Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Bowmansville, Missouri


 * The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review).  No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was keep. – bradv  🍁  14:56, 12 June 2021 (UTC)

Bowmansville, Missouri

 * – ( View AfD View log )

I attempted to expand this one, and came to a somewhat surprising conclusion: This appears to have been a business venture, not a town.

First, Ramsay refers to this as Mr. Bowman's store. Searching for coverage in old newspapers results brings up a statement that in 1916 they wouldn't put Bowmansville on the map, so Mr. Bowman complained and that it had a store, a blacksmith/wagon shop, and one residence at the time. An advertisement put out later in a local paper by Mr. Bowman indicates that he ran both the store and the blacksmith shop, as well as a mill. I also found a passing mention in a county business report that there was a single merchant at Bowmansville.

Does not appear in 1881 county history. 1918 County history has three mentions of Bowmansville - that Mr. Bowman and his sons conducted the business there, that Bowmansville consisted of Mr. Bowman's store, shop and residence, and a passing mention to Bowmansville being Mr. Bowman's store and shop when discussing the location of a nearby farm. The only person I could find ever referenced to being from Bowmansville is Mr. Bowman.

All indications is that the only thing that was ever at Bowmansville was Mr. Bowman's business enterprises and his house. While Mr. Bowman seems to have tried to pass this place off as a town, it clearly was not. This doesn't pass WP:GEOLAND since it was never populated by anyone other than the Bowmans, and I don't think there's enough coverage here to meet WP:GNG, especially since some of it appears to be affiliated with Mr. Bowman. Hog Farm Talk 18:28, 4 June 2021 (UTC)
 * Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Geography-related deletion discussions. Hog Farm Talk 18:28, 4 June 2021 (UTC)
 * Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Missouri-related deletion discussions. Hog Farm Talk 18:28, 4 June 2021 (UTC)


 * Keep as it is an historical location and shows up on USGS topographic maps. Don't think Wikipedia is running out of room. Vsmith (talk) 19:44, 4 June 2021 (UTC)


 * Weak delete, I guess. USGS topography only shows Bowmanville on select maps starting with Cornelia's in 1955. Google Maps shows Bowmansville is on a side road off Route 13 called S Division, and consists of a preschool, two churches, and less than a dozen houses (no sign of a store, blacksmith, or mill). Clearly, people still live here, but all addresses are for Warrensburg up the road.
 * However, a Google search found a page about Bowmansville that's rather detailed and has lots of photographic evidence of the place's existence, including a photo dated 1968 (note Bowmansville was first on a map in 1955; Mr. Bowman got his wish after all) and mentions of more residents than just the Bowmans; apparently, the area was settled in the 1880s by a German Baptist congregation, including a deacon named John Bowman. Unfortunately, the page I'm talking about is a blog, meaning we can't use it (though it's apparently connected to the county's historical society).
 * Bowmansville existed, but it looks like while it got on a map, it was never large enough to be considered a settlement, and I guess most of the original congregation moved out by 1916. It's very interesting, though (yes, I know "it's interesting" isn't a valid reason to keep something); I'd absolutely love to keep this, but there aren't enough sources about it. Maybe some of this information could be moved to Warrensburg, Missouri? Not sure. AdoTang (talk) 19:53, 4 June 2021 (UTC)


 * Keep: The History of Johnson County calls it a "little town."  I must admit I also find Hog Farm's finds to be delightful.  I love that Mr. Bowman complained to the papers that they wouldn't put Bowmansville on the map, and eventually it made it to USGS maps.  But for Mr. Bowman's singular obsession, there wouldn't be a case for this article.--Milowent • hasspoken  20:17, 8 June 2021 (UTC)
 * Keep passes WP:GNG.4meter4 (talk) 13:52, 12 June 2021 (UTC)


 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.