Bowdon was founded by Richard Sykes in 1899, after his home town of Bowdon, England. Sykes was an officer of the Northern Pacific Railroad. The Northern Pacific Railroad received large amounts of land from the US Government. Along and near the NP rail line, new towns sprang up to serve the settlers, the track-laying crews, and other “tame and tough” frontier citizens. Bowdon was one such town, and for many years marked the “end” of the railroad line. The great old locomotive engine was turned around on a “V” at the west edge of Bowdon. A switch arrangement turned the engine around and hooked it to the other end of the railroad cars, returning them to Carrington. The railroad’s grand plan to settle the west became a reality. Now, immigrants of ethnic variety came in large numbers, and eastern merchants had a way to freight their goods to the western market.

Merchants, businessmen and doctors came to settle in Bowdon. Over the years, the little community boasted two blacksmith shops, a livery stable, a weekly newspaper (The Bowdon Guardian) and two hotels. At “The Golden West Hotel,” 1905 rates were a bargain at $1.00 a day! Also in town were grocery and dry-goods stores, a drugstore, and a harness and shoemaker shop. There were banks, a Post Office, hardware stores and visiting “eye specialists.” Homemaker clubs, Boy Scouts, 4-H groups and other civic organizations emerged. At one time there were five elevators, a cream station and a meat market. Later came three car dealerships, two gas stations and an electric plant.