John G. Bowman's applied for a license to extend his 89 Strathmartine Road premises in 1900. When the license was refused he moved his store to 117 Strathmartine Road. His home residence in the 1900/1901 Dundee Directory was 2 Woodthorpe Buildings, Clepington Road.

George Stirling Bowman enrolled in the 10th Forfarshire Rifle Volunteer Corps, Company A, on the 7th of February 1900. He listed his occupation as grocer, employed at the Scouringburn address. In 1902 George married Jessie McIntosh Robertson and they had one daughter Elizabeth Robertson Bowman born in 1903. George served in the Fife and Forfar for three years and remained in the grocery business about five years until 1904, when he gave up his license. Later, he immigrated to Canada, leaving his wife and child behind in Scotland. George then enlisted in the 47th Batallion British Columbia Regiment in Canada in 1915. He was killed in Belgium in 1916.

Contemplating a possible move to the United States, John Guthrie Bowman visited the U.S. in 1905. He traveled on the S.S. Columbia, which departed from the Port of Glasgow and arrived at the Port of New York. John visited his brother Alexander Hogg Bowman, who was residing at 131 Pine Street, in Paterson, New Jersey.

The licensing register shows that John Bowman's liquor license continued uninterrupted till 1914. Licenses usually ran for one year. The license was granted again in April 1914, but in October 1914, William Duff, grocer's assistant, applied for a transfer of license. This request was refused. William Duff then successfully applied for a license in Broughty Ferry, in 1915, but held it for only one year.

Family folklore states that John G. Bowman was a very generous man. At the beginning of World War I, in 1914, he extended credit to many of his customers who were unable to pay in cash. His generosity, and the inability of his customers to repay their credit debt, resulted in his filing for bankruptcy in late 1914.

In April 1915, Charles Hay Marshall S.S.C. ((Solicitor (of Dundee) to the Supreme Court)) appeared as Trustee for the Creditors of John G. Bowman. At the same meeting a new licence was granted to William Stewart for a public house licence at 117 Strathmartine Road.

John Guthrie Bowman decided to move the family to the United States in order to get a new start in business. From his previous visit he decided that a small Scottish community he found, located in Kansas City, Missouri would be perfect. While Britain was at war with Germany, (World War I) John departed the Port of Liverpool on the 21st April 1916.

While enroute to the United States a German U-boat attempted to torpedo the ship John G. Bowman was on. The Captain of the ship spotted the torpedo in the water and turned the ship. Family folklore states that John was on the deck of the ship and watched as the torpedo narrowly missed the bow of the ship. That was when he made the decision that his family would not follow him to the United States until the War was over.

John chose a career in the banking business in Kansas City and established a home at 3800 Janssen Place. When World War I was over, wife, Margaret Jane Kinnear, prepared for their departure from Dundee, selling many of their household items and personal belongings which would be too costly to move. The family bible, with treasured momentos and family photograhs tucked in between the pages, at favorite bible verses, was carefully packed in a suitcase to be carried on the trip. Departing the Port of Glasgow, on the S.S. Columbia, Margaret and her four children, aged 5 years to 18, sailed to America on 20th of August, 1919.

Today, the property at 117 Strathmartine Road is occupied by Frew's Public House, which was previously the Plough Bar. The premises have expanded to fill the first floor of the tenement. The former store located at 89 Strathmartine Road appears to now be the Athletic Bar. In the mid-1900s Dundee University took over the Scouringburn area and demolished old properties in order to build new residences. The University left some of the old cobblestone roads and used the old street names, but not their addresses, so you can where Balfour Street used to be.