Born in Floyd County Texas April 1, 1950, and raised in
Floydada, Owens
spent years exploring Blanco Canyon southeast of
Floydada. In 1993 he made a discovery in a
ravine that would change history. Archeologists
today believe Owens discovered the site of a
terrible hailstorm that pummeled Coronado
and his army of 2,000 including 200 high-status
Spaniards, allied Indians , slaves, ferriers,
carpenters and other civilians in 1541.
One of the chroniclers of the expedition wrote
of that night, "While the army was resting in
this ravine...a tempest came up one afternoon
with high wind and hail, and in a short time,
hailstones as big as bowls, or bigger, fell as
thick as raindrops.... The negroes protected the
horses by holding large sea nets over them, with
helmets and shields.... The hail broke many
tents, battered many helmets, wounded many
horses, and broke all the crockery of the
army...which was no small loss because they do
not have any crockery in this region".
"It's like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates down
there. You never know what you're going to
get," Owens told a reporter from the Christian
Science Monitor.
The artifacts Owens found would have been valued
in the six figures by collectors on the open
market. But he chose to share his discovery with
archeologists which led to the recognition
of the site. As a result, it was named for him.
Just five years after Jimmy made his
discovery, he died March 13, 1998 at age 47. Grateful archeologists named the site
after him. He is buried in the Floyd County
Memorial Park
| Comments from People Who Knew
Jimmy |
| Jimmy had keys to every gate in
Floyd county he was very good about
sharing with land owners what he found.
He was honest and trust worthy. He once
found and infant Indian baby grave in a
cave. The baby was buried with bow and
arrows and saddles one saddle had a 150
silver conchos on it. He was a comedian
he told me once about buying a snake
charmer .410 to shoot rattlers with.
Said he cut a notch in it every time he
killed one said he had to stop he had
just about whittled the stock off. We
wound up brother in laws but he was the
first kid I met when we moved to
Floydada from Amarillo. I always liked
Jimmy.
Paul D Stout on Facebook |
| Not only did I know him well but
much of what he found was on my family’s
ranch. He tirelessly searched all
throughout the county and his
discoveries did indeed rewrite history.
Austin Williams on Facebook |
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