Cowan, Thomas A.

Thomas A. Cowan, born in McDonough County, Illinois, on February 11, 1859, was the son of William and Mary Ann Cowan, who were natives of Scotland and England. He grew up working in coal mines and on his father farm while attending local public schools before moving to California in the fall of 1880 to work as a farm hand near Grangeville. After a brief period proving up a land claim in Washington Territory, he returned to California and eventually relocated to the Summit Lake country of Fresno County in 1886. He established his home ranch four miles west of Lanare, which he expanded over time to 320 acres of partially improved land.

As a highly successful and practical grain farmer, Cowan became the oldest living resident rancher in the Summit Lake country. He utilized up to date machinery, including a forty-five horsepower Holt caterpillar tractor and a Steward truck, to independently manage and transport massive yields of barley and wheat from both his home ranch and his leased sections near Huron. His family grew to include his wife, Beulah Beatty, whom he married in 1892, and their two sons, William T. and Charles E., both of whom served honorably in France. Beyond his extensive agricultural achievements on the West Side, Cowan maintained a strong presence in his community and held a membership with the Odd Fellows at Lemoore.