Some February news snippets from the Past

As I continue to review old newspapers, looking for historical tidbits about Bovina, I stumble across little news items about Bovina people. Here's what showed up in February over the past:

The Bloomville Mirror reported in its February 25, 1862 that a "new Post Office has been established near Davis' old stand on the Kingston Turnpike in the town of Bovina, be known as 'Bovina Valley.'" Andrew Strangeway was appointed the first postmaster there. This post office, located at "The Hook," existed until 1903.

The Catskill Mountain News of February 7, 1913 carried a report from the Andes Recorder that a new boiler for the Dry Milk Plant in Bovina had been delivered. The report noted that the new boiler "was unloaded from Delaware and Northern at Andes on to a truck Tuesday and Wednesday was hauled to Bovina. The boiler weighed
six tons and three teams were used. At the head of Delaware avenue the front axle of the truck broke but was fixed by the use of iron plates and the trip was made without further trouble."

The Stamford Mirror-Recorder for February 17, 1926, reported an accident that befell Mrs. Abigail Fuller. The Bovina Center correspondent reported that while Mrs. Fuller "was after coal she had the misfortune to fall and break her arm at the wrist." Fortunately, Dr. Thomson of Delhi was making a call at James Barnhart's and was called to check on Mrs. Fuller. The paper reported that "He took her to Delhi and used the X-ray and set the bone. The arm is doing nicely."

The following week, the same paper reported that: "C. A. McPherson sold his farm to the Gerrys and purchased the farm of Wm. Archibald. He will take possession of the Archibald farm not later than the middle of April." The Bovina Center correspondent also reported that "Mrs. Isaac Mitchell of upper Bovina was operated on for appendicitis in the Delhi Hospital on Thursday of last week."

Damage caused by high winds was reported by the Bovina correspondent for the Stamford Mirror-Recorder on February 8, 1928: "During the high wind last week one of the chimneys was blown off the village school house and on Thursday night an alarm went out that the school house was on fire. This was caused by an overheated pipe and the fire was put out by a fire extinguisher, which was very fortunate. There had been a meeting of the 4-H Club there that day."

Two years later, the Stamford paper of February 13, 1930 reported that "W. G. Coulter of Bovina Center has invented a machine for the spreading of crushed stone in the building of public highways, and he has received word that a patent for same has been granted." W.G. Coulter is Walt Coulter, who was the father of Ruth Coulter Parsons and Celia Coulter.

The following week, it was reported that town road crews "were clearing out the snow to F. F. Montgomery's on Saturday, getting the roads in readiness for the auction which was held on Tuesday."

So that's a small sample of what was happening in Bovina in February of years past.