This Day in Bovina for March 2020

Here are the entries on the Town of Bovina Historian Facebook page for March 2020:

167 years ago today, the March 1, 1853 carried this ad for a "Farm for Sale" by John Dean. The property was in the Bramley Mountain area.  

196 years ago today, on March 2, 1824, the Town of Bovina held its annual meeting. Among other actions, it was "resolved that a fence 4 1/2 feet in height shall be considered a lawful fence." It also was resolved "that sheep shall not be permitted to run at large…" Three weeks later, on March 24, a resolution was passed that rescinded this latter resolution, instead resolving "that sheep shall be free commoners."

191 years ago today, on March 3, 1829, a resolution was passed at the annual meeting of the Town of Bovina that "Horses over the age of one year shall not be permitted to run at large under the penalty of 12 ½ dollars to be collected by the Commissioners of Common Schools and applied to support the Schools in said town."

149 years ago today, on March 4, 1871, David L. Forman, the son of Archibald and Davina Foreman, died of diphtheria at the age of 3 years, 9 months and 4 days. Three days later, Bovina saw another child lost to diphtheria when Lizzie Currie, the only child of George and Margaret Currie died at the age of 3 years, 7 months and 16 days.

Seventy-eight years ago today, the Delaware Republican for March 5, 1942 carried this Bovina column: 

113 years ago today, the March 6, 1907 Delaware Gazette reported that "W.T. Hine who has finished putting in a steel ceiling in the R.P. church in Bovina, is now placing steel ceilings in Commodore Gerry's home, Lake Delaware."

200 years ago today, March 7, 1820, Thomas Landon signed his oath of office as the first supervisor of the Town of Bovina. He likely signed this at the first meeting of the town, which took place this same day.

Sixty-nine years ago today, the March 8, 1951 Delaware Republican Express reported in its Bovina column that "Robert Boggs is helping in the creamery while Dave Roberts is home nursing the mumps."

200 years ago today, the March 9, 1820 Delaware Gazette reported the creation of "a new town by the name of Bovina…" 

Fifty-five years ago today, on March 10, 1965, as later reported in the Delaware Republican Express, a number of folks from Bovina attended the Flower Show in New York City. These included "Mrs. Francis Schabloski, Mrs. Henry Wilkens, Mrs. Clarence Burns, Mrs. Millard Russell, Mrs. Clifford Burgin, Mrs. James Boggs, Mrs. Siegfried Bathen, Mrs. Jack Damgaard, Mrs. Leif Reinertsen, Mrs. Lauren Monroe, Mrs. Milton Graham, [and] Mrs. John Barlow." This was the International Flower Show, held at the New York Coliseum from March 7 to March 14. The admission was $2.50. The coliseum, now demolished, stood on Columbus Circle in New York City. 

Seventy-seven years ago today, the Bovina column in the March 11, 1943 Delaware Republican Express reported that "A Red Cross room in which bandages and dressings are to be made has been opened in the Fire House. This room will be open this week on Thursday morning, afternoon and evening, and on Friday morning and evening. It will be closed in the afternoon because of the services in the church."

200 years ago today, March 12, 1820, James Palmer signed this bond as constable for Town of Bovina.

Walter Doig signed this oath of office as Overseer of Highways for the Town of Bovina 200 years ago today, March 13, 1820.

149 years ago today, on March 14, 1871, fence viewers for the town of Bovina, namely W.A. Doig, Michael Miller and F.C. Armstrong,  reached a determination concerning  the building of a stone wall (fence) between the properties of John Hilson and Joshua Kennedy, ordering which part was to be built by Hilson and which one by Kennedy. The property was located adjacent to what was the Methodist Church lot (and later was the home of the late Gert Hall).

Robert Hamilton signed his oath of office as assessor for the Town of Bovina 200 years ago today, March 15, 1820.

194 years ago today, on March 16, 1826, Helen Miller was born, the daughter of David Miller and Agnes Thompson. She was only three when her mother died. She married James Hoy in 1847 and would have three sons before her own early death in 1858 at the age of 32. She is buried in the Bovina cemetery.

145 years ago today, the March 17, 1875 Delaware Gazette reported that "J.P. Flower begs to be excused from the duties of the Bovina Valley Post-mastership, and Andrew Strangeway has been appointed. The office isn't worth $1,000 per year." Bovina Valley is the Lake Delaware area.

John Armstrong signed this oath of office as Overseer of Highways for the Town of Bovina on March 18, 1820.

131 years ago today, on the evening of March 19, 1889, as later reported in the Stamford Mirror, "Will Ormiston returned from New York …., a full-fledged M.D."

113 years ago today, the March 20, 1907 Delaware Gazette reported that "A sugar of milk plant is to be built at Bovina Centre. The Co-operative Creamery company has entered into a contract with the American Casene (sic) Col. by which they will furnish them eighty per cent of their skim milk for a period of five years. The price they will receive for milk is 10 cents per hundred pounds for the first two years and then twelve cents. The Casene company will erect a building of concrete 40 x 70 feet, that will make the building absolutely fire proof."

Fifty-five years ago today, on March 21, 1965, as later reported in the Bovina column of the Delaware Republican Express, "Mrs. Charles LaFever received word Sunday of the death of her mother at Delhi. She was Mrs. Dulcy Edwards, age 77, and a former resident of Lew Beach."

200 years ago today, on March 22, 1820, Robert Grierson signed this oath of office as Commissioner of Common Schools before Town Justice Elisha Maynard. 

140 years ago today, the Brushland column of the March 23, 1880 Stamford Mirror reported that "Business is dull, except with the doctors. It has, until recently, been very healthy in town. Thomas Hoy's family are nearly all sick with inflammation of the lungs and throat trouble. Mr. James Hastings, one of the oldest inhabitants of Bovina, was threatened with paralysis yesterday, but is better today." This likely was James M. Hastings. Amazingly, he lived on for another 14 years, dying in 1894 at the age of 96 years old.

200 years ago today, on March 24, 1820, this application for a public highway was filed by James Miller and William Telford.

Fifty-five years ago today, the Bovina column of the March 25, 1965 Delaware Republican Express reported that "Marian Jardine of Michigan is home on vacation from a college where she is a student."

Ninety years ago today, on March 26, 1930, the Bovina column of the Delaware Republican reported that "A telegram was received announcing that Brice Russell was just alive." The paper went on to note that he "is the brother of Wm. C. and Eliza Russell and has been west a number of years." Brice is James Bryce Russell, born about 1849. Bryce died the day after this item appeared on March 27, 1930 in Colfax, Wisconsin.

111 years ago today, on March 27, 1909, Dorothy Drew was born in Arena, the daughter of Freeman and Ada Drew. In 1933 she would marry Ernest Russell and they would settle in Bovina to raise their two sons, Ron and Dave. Dorothy was the Bovina librarian for many years and passed away in 2006 at the age of 97. This 1987 photo of Dot is by Hugh Lee.

200 years ago today, on March 28, 1820, Elisha B. Maynard signed this oath of office as overseer of highways for Bovina highway district number 24. It was the job of the overseer to make sure that everyone carried out their assessed maintenance of their roads. Everyone was assigned a certain number of days to carry out this work. If unable to do the work, they were expected to pay someone to do it for them. This was the system of road maintenance throughout New York State until the early 20th century.

120 years ago today, on March 29, 1900, Minnie Coulter died. Born in 1872, she married James H. Coulter in 1895. James died nine days before his wife. Minnie's death at the age of 27 was the second of three in the Coulter family in a ten-day span. Two days after her death saw the death of her brother in law Walter A. Coulter on March 31. All three died from pneumonia.

140 years ago today, the Bovina column in the March 30, 1880 Stamford Mirror reported that "N. Smith, the well-known commission merchant of New York, is making an effort to start a creamery in the upper end of the town. The present indications are that he will succeed." With the value of historic hindsight, we now know that his efforts failed. It would be over 20 years before a creamery was established anywhere in Bovina.

Ninety-nine years ago today, on March 31, 1921, Robert Hamilton Russell, died at the age of 71. Born in Bovina in 1850, he was married twice, first to Josephine Baker, who died in 1881 not long after giving birth to her son Elmer, and later to Margaret A. Doig, who would have four sons, including Cecil H. Russell.