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

Here's what was happening in Bovina 100 years ago this month. Mrs. Leonard Sloan, who had lost her mother only last month, would lose her husband in May. The month of May also saw four automobiles purchased by Bovina residents.

May 5, 1916
• Chauncey McFarland has purchased a Reo touring car.
• John W. Blair was in New York the past week with stock.
• Mrs. John Irvine, who has been seriously ill from blood poisoning, is now improving.
• Rev. Geo O. Wilsey, the joint pastor of the Andes and Bovina M.E. congregations, was here Wednesday calling on his parishioners.
• The engine and crusher of Wm H. Maynard were moved to C.A. McPherson’s this week and the work of crushing stone for the concrete foundation of his new barn is in progress.
• The singing class gave a pleasing entertainment a the hall Friday evening.  The proceeds were presented to Rev. Thomas Graham, who has been the instructor during the winter.

Cleaned Up $800
Howard hall who recently bought Frank Graham’s dairy at $50 per head sold them at auction Tuesday and cleaned up $800 on the deal.

Bovina Farm Rented
Robert Liddle, of Andes, Rents Mabon Farm-Sub-Lets to Geo McNair
Robert Liddle has leased what is known as the Thomas Mabon farm in the town of Bovina for three years.  He has rented the farm to Geo McNair who moved to it this week from Andes. The farm was purchased a few years ago by Margaretville parties who built a lake on the property, which they called Lake Makiken, and stocked it with trout.

May 12, 1916
• Alex Myers is painting Hilson Bros feed store.
• Robert Tweedie has sold his farm in upper Bovina ot W.H. Taft, of Vermont.  The farm is known as the Jas B. Thomson place.
• W.J. Howland of Andes was here Tuesday and Wednesday surveying for Walter McDivitt, who has sold a timber lot on Coulter Brook, to Thos H. Johnson.
• Thomas Gordon is having improvements made to his residence – raising it up and making it two story, etc.  Nelson Reynolds and J.W. Archibald are doing the work.
• George Wiltsie, who for several years has been fireman at the Dry Milk plant, will move to South Edmeston, where he has secured a position as night watchman in a creamery.  They will move into the house of his brother-in-law, whose wife has just died.
• The remains of Mrs. Jennie Campbell Lee, the first wife of Rev. James B. Lee, were brought here Wednesday from Franklinville, where she died a number of years ago, and interred in the Center cemetery.  The youngest son, Rev. John H. Lee, accompanied the remains.
• Work was received here last Wednesday of the death of Mrs. Wilson Scott in California, where she went two years ago.  She was born in Bovina about 54 years ago and was a dauter of John G. Russell. She leaves a son, Herman Scott, in Alberta, and two dauters in California.  Burial was in California.

Native of Bovina Pneumonia Victim
Leonard Sloan passed Away May 10, After Brief Illness
Leonard Sloan died at his home in New York City on Tuesday, May 10, following a brief illness from pneumonia and pleurisy.  Mr. Sloan was a son of David Sloan and was born in Bovina 42 years ago. Twenty years ago he married Bessie Northrup, who with two dauters survive him.  He had been in the employ of the Sheffield Farms, Slawson-Decker Company for about 17 years, first as manager of the Bloomville plant and later of the plant at Grand Gorge.  When the large plant in the Bronx, New York City, was completed two years ago, so high did he stand in the estimation of the company, that he was sent there as superintendent and held the position at the time of his death.  The remains will be brought to Bovina on Thursday and the funeral held Friday.

May 19, 1916
• John Burns in upper Bovina, has purchased a Reo automobile.
• Robert l. Gerry and family arrived Thursday at their summer home in southern Bovina.
• D.C. Worden has purchased a Willys-Knight automobile thru the agency of W.T. Hyzer.
• Miss Jane Hilson and Miss Kathryn Reynolds have been re-engaged as teachers in the Center school.
• The John R. Hoy house, which was damaged sometime ago by a tree being blown onto it, has been repaired.
• Harry Robson has taken the place of Geo Wiltsie as fireman at the Dry Milk plant.  Robert Hunt has taken Robson’s place.
• Robert Tweedie, who recently sold his farm up-town, is storing his house hold goods in the Strangeway store until he finds another place.
• The funeral of Leonard Sloan, who died in New York, May 9, was held on Friday at the home of his brother-in-law, Gideon Miller, and was largely attended.  Rev. J.A. Mahaffey officiated and interment was made in the Center cemetery.

May 26, 1916
• Alva Shultis, who moved to Margaretville last fall, has returned to Bovina.
• Thirty evergreen trees have been set out about the reservoir of the Bovina Center Water Company on Coulter Brook.
• The team of Geo R. McNair, on the Thos Mabon farm, ran away a few days ago and piled up at the Hook bridge, but fortunately were not injured.
• A.T. Doig has sold eight cylinder, seven passenger Cadillac automobiles to James E. Hastings of this place, and David Ballantine, of Andes.
• Among Bovina people at Delhi on Wednesday were, A.T. Doig, John W. Blair, William Crosier and wife, Miss Bell Miller, J.T. Barnhart, wife and two dauters [one of those daughters would be my grandmother, Anna Bell].
• John B. Lee, on the John F. Graham farm, has purchased an Overland car from W.T. hyzer, of Andes.  Friday Mr. and Mrs. Lee and his brother, Chas A. Lee and wife, expect to leave for an auto trip to Great Barrington, Massachusetts, where the only dauter of the last named resides.
• At a meeting on Friday evening the Fire Department voted to accept the invitation to attend the celebration at Andes on July 4th.  Rev. Graham and Thos Gordon were named as a committee to go to Walton and examine second hand uniforms there and report at a meeting Wednesday evening.  At that meeting the Department voted to have the uniforms sent up and see if they would fit.