Eldon Bowman collection of Bowman family papers

Access and use

Location of collection:
James Madison University
Second Floor Room 203, MSC 1704
Carrier Library
James Madison University
880 Madison Drive
Harrisonburg, VA 22807
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Tiffany Cole
Phone: (540) 568-3444
Phone: (540) 568-3612
Fax: (540) 568-3405
Restrictions:

Collection is open for research with the exception of Bowman correspondence from 1997-2019, which is restricted until July 15, 2035 per the amended donor agreement.

Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact research services staff at library-special@jmu.edu before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.

Original audiocassettes contained in this collection are restricted from access. Reformatted access copies may be available, or media reformatting may be available upon request.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).

Preferred citation:

[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Eldon Bowman Collection of Bowman Family Papers, 1797-2019, SC 0328, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.

Summary

Extent:
2.8 cubic feet 6 boxes, 2 audiocassettes and 118 Megabytes 46 digital files
Creator:
Bowman family and Bowman, Eldon L.
Abstract:
The Eldon Bowman Collection of Bowman Family Papers, 1797-2019, comprises genealogical materials (photocopied and original), correspondence, and family papers related to the Bowman family of Rockingham County, Virginia specifically the Eli Martin Bowman (1861-1950) and Amanda Hollar Bowman (1865-1936) line.
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Eldon Bowman Collection of Bowman Family Papers, 1797-2019, SC 0328, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.

Background

Scope and content:

The Eldon Bowman Collection of Bowman Family Papers, 1797-2019, comprises genealogical materials (photocopied and original), correspondence, family papers, and financial and legal documents related to the Bowman family of Rockingham County, Virginia specifically the Eli Martin Bowman (1861-1950) and Amanda Hollar Bowman (1865-1936) line.

Since the collection contains original and photocopied documents, dates were applied to documents according to the date the original document was created and not when it was reproduced. Researchers should note that while genealogical materials are primarily arranged in Series 2: Genealogical Files, materials found within Series 1: Family Papers and Correspondence may also relate to Bowman and related family genealogies.

Biographical / historical:

Given the genealogical focus of this collection, this biographical note is not intended to serve as an exhaustive description of the Bowman family tree, which would largely duplicate the information found within the collection materials. Researchers are encouraged to review Series 2: Genealogy Files for more detailed genealogical information on the Bowman, Hollar, Lahman, and Wenger families. Published genealogies on these families are also available for additional context.

The Eldon Bowman Collection of Bowman Family Papers primarily documents the Eli Martin Bowman (1861-1950) and Amanda Hollar Bowman (1865-1936) line of the Bowmans of Rockingham County, Virginia. Eli Bowman was the great-great-grandson of George and Barbara Bowman who immigrated to Pennsylvania from Germany in the late 1740s. The Bowmans moved to Rockingham County in the early 1770s and erected the "Bowman House" which is now part of the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton. The descendants of Eli and Amanda Bowman documented in this collection include their son Luther Alexander Bowman (1884-1952) and his wife Otilla May Lahman (1891-1966), Luther and Otilla's son Millard Lahman Bowman (1914-1997) and his wife Oma Frances Wenger (1913-2002), and their nine children including Eldon Bowman (b. 1942) and Bernie Bowman (b. 1947). Many of the Bowmans were members of the Mennonite Church and were farmers by trade. Millard Bowman owned and operated a dairy and turkey farm with his family just outside of Harrisonburg. Eldon and Bernie Bowman as well as their siblings Jim, Daniel, and Miriam Haarer are all published authors. Their books include memoirs, genealogies, and family histories.

Acquisition information:
The collection was donated by Eldon Bowman in four separate accruals between 2019 and 2024.
Appraisal information:

Printed materials and monographs already held by Special Collections or deemed out of the collecting scope of Special Collections, yearbooks, and genealogy website printouts were not retained and were returned to the donor.

Custodial history:

Much of the family papers and genealogical research that form this collection were compiled and stewarded by Eldon Bowman's father Millard, and then by Eldon after Millard's death in 1997. Bernie Bowman, Eldon's brother, is also a contributor to the collection. A selection of his writings - published and unpublished - are included.

Processing information:

The bulk of the materials were provided by the donor in labeled envelopes and binders. The donor's descriptions and folder titles were largely retained, and in cases where descriptions were substantive, a scope and content note is included at the folder level. The binders and envelopes were discarded.

Audiocassettes listed in the container list have not been reformatted but can be made available upon request.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into four series and further arranged chronologically. Exceptions to this arrangement were made in order to group like materials together specifically Hollar family genealogy research files.

  1. Family Papers and Correspondence, 1849-2019
  2. Genealogy Files, 1797-2018
  3. 2024-0604 Accession, circa 1850-1985
  4. 2024-0725 Accession, circa 1875-1990
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard