Cowen Family

John Cowen
1720-1775

John COWEN b. abt. 1720 d. 1775.  John was a true pioneer.  Few people had pushed as far west as the Catawba River by 1753.  John was there and he was the first to be there.  He was there 22 years before the Revolutionary War.  In the expansive area between the Yadkin River and the Catawba River, there were only about 40 families in 1750 and by 1755, there were only 95 families.  Most of these settlers were closer to the Yadkin than to the Catawba River. 

When John arrived at the Catawba River, only Indians had laid eyes on this fantastic land.  The land was a pioneer's dream.  It was pristine, untouched, unsettled and unspoiled.  As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but desirable land, no people, just unlimited, wild, primitive, uninhabited land.  There was one major problem...Indians.  In 1753, Indians were roaming around at will creating terror among the first settlers.  Many of the settlers retreated eastwardly for a safer place to live.  To be here in the first place, a settler had to be brave, bold, adventuresome and fearless.  John had these qualities and he refused to leave this land out of fear.  He stayed while others left.  John was truly an early pioneer.

This photo is John Cowen's original  land received in 1754 land grant.  The Catawba River, The Big Island, and John's land on far side of the river.  The dam is the COWAN'S FORD DAM.

John had been granted 270 acres of land on May 17, 1754, in Anson County, NC, on the north side of the Catawba River.  His will was recorded in the April 1776 session of the Mecklenburg County Court in Will Book A, on page 179.  The will was dated April 12, 1775, and says the following:  ...Will of John Cowan of Mecklenburg County, being at present tho weak of body...to my youngest son William all my present dwelling plantation, to my wife Margaret the bay horse called Rock and that she have her maintenance out of the plantation her lifetime except she should marry, to my daughter Hannah the Roan mare which is commonly called hers and her spinning wheel, to my son Joseph that black cow, to my oldest son John the young stallion colt which came from Hannah's mare.  Robert Gault to be Executors...Witnessed by Joseph Galit (Gault) and Patrick Crawford.  Many attempts to find out the maiden name of John's wife Margaret have failed.  

John and Margaret's children were: John Jr., Joseph, Hannah, William, and Mary. William, the youngest son of John and Margaret became the owner of the Cowen property at COWAN'S FORD as designated by the Will of John COWEN.  Our first COWEN/COWAN family suffered misfortune.  First, John Cowen died in midlife.  Then his oldest son John Jr. died while still a young man.  Then his youngest son William died when he was only around 30 years old.  Because of all these deaths, the family was denied the opportunity to fully develop the enormous potential of the COWAN'S FORD Farm.  Only Joseph was left, and the COWEN legacy rested on his shoulders.  Joseph would produce!