A Look Back: Col. William A. Bowen’s Namesake Street Runs Through Three Cities
Arlington Journal publisher "Col."William A. Bowen, is pictured in a suit on the right side of this photo.
The names of streets often reflect a sort of passing history. Think of such names as a remembrance of persons of such importance that their identities become transportation road marks worthy of Google searches, map designations and - sometimes - long and anguished Planning and Zoning sessions sorting out land use development along their route.
More often than not, the streets survive far longer than their namesakes.
Consider just one such example: Bowen Road. Its namesake, Arlington Journal publisher "Col."William A. Bowen, hit it lucky with his road. It passes through a long section of Arlington, plus the entire north-to-south eastern boundaries of both Pantego and Dalworthington Gardens. Though it dead-ends today at Sublett Road, the City's master plan calls for it to eventually be expanded ever further southward.
Bowen served as publisher/editor of the paper from 1908 until 1921, his very first column prophetically anointing Arlington to be "the best city for homes and education and small factories in North Texas."Though his 13-year tenure was short and he died in 1921, he influenced the transition of Grubb's Vocational School to become part of Texas A&M (UT System today), persuaded voters to ditch, so to speak, their septic tanks in favor of the city's first sewage treatment system, and - ever the community booster - he ramrodded creation of a chamber of commerce. The road was named for him after his death. The colonel would have liked that.
This article was written by Arlington author and historian O.K. Carter, who serves on the Landmark Preservation Commission.
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