When James H. Rowan was born on January 11, 1861, in Upshur, West Virginia, his father, E. Howard, was 34 and his mother, Sarah, was 23. He married Mary Catherine Black on October 2, 1883, in Buckhannon, West Virginia. They had six children in 17 years. He died on July 9, 1950, in Buckhannon, West Virginia, at the age of 89.
