A Brief History

Bowman Field was established in 1960 by two friends, Win Bowen and Royston "Stubby" Lyman. Before it's repurposing, the land on which Bowman sits was cow pasture and hay fields. The first hangar on the property was built from used lumber from the old cow barn. Win and Stubby had a dream of creating a small grass strip that would provide aviation enthusiasts an opportunity to chase their dreams. In the 60's Bowman hosted the Air National Guards annual bivouac. For a weekend a year, military operations and equipment graced the airfield and surrounding fields. Lights were strung along the runway so night operations could be held. Ken remembers L-19's and Beavers landing at Bowman during those weekends along with many others. Before the Club's annual Fly-In became an annual event, EAA used to host an experimental fly-in at the field. The EAA event held competitions such as flour bombing and toilet paper cutting. As years went on, the community grew and more hangers were built and a club membership was formed. Today, the flying club manages and maintains this airport.