First known as Hawkins
Name changed to honor Maj. John Cowan, an early pioneer settler
1850
Incorporated in 1921
Cumberland Mountain Tunnel
Built by Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad 1849-1852
Longest and steepest railroad tunnel in nation
2228 feet long, 21 feet high, and 15 feet wide
Listed on National Register of Historic Places
NC&StL Preservation Society, Inc. is in no way
affiliated with the NC&StL Railway or any of it's successors.
As a non-profit entity, NCPS presents these pages to the public purely
for educational and historic interest.