Seventy-six
years ago today, the Bovina column of the January 1, 1942 Delaware Republican
reported that two students were home for the holidays: "Miss Rae Storie,
student at Muskingum College is spending the holiday season with her parents,
Mr. and Mrs. W.J. Storie." Her cousin, Ed Davidson, "a student at
Elmira Aviation School" spent Christmas with his parents, Fletcher and
Lois Davidson. The same column also reported that two teachers were home.
"Miss Marjorie Russell, teacher at Madison, Ohio, is spending the holidays
with her parents…" A teacher from East Orange, N.J., Miss Jane A. Hilson,
"is at her home here for the holidays."
Bovina lost
a Civil War veteran, Frank Gowanlock, 100 years ago on January 2, 1918
at his home on the outskirts of Bovina Center. He was 76 years old. He had been in poor health for several years
and a few days earlier had had a heart attack (or possibly a stroke), or, in
the parlance of the time, "suffered a shock." Born in Bovina, he spent most of his life
there and was a stone mason by trade. In
1862, Frank enlisted in Co E, 144th Regt and served until the end of the
war. He married Jane Liddle in 1875 -
she predeceased him in 1916.
One hundred
and five years ago today, January 3, 1913, a heavy wind blew over John Irvine’s
smoke house at his farm on Coulter Brook.
103 years
ago today, on January 4, 1915, Mrs. George Hewitt, of Margaretville, died at
the home of Stephen R. Seacord in southern Bovina. She had arrived a few days
earlier to attend the January 1 marriage of Stephen Seacord's daughter Rosanna
to John Sweet. On December 28 she became ill with paralysis and never
recovered. Mrs. Hewitt was born Cornelia Adee in Bovina 64 years earlier. She
first married John Hewitt in 1876. He died in 1887. About eight years later,
she married her late husband’s brother, George. She was the second of George’s
four wives. Cornelia’s funeral was held
in the Methodist church (where Gert Hall’s home now stands) and she was buried
in the Bovina cemetery.
116 years
ago, on January 5, 1902, William Wilson Hoy and his wife were guests of his
mother, Mrs. John R. Hoy, in Bovina.
Three days later, on January 8, William sailed from New York for London,
where he had accepted a position as chief engineer of the Burmah Oil Company of
London. As later reported in the Andes
Recorder, “From London he will proceed to India, where he will remain until
surveys are completed, and has to report again at London in September. He
receives $500 a month and expenses.”
119 years
ago today on January 6, 1899, as later reported in the Andes Recorder,
"Anna, little daughter of Edwin C. Burgin died…. Her death was a
particularly sad one, as she die[d] under the influence of ether, which had
been given her to perform an operation on her leg." Anna was seven years
old. She was a sister of Edwin 'Ted' Burgin (1904-1993), the father of Cliff
Burgin. Obviously, Ted never knew this sister, given she died five years before
he was born.
121 years
ago today, on January 7, 1897, Mrs. Thomas Gordon died. The Andes Recorder reported that "This
community was shocked to learn of the death of Mrs. Thomas Gordon.." She was 46 years old and had just lost her
daughter, Maggie, six weeks earlier. The
Recorder noted that "It is seldom that so sad an event is recorded. The husband and son have the sincere sympathy
of the entire community." Mrs.
Gordon was Mary Jane Oliver. She married
Thomas Gordon in 1871 and had two children.
In June 1899, Thomas Gordon would marry as his second wife Mary
Richardson Scott and would have two more children, including daughter Margaret,
who taught Social Studies at Delaware Academy for many years from the 1940s to
the 1970s.
129 years
ago today, the Bovina column in the January 8, 1889 Stamford Mirror reported that
"J.N. Laing, Andrew Doig, and Jennet E. Hoy are going to California."
James Nevin Laing was 29 when he made his trip, but he came back and settled in
the area, dying in Delhi in 1943. The Andrew Doig who went with him probably
was Andrew Archibald Doig, who als was 29 when this trip took place. He settled
in Kansas. And Jennett probably was Jennette Ellen Hoy, who had just turned 30
when this item appeared. She too came back to the area and later in life
married Sloan Archibald. She died in 1942.
117 years
ago today, as later reported in the Andes Recorder, " The annual meeting
of the Bovina Center Telephone company was held Monday [January 9, 1911] and
directors elected are as follows: Thomas Ormiston, O.W. Hill, A.T. Archibald
for three years; John W. Blair, M. Every, Fred W. Thomson, for two years. At a
meeting of the board of directors Thomas Ormiston was chosen president and
general manager, and Walter G. Coulter, secretary and treasurer."
115 years
ago, on January 10, 1903, Jacob Cook died at the home of F.C. Armstrong. Little is known about him. He was single and
had come to the United States from Switzerland about 30 years previously. The report of his death in the Andes Recorder
had his first name wrong, calling him "Joseph Cooke." The paper went on to note that he died
"with pneumonia" and that "the doctor was called Friday and saw
that death must be the result." He
was about 55 years old and was working, as the Recorder noted "At
different times … in Bovina." He
was "buried in the County House burying ground."
Sixty-seven
years ago today, on January 11, 1951, Frederica Muller died in Delhi. She was
born in Bovina in 1875, the youngest of 15 children. Her parents, Urban and
Eloise Muller emigrated from Switzerland in 1870. Frederica was survived by one
sister, Mrs. Jennie McCumber. Frederica was buried in the Bovina Cemetery. More
on the Muller family can be found on the Bovina NY History blog at
http://bovinanyhistory.blogspot.com/2013/01/stories-from-bovina-cemeteries-muller.html
Ninety-six
years ago today, on January 12, 1922, James Ackerley fell down the cellar
stairs at his home in the lower part of the village fracturing two ribs.
The Andes
Recorder reported ninety years ago today, on January 13, 1928, that “Hilson
Brothers will remodel their general store building. A cellar will be dug under
it in order to install a furnace and changes will be made to modernize the
store. Part of the present structure has housed the mercantile business of
three generations of Hilsons.”
122 years
ago today, on January 14, 1896, as later reported in the Andes Recorder, Robert
C. Scott was seriously ill with erysipelas of the head. The paper reported that on the 14th his
condition was unchanged but that “slight hopes are entertained for his
recovery.” Scott died the following Sunday, January 19. He was 84 years old. Erysipelas is a strep
infection of the skin and includes a high fever, chills and vomiting. Robert
was the son of Robert Scott and Mary (Miller) Scott. He married Janetta
Hamilton and would have seven children with her. Janetta died in 1883.
111 years
ago today, January 15, 1907, while returning from the funeral of Frank Coulter
in their horse and wagon, Mr. and Mrs. John A. Irvine, met Fine Hunt in the
area where Coulter Brook Road comes onto present day County Route 6. Irvine's horse became frightened at some logs
that Hunt was dragging behind his wagon. The horse went off the bank and over a
stone wall, taking the wagon and occupants with it. Mrs. Irvine sustained slight injury and Mr.
Irvine escaped uninjured. The harness
was broken and the dash-board smashed. The Irvines lived on Coulter Brook Road
and were the parents of Isabell Russell.
110 years
ago today, on Thursday, January 16, 1908, as later reported by the Andes
Recorder, “a pretty wedding took place at the home of Mr. and Mrs. James B.
Thomson, when their dauter, Pheba Mae, became the wife of Robert Tweedie.” The Recorder went on to note that “This was
the first marriage in town under the new law.”
This new state law required that all persons wishing to marry had to
obtain a marriage license from the clerk in the village, town or city in which
the marriage took place and present it to the clergyman or other official
carrying out the marriage. Robert and Phoebe May had six children.
Unfortunately, Robert and Phoebe had been married only 18 years when Robert
died in 1926. Phoebe died 20 years
later.
Ninety-nine
years ago today, on January 17, 1919, the Andes Recorder reported that Bovina's
"Dr. Whitcomb has increased his charge for calls in the village to $1.50
and other calls accordingly."
121 years
ago today, on January 18, 1897, Homer C. Burgin died in Binghamton at the age
of 78. He was in Binghamton being treated for cancer, which had plagued him for
several years. He was married and widowed twice and left a son and two
daughters. Burgin is buried in Bovina.
Eighty-nine
years ago today, on January 19, 1929, as later reported in the Delaware
Republican, "Mrs. Grace Dickson, wife of Delbert H. Dickson, died at her
home in Bovina Center…aged 28 years. Mrs. Dickson underwent a serious operation
at the Delhi hospital last year and had since been gradually failing, a recent
attack of measles followed by pneumonia proving more than her frail
constitution could withstand. Her death occurred on the anniversary of her
marriage to Mr. Dickson."
Fifty one
years ago today, on January 20, 1967, Mr. and Mrs. James P. Cairns of Bovina
Center were honored with an Open House to celebrate their 50th wedding
anniversary. James Cairns was married to Mae Fisher on January 10, 1917 in
Deposit, New York. The couple moved to Bovina in 1940. James worked on the
Gerry Estate for many years, retiring in 1962. They had five children,
including son Leonard. Mrs. Cairns died at the end of the year in December
1967. James passed away in 1972.
120 years
ago, in the January 21, 1898 Bovina Column in the Andes Recorder reported the
following: "Politics are quiet in
town. We do not have such spiteful people here as do some of our neighboring
towns. The only candidate we hear mentioned for supervisor is W.L. White. Thomas Gordon is mentioned for town clerk;
John M. Miller and F.C. Armstrong are up for road commissioner. The other offices are as yet in the
dark."
Seventy-six
years ago today, the January 22, 1942 issue of the Delaware Republican had in
its Bovina column this item: "Miss Jane Davidson returned from Schenectady
where she spent the past week with Miss Kate Birdsall."
113 years
ago today, on January 23, 1905, Mrs. Isabella Hoy died at the home of her
daughter, Mrs. Douglas Davidson of pneumonia.
She was 73. The Andes Recorder reported that she had just returned a few
days earlier from visiting her son at Oil City, Pennsylvania with a severe
cold, a cold that "grew rapidly worse." The Recorder noted that "Her maiden name
was Isabella Miller and she was born in Bovina, in September, 1831. About 1855
she was united in marriage with John R. Hoy, and he died September 30, 1901.
She is survived by three sons and two daughters……"
116 years
ago, on January 24, 1902, an entertainment of the Bovina Centre Lecture Course
was scheduled. The Andes Recorder
reported that "Among the promised features will be instrumental and vocal
music, recitations and a debate, Resolved, 'that in civil affairs women should
be allowed to vote on the same conditions on which men exercise the
franchise.'” Unfortunately, the result of the debate was not reported.
157 years
ago today, on January 25, 1861, Mary Margaret Archibald was born, the daughter
of William Archibald and Margaret McDonald. She married Charles Oscar Boggs in
1881 and would have two children before she was widowed in 1891. Mary Boggs
died in Bovina in 1945.
119 years
ago today, on January 26, 1899, Norton Forrest was born, the son of William L.
and Mary Lunn Forrest. The age of the mother made some impact on the Andes
Recorder: "Born to Mr. and Mrs.
William L. Forrest, January 26, a son. Think of Abraham and Sarah." The
reference to Abraham and Sarah does not so much relate to the age of the
parents (William was 43 and Mary was 42) but the fact that when their son was born,
their only other child, a daughter Irene, was 19 years old. Ironically, Norton
would predecease his older sister, dying in 1957 (she died in 1970).
115 years
ago, on January 27, 1903, as later reported in the Andes Recorder, "Miss
Jennie E. Miller started Tuesday for Norfolk, Virginia, where she will be
connected with the United Presbyterian college for the education of the
Freedmen. She has charge of the buying
for the boarding department." The Jennie referred to here likely is
Jennette Elliott Miller (1841-1925), the daughter of David and Isabella Miller.
110 years
ago today, on January 28, 1908, farmers in the Pink Street area of Bovina held
a meeting concerning telephone service. As later reported in the Andes
Recorder, "The Rose line of which they are patrons, does not give
satisfactory service and for some time there has been no central office in
Bovina. Unless some other arrangements can be made the farmers propose to build
a line of their own. Another meeting will be held Wednesday afternoon, February
5."
134 years
ago today, January 29, 1884, this order was signed altering the road districts
in Brushland (now Bovina Center). Rev. Kennedy's house was the open land next
to Walker Pond's home. The Methodist parsonage was where Chuck and Betty
McIntosh live.
187 years
ago today, on January 30, 1831, Loruhannah Henderson was born in New Kingston,
the daughter of James Henderson and Hannah Sprague. She married Francis Coulter
in Bovina in 1857 and would have five children. She was predeceased by at least
two children. Her sons Walter and James died 11 days apart in March 1900.
Loruhannah died in 1909. Her husband died less than six months later. Both are
buried in Bovina.
138 years
ago today, the "Bovina Locals" column in the Delaware Republican for
January 31, 1880 reported that "The weather is very 'child-like and
bland,' and how we are to tell when Spring commences, if this style of winter
continues, is a question that perplexes the strongest minds, and all the
reliable old weather sages, who in vain have prophesied the commencement of a
hard winter at each change of moon for the past three months, have at least
agreed that 'we will catch it sometime,' which remarkable conclusion is
probably correct."