This Day in Bovina for May

107 years ago today, on May 1, 1911, yet another horse was a runaway in Bovina. As later reported in the Andes Recorder, "G.D. Miller's horse got frisky Monday….It was attached to a sled and while left standing worked its head under the end of the thill and this caused it to fall and the sled was upset. The horse managed to get to its feet and freeing itself of the sled ran to Scott's bridge, where it was caught. One thill and the harness was broken."

120 years ago today, on May 2, 1898, as later reported in the Andes Recorder, "The boys had a celebration…over the victories achieved by Commodore Dewey’s fleet at the Philippines Islands." The same night, it was noted that the "ringing of bells, booming of the cannon, etc. of the celebration at Andes Monday night over the surrender of Manila, could be plainly heard…" in Bovina.

136 years ago today, the May 3, 1882 Delaware Gazette carried this notice for an interest meeting for a railroad that would have come gone through Bovina. Nothing came of this particular idea - at least as far as Bovina was concerned. 

Seventy-four years ago today, the May 4, 1944 Delaware Republican-Express reported in its Lake Delaware column that "Kermit Forman cut his foot with an axe last Wednesday and it was necessary for Dr. Flint to use seven stitches to close the wound. He will be laid up for some time and, meanwhile, is visiting relatives in Poughkeepsie."

Forty-seven years ago today, on May 5, 1971, Mary Burns Lounsbury died at the age of 57. Born in Bovina in 1913, she was the daughter of John and Elizabeth Burns and the sister of Agnes Burns. She married Harold Lounsbury in 1938. They lived for many years on the Burns family farm.

Sixty-four years ago today, on May 6, 1954, as later reported in the Catskill Mountain News, "The town of Bovina held the regular board meeting last week…Hugh McPherson, road superintendent for many years, handed in his resignation, effective June 1. Clark Lay was appointed to fill out the term."

118 years ago today, on May 7, 1900, as later reported in the Andes Recorder, "James L. Ormiston and family started Monday morning for their new home near Philadelphia."

Ellen McBurney was born 192 years ago today, May 8, 1826, the daughter of Francis McBurney and Margaret Boyd. She married Andrew Boyd and would have 11 children, most of whom made it to adulthood. She was widowed in 1879 and died in February 1893. She is buried in the Bovina Cemetery.

121 years ago today, in its May 9, 1897 edition, it was noted by the Andes Recorder that five brothers were seen at the same church in Bovina. What made this so remarkable was that the youngest was over fifty years old. The paper did not note what family this was, though it could be the Miller family. At this time, the six sons of William Miller still were alive and all lived locally.

196 years ago today, on May 10, 1822, a survey was made of a road that went from Thomson Hollow Road to Mountain Brook. Here's the survey document. 

Seventy-eight years ago, on May 11, 1940, the Bovina column of the Delaware Republican-Express reported that "Fred Thomson and James Hilson are the first to have their gardens planted."

107 years ago today, on May 12, 1911, the Bovina column of the Andes Recorder reported that "A child was recently born to Rev. and Mrs. Robb, in China, where he is a missionary. The mother was formerly Jennie J. Campbell of Bovina."

Fifty-three years ago today, Bovina column in the May 13, 1965 Delaware Republican-Express reported that "The prize fisherman of the season is John Robson who caught a six pound-12 ounce trout over the week-end."

Fifty-seven years ago, on May 14, 1961, as later reported in the Bovina column of the Delaware Republican Express, "We were all pleased to see Mrs. Lena Lounsbury at Church Sabbath Day, she has been in Schenectady the past few months helping care for an invalid."

138 years ago today, the May 15, 1880 issue of the Delaware Republican reported on an article they had published called "Woman's Work in the Church," by "Mrs. Knox of New York City. The paper pointed out that the article "will attract especial attention from the fact that Mrs. Knox was a Delaware county woman, daughter of Rev. James Douglas, for many years pastor of the Bovina Associate Reformed Church, (whose doctrines were not in accordance with the views there announced,)…Mrs. Knox has also take a very prominent part in works for temperance reform, and in many other ways practically exemplified the benefits arising from the course she advocates."

Seventy-eight years ago today, the Bovina column of the May 16, 1940 Delaware Republican reported that "Little Nancy Brooks spent the week-end with her great-aunt, Mrs. John Hilson and family.

131 years ago today, on May 17, 1887, the Stamford Mirror reported in its Bovina column that "John Hilson is improving his house by removing the old sash from the windows, and replacing them with a more modern style, each sash containing two large panes of glass." Here's the house in the late 1930s/early 1940s when Bob and Gerry Boggs lived there.

138 years ago today, the Bovina column in the May 18, 1880 Stamford Mirror reported that "A horse belonging to J.W. Bramley ran away a few days ago, destroying a seed sower which Mr. Bramley was using."

The Andes Recorder reported 107 years ago today in its May 19, 1911 Bovina column that "There is some talk of putting in a pond on John Blair's farm on the Oliver brook and stocking it with trout."

Sixty nine years ago today, on May 20, 1949, as later reported in the Catskill Mountain News Bovina column, "The latest to buy a new car is George Storie with a Dodge sedan. Vincent Rosa is taking over the car recently owned by Storie."

Seventy years ago today, on May 21, 1948, the Bovina column of the Catskill Mountain News reported that Mrs. Mary Gordon, who received a bad fall down a flight of stairs at her home last week, is slowly recovering. She is still lame and sore." Mary was the widow of Thomas Gordon, who died in 1921, and the mother of Delhi social studies teacher Margaret Gordon.

122 years ago today, May 22, 1896, the Otsego Farmer (Cooperstown) carried the following item: "An exchange has it that in the town of Bovina, Delaware county, there are more abandoned farms than there were in all Delaware County ten years ago. This fact is interesting for the reason that Bovina has been called the leading dairy town in the county."

Sixty years ago today, the May 23, 1958 issue of the Catskill Mountain News published an article under the headline "Bovina WAC Earns Recruiting Citation." The WAC was "Sgt/1c Helen I. Johnston, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. T. George Johnston of Bovina Center." She was enrolled in a "Women's Army Corps enlisted recruiting course at For Benjamin Harrison, Ind." The paper went on to report "Sgt Johnston was in competition with 38 of the recruiters stationed through the United States. She earned the award by achieving an average of 85 percent for the course."

125 years ago today, the May 24, 1893 Delaware Gazette reported that "Work has commenced for the foundation for the new school house in Bovina Centre." This is the building that is now the Bovina Public Library.

Eighty years ago today, on May 25, 1938, as later reported in the Delaware Republican, "Mrs. George Miller died…at her home [in Bovina]." Born Ida Kinch, she was married to George Miller and had three children, daughters Maude and Nellie and son Clark. Clark was killed in World War I. She was survived by her husband and two daughters. Ida is the maternal grandmother of Clark Lay.

The Andes Recorder reported 125 years ago today in its May 26, 1893 issue that " Richard Johnson of Bovina this season made 318 gallons of heavy maple syrup from 700 trees. This is equal to 2,544 pounds of sugar."

Sixty-nine years ago today, the Bovina column in the May 27, 1949 Catskill Mountain News reported that "Paul Rosa is moving this week to his new home on Pink street road which he recently purchased of Gene Vandenbord."

Seventy-six years ago today, the Bovina column in the May 28, 1942 Delaware Republican reported that "Guy Hafele of Coulter Brook is having his house painted. Fred Thomson and Fred Henderson are doing the job."

Angelica D. Gerry, the daughter of Elbridge Gerry and Louisa Livingston, was born 147 years ago today on May 29, 1871. She built a summer home at Lake Delaware known as Ancrum. She also was instrumental in the building of St. James Church. 

113 years ago, on May 30, 1905, as later reported in the Andes Recorder, baseball teams from "Lake Delaware and the Hook battled for supremacy on diamond Tuesday at the Centre and the score was 12 to 4 in favor of the former."

123 years ago today, the May 31, 1895 issue of the Andes Recorder in its Bovina column included the following item: "Sylvester McFarland, who left this town over twenty years ago, and who had not been heard from since, suddenly made his appearance in town a few days ago." McFarland was born in Wisconsin in 1843 and died in Somerville, Massachusetts in 1914. He was a prison officer when in Massachusetts. It is not clear when he lived in Bovina. His father, James McFarland, was a Bovina native.