Bowman Milling: 150

In 1858, Napoleon III escaped an assassination attempt, Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" was played for the first time at the wedding of Queen Victoria's daughter, John Brown organized a raid on the arsenal at Harpers Ferry, the first mailboxes were installed in Boston and New York, Minnesota was admitted as the 32nd state, the first Lincoln-Douglas debate was held in Illinois, a fee (50 cents) was charged for the first time to see a baseball game (New York beat Brooklyn 22-18), and the first Macy's department store opened in New York City.

And Bowman Milling Co. opened for business in Pocahontas, a then-bustling trade center in northern Cape Girardeau County.

Bowman Milling is still going strong after 150 years, and unless there's another contender we don't know about, Bowman Milling lays claim to being the oldest business still in operation anywhere in the county.

Recently, Bowman Milling held a party to celebrate its 150 years of business. When it started, it produced flour. In 1921, the demand was for livestock feed, and the milling company started satisfying customers that today stretch from the St. Louis area all the way to the Arkansas border.

Congratulations to Bowman Milling on its milestone, and we expect the company has many more years of business to come as it continues to find ways to meet the needs of its customers.