When the nation celebrated its bicentennial in 1976, some folks in Bowdon got an idea.

“When we celebrated as a nation in 1976, that is also when Founder’s Day became a standard practice in Bowdon,” said Judy Rowell, a member of the town’s Historical Society. “Founder’s Day is an important event in Bowdon. It brings a lot of people into Bowdon from other communities — especially on Saturday when we have the parade and fireworks.”

Founder’s Day commemorates Bowdon’s establishment 156 years ago. Though Founder’s Day is held annually the first weekend of August, it will actually begin this year on Friday, July 31, though most of the activities will be Saturday, Aug. 1.

Janis Duncan, president of the Bowdon Area Historical Society, said settlers came to Bowdon in 1853 and used rope and a plow to mark off the first plot of the town. Today those original lines would closely follow Highways 166 and 100.

Bowdon’s history, Duncan said, is important to everyone living in the community and should be shared and celebrated through events such as Founder’s Day. Founder’s Day is the largest celebration held in the city each year.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Bowdon was a prosperous town with manufacturers thriving in the city. As many of the plants closed, businesses and shops slowly left the historic downtown district. An effort to revitalize Bowdon has helped bring shopping options to local residents.

“We are down as far as the number of businesses, but many of us are very determined to keep Bowdon going,” Duncan said. “Founder’s Day says we are proud of Bowdon and will continue in its tradition. We have an active Historical Society and believe it is important to celebrate the past and remember how we got where we were. We need to try and communicate this to the young people. Progress and history go together.”

The Historical Society, which sponsors Founder’s Day, showcases the city and its history through living museum exhibits to more than 3,000 people during the weekend celebration.

Since farmers first created the boundaries of the town, a college, robust town life, numerous churches and industries opened in Bowdon and helped and became part of the city’s history.

Soon after the town’s inception, Bowdon College was created before the Civil War began and became central to the town’s growth and vitalization. But the college closed with the absence of so many men who had joined ranks in the war. The college, which was one of the first in Georgia, reopened after the war and was an incentive for many families to move into the town — including Duncan’s great-grandfather who moved to Bowdon in 1894 from Heard County.

“A lot of families came to Bowdon because of the college, and Bowdon grew, becoming a booming town,” Duncan said. “Bowdon has always had a proud heritage. It began primarily as an agrarian society and then changed with the manufacturing industries moving in.”

Duncan said Bowdon’s contributions have even extended all the way to the moon, where the handle bar grips made from the rubber plant in Bowdon were used by the astronauts.

“Even for those that live in Bowdon, Founder’s Day is a chance for everyone to be reminded of the history and be proud of Bowdon,” she said. “There have been a lot of people that have moved in and are new to the area that don’t know that much about Bowdon.”

Entertainment will begin July 31 at 5:30 p.m. at Heritage Park. On Aug. 1, the 5K run will start at 8 a.m. and the one-mile walk will start at 7:30 a.m. The parade, which will features floats from local businesses, churches and community groups will start at 10 a.m. A fireworks show is scheduled later that night. In between will be arts and crafts and food vendors and live music.