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Volume I Issue 1 Bowmanville Business Centre May, 1994 BOWMAN ACQUIRES ANOTHER STORE BOWMANVILLE, FROM THE WEST (CIRCA 1880) The year was 1824, when a man with the unusual name of Lewis Lewis sold his general merchandise store to Mr. Charles Bowman. Bowman. Mr. Lewis . had opened the first store in what was then called Darlington Darlington Mills four years ear- lier, in 1820, Bowman appointed Robert Fairbaim as the manager of his store in what was then known as Darlington Mills. Charles Bowman, about whom very little is known, was a Scotsman from the Arbroath area, and evidently evidently a man of means. He was described as a Scottishman "possessing in a large degree degree the natural characteristics characteristics of the race, prominent among which are caution, foresight, perseverance and frugality".. As a successful businessman, he had stores in various settlements, including including one at Colborne, with his headquarters in Montreal. For his part, he spent much of his time purchasing purchasing merchandise to sell from firms in the Old Country. Besides having ville (1828), he acquired a considerable amount of land on which the town now stands - the one, probably probably having a lot to do with the other. In the same year in which he purchased the store from Lewis Lewis, what was then known as Darlington Mills. Mr. Fair- bairn, too, was from Scotland, Scotland, having been born near Dunce in Berwickshire. After After apprenticing at an early age in the dry goods business business with a brother in Haddington Haddington and, after two attempts attempts at business in the World. It took him three months to cross the Atlantic in a ship which had a drunken Captain in charge, and during which everyone on board was several times on the point of starvation, saved only by help from passing ships. At last, he reached Norfolk, Virginia, tion in Bowman's newly acquired store, Fairbaim was sent a young lad, John Simpson, who was about 12 years of age at the time. Simpson began as a clerk in order to acquire a knowledge knowledge of the business. In six short years, John Simpson rose in Bowman's organization organization to be given full control control at the age of only 18. Sometime later, Charles Bowman took him into the business as a full partner, when the business became known as Bowman and Company. In six short years, John Simpson rose in Bowman's organization to be given full control at the age ofonly 18. By the late 1830's, due to the able management of its young chief executive, the Bowman business enterprises enterprises in town began to outstrip their competition. It must not be forgotten that to succeed in business at this early period of the country's history, that a large amount of capital was required. It was also impossible impossible to carry on any kind of enterprise on a cash basis. basis. Due to the very wealthy nature of Bowman's success, success, the firm of Bowman and Co. had unlimited credit credit and were able to issue IOU's as "shin plasters", which were accepted as paper currency. Simpson went on to be elected a member of the Legislative Council and later later was appointed a Senator in Ottawa. Of Charles Bowman, Bowman, little more is known, except that he died in 1848, a wealthy man. Mr. Bowman appointed the store in (what soon be- Robert Fairbaim as the Old Country, he decided to more dead than alive, came known as) Bowman- manager of his store in seek his fortune in the New After assuming his posi