Robert Owens

Robert Owens. El Prieto Canyon. , Who was Robert Owens of El Prieto Canyon? , In Spanish, "Prieto" means dark. El Prieto Canyon references a person, not the dark shade of its many mature oak trees. The "El Prieto" of this beautiful canyon was a man named Robert Owens. , Born into slavery in 1806, Robert Owens worked on a Texas cotton farm. With his exceptional skills, Owens swayed his enslaver to hire him out locally with all income split between them. This arrangement allowed Owens to buy his freedom at age 47. , In 1853, Robert Owens left for California as a free man. Above Pasadena, Owens found the foothills of the San Gabriel mountain range. He settled into this shaded canyon and built a cabin not far off the beaten path of today's El Prieto Trail. , Owens secured a U.S. Military contract in 1862 to supply timber for fuel. He created an extremely steep road, known as Uncle Bob's Trail, to haul the wood over to Millard Canyon. With his increasing wealth, Owens purchased land near the city center between Los Angeles St. and San Pedro St. He expanded his business ventures to include boarding, care, and rental of horses. Owens continued to develop property within the city. Soon, Robert Owens became one of the wealthiest men in Los Angeles County during the late 1860s. Owens was also instrumental in Biddy Mason's successful rise to prominence within the Los Angeles community.