April 1916 - 100 Years Ago in "That Thriving Town"

From the Andes Recorder 100 years ago this month.

April 7, 1916

·       William J. Archibald has rented the Joshua Hobbie farm uptown, to Eli Felton, of Walton.

·       In the primary election held Tuesday in Bovina 34 votes were cast – 18 Republican, 13 Democratic and 3 Prohibition.

·       Sloan Archibald, who lives on the place in the upper part of the village, known as the McDonald place, is having the house made two story. [Note - this is my current home.]

·       Mrs. Frank Hobbie died at her home in upper Bovina on Saturday, April 1, from tuberculosis, at the age of 27 years, 3 months and 25 days.  Her maiden name was Bertha Shaver and she was born at Downsville.  The family moved here from Colchester in November.  She leaves a husband and two small children.  Her mother died about a month ago but the dauter was never informed of the fact.  Rev. Thos Graham, pastor of the R.P. church, officiated at the funeral held on Sabbath.  Burial was made at Downsville on Monday.

April 14, 1916

·       Alex Myers went to Andes Wednesday to do some paper hanging.

·       Charles Brown of South Kortright, has purchased the John Hobbie farm up Pink street.  Mr. Aldrich, who for the past two years has occupied the farm, has moved to Grand Gorge.

·       Friday evening by a majority of one the members of the Bovina Center Fire department voted to keep the smaller of the two bells sent on approval. This bell was made of bell metal and the larger bell was of a new composition of cheaper metals and was only warranted for five years.

April 21, 1916

·       The Town Clerk’s office has been moved to a room in the new Fireman’s building.

·       Douglas Davidson has moved from his farm (42.2506°N 74.8045°W) to the house (42.2547°N 74.7949°W), recently purchased, at the foot of Russell hill.

·        Thomas H. Johnson has begun to saw lumber at his mill near William Elliott’s in New Kingston, and six men employed.

·       Aaron Todd has finished his work for Fred Bramley and taken a job on the Ulster & Delaware railroad.  His household goods are yet here.

·       Mr. York, of Delancey, has moved into the old Aitken place adjoining the residence of Alex Hilson.  He has hired to drive team for Tracy Sherman

·       One farmer seems to be bound to get all the sap that will run this season.  No less than 16 buckets at one tree were counted the other day.  The sap runs have been good.  As high as 200 gallons of syrup and 100 pounds of sugar have been made – equal to 1,700 pounds of sugar.

·       Dr. Scott, assisted by his brother in law James Salton, is taking down the Ell part of A.T. Doig’s house, the material to be used to build a kitchen on his house.  Mr. Doig will build a new addition in place of the part removed.  He is also putting in electric lights, using a motor run by water from the village main. 

Bible 187 years old

In arranging the town books and records in the Bovina Town Clerk’s office an old Bible was found, which was printed 1729.  Both covers and some of the first and last leaves of the book are gone.  From entries made in the family record page it is evident that the Bible must have been brought from Scotland by the late William Miller, Sr. [Where this Bible is now I have yet to determine.]

April 28, 1916

·       Mrs. John A. Irvine is very ill with blood poisoning which started in her hand. [This is Isabell Russell's mother. She would survive this, passing away in 1940.]

·       G.D. Miller is having a small addition built onto his residence and changing the interior so as to make it more convenient for two families.

·       William Franks, who during the past year has occupied what is known as the Thomas Mabon farm, on the Turnpike, moved this week to a farm at Arena.

·       Mrs. F.W. Hyatt, who has been in Yonkers for several weeks and who underwent operations for gall stones, tumor and appendicitis returned home this week much improved in health.

Succumbed to Pneumonia

            Mrs. Agnes Northrup died April 26, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Leonard Sloan in New York City, with pneumonia.  She was born in Bovina 63 years ago. She is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Leonard Sloan in New York and Mrs. Gideon Miller, of Bovina, and one son Elmer Northrup, a dentist, in Lincoln, Nebraska.  The remains will be brought here Friday and the funeral held Saturday.