2016 Map of Cowen

About this map

Cowen serves as the central hub of this Webster County landscape, where the confluence of local roads and family-named landmarks defines the rural West Virginia interior. The terrain is deeply carved by the Birch River and the Gauley River, with numerous hollows and drafts such as Baughman Draft, Coal Hollow, and Deep Hollow indicating the region's historic coal and timber associations. Small settlements and former post office sites like Wainville, Boggs, and Welch Glade are connected by a network of rural routes including Erbacon Rd and Webster Rd. Local genealogy is well-preserved through numerous hillside burials, including the Oddfellows Cem and Handschumacher Cem. The southern reach of the map transitions into the protected landscape of the Monongahela National Forest, illustrating the balance between established homesteads and the vast timbered ridges of the Allegheny plateau.