Jennie Ferguson Cowan
Inducted In
1977
Jennie Ferguson Cowan, a native of North Dumfries Township, and a historian, was educated at Mill Creek School, and Galt Collegiate Institute and graduated from the University of Toronto in 1926, with an Arts Degree in the Honour Course in Household Science. She was a teacher for seven years. Much credit is due Cowan for her enthusiasm in arousing public interest in the history of Waterloo County.
She was one of the earliest convenors of historical research and current events for the Women’s Institutes in South Waterloo and London districts, encouraging at all times the assembling of records of local history.
A member of the session of Knox’s Presbyterian Church in Galt, she was the writer of a large part of the church’s history on the occasion of the centennial of the church building in 1969.
She stimulated research by the Waterloo Historical Society of which she was president from 1951-53. She was one of the early members of the Board of Directors of Doon Pioneer Village, and also of the Waterloo County Hall of Fame Research Committee.
After her marriage to Thomas D. Cowan in 1932, she lived at Clochmhor, the family farm since 1834, until the sale of the farm to the City of Galt.