[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 77 (Monday, May 16, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E709]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         CELEBRATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CITY OF BOWIE

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                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 16, 2016

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to mark an important milestone in the 
history of the Fifth District and the State of Maryland. This year, the 
City of Bowie celebrates the centennial of its incorporation, which 
took place on April 18, 1916. In the intervening century, Bowie has 
grown and flourished, becoming the fifth-largest city in Maryland and a 
vibrant and diverse community.
  Bowie has its roots in a small village called Huntington City that 
developed in 1870 alongside a railroad depot named for Maryland 
Governor Oden Bowie, a local resident who had been instrumental in 
bringing the railroad to the area. Within twelve years, the village had 
grown into a small town of several streets lined with shops and houses, 
which was renamed Bowie after the rail station. When the Town of Bowie 
was first incorporated in 1916, its first commissioners were R.P. 
Watts, William Luers, and Thomas P. Littlepage, who held their town 
meetings in the Knights of St. John Hall, which still stands today.
  In the 1950's, Bowie began to spread south of the original railroad 
settlement to include new suburban developments. These included Belair 
at Bowie, whose annexation by the Town of Bowie marked the beginning of 
today's City of Bowie. Today, the city operates under the same charter 
as it adopted in 1916 and is home to approximately 56,000 Marylanders. 
While still retaining the feel of a small town, Bowie has grown to 
include a number of new suburban developments that have brought 
diversity and economic opportunity that are benefitting the residents 
of Bowie and the surrounding area.
  I'm honored to represent the City of Bowie and its residents in 
Congress. Bowie continues to follow an upward trajectory of growth and 
development, and I look forward to continuing to work with the Mayor 
and city officials to ensure that Bowie has all the resources it 
requires to succeed. I hope my colleagues will join me in marking this 
important milestone for Bowie and wishing it much success as it enters 
its second century of incorporation.

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