A Guide to the Bowman Family Papers, 1835-1990

Biographical Note

Members of Bowman family first came to Texas about 1833, when Jesse B. Bowman crossed the Red River from Arkansas territory, apparently followed soon after by other family members. Jesse and his son Joseph Bowman became involved in the growing conflict between American settlers and the Mexican government, and Jesse Bowman was listed among those killed in the Battle of the Alamo in 1836.

His son and descendants settled in the area of Houston and Anderson Counties, where they engaged in farming and small businesses in a number of small communities. Members of the family continued to reside in the area at the time of the donation of the family papers.

References

Groneman, Bill. "Jesse Bowman." Handbook of Texas Online, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fboaa.

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Scope and Content Note

Correspondence, legal and financial documents, personal items, collected research material and photographs are part of the Bowman family papers, providing information on business and personal activities and family history and genealogy.

Most of the original material in the papers is associated with the family of Joel Harrison Bowman (1864-1936) and consists of a miscellany of items. Notable are family letters dating from 1871, interspersed with some business-related letters; several chattel mortgages for livestock; property and poll tax receipts; membership certificates for the Neighbors Aid Association of Palestine, Texas; a phrenological chart for Joel H. Bowman, listing the characteristics ascribed by the examiner; and a contract and two reports from 1902-1904 for teachers in the Denson Springs, Texas, school.

A separate series includes material collected and produced by family members and others in researching the history of the Bowman family. These include photocopies of documents from various sources, including items associated with the military service of individuals during the Texas Revolution; land grants and deeds, family records, and published material. The series also gathers correspondence among individuals researching the family and material related to the placement of a state historical marker at Guiceland Cemetery in Houston County, Texas, the burial place of Joseph T. Bowman and other family members.

Photographs include images of several generations of various family branches. Most are informal snapshots; there are also some copy prints. The photos are organized by individual and family names. Also found are photographs of monuments, historical markers, and grave markers.

When received, the Bowman family papers had been mounted and labeled in two three-ring binders. They were removed from the pages for preservation purposes, but prior to this step the pages were photocopied to show their configuration. These copies are included with the papers. The album pages had also been copied and distributed in volume form under the title Alamo Defender: Jesse B. Bowman and Descendants.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

No restrictions. The collection is open for research.

Usage Restrictions

Please be advised that the library does not hold the copyright to most of the material in its archival collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to secure those rights when needed. Permission to reproduce does not constitute permission to publish. The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming to the laws of copyright, literary property rights, and libel.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Bowman Family Papers, 1835-1990, Col 7424, Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library, San Antonio, Texas.

Acquisition Information

Gift of J. B. Ferrell, 1994 March.

Processing Information

Processed by Warren Stricker, 2002 September.

Finding aid edited and encoded by Caitlin Donnelly, 2010 October.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

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