I DIAMOND JUBILEE
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1907 - - - B O W M BOWMAH WSK*^, * A • N i July 14,1982 1982 DIAMOND JUBILEE DEDICATION To those sturdy pioneers, whose courage, fortitude and self sacrifice mi rn uamn urn twins enacted the first chapters of the Bismarck. N. 11 55505 history of Bowman. NORTH DAKOTA STATE UBRARY 3 3105 00009 9612 NORTH DAKOTA BOOK OR AUTHOR TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 Bowman's 75th Anniversary Celebration ^ • — — | ] ] | ] 3 In Appreciation: J. O. booen, L.. W 4 5 Foreward 8 Bowman, History • • • Photo: Bowman Lot Sale, 1907 • 10 The Railroad: CMSt. P. & P- 1907 ••••••• 13 14 Early Celebrations • •'"' ' ' 15 County Seat: Bowman Court House and Jail a U Xos 18 Churches: History ^ ° HOtn7 ' Present)" 20 Schools: History and Photos (1907 - Present) 21 School of Promise Mail Service and Post Office 24 24 Building and Construction Fairqrounds (1909-1981) ••••;••• 25 Clara Lincoln Phelan Memorial Library • • • 26 Parks: City and Baseball • • • • 27 28 Hospital "" 28 Tri-State Clinic ''''' 29 Bowman Volunteer Ambulance Squad ••••••••• 29 Cemetery Association Sunset Nursing Home 30 Bowman's Nonagenarians 31 Peasant Manor Apartments • • • • • 31 33 L?w Enforcement: Sheriffs of Bowman County Social Activity: Dreamland Opera House • 34 34 CtratntnaSna Co.: Bowman's Best^ur .......... 35 35 Water Tower 36 [2K£?Sa?HoS: Twin Buttesi Buffalo Springs 37 38 Homesteaders and Ranchers '.'.'.'.'..['.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'. - 39 Weather • • •;;. • ;."" 40 Aviation: Weather Modification .^ Bowman Volunteer Fire Department 42 Organizations in Bowman 42 44 S^rSs-Va-r.esV Business History and Directory BOWMAN'S 75TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION To help celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the founding of the city of Bowman, the Bowman Civic and Study Club (GFWC) is sponsoring the preparation of the 75th Jubilee history booklet. Together with the Chamber of Commerce, it is our hope that the results of the efforts have been worthwhile, and that the people of this community can look back with pride and pleasure at a 75th Anniversary Celebration befitting the occasion. Many thanks to each and everyone who has helped make this Bowman Diamond Jubilee a success. The Club as a whole thanks the many, many individuals and organizations who have so generously and willingly assisted in the preparation of this booklet. The growth and welfare of Bowman has been made possible by the unselfish cooperation and sacrifices of the good people who followed the Pioneers, and we trust the same spirit of good will and helpful cooperation will continue in the future, and that Bowman will grow to a bigger and better city for the benefit of the entire community. BOWMAN CIVIC AND STUDY CLUB (GFWC) CHRONOLIGICAL EVENTS - BOWMAN AND BOWMAN COUNTY 1887-Wm. Gay discovered placer gold on Grand River. 1892- Lincoln Young, first rancher, located on Grand River. 1900 - Government survey completed and county opened to settlement. 1903-Western Land Securities Company purchased deeded land from J. A. Felthouse Land Company. 1903 - In November W. C. Hanson, first homesteader, filed on northeast quarter, section 22, Township 132, Range 100. 1905-Stillwater Hotel built. 1907- May 16, first newspaper published. 1907-June 10, final hearing before Gov. Burke on county seat location. 1907-June 12, organization of Bowman County ordered. 1907 - July 1, organization of county took effect. 1907 - July 4, celebration at Twin Buttes. 1907 - July 5, first meeting of Board of County Commissioners. 1907 - July 5, county officials took oath of office. 1907 - August 10, coal mine opened at Scranton. 1907 - First National Bank Building begun on present site of Bowman in September. 1907 - November 16, track laying crew reach Bowman County. 1907 - November 17, track reached Bowman. 1907 - November 21, lot sale at Bowman. 1908- May 26, Scranton lot sale held. 1908 - Bowman wool house completed in June. 1908 - June 12, first load of wool marketed in Bowman. 1908-July 4, people of Bowman County celebrate at Bowman. 1908 - July 9, Griffin lot sale held. 1908 - July 18, Bowman Village organized. 1908-August 18, election of village trustees. IN APPRECIATION We are deeply indebted to two early photographers who made Bowman their home. J. O. Booen and his son, Leslie, took a great interest in early Bowman, watched it grow, and preserved the history by taking many photographs. Some of these have become almost priceless. The early panorama photos taken by the Booens are something of a marvel. A photographer recently examined one of these photos taken on main street; it was his opinion that Mr. J. O. Booen was somewhat of an inventor, as in the early 1900's, there is no known camera that could have taken such a broad photo with such clarity. Many of the photos in this booklet are reproduc tions of early 1900 Booen photographs. J. 0. Booen Leslie G. Booen FOREWARD Seventy-five years ago, the site where Bowman is now located was windswept prairie with no houses, no roads and no trees. Where our modern homes, prosperous towns and fertile fields are now, was once a vast trackless prairie roamed over by buffalo, deer, and Indians. It was through the efforts and visions of early settlers that this amazing transformation was brought to pass. Bits of history have been gathered to form as complete a history as possible. We have pondered about those bits that are missing and wish we knew about them. This small book of Bowman history is presented as a tribute to those who pioneered here and laid the foundation upon which all who came after have built. From the wealth of information and material gathered, the greatest difficulty has been to condense it into this small booklet. Prairie Tales, the history of the early days in Bowman with stories of the early settlers around this part of North Dakota went on sale in March 1965. We hope that sometime in the future a second edition of Prairie Tales can be compiled to complete the history of the area. Our thanks are expressed to all who helped in anyway to produce this booklet; our apologies for any inperfec- tions, errors or omissions. Photographs were taken or reproduced by Bob Runner, Malcolm and Helen Stewart. Historical material was compiled and edited by Aileen Thorson Doyle. i BOWMAN The town of Bowman is a typical rural North Dakota County Seat pleasantly situated on rising ground in Southwestern Bowman County. The community has a service trade area embracing about 2500 square miles. One mile to the north are the far-famed Twin Buttes. One and one-half miles south east, Talbot Butte rises in majesty. The surrounding country is marked by gentle rolling land. Over 200 business places operate within the city limits. There are the usual cultural components in the form of churches and schools. St. Lukes Hospital, a 39 bed community facility and Tri-State Clinic offer the best in medical care. One of the best nursing homes in the State, Sunset Nursing Home, is located in Bowman. Adjoining the Home is Sunny Apartments featuring small living quarters for the elderly where they have the advantages of the Home, but may care for themselves. These residents are required to take the noon meal in the dining room, although all three meals can be eaten there. Bowman owns and operates its own waterworks. There is a sanitary sewage system. Electricity is provided by Montana Dakota Utilities. The streets are curbed, guttered and hard surfaced. Located on Highways 85 and 12, Bowman is predicted by 1985 to be one of the 15 cities in North Dakota to be a "principal regional center." HISTORICAL Bowman County is one of the original counties of North Dakota. It was laid out and given its name by the Territorial Legislature of 1883. The County was named in honor of William Bowman, a prominent member of the Legislature at that time. One of his descendants, LeRoy Swartwood, was postmaster of Swartwood, an early Bowman County village. The first man to locate in Bowman County was William Gay, a Black Hills prospector, who, while on a prospecting trip in 1887, discovered placer gold on Grand River, about where Haley is now situated. The government completed the survey through southwestern North Dakota during the fall of 1900 and opened the land for settlement. However, except for a few ranchers whose buildings happened to be located on homestead quarters, no one homesteaded in Bowman County until after the Western Land Securities Company concluded a deal with J. A. Felthouse and opened an extensive advertising campaign setting forth the advantages of the country. Soon Bowman County became the mecca of the homeseeker and a large influx of settlers came to make their homes on this large area of tillable land with its fertile, productive soil. Leonard Marklund, an early locator, estimated that in 1907 he located 300 homesteaders in Bowman County. He made the locating trips with horse and buggy, with sometimes three and four rigs carrying as many as 12 men. Robert Love who was here in 1906-1907 was also an early locator. 1907 — Bowman — 1 982 STREET Scent BawnAtt, NORTH DAKOTA 1910 Main Street Looking North Main Street Looking South 6 EARLY HISTORY OF BOWMAN Early in the spring of 1907, it was general knowledge that a town would be located at or near the Twin Buttes. The earliest settlers to appear on the scene were the Lowden brothers, A. L. and W. O. They hauled lumber for the first building from Dickinson early in May 1907. A. L. Lowden brought a printing plant from McHenry, North Dakota and May 16, 1907 the Bowman County Pioneer, the first newspaper printed and published in Bowman County, made its appearance. The Bowman County News was launched later in 1907. A. L.