I will be starting a new monthly series on this blog – 100 Years Ago This Month in Bovina. The source of this information comes from the Andes Recorder, which from about the late 1890s until it folded in the late 1930s, had a weekly Bovina column called "A Week With Bovina People." Other area papers had such columns also, but not always weekly. The Andes paper was consistent in publishing this column each week, likely because the publisher, Thomas W. Miller, had Bovina roots.
I’ll be presenting snippets of what the Bovina correspondent for the Andes Recorder was reporting in the column, along with occasional small articles not included in the column but usually next to or under it. The dates are the dates of the newspaper, which was published once a week on Fridays. As much as possible, I have kept the spelling and capitalization as presented in the paper and have only made corrections when otherwise the context would not be understood. When I know it, I also will provide in brackets [ ] further information on the persons or places mentioned.
One theme during the month of May 1913 seems to have been issues with the then state road that went through Bovina Center, now County Route 6.
May 2, 1913
Alex Bryden sold his 266 acre farm which is located near Lake Delaware in this town to George N. Neupert, of Hartford, Connecticut, who has taken possession. [The farm was on the now unused part of Tom Hoag Road near the Delhi Town line.] The sale includes tack and farm machinery. Mr. Bryden has moved to a small place at East Delhi, or Fitch’s Bridge, which he purchased a year ago.
The piece of state road from the Scott bridge to the Russell road is completed. Last week the engineer was here and the contractor, according to instructions, is repairing the part of the road built last fall. In some places the dirt must be scraped off and the road re-surfaced. [This is County Route 6 from the McPherson place at the lower end of the hamlet to Russell Hill Road by Denison’s.]
May 9, 1913
At a meeting of the town board last Thursday it was voted to purchase a 45-foot iron bridge to cross the river at Douglas Davidson’s [now Behrer's] on the C.S. Gladstone road [now Bob Hall Road]. The present wooden structure, which is condemned, is 66 feet long.
Daniel McMullin has sold his farm on Pink street, known as the D. Lyle Thomson place, to August Lifgren, of New York city, and will give possession May 20. The sale includes 29 head of cattle, three horses and farm machinery, and the price is $10,000. [This farm was later the Bill and Mary Inman farm and is now the Mollie Brannen farm.]
Bovina Resident Dead
John G. Russell, aged 83, passed away May 7
John G. Russell died at his home in Bovina Center, early Wednesday morning, May 7, aged 86 years. Last week he suffered a shock and death resulted. He was born at the Butt End and the greater part of his life was spent in that part of the town. A few years ago he retired from farming and removed to the village. He married Margaret George, who survives him with three daughters, Mrs. Wilson Scott, of Bovina, Mrs. Bert Thomson, and Mrs. Robert Doig, of Walton. The funeral will be held Friday and burial made in the Covenanter cemetery at the Butt End, within a stone’s throw of where he was born. [John Russell was the grandson of William Russell, an early settler of Bovina who came from Scotland. He farmed on what is now the Monroe Farm on Mountain Brook for many years.]
May 16, 1913
Division Engineer Hoadley, County Superintendent Van Tassel, and Supervisors Dickson, Patterson and Johnson were here Tuesday and went over the State road. In numerous places the road has to be plowed up and put in over again. It is estimated that it will require from one to two months to complete the road.
Post office Will be Discontinued
The post office at Lake Delaware will be discontinued May 31, and after that date patrons of the office will be served by the Andes-Delhi stage. Mr. Mason who had been postmaster for a number of years resigned some time ago, and no one there could be found to take the job.
May 23, 1913
Emily Elliott has hired to teach the school in the Miller district. [Emily Elliott later married Bill Burns. A number of her descendants still live in Bovina. The Miller district’s school house was on Miller Avenue on Bramley Mountain].
Thos C. Strangeway, trustee in the E.L. Coulter district has hired Beulah Armstrong as teacher [this district was around Russell Hill Road and Doig Hollow].
Miss Vera Davidson, a graduate of Cornell University, has been hired to teach the Center school next year. [Vera later married Bill Storie and was the sister of Fletcher Davidson.]
For the month of April the Bovina Center Co-Operative Creamery paid its patrons 42 ¼ cents per pound for butter fat.
Last Thursday evening at the special school meeting in the Oliver district Peter Robson was elected trustee, and his hired Ethel Worden for teacher. [The Oliver district school house was located on East Bramley Mountain Road and is now owned by Joe Salvo.]
May 30, 1913
The state road contractor has moved part of his machinery to Bloomville, and some of his men have gone to the Treadwell-Franklin road. Engineer Hoadley was here again Wednesday and went over the road, but what the decision was is not known. Thru the village the top is already worn off the road.
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