James Bowman was one of the most significant agriculturalists in Guelph history. He was the early Canadian leader in the breeding of Aberdeen Angus cattle and exhibited widely, winning major prizes at the St. Louis World's Fair, the Chicago International, the Canadian National, the Royal Winter Fair, and the Guelph Winter Fair, among many others. In 1890 he purchased the Thomas Sandilands farm known as "Maxwellton" on the western edge of Guelph (Paisley Road). He renamed it and the house "Elm Park" and it is one of the finest in the region, having been designated by the city. J. Bowman was several times president of the Ontario and Canadian Aberdeen Angus Associations. He was inducted into the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame in 1962. Wesley Ham, Vice-President of Beatty Bros. Ltd. and owner of Glen Angus Farms, purchased half of J. Bowman's Aberdeen-Angus herd in 1942.
From the description of Journals of James Bowman, Oct. 31, 1886-Jan. 1944. 1886- 1944. (University of Guelph). WorldCat record id: 628918885
