Here is some biographical information about my Great, Great Grandfather Henry Marcus Cowden.
Henry Marcus Cowden founded the town of Cowden, Illinois in 1872. Henry Cowden didn't get to enjoy having a town named after him for very long, since he died on October 10, 1873.
According to the 1860 and 1870 Shelby County, Illinois Census records that I've found, Henry Marcus Cowden was born somewhere in Ohio.
I used the information about how old Henry Cowden was at the time of his death to calculate that Henry Cowden was born on March 26, 1832.
I haven't had any luck in finding out the names of the parents of Henry Cowden or if Henry Cowden had any brothers or sisters.
I have met a woman, named Dorothy Carruth, that says that she is a descendant of George H. Cowden, one of Henry Marcus Cowden's sons.
Dorothy claims that Henry Cowden's father was a man named Marcus M. Cowden and that the mother of Henry Cowden was a woman named Mary Severe.
Dorothy also states that the parents of Mary Severe were William Severe and Catherine O'Neal.
The records that I've found for a couple with the names of William Severe and Catherine O'Neal don't show a daughter named Mary Severe.
I don't find any Census records showing a Marcus M. Cowden living in Shelby County, Illinois during the 1850 through 1870 time period, just a man named H.M. Cowden and his family.
I believe that Henry Cowden went by his middle name of Marcus and not his first name of Henry and that this is what has Dorothy Carruth and the people that made the Cowden Pioneer Days booklet believe there was a man named Marcus M. Cowden.
On the last weekend in August of each year the people in Cowden, Illinois hold a Pioneer Days Celebration.
During one of these Cowden Pioneer Days Celebrations I purchased a copy of a book that was sold by the Cowden Historical Society members.
This Pioneer Days Celebration book mentioned that Marcus M. Cowden was seen arguing with Lewis G. Torrence and this is where the name of Marcus M. Cowden is first mentioned.
Once again, I can't find any records showing that a Marcus M. Cowden was living in Shelby County, Illinois during the time period that the Cowden Pioneer Days booklet had mentioned.
Dorothy Carruth had found three small stone markers near the graves of Henry Cowden, his first wife, Mary Dush, and their first son, Joseph H. Cowden and these three small stones only had initials carved on the small stones.
Dorothy thought that one of the small stones had the initials M.M.C. carved on the stone, but I pulled the stone out of the ground and examined the stone carefully and the initials look like H.M.C. to me and not M.M.C.
I put pictures of these three smaller stones on the Find-A-Grave website pages for Henry Marcus Cowden, his first wife, Mary, nee Dush, Cowden, and first son, Joseph H. Cowden.
The initials that I saw carved on the other small stones looked like they said, M.C., and J.H.C., which were the initials of Mary Cowden, and their first son, Joseph H. Cowden.
I believe that these three smaller stones with the initials carved on them were either footstones or markers left until the finished tombstones arrived for the graves of Henry Marcus Cowden, Mary Cowden, and Joseph H. Cowden and not the grave markers for Marcus M. Cowden and his wife and son.
A footstone will let a person looking at a grave know where the feet were located for the person buried in that grave.
There's no way to know for certain which of us is right about these three smaller stones unless we can find a copy of the paperwork ordering the larger tombstones as well as the smaller stones with the initials.
Henry Cowden convinced the Baltimore and Ohio railroad to make a train stop on some farmland that he owned.
Since the train stop was on Henry Cowden's land he got the honor of having the train stop and the town that grew up around the train stop named after him.
Today, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad line travels North and South through Cowden and the Norfolk & Western Railroad travels East and West through Cowden.
Henry Marcus Cowden was married two times during his life.
Henry Cowden's first wife was Mary Dush and they were married on February 7, 1856.
Henry and Mary Cowden had two sons, Joseph H. Cowden, who was born on March 30, 1857 and died on June 12, 1859.
Another son was George Harrison Cowden, who was born in 1859 and died in 1911.
Mary Dush Cowden was born about 1837 and died on September 11, 1860.
Henry Cowden's second wife was the widow Susan Catherine Thorn Timbers, and she was born in 1841 and died in 1886.
Henry Cowden and Susan Timbers were married on September 25, 1864.
Henry and Susan Timbers Cowden had two sons, Jacob Edward Cowden, who was born in 1867 and died in 1938, and Charles Anson Cowden, who was born in 1871 and died in 1934.
Susan Catherine Thorn was first married to a man named Peter Timbers, and here's what I found about Peter Timbers:
According to the Abstracts and Cross-Reference Index of Administrator's Bond Record Book A (1859 -1865) of Shelby County, Illinois, Peter Timbers died on 6 December 1863 leaving a widow named Susan Timbers and no children.
Susan Catherine Thorn married Peter Timbers in Marshall County, Indiana on January 2, 1861.
Susan Timbers Cowden married James Mara on November 18, 1874 in Shelby County, Illinois, after the death of Henry Cowden on October 10, 1873.
Susan Timbers Cowden Mara is buried next to her third husband James Mara in Center Cemetery, in Shelby County, Illinois.
Center Cemetery is located on the west side of Route 128 about 2 or 3 miles north of Cowden,Illinois.
Henry Marcus Cowden founded the town of Cowden, Illinois in 1872. Henry Cowden didn't get to enjoy having a town named after him for very long, since he died on October 10, 1873.
According to the 1860 and 1870 Shelby County, Illinois Census records that I've found, Henry Marcus Cowden was born somewhere in Ohio.
I used the information about how old Henry Cowden was at the time of his death to calculate that Henry Cowden was born on March 26, 1832.
I haven't had any luck in finding out the names of the parents of Henry Cowden or if Henry Cowden had any brothers or sisters.
I have met a woman, named Dorothy Carruth, that says that she is a descendant of George H. Cowden, one of Henry Marcus Cowden's sons.
Dorothy claims that Henry Cowden's father was a man named Marcus M. Cowden and that the mother of Henry Cowden was a woman named Mary Severe.
Dorothy also states that the parents of Mary Severe were William Severe and Catherine O'Neal.
The records that I've found for a couple with the names of William Severe and Catherine O'Neal don't show a daughter named Mary Severe.
I don't find any Census records showing a Marcus M. Cowden living in Shelby County, Illinois during the 1850 through 1870 time period, just a man named H.M. Cowden and his family.
I believe that Henry Cowden went by his middle name of Marcus and not his first name of Henry and that this is what has Dorothy Carruth and the people that made the Cowden Pioneer Days booklet believe there was a man named Marcus M. Cowden.
On the last weekend in August of each year the people in Cowden, Illinois hold a Pioneer Days Celebration.
During one of these Cowden Pioneer Days Celebrations I purchased a copy of a book that was sold by the Cowden Historical Society members.
This Pioneer Days Celebration book mentioned that Marcus M. Cowden was seen arguing with Lewis G. Torrence and this is where the name of Marcus M. Cowden is first mentioned.
Once again, I can't find any records showing that a Marcus M. Cowden was living in Shelby County, Illinois during the time period that the Cowden Pioneer Days booklet had mentioned.
Dorothy Carruth had found three small stone markers near the graves of Henry Cowden, his first wife, Mary Dush, and their first son, Joseph H. Cowden and these three small stones only had initials carved on the small stones.
Dorothy thought that one of the small stones had the initials M.M.C. carved on the stone, but I pulled the stone out of the ground and examined the stone carefully and the initials look like H.M.C. to me and not M.M.C.
I put pictures of these three smaller stones on the Find-A-Grave website pages for Henry Marcus Cowden, his first wife, Mary, nee Dush, Cowden, and first son, Joseph H. Cowden.
The initials that I saw carved on the other small stones looked like they said, M.C., and J.H.C., which were the initials of Mary Cowden, and their first son, Joseph H. Cowden.
I believe that these three smaller stones with the initials carved on them were either footstones or markers left until the finished tombstones arrived for the graves of Henry Marcus Cowden, Mary Cowden, and Joseph H. Cowden and not the grave markers for Marcus M. Cowden and his wife and son.
A footstone will let a person looking at a grave know where the feet were located for the person buried in that grave.
There's no way to know for certain which of us is right about these three smaller stones unless we can find a copy of the paperwork ordering the larger tombstones as well as the smaller stones with the initials.
Henry Cowden convinced the Baltimore and Ohio railroad to make a train stop on some farmland that he owned.
Since the train stop was on Henry Cowden's land he got the honor of having the train stop and the town that grew up around the train stop named after him.
Today, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad line travels North and South through Cowden and the Norfolk & Western Railroad travels East and West through Cowden.
Henry Marcus Cowden was married two times during his life.
Henry Cowden's first wife was Mary Dush and they were married on February 7, 1856.
Henry and Mary Cowden had two sons, Joseph H. Cowden, who was born on March 30, 1857 and died on June 12, 1859.
Another son was George Harrison Cowden, who was born in 1859 and died in 1911.
Mary Dush Cowden was born about 1837 and died on September 11, 1860.
Henry Cowden's second wife was the widow Susan Catherine Thorn Timbers, and she was born in 1841 and died in 1886.
Henry Cowden and Susan Timbers were married on September 25, 1864.
Henry and Susan Timbers Cowden had two sons, Jacob Edward Cowden, who was born in 1867 and died in 1938, and Charles Anson Cowden, who was born in 1871 and died in 1934.
Susan Catherine Thorn was first married to a man named Peter Timbers, and here's what I found about Peter Timbers:
According to the Abstracts and Cross-Reference Index of Administrator's Bond Record Book A (1859 -1865) of Shelby County, Illinois, Peter Timbers died on 6 December 1863 leaving a widow named Susan Timbers and no children.
Susan Catherine Thorn married Peter Timbers in Marshall County, Indiana on January 2, 1861.
Susan Timbers Cowden married James Mara on November 18, 1874 in Shelby County, Illinois, after the death of Henry Cowden on October 10, 1873.
Susan Timbers Cowden Mara is buried next to her third husband James Mara in Center Cemetery, in Shelby County, Illinois.
Center Cemetery is located on the west side of Route 128 about 2 or 3 miles north of Cowden,Illinois.
Here is some biographical information about my Great, Great Grandfather Henry Marcus Cowden.
Henry Marcus Cowden founded the town of Cowden, Illinois in 1872. Henry Cowden didn't get to enjoy having a town named after him for very long, since he died on October 10, 1873.
According to the 1860 and 1870 Shelby County, Illinois Census records that I've found, Henry Marcus Cowden was born somewhere in Ohio.
I used the information about how old Henry Cowden was at the time of his death to calculate that Henry Cowden was born on March 26, 1832.
I haven't had any luck in finding out the names of the parents of Henry Cowden or if Henry Cowden had any brothers or sisters.
I have met a woman, named Dorothy Carruth, that says that she is a descendant of George H. Cowden, one of Henry Marcus Cowden's sons.
Dorothy claims that Henry Cowden's father was a man named Marcus M. Cowden and that the mother of Henry Cowden was a woman named Mary Severe.
Dorothy also states that the parents of Mary Severe were William Severe and Catherine O'Neal.
The records that I've found for a couple with the names of William Severe and Catherine O'Neal don't show a daughter named Mary Severe.
I don't find any Census records showing a Marcus M. Cowden living in Shelby County, Illinois during the 1850 through 1870 time period, just a man named H.M. Cowden and his family.
I believe that Henry Cowden went by his middle name of Marcus and not his first name of Henry and that this is what has Dorothy Carruth and the people that made the Cowden Pioneer Days booklet believe there was a man named Marcus M. Cowden.
On the last weekend in August of each year the people in Cowden, Illinois hold a Pioneer Days Celebration.
During one of these Cowden Pioneer Days Celebrations I purchased a copy of a book that was sold by the Cowden Historical Society members.
This Pioneer Days Celebration book mentioned that Marcus M. Cowden was seen arguing with Lewis G. Torrence and this is where the name of Marcus M. Cowden is first mentioned.
Once again, I can't find any records showing that a Marcus M. Cowden was living in Shelby County, Illinois during the time period that the Cowden Pioneer Days booklet had mentioned.
Dorothy Carruth had found three small stone markers near the graves of Henry Cowden, his first wife, Mary Dush, and their first son, Joseph H. Cowden and these three small stones only had initials carved on the small stones.
Dorothy thought that one of the small stones had the initials M.M.C. carved on the stone, but I pulled the stone out of the ground and examined the stone carefully and the initials look like H.M.C. to me and not M.M.C.
I put pictures of these three smaller stones on the Find-A-Grave website pages for Henry Marcus Cowden, his first wife, Mary, nee Dush, Cowden, and first son, Joseph H. Cowden.
The initials that I saw carved on the other small stones looked like they said, M.C., and J.H.C., which were the initials of Mary Cowden, and their first son, Joseph H. Cowden.
I believe that these three smaller stones with the initials carved on them were either footstones or markers left until the finished tombstones arrived for the graves of Henry Marcus Cowden, Mary Cowden, and Joseph H. Cowden and not the grave markers for Marcus M. Cowden and his wife and son.
A footstone will let a person looking at a grave know where the feet were located for the person buried in that grave.
There's no way to know for certain which of us is right about these three smaller stones unless we can find a copy of the paperwork ordering the larger tombstones as well as the smaller stones with the initials.
Henry Cowden convinced the Baltimore and Ohio railroad to make a train stop on some farmland that he owned.
Since the train stop was on Henry Cowden's land he got the honor of having the train stop and the town that grew up around the train stop named after him.
Today, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad line travels North and South through Cowden and the Norfolk & Western Railroad travels East and West through Cowden.
Henry Marcus Cowden was married two times during his life.
Henry Cowden's first wife was Mary Dush and they were married on February 7, 1856.
Henry and Mary Cowden had two sons, Joseph H. Cowden, who was born on March 30, 1857 and died on June 12, 1859.
Another son was George Harrison Cowden, who was born in 1859 and died in 1911.
Mary Dush Cowden was born about 1837 and died on September 11, 1860.
Henry Cowden's second wife was the widow Susan Catherine Thorn Timbers, and she was born in 1841 and died in 1886.
Henry Cowden and Susan Timbers were married on September 25, 1864.
Henry and Susan Timbers Cowden had two sons, Jacob Edward Cowden, who was born in 1867 and died in 1938, and Charles Anson Cowden, who was born in 1871 and died in 1934.
Susan Catherine Thorn was first married to a man named Peter Timbers, and here's what I found about Peter Timbers:
According to the Abstracts and Cross-Reference Index of Administrator's Bond Record Book A (1859 -1865) of Shelby County, Illinois, Peter Timbers died on 6 December 1863 leaving a widow named Susan Timbers and no children.
Susan Catherine Thorn married Peter Timbers in Marshall County, Indiana on January 2, 1861.
Susan Timbers Cowden married James Mara on November 18, 1874 in Shelby County, Illinois, after the death of Henry Cowden on October 10, 1873.
Susan Timbers Cowden Mara is buried next to her third husband James Mara in Center Cemetery, in Shelby County, Illinois.
Center Cemetery is located on the west side of Route 128 about 2 or 3 miles north of Cowden,Illinois.
Henry Marcus Cowden founded the town of Cowden, Illinois in 1872. Henry Cowden didn't get to enjoy having a town named after him for very long, since he died on October 10, 1873.
According to the 1860 and 1870 Shelby County, Illinois Census records that I've found, Henry Marcus Cowden was born somewhere in Ohio.
I used the information about how old Henry Cowden was at the time of his death to calculate that Henry Cowden was born on March 26, 1832.
I haven't had any luck in finding out the names of the parents of Henry Cowden or if Henry Cowden had any brothers or sisters.
I have met a woman, named Dorothy Carruth, that says that she is a descendant of George H. Cowden, one of Henry Marcus Cowden's sons.
Dorothy claims that Henry Cowden's father was a man named Marcus M. Cowden and that the mother of Henry Cowden was a woman named Mary Severe.
Dorothy also states that the parents of Mary Severe were William Severe and Catherine O'Neal.
The records that I've found for a couple with the names of William Severe and Catherine O'Neal don't show a daughter named Mary Severe.
I don't find any Census records showing a Marcus M. Cowden living in Shelby County, Illinois during the 1850 through 1870 time period, just a man named H.M. Cowden and his family.
I believe that Henry Cowden went by his middle name of Marcus and not his first name of Henry and that this is what has Dorothy Carruth and the people that made the Cowden Pioneer Days booklet believe there was a man named Marcus M. Cowden.
On the last weekend in August of each year the people in Cowden, Illinois hold a Pioneer Days Celebration.
During one of these Cowden Pioneer Days Celebrations I purchased a copy of a book that was sold by the Cowden Historical Society members.
This Pioneer Days Celebration book mentioned that Marcus M. Cowden was seen arguing with Lewis G. Torrence and this is where the name of Marcus M. Cowden is first mentioned.
Once again, I can't find any records showing that a Marcus M. Cowden was living in Shelby County, Illinois during the time period that the Cowden Pioneer Days booklet had mentioned.
Dorothy Carruth had found three small stone markers near the graves of Henry Cowden, his first wife, Mary Dush, and their first son, Joseph H. Cowden and these three small stones only had initials carved on the small stones.
Dorothy thought that one of the small stones had the initials M.M.C. carved on the stone, but I pulled the stone out of the ground and examined the stone carefully and the initials look like H.M.C. to me and not M.M.C.
I put pictures of these three smaller stones on the Find-A-Grave website pages for Henry Marcus Cowden, his first wife, Mary, nee Dush, Cowden, and first son, Joseph H. Cowden.
The initials that I saw carved on the other small stones looked like they said, M.C., and J.H.C., which were the initials of Mary Cowden, and their first son, Joseph H. Cowden.
I believe that these three smaller stones with the initials carved on them were either footstones or markers left until the finished tombstones arrived for the graves of Henry Marcus Cowden, Mary Cowden, and Joseph H. Cowden and not the grave markers for Marcus M. Cowden and his wife and son.
A footstone will let a person looking at a grave know where the feet were located for the person buried in that grave.
There's no way to know for certain which of us is right about these three smaller stones unless we can find a copy of the paperwork ordering the larger tombstones as well as the smaller stones with the initials.
Henry Cowden convinced the Baltimore and Ohio railroad to make a train stop on some farmland that he owned.
Since the train stop was on Henry Cowden's land he got the honor of having the train stop and the town that grew up around the train stop named after him.
Today, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad line travels North and South through Cowden and the Norfolk & Western Railroad travels East and West through Cowden.
Henry Marcus Cowden was married two times during his life.
Henry Cowden's first wife was Mary Dush and they were married on February 7, 1856.
Henry and Mary Cowden had two sons, Joseph H. Cowden, who was born on March 30, 1857 and died on June 12, 1859.
Another son was George Harrison Cowden, who was born in 1859 and died in 1911.
Mary Dush Cowden was born about 1837 and died on September 11, 1860.
Henry Cowden's second wife was the widow Susan Catherine Thorn Timbers, and she was born in 1841 and died in 1886.
Henry Cowden and Susan Timbers were married on September 25, 1864.
Henry and Susan Timbers Cowden had two sons, Jacob Edward Cowden, who was born in 1867 and died in 1938, and Charles Anson Cowden, who was born in 1871 and died in 1934.
Susan Catherine Thorn was first married to a man named Peter Timbers, and here's what I found about Peter Timbers:
According to the Abstracts and Cross-Reference Index of Administrator's Bond Record Book A (1859 -1865) of Shelby County, Illinois, Peter Timbers died on 6 December 1863 leaving a widow named Susan Timbers and no children.
Susan Catherine Thorn married Peter Timbers in Marshall County, Indiana on January 2, 1861.
Susan Timbers Cowden married James Mara on November 18, 1874 in Shelby County, Illinois, after the death of Henry Cowden on October 10, 1873.
Susan Timbers Cowden Mara is buried next to her third husband James Mara in Center Cemetery, in Shelby County, Illinois.
Center Cemetery is located on the west side of Route 128 about 2 or 3 miles north of Cowden,Illinois.
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