Bowie, TX was to be an overnight stop and then back on the road. The truck did not even get unhooked. There is not much to Bowie and even less to the Passport Park we are staying in. Getting ready to leave this morning we each did our usual walk around and then we checked lights. For some reason the left tail light would light yet no signal, emergency flasher or break light; yikes! No worry, call Good Sam Roadside Assistance. Yikes again; it is Memorial Day and no Mobile RV Repair is available. The best they can do is tomorrow morning. We also tried to locate someone with no luck.
John is mechanically and electrically inclined so he began troubleshooting. We changed the bulb, socket, and reworked the wires. The amp meter says it has juice and should work but the bulb will not light. We gave up; too much stress.
Okay so we are in Bowie for the day, hopefully that is all, now what to do. We thought Bowie was named after Jim Bowie, and that is possible. Also possible is that Bowie was named after a popular workman on the railroad named Buie. The town was settled in the 1860s but was not laid out until 1882 after the Fort Worth and Denver railroad was built and residents applied for a post office. By 1885 Bowie had three hotels, a newspaper, schools, churches and a bank and it was the market center for ranchers between Dallas and Wichita Falls. In 1893, Bowie had another rail line, the Chicago, Rock Island and Texas. Bowie reached its peak in the 1980s with a population of 5,818 and more than 150 businesses. In the 2000 census the population was 5,219.
Not being able to find much information on what Bowie has to offer tourists we headed for the center of town. The town is similar to many other Texas towns we have visited – a main street of older buildings some vacant and some vibrant businesses.
Sweet Boy’s Diner
Main Street Downtown
What we did find in Bowie was S&H Green Stamps or at least a sign. The sign was at a gas station on the main highway. It brought back memories of our moms and grandmothers and their Green Stamp Books.
Vintage with Modern
S&H Green Stamps available
In town there is a small park commemorating the Chisholm Trail. The cowboys and cattle passed through Bowie on their way north. The park has cutouts of a life size herd of Longhorns and two roving cowboys recalling the cattle drives along the Chisholm Trail.
Cattle Drive
Chisholm Trail Map
Historic Marker for Chisholm Trail
While there is not much for tourists to see and do in Bowie, the people are friendly and helpful. Everyone we met wanted to assist us with our electrical problem. Thank you all especially the older gentlemen at the O’Reilly Parts Store. Our biggest thanks go out to Carolyn and Rich our internet friends; John and Rich brainstormed and troubleshot via phone calls. It is always great to have someone to discuss problems and work on solutions. Rich would give John assignments and John would complete them and report results. So far nothing has corrected the problem. Hopefully tomorrow morning will bring results!
Lazy Days RV Park
Pond and Play Area at Lazy Days
