Cowan Railroad Tunnel, Cowan, Tennessee 1940
Cowan Railroad tunnel. Shows one train crossing the bridge and one train coming through the tunnel.
Historical Note
The Cowan Tunnel, or Cumberland Mountain Tunnel, is a railroad tunnel near Cowan, Tennessee. The tunnel was built by the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad Company and was completed in 1852 with the tracks laid in 1853. The strategically important tunnel, part of the rail linkage between the Midwestern United States and the Southeastern United States, played a vital role during the American Civil War. It was considered a major engineering feat at the time. It is still operational and owned by CSX Railroad.
Source: Tennessee State Library and Archives