The Beginning of Bowling Green, Missouri
Co-contributors by Dan Lang and Mayor Jim Arico
Bowling Green is located in Pike County in northeastern Missouri. A United States Land Patent was issued to John W. Bayse on December 23, 1818, nine days after Pike County was established. Bowling Green is located “at the top of the hill” 400 feet above the surface of the Missouri River, 12 miles to the east, Bayse originally settled in Louisiana where he established this town but moved on to what is now Bowling Green. The major factor for Bayse was the presence of a large spring, Spring Hallow, which was the only steady presence of water in the immediate area. The name Bowling Green was given by John Bayse when he enticed many settlers to come from his original town of Bowling Green, Kentucky. In 1823, Bowling Green was incorporated as a city. Agriculture was the chief enterprise and is a vibrant segment of the local economy to this day.
The city of Bowling Green serves as the County Seat for Pike County. The cornerstone for the present courthouse was laid on September 13, 1917. Fire destroyed the fifth courthouse in October 1915.
Two Governors and a Statesman came from the residents of Bowling Green. Governor Robert Alexander Campbell was elected to the Missouri Legislature in 1868, became Lieutenant Governor in 1880 and briefly served as Governor. Governor Elliot W. Major was governor from 1913 to 1917. He was elected to both the Senate and as Attorney General. He was also appointed to revise the Missouri Statutes. He was elected governor in 1912 by the largest bipartisan vote ever given to a candidate for that office. The most famous citizen of Bowling Green is Champ Clark who served as a member of the US Congress for many years , presided as Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1911 to 1919 and was the Democratic National Convention candidate for President but later failed at the naming of Woodrow Wilson. Champ Clark died in 1921 and is buried in the Bowling Green Cemetary. His home in Bowling Green has been preserved and is designated a National Historic Landmark. The house is open for tours during the spring, summer, and fall months and with appointments and special events, tours are provided at no cost to the public. More to come about Bowling Green, Missouri.