 The Town of Cowan, located east-southeast of Winchester, the county seat of Franklin County, developed around the N&C railroad station in the early 1850's when this little Tennessee village was a passenger stop on the main line between Nashville and Chattanooga. It also was a spur line for rail service to Tracy City, Sewanee and Monteagle, and a base for the Cowan-Sherwood Pusher District. A pusher engine was a helper engine that gave assistance to the overburdened locomotives as they ascended the Cumberland Mountain to reach the tunnel. Cowan was the last stop before approaching this tunnel. It is 2,228 feet in length and one of the earliest and the longest in the state. This tunnel is indispensable to rail transportation and serves the CSX Railroad today.
As you approach Cowan, a sense of the past surrounds the visitor. The old depot museum sits in the middle of the downtown area, trains pass through on their trek to the eastern seaboard, and friends and neighbors still sit and visit awhile on the porch of the reconstructed log courthouse in the grassy park. Several small businesses are thriving downtown with space and charm to entice new ones. We have several specialty shops, a quaint tea room for a leisurely lunch, and beautiful scenery for you to enjoy.
Come visit with us. We have much to offer.
Mayor Joe Ed Williams
Cowan City Hall
301 East Cumberland
P.O. Box 338
Cowan, Tennessee 37318
931-967-7318 Fax: 931-967-7990
www.visitcowan.com
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