Cowan is a city in Franklin County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2020 census, Cowan had a population of 1,759. It is part of the Tullahoma, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The earliest settlers arrived in the Cowan area in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The home of one such settler, William Russell, served as the Franklin County Courthouse until the establishment of Winchester in 1810.

thumb|left|Cowan Railroad Museum

The town of Cowan dates from the mid-19th century and developed mostly as a railroad town. It was the site where several branch lines met the main Nashville to Chattanooga trunk of the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway which ran through the important Cowan Tunnel. As the last stop before the uphill climb onto the nearby Cumberland Plateau, pusher engines to assist trains in making the steep ascent were based there, and are still in use today. was restored as a museum, and is a focal point of the downtown area.

Geography

Cowan is located at (35.166668, -86.011839). The city is situated at the western base of the Cumberland Plateau, and is concentrated around the point where U.S. Route 41A crosses the CSX railroad tracks. The edge of the Plateau juts out in a series of ridges creating several small valleys in the area, including Hawkins Cove to the northeast and Keith Cove to the south. Cowan is drained by Boiling Fork Creek, a tributary of the Elk River.

US 41A (Cumberland Street) is the primary road in Cowan, connecting the city with Winchester and the Tims Ford Lake area to the west. To the east of Cowan, US 41A ascends nearly to the top of the Cumberland Plateau, where it passes through Sewanee and Monteagle.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Cowan had a population of 1,759, 750 households, and 341 families residing in the city.

The median age was 43.1 years. 21.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 90.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 86.9 males age 18 and over.

There were 750 households in Cowan, of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 36.8% were married-couple households, 20.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 35.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

|-

| White || 1,484 || 84.4%

|-

| Black or African American || 144 || 8.2%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 3 || 0.2%

|-

| Asian || 3 || 0.2%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0 || 0.0%

|-

| Some other race || 18 || 1.0%

|-

| Two or more races || 107 || 6.1%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 42 || 2.4%

|}

2000 census

As of the census

References

  • Visit Cowan - Cowan Commercial Club website
  • Cowan Railroad Museum
  • NC&StL Preservation Society
  • City charter