City of Bowie
Bowie, Montague County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The history of the City of Bowie has been molded by forward-thinking pioneers of business, education and industry in the late nineteenth century. Situated along many significant trade and travel routes that traversed the State of Texas, permanent settlements in this area began in the 1850s in an area known as Queen’s Peak, four miles north of Bowie. The City of Bowie was established when the Fort Worth and Denver Railroad purchased acreage here in the 1870s from Mrs. A. Lavonia (Stallings) Lindsay, J.I.G. Cowan, James W. Stallings and J.G. Cummins which became the downtown site of Bowie. As the workers laid the tracks from Decatur to Bowie, tents were erected to live alongside the tracks, which led to the name “Tent City.” Once the railroad was completed, permanent houses and buildings were constructed. The courageous, hardy and resourceful settlers decided to name the town Bowie after Texas hero James Bowie, a name synonymous with courage, strength and faith. The town incorporated in 1883 and became a market and financial center for farmers and ranchers between Fort Worth and Wichita Falls. Churches, schools and fraternal organizations were established for the citizens and their children. During the Great Depression, the Public Works Administration constructed rock walls and buildings in Elmwood Cemetery and Pelham Park. By the mid-twentieth century, Bowie was the largest city in Montague County. From its humble beginnings as a railroad and farming community, Bowie has grown into a diverse city that embraces its strong heritage.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Bowie owes its existence to the railroad. In the 1870s the Fort Worth and Denver Railroad bought land here, and as crews laid track from Decatur a canvas settlement dubbed "Tent City" sprang up alongside the rails. When the line was finished, permanent buildings followed, and the town — named for Texas hero James Bowie — incorporated in 1883 as a market and financial hub for the farmers and ranchers between Fort Worth and Wichita Falls, growing to become the largest city in Montague County.
Why it matters
Bowie is a textbook example of how the railroad, more than any river or road, conjured towns out of the North Texas prairie in the late nineteenth century.
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Related people
- · James Bowie
- · A. Lavonia (Stallings) Lindsay
Related events
- · Arrival of the Fort Worth and Denver Railroad
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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