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WHO WAS - William Cowen
in Plum Township
Venango County, Pennsylvania
By H. W. Strawbridge July 5, 1957

A family that was once prominently known in Plum Township was the Cowen family. However, the name disappeared from the township years ago.

Delving back into the annals of time, record discloses that the early history of the Cowen family is very interesting.

In 1755 a Scotchman named Henry Cowan from a plain and humble family married a very wealthy English girl whose last name was Cowen. It is not positively known what her first name was, but it is thought to have been Elizabeth. His last name was spelled with an "A" and her maiden name with an "E."

Her parents were opposed to the marriage so the young couple left the British Isles and went to Germany where their four children, Henry, Jacob, William and Matilda, were born.

When young Henry was 12 years old, the family set sail for America. While on the voyage over, the parents took sick and died and were buried at sea. The four orphan children landed on the coast of Virginia where they were taken in and reared.

Henry enlisted in the army and served during the Revolutionary War. His close army friend, Thomas Robinson, was killed in the war, and Henry delivered the death message to Robinson's widow, Mrs. Temperance Armistead Robinson, and her little son.

Receives 1,000 Acres

After the war Henry married Mrs. Robinson and adopted the boy. Then Henry received 1,000 acres in the Shenandoah Valley for his war services, and there he built a huge brick house which he called "Belmont Hall." It still stands, and has been owned by a Lincoln family in late years. It is on the road from New Market to Lacey Springs.

Henry and Temperance had four sons and four daughters, one of whom was William, the subject of this sketch.

Of course it has always been proper when a couple marries, to use the husband's last name. The members of the Cowen family, or at least the branch in Venango County, spelled their name with the "E" because of the possibility of receiving an inheritance from the wealthy English family. There is no record of an inheritance ever being received by the American clan.

The early history is in family records possessed by Mrs. Kittie Carpenter Fox of Venus. Mrs. Fox is a great - great granddaughter of Henry Cowen, the Revolutionary veteran. She was born in Wallaceville in 1884.

William Cowen, our subject, was born on Aug. 14, 1794, in the Shenandoah Valley where he was reared. About 1819 he married Miss Catherine Pickering, also of Virginia.
They ventured to Ohio and lived there approximately five years. Two of William's brothers, Jacob and Henry, had also settled in Ohio.

William and Catherine had two children: Ruhama, wife of P. G. Welsh; and James Cowen. When these two children were very small, their mother died. Her grave is in the Shenandoah Valley. Whether she died in Ohio and her body was taken to Virginia for burial, or whether she died in Virginia while there on a trip, is a matter of speculation.

Settles In Plum Township

In 1825 William married Miss Catherine McIntosh of Ohio. Around 1826 they moved to Pennsylvania, settling in Plum Township, Venango County, on a wooded tract of 200 acres in the southern end of the township. He bought this land from the heirs of William Ridenauer of Westmoreland County for $350. In 1833 he bought an additional 100 acres for $140 from William Powell, also of Westmoreland County. Thus he had a large 300 - acre farm which remained intact until his death.

When he settled in Plum Township, he had no means to purchase scarcely an acre of ground. But being a man of robust constitution and full of energy and pluck, he was able to pay for his farm in a few years. He developed this into a very attractive farm. he was a wise manager. At the time of his death, his good, chattles, rights and credits (not including his real estate) added up to more than $17,600, indeed a substantial and proud sum in that day.

He and his second wife had three children: Mrs. Mary Jane Richey, William H. Cowen and A. J. Cowen.

His buildings were at a point located one and a half miles south of Wallaceville, and one and a half miles southeast of Sunville. The main part of his farm is now owned by John Davis. The site of the Cowen homestead was where now stands the large 'upper barn' of Mr. Davis. No house is there anymore.

Builds Elaborate Home

After a few years of progress Mr. Cowen built an elaborate home, copied from the colonial homes in Virginia. It had four large columns in front and a front porch on each of the first and second floors. The front yard was built up level and banked with a row of cut stone about 10 or 11 yards in front of the house. The farm had quite a slope to it.

There was a huge barn with three cupolas on top. Mr. Cowen raised many horses and acquired much of his money this way. A large woodcut of this homestead appears in the Venango County history volume of 1879.

Unfortunately both the house and barn burned down in later years. The present barn on the place is very similar to the original barn. Their son, A. J. Cowen built the present barn during the 1880s.

William Cowen, or "Billy" as many people knew him, was a stern Democrat in politics, and held several offices. He served as township tax collector in the years of 1830, 1846 and 1847. He served as an assessor in 1831, and assistant assessor in 1850.

When the state inaugurated the public school system in 1834, each district or township was placed in charge of a board of six directors. Billy Cowen was one in Plum. He represented Plum at the first convention of delegates under this act in the Franklin court House on Nov. 4, 1834. They determined to levy a tax of six mills for school purposes.

Mr. Cowen was not a seeker of official position, however. He was twice elected Justice of the Peace, but refused to serve.

Was Elected Commissioner

He was elected to the office of Venango County commissioner, and held this position from November 1853, until November, 1856. He was the only Plum Township individual, before or since, that ever was county commissioner. In this office he rendered satisfaction and made many friends.

The Venango County Agricultural Society was organized in 1851 in the Franklin Court House. Billy Cowen, representing Plum, was chosen as one of the vice presidents. The agricultural organization held exhibitions each year for several years.

Few be there indeed who remember Billy Cowen. J. W. Beers of Gaithersburg, Md., a great-grandson, can just recall seeing the old gentleman sitting in the corner of the dining room of the home of his daughter, Mrs. Mary Jane Richey. He called Mr. Beers and the late Clyde Richey, "his chappies." Clyde was a grandson, but only two years older than his (Clyde's) nephew, Mr. Beers.

The rare daguerreotype of Billy Cowen shown in this biography belongs to Mrs. Nellie Weber of Titusville, a great-granddaughter.

Mr. Cowen's wife, Catherine, died on Nov. 13, 1873. A beautiful dark red peony plant still blooms every year at the head of her grave in the Wallaceville Cemetery.

Mr. Cowen at last became weak and sickly. It seems that the only nourishment the family could get him to take was soaked slices of bread. He died on March 11, 1875, during the time that a musical institute was being held in Wallaceville from March 8 to 19.

According to an old newspaper item, Mr. Cowen's funeral on Saturday, the 13th, was the largest assemblage ever seen in the neighborhood.

Transcribed by Penny Kulbacki Minnick
minnick862@verizon.net

Disclaimer:there may be errors due to transcription ofinformation from both early and late (current contributors) work.