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."
