"My five-year-old boy is lost on the mountain"

One hundred and seven years ago this past June, the June 1, 1907 Delaware Republican had the following news article:

Boy Lost and Found in Bovina.

          

“My five-year-old boy is lost on the mountain” was the startling message sent by the telephone to the farmers and citizens of the town of Bovina and surrounding country Friday evening last by William H. Maynard, one of the prominent young farmers of that town.

As may be imagined, it met with a quick response, fully a hundred and fifty young men and boys with lanterns were soon scouring the hillside and woods adjacent to the Maynard home. The night search was fruitless, but with the break of day a party of searchers came upon the little fellow asleep, lying against the roots of a tree, about two miles away from the small clearing where his father had left him late the previous afternoon, while he went searching about the woods for a cow that had wandered from the remainder of the herd.

Archie, the lad, is a bright little fellow, is said to be without fear and it appeared that he wandered about from the time he left the spot where his father had requested him to remain until darkness arrived, and then, being weary from the tramp, and his usual bed time having arrived, he sat down against the tree and was soon asleep. There was no indication about the place where he was found that he had rolled about and he makes no complaint that he cried or felt hungry. His hands and body were warm when he was found and he shows no indication of having suffered from the cold and exposure, although it was a frosty night.

Mr. Maynard and the boy went to the hillside after the cows Friday afternoon and, after all but one had been rounded up, Mr. Maynard left the boy in a small clearing, telling him to remain there and watch the other cows while he searched for the missing one. According to his best judgment he was gone not to exceed 20 minutes, but on his return a careful search about the place and loud hallooing failed to bring any trace of or response from the lad. He continued the search for a considerable time and then went to the house and gave the alarm which brought him assistance.

William H. Maynard (1876-1937) was a great grandson of one of Bovina's earliest settlers, Elisha B. Maynard and was farming on the ancestral farm on Bovina Road and Cape Horn Road. Born in 1876, he was the son of Archibald Maynard and Jane Cowan. William was married in 1899 to Eva Belle Scott (1879-1961). Their son Archibald Scott Maynard was born in May 1902. Archie was joined by a brother in 1904. Archie married Mary Tuttle in 1923 in Madison County, NY and settled in Onondaga County where he died in 1965.