"It was nearly dusk on a fall day in 1920 when Virgil Bowman, then 16 years old, rode into Marion on horseback. "I'm not sure who was the most tired_ me or the horse." Said Bowman, now 61 years old and owner of six businesses.

He had left his home, a farm near Dixon Springs, earlier that morning and traveled approximately 50 miles to Marion. His possessions included a few clothes, the horse and saddle, and a desire to attend Brown's Business College, then located on West Main Street."I didn't like farm life. It was lots of hard work and very little pay," he said. Farm hands were "lucky" to get 75 cents a day for a 10-hour day," he recalled.

Today Bowman is owner and operator of five Texaco service stations in a five-county area and the Bowman Tire Mart on new Rt. 13, Marion, and is consignee and distributor for Texaco products for the five county area. He has been with Texaco for 41 years.

Bowman was born June 19, 1904 in Pope County, a son of the late John and Allie Bowman. "I walked about a mile and a half to a small country school" ( Grasty School) said Bowman, who graduated from the eighth grade before attending the business college.

Sold Horse
Recalling his first few days in Marion, Bowman said he eventually had to sell the saddle horse because he couldn’t find a place to stable it. He
enrolled in the business school for nine months, during which he studied bookkeeping and secretarial work.

His parents moved to Marion, but two years later moved back to the farm near Dixon Springs

One of his first jobs after attending the business college was with the Peabody No. 3 coal mine, where he loaded coal. "I worked some two miles
back from the shaft," said Bowman. He said the pay depended on how much coal was loaded. He then worked for William Laugh Construction Co.

In 1923 Bowman became a partner with the late Cliff Collins as consignee of Standard Oil Co. A year later he began his career with the Texaco then known as the Indian Refining Co. As a distributor for the company Bowman had to purchase his own truck to haul gasoline and kerosene. He worked on a commission basis from a plant in Marion. Bowman was both employer and employee. He drove his own truck and did all the tank installations. There are now 10 employees in the business.

Expansion
In 1926 he opened a Murphysboro bulk plant and bought more trucks. He is the distributor now for Jackson, Williamson, Union and parts of Perry and Randolph counties. When it began the company had a yearly volume of a few hundred thousand gallons of gasoline and kerosene. Today several million gallons of gasoline and fuel oil pass through the bulk plant.

Bowman services 33 station retail outlets and a number of large consumer accounts. He owns five stations; the Texas Company owns several and others are leased.

In 1963, Bowman was joined in business by his son, Jack, now 27. The Bowmans transport their own products and have two 8,000 gallon transports. Fuel is hauled directly from the refinery in Lawrenceville. Bowman’s business ventures have not been limited to his distributorship. From 1944 to 1955 he was partner with Jack Tanner in operating the Bowman and Tanner sporting goods and appliance store in Marion. In 1948 he began the Oldsmobile dealership in Murphysboro. He sold the business in 1956.

Tire Mart
In 1943 he signed a distributorship with B. F. Goodrich Rubber Co. to operate a wholesale outlet. In 1954 he opened a retail tire and recap plant that recently expanded to the new Bowman Tire Mart building on Rt. 13. John Katusa is manager and stockholder of the tire mart which has 13 employees.

In 1937 Bowman was active in organizing the Bank of Marion. He is a stockholder, director and vice-president of the bank. "I do not intend to retire but hope to be able to turn over more obligations to Jack so I can take off a couple of days occasionally to fish, hunt and play golf," Bowman said.

Bowman’s mode of transportation has changed considerably from the horse he used to travel to Marion. He owns and flies a Commanche 260. "I enjoy hunting, fishing and golf," Bowman said. He recently flew his plane to South Dakota for a few days of pheasant hunting. Other expeditions include deer and antelope hunting in Wyoming.
Bowman, his wife, Beulah and son live in Marion. They have two daughters and three grandchildren.