Bowman, South Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bowman, South Carolina
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Town hall
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Location in Orangeburg County, South Carolina
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| Country | United States |
| State | South Carolina |
| County | Orangeburg |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.18 sq mi (3.05 km2) |
| • Land | 1.18 sq mi (3.05 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 144 ft (44 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 788 |
| • Density | 669.50/sq mi (258.54/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
29018
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| Area code(s) | 803, 839 |
| FIPS code | 45-07840 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1246954 |
Bowman is a small town located in Orangeburg County, South Carolina, in the United States. In 2010, about 968 people lived there. This number was a bit lower than in 2000, when 1,198 people called Bowman home. By 2020, the population was 788.
Contents
Geography of Bowman
Bowman is found at specific coordinates: 33.347658 degrees north and 80.683915 degrees west. The United States Census Bureau says the town covers about 1.2 square miles (3.1 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
History of Bowman
People became interested in building a town where US 178 and S.C. 210 meet. This was in 1887, when Samuel W. Dibble, Sr. bought a lot of land from the Reddick A. Bowman estate. Another person, Thomas M. Raysor, wanted to buy the Smoak Tramway. This was a six-mile logging railroad that started in 1884. These actions helped develop the area for farming and lumber. This all happened before the Town of Bowman was officially created.
The spot chosen for Bowman was once a rice farming area. Later, it became a big cotton-producing region. The land here has a special clay soil that is great for these crops. Bowman is on an old road that people used to travel on during colonial times. This road went from Charleston to Orangeburg. Some people say this area was known as Oak Ridge, a plateau about ten miles long.
One of the oldest companies still running in Bowman is V.P. Kiser Lumber Company. They now make pine shingles. Some wood from this company was even used to build Bowman's unique UFO Welcome Center.
Tornado in Bowman
On the afternoon of December 5, 1977, a tornado hit the downtown area of Bowman. It came from the west, following Highway 210. Three people were hurt, but no one was killed. The streets were covered in glass and other debris. Some trailers were destroyed, and buildings lost their roofs. There was also a power outage.
Bowman Post Office
Before Bowman was founded, mail came from Orangeburg by horse and buggy. This happened only once or twice a week. The first post office in Bowman was in John W. Berry's store. He was a pioneer merchant and the first postmaster. His store was also his home and had the first telephone line between Bowman and Branchville. People had to pick up their mail from the post office. This changed in the early 1900s when rural routes were set up. Mail carriers then delivered mail outside the town. By 1907, there were three rural mail routes. Later, a fourth route was added. Today, Bowman has two mail routes.
Bowman War Memorial
In 1987, a special monument and an eternal flame were built in Bowman. This memorial honors the people from Bowman who died while serving in wars.
- James Edward Easterlin
- John Wesley Weathers
- John Moorer Livingston
- James Edmund Berry
- Thomas Richard Edwards
- Leonard Everett Berry
- George Arthur Kemmerlin
- Benjamin Franklin Knight
- James Allen Johnson
- Henry Dennis West, III
- Jessie Clarence Felder
UFO Welcome Center
Bowman is famous for its unique UFO Welcome Center. This is a fun roadside attraction that many people visit. It's even been called "Major Fun" by Roadside America!
Population and Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 134 | — | |
| 1910 | 327 | 144.0% | |
| 1920 | 733 | 124.2% | |
| 1930 | 754 | 2.9% | |
| 1940 | 799 | 6.0% | |
| 1950 | 857 | 7.3% | |
| 1960 | 1,106 | 29.1% | |
| 1970 | 1,095 | −1.0% | |
| 1980 | 1,137 | 3.8% | |
| 1990 | 1,063 | −6.5% | |
| 2000 | 1,198 | 12.7% | |
| 2010 | 968 | −19.2% | |
| 2020 | 788 | −18.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 Census Information
In 2020, Bowman had 788 people living in the town. There were 317 households and 150 families. Most of the people in Bowman were Black or African American, making up about 68.78% of the population. White residents made up about 27.41%. A small number of people identified as Native American (0.25%), Asian (0.13%), or other/mixed races (2.66%). About 0.76% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
See also
In Spanish: Bowman (Carolina del Sur) para niños
