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The Commemorative Quarter for Illinois





Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

  • That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
  • We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
  • On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about Cowden (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.

As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Cowden. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the southeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals were in the next county to the east. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the south.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the east contained birth and death records; the county to the south contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Cowden is located in Shelby County.

To see how the shape of Illinois' counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Shelby County: Christian, Coles, Cumberland, Effingham, Fayette, Macon, Montgomery & Moultrie.

Below are the counties that are near Cowden. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Cowden:

  • Shelby County     (The home county of Cowden)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Cowden, with the one closest to Cowden listed first.
    • Lakewood
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lakewood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lakewood
      • Lakewood is located in Shelby County
    • Mode
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mode
      • Mode is located in Shelby County
    • Herrick
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Herrick have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Herrick
      • Herrick is located in Shelby County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 423 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Herrick <2>
    • Tower Hill
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tower Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tower Hill
      • Tower Hill is located in Shelby County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 582 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tower Hill <2>
    • Shelbyville
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Stewardson
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stewardson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stewardson
      • Stewardson is located in Shelby County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 718 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Stewardson <2>
    • Oconee
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oconee have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oconee
      • Oconee is located in Shelby County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 169 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oconee <2>
    • Strasburg
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Strasburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Strasburg
      • Strasburg is located in Shelby County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 435 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Strasburg <2>
    • Sigel
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Findlay
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Yantisville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yantisville
      • Yantisville is located in Shelby County
    • Windsor
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
  • Christian County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Cowden, with the one closest to Cowden listed first.
    • Pana
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pana have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pana
      • Pana is located in Christian County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,327 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pana <2>
    • Rosamond
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rosamond have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rosamond
      • Rosamond is located in Christian County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rosamond <2>
    • Assumption
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Assumption have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Assumption
      • Assumption is located in Christian County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,056 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Assumption <2>
    • Owaneco
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Owaneco have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Owaneco
      • Owaneco is located in Christian County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 223 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Owaneco <2>
    • Velma
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Velma have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Velma
      • Velma is located in Christian County
    • Sandersville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sandersville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandersville
      • Sandersville is located in Christian County
  • Coles County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Cowden, with the one closest to Cowden listed first.
    • Magnet
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Magnet
      • Magnet is located in Coles County
    • Trilla
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Mattoon
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Cumberland County
    • Neoga
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Neoga have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Neoga
      • Neoga is located in Cumberland County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,585 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Neoga <2>
  • Effingham County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Cowden, with the one closest to Cowden listed first.
    • Beecher City
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beecher City
      • Beecher City is located in Effingham County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 451 people
    • Moccasin
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moccasin
      • Moccasin is located in Effingham County
    • Shumway
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shumway have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shumway
      • Shumway is located in Effingham County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 192 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Shumway <2>
    • Altamont
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Altamont have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Altamont
      • Altamont is located in Effingham County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,350 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Altamont <2>
    • Dexter
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dexter have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dexter
      • Dexter is located in Effingham County
    • Funkhouser
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Funkhouser
      • Funkhouser is located in Effingham County
    • Effingham
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Gilmore
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gilmore have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gilmore
      • Gilmore is located in Effingham County
    • Heartville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Heartville
      • Heartville is located in Effingham County
    • Watson
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Watson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Watson
      • Watson is located in Effingham County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 732 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Watson <2>
    • Teutopolis
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Mason
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mason
      • Mason is located in Effingham County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 333 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mason <2>
  • Fayette County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Cowden, with the one closest to Cowden listed first.
    • Holliday
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holliday
      • Holliday is located in Fayette County
    • Dressor
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dressor have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dressor
      • Dressor is located in Fayette County
    • Saint Elmo
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Elmo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Elmo
      • Saint Elmo is located in Fayette County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,367 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Saint Elmo <2>
    • Ramsey
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Brownstown
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brownstown have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brownstown
      • Brownstown is located in Fayette County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 733 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Brownstown <2>
    • Bayle City
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bayle City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayle City
      • Bayle City is located in Fayette County
    • Bingham
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bingham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bingham
      • Bingham is located in Fayette County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 77 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bingham <2>
    • Bluff City
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bluff City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bluff City
      • Bluff City is located in Fayette County
    • Vandalia
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vandalia have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vandalia
      • Vandalia is located in Fayette County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 6,662 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Vandalia <2>
    • Loogootee
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Loogootee have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loogootee
      • Loogootee is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Loogootee <2>
    • La Clede
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Clede
      • La Clede is located in Fayette County
    • Hagarstown
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Montgomery County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Cowden, with the one closest to Cowden listed first.
    • Ohlman
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Coalton
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Coalton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coalton
      • Coalton is located in Montgomery County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 282 people
    • Nokomis
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Wenonah
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wenonah have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wenonah
      • Wenonah is located in Montgomery County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 34 people
    • Fillmore
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fillmore have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fillmore
      • Fillmore is located in Montgomery County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 305 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fillmore <2>
    • Witt
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Witt have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Witt
      • Witt is located in Montgomery County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 833 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Witt <2>
    • Irving
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Irving have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irving
      • Irving is located in Montgomery County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 457 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Irving <2>
    • Coffeen
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Coffeen have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coffeen
      • Coffeen is located in Montgomery County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 634 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Coffeen <2>
  • Moultrie County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Cowden, with the one closest to Cowden listed first.
    • Gays
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gays have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gays
      • Gays is located in Moultrie County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 252 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gays <2>
    • Dunn
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dunn have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunn
      • Dunn is located in Moultrie County
    • Allenville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Allenville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Allenville
      • Allenville is located in Moultrie County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 141 people
    • Coles
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coles
      • Coles is located in Moultrie County
    • Sullivan
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Bethany
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bethany have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bethany
      • Bethany is located in Moultrie County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,210 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bethany <2>
    • Cushman
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cushman have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cushman
      • Cushman is located in Moultrie County

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Cowden, see our County-by-County Page for Cowden.

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Cowden ...

An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.

Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 87 newspapers that have been published in the area around Cowden.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Cowden. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Cowden and those printed in the larger area surrounding Cowden.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<3> of Cowden.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Cowden:

Cemeteries Near Cowden ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Cowden.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Cowden covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Cowden, with the one closest to Cowden listed first.

  • Mound Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mound Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mound Cemetery
  • Neal Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Neal Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Neal Cemetery
  • Askins Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Askins Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Askins Cemetery
  • Center Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Center Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Center Cemetery
  • Moore Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Moore Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Moore Cemetery
  • Mud Run Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mud Run Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mud Run Cemetery
  • Pleasant Grove Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pleasant Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pleasant Grove Cemetery
  • Martin Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Martin Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Martin Cemetery
  • Red Bank Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Red Bank Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Red Bank Cemetery
  • Hudson Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hudson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hudson Cemetery
  • Beck Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Beck Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Beck Cemetery
  • Lorton Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lorton Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lorton Cemetery
  • Continue List   (437 more) ...
    • Bob Doan Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bob Doan Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bob Doan Cemetery
    • Bob Doane Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bob Doane Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bob Doane Cemetery
    • Fortner Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fortner Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fortner Cemetery

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<4>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Cowden had a population of 702 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Cowden had a population of 573 people.

These communities are listed based on their distance from Cowden, with the one closest to Cowden listed first.

  • Holliday
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holliday
    • Holliday is located in Fayette County
  • Fancher
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fancher have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fancher
    • Fancher is located in Shelby County
  • Beecher City
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beecher City
    • Beecher City is located in Effingham County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 451 people
  • Lakewood
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lakewood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lakewood
    • Lakewood is located in Shelby County
  • Mode
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mode
    • Mode is located in Shelby County
  • Herrick
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Herrick have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Herrick
    • Herrick is located in Shelby County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 423 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Herrick <2>
  • Moccasin
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moccasin
    • Moccasin is located in Effingham County
  • Tower Hill
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tower Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tower Hill
    • Tower Hill is located in Shelby County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 582 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tower Hill <2>
  • Dressor
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dressor have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dressor
    • Dressor is located in Fayette County
  • Shumway
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shumway have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shumway
    • Shumway is located in Effingham County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 192 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Shumway <2>
  • Shelbyville
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
  • Blue Point
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blue Point have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blue Point
    • Blue Point is located in Effingham County
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Stewardson
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stewardson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stewardson
      • Stewardson is located in Shelby County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 718 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Stewardson <2>
    • Herborn
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Herborn have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Herborn
      • Herborn is located in Shelby County
    • Middlesworth
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Middlesworth have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middlesworth
      • Middlesworth is located in Shelby County

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Cowden. See our List of 1890's Communities around Cowden.

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Cowden. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for State of Illinois: https://illinois.gov

Footnotes ...

<1>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Cowden) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Cowden. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 39.2492, Longitude: -88.8594       In this case, the coordinates for Cowden have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<4>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Cowden, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024