In 1845 in the small fishing village of Douglas on the Isle of Man, located in the Irish Sea, lived a family of five, the parents and three children, John, Jane and Frank Cowin.
With the normal adventure in mind, 1863 found John and Frank, then 16 and 18, hired out as cabin boys on a freighter and sailing for America. As jobs presented, the boys pushed west to Michigan and then on to Omaha, Nebraska.
John Cowin traveled with a group and filed on 160 acres three and one half miles east of Oakdale. John's homestead was near that of Judge Snyder. In 1869, John married Almira Synder. Indians frequently traveled from North Dakota to the Elkhorn River on the road which went past the Cowin home. The Indians camped nearby and stole horses and family dogs from the settlers. In 1874, Harry B. Cowin was born. Additional children were born: Frank, Weaver, Della, Stella and Henry. Stella and Henry died early in childhood.
Source Unknown: Originally submitted for this website in June 2007