James F. Bowman

[1] Bowman occasionally appeared in public to read his own poetry, and was mentioned in the Daily Morning Call for giving a recitation at a Fourth of July celebration in San Francisco, 1864.

In 1865, the daily Dramatic Chronicle began publication in San Francisco as a theatre and literary review, under the direction of teenager brothers Charles and Michael de Young.

[6] Bowman died in 1882, and Ambrose Bierce wrote a moving elegy which was published in the San Francisco Wasp on May 5:[6] How well this man unfolded to our view     The world's beliefs of Death and Heaven and Hell—     This man whose own convictions none could tell,Nor if his maze of reason had a clew.Dogmas he wrote for daily bread, but knew     The fair philosophies of doubt so well     That while we listened to his words there fellSome that were strangely comforting if true.Marking how wise we grew upon his doubt,     We said: "If so, by groping in the night,     He can proclaim some certain paths of trust,How great our profit if he saw about     His feet the highways leading to the light."

Both husband and wife were very active in forming the men-only Bohemian Club in 1872, along with other journalists and artists such as Bierce, Daniel "Dan" O'Connell, Frederick Whymper and Benoni Irwin,[8] and Margaret Bowman was elected by acclamation to honorary member status at the first formal Bohemian meeting, held in the Bowman home.

[7] Margaret Bowman died on July 10, 1886, a year after an apoplectic stroke, and her funeral and burial were conducted under the auspices of the Bohemian Club.