Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Bowden. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1924Horton sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Bowden.
The story so far
Bowden, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Bowden yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Bowden is a census-designated place (CDP) in Randolph County, West Virginia, United States. Bowden is located on U.S. Route 33, 7.5 miles (12.1 km) east of Elkins. Bowden has a post office with ZIP code 26254. According to the 2020 Census, there were no inhabitants residing at this location (which is down from nine at 2010).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Bowden in 1916
Passages that mention Bowden, cut from the printed page as they were published.
A history of Randolph County, West Virginia, from its earliest exploration and settlement to the present time1916 · page 151Read the page →
Read the text
Reminiscences of the Civil War" relates his experience in capturing a squad of Federals, who were stationed at the John Taylor Burnt House on Cheat River, about a mile above the present village of Bowden. He says: "After we left the Upper Sinks and got down Shavers Mountain near the Glady Fork of Cheat we were informed that there was a company of Federal soldiers encamped over on the Main Cheat River at the Taylor Burnt House. So we got together and held a
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
By decade
No old photos in the archives yet
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
