▁B owie ▁Race ▁Track . ▁The ▁race ▁track ▁is ▁now ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁E quest rian ▁Center ▁owned ▁by ▁Prince ▁George ' s ▁County . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 0 , ▁the ▁town ▁was ▁incorpor ated ▁by ▁the ▁Maryland ▁General ▁Assembly . ▁A ▁volunte er ▁fire ▁department ▁was ▁organized ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 6 , ▁and ▁the ▁Mar l borough ▁Fire ▁Association ▁was ▁incorpor ated ▁the ▁following ▁year . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 8 ▁Michael ▁Green , ▁an ▁African - American ▁man ▁accused ▁of ▁assault ing ▁a ▁white ▁woman , ▁was ▁taken ▁from ▁the ▁country ▁j ail ▁and ▁h anged ▁from ▁a ▁tree ▁outside ▁of ▁town . ▁An ▁" ir on ▁bridge ▁just ▁between ▁the ▁town ▁and ▁the ▁rail road ▁dep ot " ▁was ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁two ▁more ▁l yn ch ings . ▁Joseph ▁Verm ill ion ▁was ▁killed ▁there ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 9 ▁and ▁Stephen ▁Williams ▁met ▁the ▁same ▁fate ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 4 . ▁ ▁Since ▁its ▁initial ▁conception ▁the ▁town ▁has ▁changed ▁quite ▁a ▁bit . ▁It ▁initially ▁bo omed ▁as ▁a ▁port ▁town ▁for ▁to b acco ▁trade , ▁but ▁the ▁clear ing ▁and ▁cultiv ation ▁of ▁land ▁for ▁far ming ▁would ▁lead ▁to ▁er os ion ▁in ▁the ▁area . ▁Over ▁the ▁years ▁this ▁er os ion ▁caused ▁sed iment ation , ▁leading ▁the ▁Western ▁Branch ▁to ▁become ▁un n avig able . ▁The ▁fields ▁of ▁to b acco ▁that ▁once ▁domin ated ▁the ▁area ▁have ▁been ▁converted