married Louise Sarah Hollinger in 1823. She was the daughter of Adam Hollinger, for whom Hollinger’s Island near Mobile is named, and was the great-granddaughter of Charles Rochon, one of the co-founders of Mobile. This marriage connected Owen to a prominent local family deeply rooted in the early history and development of Mobile and the surrounding region.

After his service in Congress, Owen continued his involvement in public affairs and the legal profession in Alabama. His standing in the community and his experience in both state and national government led to his election as mayor of Mobile in 1836. As the 10th mayor of Mobile, he held office during a period when the city was emerging as a key Gulf Coast port and commercial center. He served as mayor from 1836 until his death the following year, remaining in office while overseeing municipal matters in a growing urban community.

George Washington Owen died in office on August 18, 1837, in Mobile, Alabama. His career spanned the formative years of Alabama’s statehood and the early Jacksonian era in national politics, encompassing service in the state legislature, three terms in the United States House of Representatives, and the mayoralty of one of the South’s principal port cities.