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

From the Andes Recorder

June 1916 in Bovina saw activities on several houses in Bovina – and one old house burned down just after the owner had determined to replace it with a new one. 

June 2, 1916

•           Peter and Archie Calhoun, in southern Bovina, have a new Ford car.

•           John W. Blair is having the chimneys on his house in the village remodeled.

•           Al Boggs will do the carpenter work on John Hilson’s new house, which he will build this summer.

•           Only five old veterans remain in the town.  Tuesday two of these put up the flags and decorated the graves of their fallen comrades.  Two of the others were unable to get out. [This is a reference to Civil War veterans.]

•           A horse driven by Elliott Thomson ran away last Wednesday.  In coming down the hill from T.C. Strangeway’s the thill clip broke and let the crossbar strike the horse, causing it to run.  The wagon ran against the bank and upset.  The top was up and Thomson was unable to get out and was dragged some distance.  He escaped with a bruised hand and bruises on his leg.  The seat was torn off the wagon.

Bovina Woman Dead

Mrs. Frank Gowanlock Passed away with Anemia May 29

            Mrs. Frank Gowanlock died at her home just on the outskirts of Bovina Center, on Monday morning, May 29, from anemia, aged 67 years, 11 months and 21 days.  She was a dauter of the late Alex Liddle and Bina McDonald and was born in Andes, but most of her life was spent in Bovina.  She is the second of the family of eight children to die.  She is survived by her husband, to whom she was married in December, 1874.  The surviving brothers and sister are, Thomas and Henry Liddle in the west, Wm A. Liddle and Mrs. Andrew Anderson in Andes, and David and James Liddle in Bovina.  The funeral was held Thursday with interment in the Center cemetery.

Auto and Wagon in Collision

            Tuesday afternoon a car driven by William Roney, of Andes, collided with a wagon at the turn of the road to Bloomville.  The driver Mr. Summerville, was slightly injured and two wheels of the wagon were demolished.  The horse escaped injury.  The rig belonged to our liveryman.  The accident was caused by the driver of the horse being on the wrong side of the road on the sharp curve.

June 9, 1916

•           John Hilson moved Friday into the house adjoining Elliott Thomsons’s shop.  He will occupy these rooms while he is building a new house on his lot.

Bovina Landmark Burned

Someone Evidently Wanted to Give Firemen Practice and Set Fire to House of John Hilson

            The house in Bovina Center which John Hilson vacated last Friday and which was to have been replaced by a new one, was destroyed by a fire that was discovered about 9 o’clock Monday evening, June 5.

            The Hook & Ladder company was holding their monthly meeting when the cry of “fire” was heard and were halfway to the fire when the bell sounded.  The Hose company were at the scene in a remarkably short time.

            The fire which had originated in the kitchen, had a good headway when the firemen arrived and their efforts were turned to keeping the fire from adjoining property and keeping water enough on the fire to prevent the flames from going to high.

            The house was no doubt set on fire by someone who thought that the fire men needed practice and that it was a quick way to get the house down.  The house was in good repair and had been sold to Dixon Thomson for $10 and he was to have it torn it down and remove the lumber. Mr. Hilson’s fur coat, which was hanging in one of the rooms, was forgotten until too late to save it.

            The house which was on the lot adjoining the Methodist church, was one of the landmarks of the village and the time of its erection dates back farther than runneth the memory of any now living.  Half a century ago it was known as the Gladstone place.

June 16, 1916

•           Two young deer were seen a few days ago at the spring below the Scott arch bridge.

•           Dr. Scott was at Saratoga last week attending a meeting of the sanitary officers of the State.

•           Gideon Miller is preparing to build an addition to his residence in the upper part of the village.

•           The W.C.T.U. had a straw ride to the home of John H. Johnson, uptown, and held an all day meeting on Thursday.

•           Fletcher Davison is home from Washington, D.C., where he has been attending an electrical school. Hazel Hoy is home from Elmira college.

•           John Hilson is having the cellar dug for his new house, which [will] be located about 75 feet from the sidewalk and nearer the Methodist church than the old house. [This house has been in the Hilson family since its construction and currently is owned by Tom and Betty Hilson.]

•           William T. Miller now runs a Chandler five passenger automobile which he purchased of A.T. Doig.

•           Rev. Thomas Graham and his singing class have presented $20 to the Village Improvement Society, which will be used toward buying more street lamps.  The Society will hold a parcel post and bake sale June 24.

June 23, 1916

•           Alex Myers is painting Sloan Archibald’s remodeled house.

•           Clifford Lee, son of John B. Lee, had the misfortune to cut his foot with an axe Friday.

•           G. Lifgren, on the Lyle Thomson farm up Pink street, has sold his entire dairy of cows to Howard Hall.

June 30, 1916

•           The addition is up for A.T. Doig’s residence.

•           Dr. G.T. Scott has the foundation in for an addition to his residence.

•           Mrs. James D. Boyd was operated upon Wednesday at the Neal hospital in Delhi.

•           D.C. Worden had a horse die this week. He recently purchased it at Oneonta.

•           One of the large maple trees in Will Archibald’s yard was blown down during the high wind Thursday.

•           George H. Miller, who is employed at the Gerry estate, was overcome by the heat Wednesday.  He was better Thursday.

Lake Delaware Farm Sold

            Alonzo Tuttle has sold his farm at Lake Delaware to Earl Fisk, who for ten years has been butter maker on the Gerry estate.  Mr. Tuttle takes as part payment Mr. Fisk’s house at Lake Delaware, which stands on the site of the old Flowers’ hotel.