Who were the people who owned the houses and buildings that form the border of the map?
The people who owned the houses and buildings that form the map's borders were overwhelmingly lawyers, doctors, clerks, agriculturists, and pioneers who played prominent roles in establishing Urbana's judicial and economic landscape dating back to the 1830s. Bowman's inclusion of individual homes visually prioritized on the same level as the community's civic buildings and businesses would have pleased these wealthy landowners.
Each picture shows a person or enterprise in their most idyllic setting, whether it's Alonzo Campbell's beautifully kept lawn or Pratt & Brothers enjoying a prosperous day of work with their lumber in high demand. These margins are where Bowman diverged from recreating the realistic confines of the town's geography to creating more idealized images which convey the cities’ sense of accomplished civility. While it is not accurate to every citizen's lived experience at the time, it does reflect a proud desire to show Urbana-West Urbana as prosperous emerging towns in Illinois' heartland.