Here's the recap of the April 2022 postings on the Town of Bovina Historian Facebook page:
Sixty-nine years ago today, on
April 1, 1953, Charles LaFever started working for LaFever Excavating. His job
change was reported in the Catskill Mountain News, April 3 issue: "Charles
LaFever, who has been employed the past three years at the Hilson Brothers feed
store, has resigned and will start April 1 with his brother, Howard, in bulldozing work." He would
work for LaFever's for 40 years.
Fifty-two years ago today, on
April 2, 1965, as later reported in the Delaware Republican Express, “Mr. and
Mrs. Henry Monroe and daughter, Frances Burns, were guests Friday of his
sister, Mrs. Arthur Kellam, at Binghamton."
125 years ago today, on April 3,
1897, "The catalogues have been printed and the Bovina Public Library was
opened to the public… It contains many valuable books for both old and
young." The library at that time
was located in the basement of the Bovina United Presbyterian Church. The
church had started a library in 1879, but it ended after about a decade. In 1896, E.T. Gerry donated $100 and Mr. H.C.
Frick, of Pittsburgh, $50 to starting up the library again.
106 years ago today, at the
primary election held April 4, 1916, only 34 people voted - 18 Republicans, 13
Democrats and 3 Prohibitionists.
127 years ago, Andes Recorder cast
some disparaging remarks concerning certain people in Bovina and how they spend
their money. In its April 5, 1895 issue,
the Bovina correspondent reported that "About thirty people in town
purchased a copy of the Biographical Review, which shows that there are at
least thirty fools in town." The
Biographical Review of Delaware County has proven to be an invaluable tool for
genealogists, but this comment does confirm what I have done for years - take
these biographies with a grain of salt. The full text of the Review is on the Delaware
County Genealogy website at http://www.dcnyhistory.org/bioindex.html.
Ninety-nine years ago today, the
April 6, 1923 issue of the Andes Recorder reported in its Bovina column: "The
dry milk plant of the Bovina Center Co-operative Creamery is now in
operation. The company is experimenting
in the making of cocoa which only requires the addition of hot water to make it
ready for use. One sample shipment has
been made."
135 years ago today, the April 7,
1887 issue of the Hobart Independent reported on the death of James H. Bramley:
"Our citizens were shocked on Thursday to learn of the sudden death of
James H. Brimley, of Bovina, who also has resided at Kortright and in Delhi,
and is well known and highly esteemed for his genial disposition and many
worthy traits of character. He was in Delhi on Saturday, the 25th ult. in
apparently good health. On Sabbath he complained of a pain in his breast, which
continued at intervals without exciting especial alarm until Thursday, the 31st,
when it was thought best to have medical advice, and his brother Girard, came
to Delhi to procure a physician. Dr. Gates, who was desired, being absent at
the time, his return was awaited as no immediate danger was apprehended, but in
a short time a telegram came from Bloomville announcing that Mr. Bramley was
dead." He was buried in the Bovina Cemetery.
Seventy-three years ago, the
Catskill Mountain News' Bovina columnist reported in the paper's April 8, 1949
issue: "I think everyone in town is rejoicing over the fact we have the
daily Binghamton Press route back again. It was discontinued during the war and
up to now no Press papers were available same day they were dated."
It was 102 years ago today, on
April 9, 1920, that Elizabeth Murdock Doig passed away. The Andes Recorder
reported her death under the headline "Last of Her Generation." The
paper went on to note that "she was born in Bovina 81 years ago and her
entire life had been spent in the town.
The funeral was held Monday from the U.P. church of which she had long
been a member. She was the last of the
family of the late Andrew Doig."
110 years ago today, on April 10,
1912, as later reported in the Andes Recorder, "A.J. Nicholl was up from
Delhi…for the purpose of organizing a Cow Testing association."
111 years ago, on April 11, 1911,
as later reported in the Andes Recorder, "Mr. and Mrs. Robert G. Thomson
commenced housekeeping Tuesday in rooms in J.W. Coulter's house." This
likely is Robert Gow Thomson, the son of W. Elliott Thompson and Mary Gow. Born
in 1888, he married Nelle Moore. The marriage was short lived - Nelle died in
1917. Robert remarried and survived until 1949.
124 years ago, on April 12, 1898,
as later reported in the Bovina column of the Andes Recorder, "the
Standard Oil wagon was here…"
Eighty-two years ago today, on
April 13, 1940, as later reported in the Delaware Republican, "Mr. and
Mrs. Robert Boggs and children Bobbie and Barbara, were at Delhi on Sunday
afternoon and called on her sister, Mrs. William Sanderson and her baby, Shirley
Bell."
111 years ago today, the April 14,
1911 Bovina column of the Andes Recorder reported the following: "It is
stated that Professor John P. Mabon, a son of Jas C. Mabon, in southern Bovina,
contemplates giving up teaching and hopes to take up the business of
farming."
202 years ago today, on April 15,
1820, James Rutherford and Thomas Laidley each applied for creation of a
private road.
The Andes Recorder reported 154
years today in its April 16, 1868 issue, the following: "Ho! For California – the following
persons left for California on Monday last. Mssrs Robt. Smith, Daniel Smith and
Jas. Armstrong, of Delhi, Mr. James Miller, of Bovina, and James Davidson of
Andes, with their families; and Mr. John B. Scott of Bovina. They will sail from New York on the 15th, by
the North American Line, for San Francisco.
We wish them a safe passage and a pleasant journey." Robert and
Daniel Smith likely were the sons of Robert Smith and Christiana McFarland. Daniel
died in Salinas in 1886 and Robert in Fresno in 1903. James Miller probably is
the son of James Miller (1802-1878) and Agnes Coulter (1802-1869). He appears
to have settled in Gilroy, Santa Clara County, California. His cousin Libbie
Miller married Robert Smith and traveled with him to settle in California. [I
was not able to clearly identify James Armstrong, James Davidson or John B.
Scott.]
138 years ago today, on April 17,
1884, as posted in the Andes Recorder, "Dr. Browne, of Delhi, will be at
…Dr. Phinney’s office, Brushland, the 17th, for consultation and operation in
dentistry. White’s celebrated Laughing
Gas used for the painless extraction of teeth."
126 years ago today, April 18,
1896, as later reported in the Andes Recorder, "H.G. Bramley was still
making [maple] sugar…Sap was still running fairly well in his camp."
138 years ago today, on April 19,
1884, as later reported in the Delaware Republican, "Mr. W.J. Coulter, of
Bovina Valley, passed through town….with beautiful specimens of Colorado Elk
horns, three in number, sent by his brother, Mr. John A. Coulter, of Colorado.
The horns of one of the larger ones measured from the center of the frontal
skull-piece, or forehead, to the tip of the horns, one horn 4 feet 10 1/2
inches, the other 4 feet 11 inches; from tip to tip, 9 feet 9 1/2 inches."
141 years ago today, on April 20,
1881, John Russell, son of Stephen and Mary Russell, married Agnes Orr, the
daughter of Robert and Barbara Orr. The Bovina column of the Stamford Mirror
for April 26 reported that "Our friend, John Russell, went to Kortright
yesterday, and returned in the evening, bringing a young bride with him."
They would have three children, Henry, Clarence and Everett before John's death
at the age of 56 in 1910. Agnes survived her husband by 23 years, dying in
1933.
Sixty-seven years ago today, on
April 21, 1955, the Bovina Recreation Club presented 'Bovina Center, My Home
Town." As later reported in the Delaware Republican Express, the program
was "presented by pantomime, narrative and the projection of colored
slides on a movie screen…" Unfortunately, I was unable to attend this
event. I was considered to be too young
at 14 hours old. More information about
this event may be found in the Bovina NY History blog at http://bovinanyhistory.blogspot.com/2011/04/56-years-ago-today.html.
142 years ago today, the April 22,
1880 Stamford Mirror's Bovina column noted that "Farmers report the maple
sugar a short crop and of poor quality."
142 years ago today, on the April
23, 1880, someone passed through Bovina that aroused enough interest for
someone to post in the Bovina column of the Stamford Mirror this notice:
"Does any one know who that young man was, who passed through Bovina
village, Friday evening, April 23d, riding a small bay horse, with a large
white strip in its face."
Seventy-two years ago today, April
24, 1950, as later reported in the Bovina column of the Catskill Mountain News,
"The Bovina Home Bureau held its closet storage meeting…at the home of
Mrs. Alex Rabeler. Mary Lounsberry was the leader who showed many ways to
improve storage space. There were eleven items made, including shoe racks, step
shelves, sliding drawers and others…"
101 years ago today, on April 25,
1921, as later reported in the Andes Recorder, "the little son of C.S.
Terry had its leg injured while in the [Bovina] cemetery by one of the
tombstones falling over and hitting him.
The cement which held the stone in the base had loosened and a slight
pull brought the stone out of the mortice.
No bones were broken."
101 years ago today, on April 26,
1921, the Bovina Town Board voted to have David G. Currie fill the unexpired
term of town clerk Thomas Gordon, who had passed away on April 22. “On motion the Supervisor with Justice Strangeway
be appointed a committee to assist the present Clerk to examine all papers and
records in the private office of the late Town Clerk and remove all that are of
value to the Town, to the office of the Town Clerk.” My dad recalled that
Thomas's daughter Margaret told him that she had to help the committee locate
all the records in the house. Margaret was 13 at the time.
126 years ago today, on April 27,
1896, as later reported in the Andes Recorder, "S.G. Bramley’s fine team
of greys ran away Monday with the harrow and cut themselves up somewhat."
123 years ago, the April 28, 1899
Bovina column of the Andes Recorder reported that "David Finkle, of Lake
Delaware, has been suffering for several months with sciatic rheumatism and
through the kindness of Mr. Gerry he will receive treatment in a New York
hospital."
131 years ago, on April 29, 1891,
as later reported in the Andes Recorder, "Miss Jennie Miller’s school
entertainment….was a good one, the children gave evidence of careful
training." The paper also noted
that "The temperance entertainment [the next] night was also good. Both
were quite well attended."
Seventy-two years ago today, April 30, 1950, as later reported in the Bovina column of the Catskill Mountain News, "Milton Hastings visited Miss Lilly Happy at East Meredith on Sunday. He found her much improved in health. Sunday was her 87th birthday. She took great pleasure in reading many cards and letters which she had received in honor of her birthday." Miss Happy was Milton's housekeeper for many years. She had taken ill about a year before. In the summer of 1951, she was moved to the Delaware County sanatorium, where she died that October.
x
