This Day in Bovina for April 2016

109 years ago, on April 1, 1907, Howard McPherson moved to Utica.  The Andes Recorder announced this move in its March 29th issue "Howard McPherson, who has been employed in Elliott Thomson’s blacksmith shop, has secured a position in a carriage factory at Utica and will go there April 1."

Fifty one years ago today, on April 2, 1965, as later reported in the Delaware Republican Express Bovina column, "Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Thomas returned….from their vacation in Kissimmee, Florida, where they visited her father and other relatives."

102 years ago today, April 3, 1914, Floyd 'Steve' Aitken was born. He and his wife Therese, better known as 'Que,' lived in Bovina. He was the fire chief for many years. He passed away in 1982. Here's a photo of Steve taken by Bob Wyer in May 1947 (photo courtesy of Delaware County Historical Association).  

Seventy six years ago today, the Bovina column of the April 4, 1940 Delaware Republican reported that "Mrs. Elizabeth Irvine is able to be out on the porch a little of late. She is recovering nicely from her long illness." Mrs. Irvine, who was the mother of Isabell Russell, would die three months later in July 1940.

116 years ago today, on April 5, 1910, as later reported in the Bovina column of the Andes Recorder, "Mr. and Mrs. George McMullen, of the Little Delaware, were here Tuesday in an automobile."

144 years ago today, on April 6, 1872, Hannah White Rutherford tragically died in what appeared to be an accidental drowning. Hannah was born about 1827 and married Robert Rutherford in 1847. They would have 10 children. Here's the text of the news article reporting her death. "On Sunday last the body of an unknown woman was found partly under a bridge near the Elk Creek road. On the same evening Coroner Jacobs held an inquest. The deceased was identified as the wife of Robert Rutherford, of Bovina, and had left her home on Saturday last, to visit some friends near where she was found. It is supposed that she reached the place of her decease after dark and walked or fell off the bridge and was drowned or chilled in the water, as she appears to have been carried partially under the ice."

136 years ago today, on April 7, 1880, as later reported in the Brushland column of the Stamford Mirror "Mrs. Hoy, a very old lady, died…at the residence of her son, Alexander Hoy, after a long illness."

188 years ago today, on April 8, 1828, John Thomson of Bovina posted the following notice for the Delaware Gazette: "ELOPEMENT. Whereas my wife Catharine, has left my bed and board without any just cause or provocation. This is to forbid all persons harboring or trusting her on my account, as I will pay no debts of her contracting after this date."

127 years ago today, the Bovina column of the April 9, 1889 Stamford Mirror reported that "there are a number of mild cases of scarlet fever in the upper part of the town."

133 years ago today, the Bovina column of the April 10, 1883 Stamford Mirror reported "A horse belonging to G.L. Butts was taken sick, one day this week, and a few hours afterwards died." The paper went on to report that "some of Mr. Butts' friends started out with subscription papers and today presented him with a $90 horse."

Ninety-nine years ago today, on April 11, 1917, as later reported in the Bovina column of the Delaware Republican, a sale had been advertised by S.D. Joscelyn, but he called it off.  As later reported in the Delaware Republican, "Mr. Joscelyn has decided to stay on the farm where he now is." It is not clear where this might have been, though there was a Lewis Joscelyn on Coulter Brook Road. 

Seventy-six years ago today, on April 12, 1940, as later reported in the Delaware Republican, "James Hilson was at Kingston to meet his sister … and coming home he found the roads very hard to travel on with the snow so soft."

136 years ago today, the Brushland column of the April 13, 1880 Stamford Mirror reported that "Mr. Samuel Campbell has returned home from the West, bringing the measles with him. Quite a number have been exposed."

105 years ago today, the Bovina column of the April 14, 1911 Andes Recorder reported that "A.J. Nicoll, of Delhi, held a meeting her last week and a Cow Testing Association was formed and over 300 cows have already been secured."

Ninety three years ago today, on April 15, 1923, Margaret Coulter Boggs recorded the following in her diary: "Been a nice day. All went to church. First time Grandma has been to church this year. We saw a flying machine go over today. First one this way."

120 years ago today, on April 16, 1896, as later reported in the Bovina column of the Andes Recorder, "John Burns, who lived with his son, Alexander, in the upper part of the town, died last week at the advanced age of eighty-eight years.  He had been in feeble health for some time, and the end was not unexpected.  He was the oldest man in town.  The funeral was held on Saturday.  James Coulter is now the oldest surviving citizen in town, the old settlers have all departed."

133 years ago, the Bovina column of the April 17, 1883 Stamford Mirror reported that "There have been three funerals in town this week: on Monday, David Black's; on Tuesday, Mrs. Robert J. Forrest's, who died with measles; and on Wednesday, William Archibald."

Fifty one years ago today, on April 18, 1965, as later reported in the Delaware Republican Express Bovina column, "The following out of town families of Mrs. Sophia Reinertsen attended church services…and were Easter guest of their mother: Mr. and Mrs. Linden Kelly and family of Norwich, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Reinertsen of New York, [and] Mr. and Mrs. Edwin LaFever and daughter Christine, of Unadilla."

145 years ago today, the April 19, 1871 issue of the Delaware Gazette contained the following notice: "All persons are hereby forbidden to fish in the Lake called Landon's Lake, or Livingston's Lake, in the town of Bovina (by the subscriber, the owner thereof and of the grounds surrounding it) under penalty of the law. Robert J. Livingston." This notice appeared for several weeks.

135 years ago today, on April 20, 1881, John Russell, son of Stephen and Mary Russell, married Agnes Orr, the daughter of Robert and Barbara Orr. The Bovina column of the Stamford Mirror for April 26 reported that "Our friend, John Russell, went to Kortright yesterday, and returned in the evening, bringing a young bride with him." They would have three children, Henry, Clarence and Everett before John's death at the age of 56 in 1910. Agnes survived her husband by 23 years, dying in 1933.

135 years ago today, the Bovina column of the Stamford Mirror dated April 21, 1881, reported that "Miss Louisa Dennis is about commencing the millinery business in Brushland."

Fifty one years ago today, the Bovina column of the April 22, 1965 Delaware Republican reported that "Mr. and Mrs. James Haran and family of New York spent Easter at their home in Bovina Center."

Fifty five years ago today, on April 23, 1961, Bovina native Fannie Thompson Snyder passed away at the age of 101 years. She died at the home of her daughter in Masonville. Born in Bovina in 1860, she was the daughter of John and Betsy Thompson and was married twice, first to Ambrose Young and later to Eugene Snyder. She had lived in Masonville since 1942. She was survived by two daughters, three sons, 20 grandchildren, 48 great-grandchildren and 13 great-great-grandchildren.

115 years ago today, on April 24, 1901, Wilford White Barnhart was born, the youngest child of Jeremy Barnhart and Kate Miller. He would take over the family farm on Pink Street. In 1921, he married Viola Russell. Wilford and Viola would have six children. Wilford died in March 1979.

158 years ago today, on April 25, 1858, Elizabeth C. Doig was born, the daughter of Walter Doig and Margaret Armstrong. She married Edwin Burgin on New Year's Day 1884. Her only child, son Harvey, was born on October 27, 1884. Libbie would die a few days after her son’s birth on November 2, 1884.

126 years ago today, the Bovina column of the April 26, 1890 Delaware Republican reported that "J.D. Mitchell started for New York…to attend a sale of thoroughbred Alderneys."

180 years ago today, the Delaware Gazette for April 27, 1836 posted the following notice: "A new Post Office has been established at Bovina Centre in this county - Hiram Dennis, Esq., Post Master."

Thirty eight years ago today, on April 28, 1978, Gladys Doig died. Born in 1909, the daughter of Adam Biggar and Sarah Johnson, She was married to Ed Doig, who survived her. She was buried in Bovina. This photo by Bob Wyer, courtesy of the Delaware County Historical Association, shows Gladys in January 1943 with her husband and two of her children, Marilyn and Raymond. 

134 years ago today, the April 29, 1882 Bovina column in the Delaware Republican reported that "The telegraph line from the Valley to Brushland has been staked out and part of the poles delivered. The office will be in Rev. J.B. Lee's house and Duncan C. Lee operator."

127 years ago today, the April 30, 1889 Stamford Mirror had the following report: "Robert J. Livingston, of New York, owner of Lake Delaware, recently employed Wm. Youmans to protect the same. On a recent Saturday evening, Youmans and Sheriff MacArthur, of Delhi, with a posse visited the lake, where they found a large number of persons in masks engaged in fishing. An alarm was sounded and all escaped to the woods except five, who were arrested. There will be considerable of a stir over the matter."