Cowan, Tennessee
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Cowan, Tennessee | |
|---|---|
| Businesses along Tennessee Avenue Businesses along Tennessee Avenue | |
| Location of Cowan in Franklin County, Tennessee. Location of Cowan in Franklin County, Tennessee. | |
| Coordinates: 35°10′0″N 86°0′43″W / 35.16667°N 86.01194°WCoordinates: 35°10′0″N 86°0′43″W / 35.16667°N 86.01194°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | Franklin |
| Area | |
| • Total | Template:Infobox settlement/areadisp |
| • Land | Template:Infobox settlement/areadisp |
| • Water | Template:Infobox settlement/areadisp |
| Elevation | Template:Infobox settlement/lengthdisp |
| Population | |
| • Total | 1,759 |
| • Density | Template:Infobox settlement/densdisp |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 37318 |
| Area code(s) | 931 |
| FIPS code | 47-17700[4] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1306151[2] |
| Website | www |
Cowan is a city in Franklin County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2020 census, Cowan had a population of 1,759.[5] It is part of the Tullahoma, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area.
History
[edit | edit source]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.[6]
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.[6]
The town's economy declined with the importance of the railroad after U.S. Route 41A was built in the 1940s. The old passenger depot, built in 1904,[7] was restored as a museum, and is a focal point of the downtown area.
Geography
[edit | edit source]Cowan is located at 35°10′0″N 86°0′43″W / 35.16667°N 86.01194°W (35.166668, -86.011839).[8] 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 1,000 feet (300 m) to the top of the Cumberland Plateau, where it passes through Sewanee and Monteagle.[2]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2), all land.
Climate
[edit | edit source]Demographics
[edit | edit source]2020 census
[edit | edit source]As of the 2020 census, Cowan had a population of 1,759, 750 households, and 341 families residing in the city.[9]
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.[9]
90.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 9.9% lived in rural areas.[10]
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.[9]
There were 857 housing units, of which 12.5% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.1%.[9]
| 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
[edit | edit source]As of the census[4] of 2000, there was a population of 1,770, with 746 households and 499 families residing in the city. The population density was 895.6 inhabitants per square mile (345.8/km2). There were 803 housing units at an average density of 406.3 per square mile (156.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 87.68% White, 9.44% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.00% Asian, 0.79% from other races, and 1.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.36% of the population.
There were 746 households, out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.6% were married couples living together, 16.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.7% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,448, and the median income for a family was $33,882. Males had a median income of $27,321 versus $20,909 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,352. About 13.4% of families and 16.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.8% of those under the age of 18 and 11.4% of those 65 and older.
Notable people
[edit | edit source]- Jauan Jennings, former University of Tennessee and San Francisco 49ers wide receiver
- Mary Ann Montgomery, wife of Confederate Army General Nathan Bedford Forrest[12]
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Template:GNIS
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedUSCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly - ↑ 4.0 4.1 "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 John Abernathy Smith, "Franklin County," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved: April 24, 2016.
- ↑ "History," Cowan Railroad Museum website. Retrieved: April 24, 2016.
- ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Cowan: Its History and Heritage" (PDF). VisitCowan.com. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
External links
[edit | edit source] |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cowan, Tennessee. |
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Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Cowan. |
- Visit Cowan - Cowan Commercial Club website
- Cowan Railroad Museum
- NC&StL Preservation Society
- City charter