Charles Gowan (February 6, 1850[1] – July 3, 1938) was an American and Canadian pioneer and politician.

Charles Gowan was born in New York and migrated to Wisconsin early in life.

There, he became a justice of the peace and one of the first school officers in Shawano County He served as mayor of Antigo and married Harriet Howland in 1869 before immigrating to Canada in 1900.

He originally settled near Namao, Alberta, but moved to Edmonton in 1904 where he engaged in logging and ranching.

He sought election once more later that year, but finished seventh out of seventeen candidates and was defeated.