September 17-19, 2021: Duck Fest in Bowdon!
Now moved to the third weekend in September, people gather in Bowdon for Duck Fest to celebrate and “enjoy our good nature” as the town’s motto says. Attend the festival and experience it for yourself.
Bowdon Meat Processing has reached its equity goal, raising more than $565,000 from its investor members. With equity dollars secured, the cooperative is able to move forward with its plan to build a custom and state-inspected meat processing facility in Bowdon. The business intends to process around 650 animals annually giving ranchers and hunters a new option for processing.
City Council
Mayor Allen Hoff 962-3821
Cindy Hoff; Alderman 962-3821
James Hoff Alderman 962-3889
Robert Martin Alderman 962-3730
Larry Tebelius Alderman 962-3080
Shirley Johnson Auditor/Treasurer 962-3747
Beverly Hart Assessor 962-3699
Businesses:
For information about community organizations, lodging, housing and civic and commerce activities, please see the Bowdon website, www.bowdonnd.com
Community Church of God 701-962-3681
For a more information about these places of worship, including times of service and contact information, click here www.bowdonnd.com/churches/churches.html
A Bit of History:
Bowdon was founded by Richard Sykes in 1899, after his home town of Bowdon, England. Sykes was an officer of the Northern Pacific Railroad. The Northern Pacific Railroad received large amounts of land from the US Government. Along and near the NP rail line, new towns sprang up to serve the settlers, the track-laying crews, and other "tame and tough" frontier citizens. Bowdon was one such town, and for many years marked the "end" of the railroad line. The great old locomotive engine was turned around on a "V" at the west edge of Bowdon. A switch arrangement turned the engine around and hooked it to the other end of the railroad cars, returning them to Carrington. The railroad's grand plan to settle the west became a reality. Now, immigrants of ethnic variety came in large numbers, and eastern merchants had a way to freight their goods to the western market.
Merchants, businessmen and doctors came to settle in Bowdon. Over the years, the little community boasted two blacksmith shops, a livery stable, a weekly newspaper (The Bowdon Guardian) and two hotels. At "The Golden West Hotel," 1905 rates were a bargain at $1.00 a day! Also in town were grocery and dry-goods stores, a drugstore, and a harness and shoemaker shop. There were banks, a Post Office, hardware stores and visiting "eye specialists." Homemaker clubs, Boy Scouts, 4-H groups and other civic organizations emerged. At one time there were five elevators, a cream station and a meat market. Later came three car dealerships, two gas stations and an electric plant. (http://www.bowdonnd.com/community/history.html. Little Town in the Heart of the Prairie, by James Fortney, 2004)
More information about the history of, or current events in Bowdon would be appreciated. If you’d like to submit a story or some information about the community, businesses or school, please send an e-mail to heraldpressonline@yahoo.com
