Bowmansville, Missouri facts for kids

Bowmansville was a small, unnamed community in Johnson County, Missouri. It was never officially made into a town. You could find it about three miles south of Warrensburg, near a road called Missouri Route 13. A small stream called Fletcher Creek flowed nearby.

A Look Back at Bowmansville's History

How Bowmansville Started

This small community began around 1880. It was settled by a group of people called German Baptists. One important person in this group was a deacon named John Bowman.

The Man Behind the Name

A local businessman named J. B. Bowman played a big role. He owned several businesses there. Mr. Bowman really wanted his group of shops to be known as "Bowmansville."

In 1916, he even tried to get Bowmansville put on official maps. At that time, the community had a store, a blacksmith shop (where metal items were made), a wagon repair shop, and just one house.

Life in Bowmansville

Mr. Bowman was very busy. By 1927, he was running the store, the blacksmith shop, and a mill. A mill is a place where grain is ground into flour.

By 1929, reports about local businesses showed that Bowmansville still had only one main merchant. This was likely Mr. Bowman himself.

A Unique Community

A history book from 1918, called History of Johnson County Missouri, described Bowmansville as a special place. It said that the store and the shop were the only businesses there.

The book also mentioned that it was probably unique in Missouri. All the people living in Bowmansville were friendly and worked together like one big family. The people of Johnson County often called it the "little town" of Bowmansville.