This Day in Bovina for June 2016

Sixty-four years ago today, on June 1, 1952, Alphonso P. Lee died, just shy of his 90th birthday. He was the son of Charles Lee and Sarah Bouton and was named for his paternal grandfather. He is buried in Bovina next to his first wife, Ada Davis, who died in 1891. Alphonso married as his second wife Julia Van K. Stewart, who also predeceased him in 1926.

134 years ago today, on June 2, 1882, as later reported in the Stamford Mirror, "Will Cathels left his team standing before Strangeway's store…and went into the store. The horses became frightened and ran away, throwing a new plow from the wagon and breaking it, and then smashed up the wagon."

Seventy-seven years ago today, on June 3, 1939, as later reported in the Bovina column of the Delaware Republican, "Miss Margaret Gordon accompanied Miss Alice Hayes with the Brownies to Howes Caverns…"

159 years ago today, on June 4, 1857, Samuel W. McCune was born, the son of James O. McCune and Bridget Brady. He died at the age of 21 in October 1878 and is buried in Bovina.

138 years ago today, the June 5, 1878 Delaware Gazette, reported on Bovina's ranking concerning a number of aspects related to farming, noting that Bovina was 17th in the county in acres, in gross sales the thirteenth, in bushels of corn the 14th, in number of cows 14th, etc. The article also noted that Bovina was 10th in the pounds of butter produced and first in the butter produced per acre - 14 1/10 pounds. Here's the full article:

189 years ago today, on June 6, 1827, the following advertisement appeared in the Commercial Advertiser: 

Sixty-seven years ago today, on June 7, 1949, as later reported in the Catskill Mountain News, "We are having an epidemic of pink eye in town. Many in the grade school here are afflicted."

155 years ago today, on June 8, 1861, Isabella J. Laing was born, the daughter of James Laing and Mary Gardiner. She married Alexander Myers in 1879 and would have five children. For 38 years, she was the telephone operator in Bovina. In 1943, she and her husband moved to the Binghamton area. He died in 1947. She died in Johnson City in October 1951 and is buried in Bovina. 

131 years ago today, the June 9, 1885 Bovina column of the Stamford Mirror, under the by-line 'Clodhopper' reported that "it is rumored that the adjoining towns need not look to Bovina for aid in building Railroads when there is not enterprise enough in the town to put up a Telephone line from Brushland to New Kingston."

Seventy eight years ago, on June 10, 1938, a three-act comedy, "The Real Jerry Jones" was given at the Community Hall. Admission was 40 cents (children could get in for 20 cents). The cast included Marjorie Ormiston, Grace MacFarlane, Arthur MacFarlane, Harvey McClellan, and Alex Hilson as George Baker, a lunatic.

127 years ago today, the Bovina column in the June 11, 1889 Stamford Mirror reported the following: "Coulter Bros. are making post office boxes for Alex Hilson, the newly appointed postmaster. It is expected that the business of our post office will now be increased, at least to the extent of the patronage of the new postmaster, while the Lake Delaware office will lose its patronage, which it has enjoyed for many years."

188 years ago today, on June 12, 1828, Alexander Hoy was born, the son of Robert Hoy and Nancy Bailey. He married Elizabeth Hilson in 1863 and was widowed in 1887. Alexander died in 1906 and is buried next to his wife in the Bovina Cemetery.

152 years ago, on June 13, 1864, a liquor license was issued in Delhi for P.D. Aitkin. Her tavern was located in Bovina where Jardine's house is today. Mrs. Aitkin's full name was Pamelia Dorcas Hilton Hamilton Aitken (1823-1883). At the time of this license, she was married to her second husband, John G. Aitken. The tavern she ran had been her first husband's, Walter Hamilton. She left Bovina in the late 1860s and spent the rest of her life in Delhi. This license comes from the Town of Bovina Town Clerk files.

106 years ago today, on June 14, 1910, as later reported in the Andes Recorder, J. Alex Stott shot and killed a mad dog. The paper reported that the dog, belonging to E.L. Coulter, had been having fits for some time. On the 14th, "it appears to go mad and started across the hill toward S.R. Seacord's and a warning was sent out over the telephone to the neighbors." The dog traveled some distance then turned toward the Stott farm. When it got there it "was frothing at the mouth and making a peculiar noise." Mr. Stott "promptly shot it."

136 years ago today, the Bovina column of the June 15, 1880 Stamford Mirror had the following item: "Miss Jennie Russell, our late milliner, has been in town a few days past. This is not supposed to be news to one certain young gentleman in town." As to which Jennie Russell this is I have yet to determine.

105 years ago today, the Bovina column of the June 16, 1911 Andes Recorder reported that "Alex Hilson has purchased a new Maxwell automobile from Burr Hubbell, of Halcottville, and expects it this week."

106 years ago today, the Bovina column of the June 17, 1910 Andes Recorder reported that "Dr. Ward Young and family expect to leave next Monday to spend two weeks at his old home in Canada."

240 years today, on June 18, 1776, Thomas Elliott was born in Roxburghshire, Scotland. He married Magdaline Thomson and had six children. He died in Bovina in 1838 and is buried in the Old Associate Presbyterian Church cemetery in Bovina.

139 years ago today, the June 19, 1877 Ogdensburg Advance and St. Lawrence Weekly Democrat had this tidbit from Bovina: "Mrs. Hoy, of the town of Bovina, Delaware Co., some days ago, while asleep, swallowed a four-tooth gutta percha plate, teeth and all. Strange to say, she has, not as yet, suffered any inconvenience from the accident." Gutta percha is a tree from Malaysia. It was used for a number of domestic purposes, including for dental devices.

Ninety four years ago today, on June 20, 1922, as later reported in the Andes Recorder, "Archie Boggs died in New York city on June 20 after an illness of a week from pneumonia, at the age of about 40 years.  He leaves a wife, his mother, Mrs. Charles Boggs [of Bovina], and a sister."

Eighty-seven years ago today, on June 21, 1929, the Hilson's new barn was the site of "a dance for the benefit of the Bovina Center fire department…" It was announced that another dance would be held a week later.

Ninety five years ago, on June 22, 1921, as later reported in the Andes Recorder under the headline "Bovina Boy Married", Everett Orr Russell married "Ethel Harris, daughter of the late Dr. Harris, formerly of Andes and Walton…at Los Angeles, California." Everett was the son of John A. Russell and Agnes Orr. Everett and Ethel still were in California in 1940. He is listed as a lemon inspector living in Ventura, California.

135 years ago today, on June 23, 1881, as later reported in the Stamford Mirror, "Lorenzo D. Seacord and a friend were bathing in Lake Delaware, when Mr. Seacord was seized with cramps. He called to his companion but he was wholly unable to render him any assistance, and he was drowned. The body was recovered in about half an hour and efforts made to resuscitate him but without avail. The deceased was about 19 years of age and a stepson of H.C. Burgin, of Bovina."

Sixty-six years ago today, on June 24, 1950, as later reported in the Bovina column of the Catskill Mountain News, "Mrs. Marshall W. [Helen] Thomson returned…after a month with her brother, Millard Blair, and family at Puyallup, Washington. While there her nephew, James Blair, was married. She enjoyed the trip made by plane from LaGuardia Field."

Seventy six years ago today, on June 25, 1940, as later reported in the Bovina column of the Delaware Republican, "A number from here were at the Junior prom at the new school at Delhi on Tuesday evening."

162 years ago today, on June 26, 1854, Elizabeth Thomson Miller was born, the daughter of Thomas Miller and Elizabeth Thompson. She died at the age of 31 in December 1885 and is buried in Bovina.

Seventy-seven years ago today, on June 27, 1939, the Delhi Grange met. As later reported in the Delaware Republican, Master Herbert Jensen "announced that all members from Bovina Grange, which surrendered its charter this week, are very welcome to join Delhi Grange; twelve names have already been received from Bovina."

Eighty-seven years ago today, in the Bovina column of the June 28, 1929 Delaware Express, it was reported that "Bovina was thoroughly watered Sabbath (June 23) night by the very hard rain which lasted several hours. The small flat back of Frank Miller's house was nearly covered with water."

135 years ago today, the June 29, 1881 Delaware Gazette reported that "The name of the Post-office Bovina Valley, Delaware County, N.Y., has been changed to Lake Delaware."

Eighty-three years ago today, June 30, 1933, John A. Doig died. Born in Bovina in 1863, he was the son of Walter A. Doig and Margaret C. Armstrong. He was buried in Bovina.