Bowie is a quiet city of 5,500, located in the crossroads of U.S. Highway 287, U.S. Highway 81 and Texas Highway 59, in Southwest Montague County. The local settlers had been in the area since the early 1860’s and when the Fort Worth and Denver Railway was built through the area in 1882, the settlers began to move to the construction camps and businesses appeared in canvas tents. A town site was established on August 15th, 1882 and a post office to be named James Bowie was applied for. Bowie became a market and financial center for farmers and ranchers between Fort Worth and Wichita Falls. According to Texas history, in 1885 it had a population of 1,000; three hotels, a bank, a weekly newspaper, schools, and a number of churches. The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway came to Bowie in 1893, and by 1900 the community had an estimated 2,600 residents. Bowie is now the largest city in Montague County. Ref: David Minor, “BOWIE, TX,” Handbook of Texas Online
Bowie TX
Did you know?
The Jim Bowie Days Rodeo, Parade, and Festival was the brainchild of several area businessmen during an early morning coffee break at the local Bowie Drug in 1967. These men wanted to bring folks to Bowie and began exchanging ideas. Along with groups such as the Jim Bowie Saddle Club, who was the driving force behind the rodeo for the event, and the Bowie Chamber of Commerce, it has become one of the most popular festivals in the North Texas area. But, unlike the festivals of today, the Jim Bowie Days Festival had literally no money or sponsors. What you see today is the result of small town community, ingenuity and the plain ol’ hard work of good hearted and generous volunteers! This handful of businessmen began knocking on doors and talking at every club or group in our small cattle town. The result was the first Jim Bowie Days held in 1967 with a festival, parade and rodeo complete with the first Miss Jim Bowie Days being chosen from 18 contestants. The Jim Bowie Days Rodeo Association continues to knock on doors in order to carry on the tradition of our founders. Ref: Hill, Shirley., “Best Kept Secret: Jim Bowie Days” Yahoo! Contributor Network, retrieved 2013-02-04
Grand Marshals of the Past
1972 – Dolph Briscoe – Governor of Texas
1973 – Joe Hanna – Texas Congressman, 54th District
1974 – Terry Morgan – Mayor of Bowie
1975 – Donnie Gay – World Champion Cowboy
1976 – Texas Ranger Belles Riding Club
1977 – American Assoc. of Sheriff’s Posses & Riding Club
1978 – Charles W. Stenholm – US Congressman 17th District
1979 – Olie Carriker & Eveln Husfeld – Bowie’s Man & Woman of the year
1980 – Tom Nichols – Bowie’s Poet Laureat
1981 – Dr. John Middleton – Mayor of Bowie
1982 – Johnnie High – Country Singer
1983 – Ray Farabee – Texas State Senator
1984 – Flyo Jones Case – Pioneer Country Music Journalist & Bowie Native
1985 – Sherry Richards – Mrs. Texas 1985 & Bowie Resident
1986 – Dave Allred – Son of Texas Governor James Allred & Bowie Native
1987 – Charles W. Martin – Local Cartographer for 1986 Bowie City Map
1988 – Jean Montague – Great Great Grandson of Col. Daniel Montague
1989 – Joe Brown – Farm Editor & Journalist for the Times/Record News
1990 – Tuff Hedeman – 1986 – 1989 World Champion Bull Rider
1991 – Charles Finnell – Texas State Representative, 80th District
1992 – Nell Haigood
1994 – The Heard Family – Heard’s Hardware
1997 – T.K. Ranch
1999 – Leiland Jett
2000 – J.W. & Peggy Cure – Owners of Bowie Dairy Queen
2001 – Owen Meyer
2002 – Cy Young
2003 – Juanita Allen
2004 – M. H. Henry
2005 – James Cantwell, Bowie City Manager
2006 – Area Fire Departments
2007 – Rodeo Legend Roy Cooper and his children and grand children.
2008 – Greg Evans, Superintendent of Bowie Independent School District
2009 – Emily Klement, Dean of North Central Texas College
2010 – Jean Angove, Angove Real Estate
2011 – Dick Allen, Allen’s Texaco
2012 – Paul Swint, Sue Swint Realty
2013 – Cody Lambert, PBR
2014 – Van Baize, Wellington Bank
2015 – Bobby Del Vecchio, PBR Ring of Honor Recipient
2016 – Bob and Verna Mae Brashear
2017 – Bonnie Kinder and Clyde Johnson
2018 – Bowie High School 2017-2018 Boys State Champion Basketball Team
