Tuesday, June 30, 2020

This Day in Bovina for June 2020


Sixty-eight 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.

138 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."

Eighty-one 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…"

163 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.

Ninety-nine years ago today, on June 5, 1921, William Johnson and his wife arrived at the home of his sister, Mrs. Alex Crosier at the Butt End. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson had traveled from their home in Kansas, leaving on May 23. The Andes Recorder in reporting their arrival noted that they "covered over 1700 miles in their Maxwell car."

124 years ago today, June 6, 1896, as later reported in the Andes Recorder, "The funeral of Mrs. John Phyfe on Saturday was largely attended.  Rev. Samson officiated.  She was a loving wife and kind neighbor, and will be missed in her home, in the community, and in the church." Mrs. Phyfe was the former Mary Ann Pulling, the third wife of John Phyfe. She was born in Stamford in 1825. John Phyfe survived his third wife for 4 years, dying in 1901 at the age of 83.

Seventy-six ago today, on June 7, 1944, Carl 'Art' Reinertsen, son of Andrew and Sophie Reinertsen, was killed in action in France during the Normandy invasion. Art was born in Bovina in 1919 and was 25 years old at his death. He was survived by his parents and eight siblings, including two other brothers who were in service, Robert and Sigurd.

159 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. 

135 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."

Eighty-two 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.

119 years ago today, June 11, 1901, as later reported in the Andes Recorder, John L. Gordon and his wife arrived in Bovina for their vacation. The paper noted that he "is a policeman at Old Slip precinct station." See the Bovina NY History blog at http://bovinanyhistory.blogspot.com/2014/05/stories-from-bovina-cemeteries.html for more about John’s short and tragic life.

124 years ago today, on June 12, 1896, the village school was closed for the school year. The Andes Recorder reported that "The year just closed has been a very successful one and this has been largely due to the efficient teachers, and it is to be hoped that they may be retained for another year."

156 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. 

110 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."

Eighty-two years ago today, on June 15, 1938, as later reported in the Andes Recorder, "Marjorie Russell, a student at Muskingum college at New Concord, Ohio, arrived home … for the summer."

109 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."

139 years ago today, on June 17, 1881, the Bovina correspondent for the Stamford Mirror reported that "Thomas E. Forrest has received news of the death of his son Wilson, which occurred some two weeks ago near Truckee, California." William Wilson Forrest, born in 1847, died on May 19 and is buried in Nevada County, California.

159 years ago today, a Notice, dated June 18, 1861, appeared in the Bloomville Mirror: “We, the undersigned inhabitants of the town of Bovina, do hereby forbid any person or persons from fishing in the streams running through our lands after this date, under penalty of the law. Bovina, June 18th,1861. Walter Stott, Thomas E. Forest, Jas. Thomson, Jr., Andrew Thomson, David Coulter.”

109 years ago today June 19, 1911, as later reported in the Andes Recorder, "Miss Helen Blair graduated Monday from the high school at Oneonta.  Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Blair, Millard Blair and Miss Mary Thomson attended the exercises.  Miss Blair will enter the Oneonta Normal next fall." Helen Blair later married Marshall Thomson and passed away in 1997 at the age of 107. More about Helen can be found on the Bovina NY History blog at https://bovinanyhistory.blogspot.com/2012/12/stories-from-bovinas-cemeteries-bovinas.html

Ninety eight years ago today, on June 20, 1922, as later reported in the Andes Recorder, "Archie Boggs died in New York city … 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."

Ninety-one 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-nine 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 lived in California the rest of their lives, having one daughter. In 1940, Everett is listed as a lemon inspector living in Ventura, California. He was a widower by the time of his death in California in May 1966. He was 76 years old.

121 years ago today, the Bovina column of the June 23, 1899 Andes Recorder reported that “Miss Anna Phyfe received her graduation diploma from the Oneonta Normal School this week" while "Miss Jennie Hastings graduated from Delaware Literary Institute this week as salutatorian of her class."

Seventy-seven years ago today, the Bovina Center column of the June 24, 1943 Delaware Republican reported that "Miss Catherine Banaut, a teacher at Caroga Lake, is at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Banaut for the summer vacation." (Note that Banuat was misspelled in the paper.)

Eighty 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."

200 years ago today, June 26, 1820, several applications for roads were submitted to the town of Bovina. This is the application for a private road on the property of Andrew Bartram. I don't know exactly where this is located, but it appears to be in the Lee Hollow/Bramley Mountain area. 

124 years ago today, on June 27, 1896, as later reported in the Andes Recorder, "G.D. Miller had tomatoes on the vines in his garden.  One measured seven and a half inches in circumference.  Next."

112 years ago today, the June 28, 1907 issue of the Catskill Mountain News reported the following concerning a lawsuit brought before a Bovina Town Justice by Ella Brown Campbell, who lived in Bovina, against her brother: "A lawsuit brought by Mrs. Henry S. Campbell against her brother, George Brown, of Arena, as administrator of her mother's estate, came up before Justice T.C. Strangeway Friday.  The suit was withdrawn, and another action immediately brought. The action is brought to secure pay for caring for the mother."

139 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-seven years ago today, June 30, 1933, John A. Doig died at the age of 70. Born in Bovina in 1863, he was the son of Walter A. Doig and Margaret C. Armstrong. He was buried in the Bovina Cemetery.

Thursday, June 25, 2020

Bovina Bicentennial Celebration, Update 18


I hope that everyone is coping with our changed world during the COVID-19 Pandemic. While saddened that we have had to postpone our big Bovina Bicentennial celebration to next year (July 31-August 1, 2021), the safety of Bovina's citizens and our visitors is paramount.

But we can still find ways to celebrate Bovina's milestone birthday. 

Let's start by sharing pictures of you and your family at home during this challenging time in our nation's history. And include in the picture the Bicentennial logo. Get creative! We'll share these on social media and maybe make a slide show of your images. You should be able to print off the logo at the top of this entry but if not, let me know and I can e-mail you the image. If you have the Bovina Bicentennial poster, you could use that instead. 

Here's a couple of pictures of my cats with the logo to get you started. I'm sure you all can get more creative than this!


Another idea I want to try locally is sort of a reverse float parade. It would be fun if people would decorate their houses celebrating Bovina's history and/or their family's history. If you are interested, please contact me at bovinahistorian@gmail.com. The decorating should be done by the end of July. My plan is to publicize what homes are doing this and create a driving tour of these homes that people can see during the first weekend in August. 

Bovina's turned 200 and no nasty virus is changing that - it's just changing how we celebrate it. 

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Bovina 150 Years Ago - the 1870 Federal Census of Bovina


William Stott conducted the 1870 Federal Census for the Town of Bovina from June 17 to July 4, 1870. Stott was born in Bovina in 1829, the son of George and Ellen Stott. He was married to Jennie McNee for, tragically, only six months. Married in March, she died in September 1866.  I have yet to work out when he passed away, but he was on the 1880 census for Bovina.

Here are some of the numbers that came out of that census from 150 years ago.

·  The population was 1022, a drop of 220 people from 1860. In 1880, the population would be about the same.

·  Oldest person in Bovina was Nancy Russell Thomson, who was eighty-nine. She was born in Scotland, the daughter of James and Sarah Russell. She married James Thompson in 1805. He died in 1867. She would live until 1873.

·  The town had nine people who were eighty or older, and twenty-two people under the age of one. 343 were age sixteen or under.

·  884 Bovina citizens were born in New York. Over half of that number had at least one parent of foreign birth, while 322 had both parents of foreign birth. Another ten were born in other states in the United States. 104 were Scottish born, another twelve were born in Ireland, eight in England and one from Switzerland.

·  Bovina’s population included 191 farmers (with 27 others listed as farm laborers), 35 domestic servants and 28 laborers. Bovina had eight teachers, eight carpenters, five stone masons and four each of coopers and shoemakers. Bovina had three each of dry goods merchants and millers and two each of such occupations as wagon maker, dress maker, tailoress, clergyman, blacksmiths and teamsters. Bovina also had one physician (Charles Frisbee), a Cattle Broker (John Hastings), a saloon keeper (Alex Kinmouth), and a tea peddler (Edward Boggs).

·  The town had 275 school children. Bovina’s residents were well educated, with only four people of school age or older who could not read or write.

·  Two town residents were labeled as ‘idiotic.’ One was blind and one was listed as ‘deaf and dumb.’

·  There were more cows than people in Bovina, with 2201 dairy cows. And there were slightly more sheep than people, with 1113 (five years later, the population of sheep would drop by half).

·  276 Bovina residents were male citizens of the United States (women could not vote at this time).


Wednesday, June 10, 2020

June 1920 - 100 Years Ago "in that Thriving Town"


Here's what was happening in Bovina 100 years ago this month, reported in the Andes Recorder:

June 4, 1920
Miss Knox, of Walton, has been hired as principal of the Center school for next year.
Elmer Hastings, of Saranac, has been spending the past week with his brothers here.
Russell Boggs was taken ill Friday night, threatened with appendicitis, but is now better.
C.S. Terry has moved his garage from the Elliott Thomson shop to the Gideon Miller blacksmith shop.
The town board met last Friday to arrange for the completion of the Bergman road.  They were unable to get any bids and the town superintendent and his men will complete it.

June 11, 1920
The Bovina Co-Operative Creamery located up-town has been rented by Daniel Franklin, who will ship cream and make cheese.
Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Hoy commenced housekeeping this week in what is known as the John Hastings house, owned by his father.
A Buick touring car from South Kortright collided with the iron bridge at Lake Delaware, and was saved from falling into the stream by one wheel being caught in the bridge.

June 18, 1920
Mrs. John M. Miller went to her new home at Walton on Monday.
Henrietta and Catherine Howden and Ruth Coulter tried second year subjects in Regents at Delhi this week.
Mr. and Mrs. J. Bryce Russell, of Colfax, Washington, are visiting his brother, William C. Russell, here and his brother and sisters on the Russell homestead farm in southern Bovina.  He went west 43 years ago and this is his first visit here since.

Had Tonsils Removed
Mrs. Christopher S. Gladstone and Mrs. Fred Thomson were operated upon Tuesday at the home of the last named for the removal of their tonsils.  Dr. Goodrich and Ormiston were the surgeons. [See the Bovina NY History blog for November 18, 2015 for more about Mrs. Gladstone and Mrs. Thomson: https://bovinanyhistory.blogspot.com/2015/11/stories-from-bovinas-cemeteries.html]

June 25, 1920
Chauncey Robinson, of Hobart, is assisting C.S. Terry in his garage in this place.
A Silver reunion was held Wednesday at the home of Robert Robson up Coulter Brook.
Will Aitkens, who is employed in New York, accompanied by three friends, is spending his vacation with his parents here.
Mrs. Hamilton Russell, who recently dislocated her thumb while nursing at Frank Rupert’s, has returned to the case and Mrs. Lucy Coulter, who took her place, has returned to her home.