Monthly Archives: March 2017

Bill Bowen is the Toast of the Town

Dalton | March 29, 2017

Bill Bowen will be honored as the Toast of the Town by the Family Support Council. The annual tradition continues for the 28th year and will be at The Farm on June 1.

Bill Bowen was born and raised in Dalton, as his parents, grandparents and great-grandparents were instrumental in Dalton and Whitfield County’s early development. He attended Dalton Public Schools through eighth grade, then attended and graduated from The McCallie School in Chattanooga. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he earned a degree in business.

Bowen returned to Dalton in 1971 to join his father in the family business, Bowen Brothers, a construction supply business. After his father’s death in 1972, Bill guided the company through the phenomenal growth that Dalton experienced in the 1970s and 1980s. He then joined Hardwick Bank in 1991 where he worked until the bank was sold in 2001. He then realized his dream of opening a small, railroad-themed coffee shop in downtown Dalton called Pentz Street Station. He said, “This was my way of giving back in a small way to the redevelopment of downtown Dalton.” The coffee shop quickly became a gathering place for many locals for several years until he sold the business in 2012.

Since 2012, Bowen has taken on the role of “volunteer extraordinaire.” He was always involved in the Boy Scouts of America, but really dove in in 2012 and was honored by them in 2016 for his tireless work. He also volunteers at the Salvation Army and RossWoods Adult Daycare Services and is a Rotary Club of Dalton member where he serves as a trustee of the Georgia Rotary Student Program. He is also very active with the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society with an emphasis on restoration of the Huff House.

Bowen always makes sure to allow time for his family, especially travels with his wife Ann, and spending time with his children, Macie and Will, and their four grandchildren, Ginny, Mary Beth, William and Ollie. Bill and Ann are active members of Dalton First United Methodist Church and volunteer there as well.

For information or reservations, contact the Family Support Council at (706) 272-7919.