We are the Cowdens from North Bay, Ontario. We have done much work on the geneology of this branch of the family. It began with the names of the first 2 persons to arrive at the turn of the century at the U.S. border with Canada. Unice and James Cowden brought up their entire family (we have their names), as persons who emmigrated during the land grant to farmers in Simcoe County from the Pennsylvania Irish immigrants. The members of that family lived awhile around the southern area of the province and in a small hamlet named Vasie, still there today. That is when my father-in-law who is now 76yrs old, remembers meeting cousins. The census records tell us many persons were residing at about the same time in different places....the names were used over again ie: Seth, Harold, James, Thomas,....to this day. Now, the first Alexander Cowden moved to a little town called Powassan. where he and a brother Seth occupied, bought and ran a huge hotel. That's why for years all we heard about was "a" hotel but did not know which one. One of those 2 brothers stayed on and the other moved to Novar,Ontario, where he married and had 3 sons and a daughter. The cousins lived in Timmins,Trout Creek and South River. One of our great-uncles was a vet. He was in a regiment and served as a sapper.

Also, we have a brother named Murray. He keeps getting calls about another man. One of the individuals we have run across has been very interesting. It turns out that throughout the duration of his father's military service, he recalls meeting an "uncle" Les , right here in the Bay! He told us this, when my husband, who is in the airforce right now spotted his name ROBERT -somewhere. His father connected up with some of the Cowdens out west. It is possible that the original settlers went from Pembroke then to the prairies. We were trying to connect the people from Powassan, to him. That is where we have a problem. Meanwhile, the people in the telephone book under Cowdens have spoken to us. They were a big family, who just happened to say that their dad Leslie, now passed away,knew the fellow in the military. We are in the midst of moving so, if you want to contact us...act fast.