Cowan & Ekin Families

THE COWAN AND EKIN FAMILIES.

In 1761, Matthias Cowan, who bad married a Miss Gray, settled in the township. He was a Scotch-Irishman. His children were James, Joseph, George, Martha (married to William Ekin), Mary, Betsey, and Ann (married respectively to three brothers named Hughey), and two daughters who died young and unmarried. Robert Ekin was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, and came to Allegheny County when his son William was four years old, and to this township when he was ten. Robert Ekin and his wife died in 1815, shortly after which Mrs. Matthias Cowan (née Gray) died. William, son of Robert Ekin, was born in York County, where his father settled on coming to America. He died in 1851, and his wife (Martha Cowan) in 1858. Their children were Robert, born Dec. 24, 1804; Matthias Cowan, born April 24, 1806; Eliza, married to Andrew Christy; Rachel, married to Samuel Gill; John; Mary, married to Thomas Shaw; and Margaret, who died young and unmarried. Of these, Matthias Cowan Ekin married, June 15,, 1845, Nancy, daughter of William Rand and Susanna (Patterson) Rand. M.C. Ekin’s farm lies about four miles south of Irwin Station, between it and the Youghiogheny River, and is the place where his maternal grandfather, Matthias Cowan, first located one hundred and twenty-one years ago, during all of which time the homestead has been in the family and belonging to three generations.