107 years ago today, June 1, 1915, Mary Gordon wrote a letter from Castle Douglas, Scotland, to her brother Thomas Gordon in Bovina Center. Here's the envelope and second page of the letter, which mentions the First World War which was raging in Europe.
Forty years ago today, the June 2, 1982 Walton Reporter carried this photo of the Bovina Emergency Squad.
130 years ago today, on June 3, 1892, the Overseers of several road districts in Bovina requested that Bovina's commissioner of highways purchase a Climax Road machine for the sum of $235, to be paid in installments.
Eighty years ago today, the June 4, 1942 Delaware Republican carried this Bovina column.
Fifty-one years ago today, June 5, 1971, an auction was held at the home of the last Sophie Reinertsen in Bovina Center. Here's the ad for the auction from the Catskill Mountain News.
142 years ago today, on June 6, 1880, as later reported in the Stamford Mirror, "a team of horses belonging to Wm. Archibald, managed to get loose form the sheds where they were tied while the family were attending church, and started for home, but were pursued by quite a large portion of the congregation and soon overtaken."
Seventy-three years ago today, on June 7, 1949, as later reported in the Catskill Mountain News, "We are having an epidemic of pink eye in town. Many in the grade school here are afflicted."
Eighty-three years ago today, the Bovina column of the June 8, 1939 Delaware Republican reported that "Postmaster and Mrs. Fred Thomson attended the horticultural meeting in Delhi…."
127 years ago today, on June 9, 1895, as later reported in the Andes Recorder's Bovina column, "A number of the boys were up [to Bovina] from Delhi … on their wheels." In this instance, 'wheels' means 'bicycles.' The 1890s were the heyday of bicycling in the United States. It was bicyclists who started the push toward better maintained roadways.
122 years ago today, on June 10, 1900, as later reported in the Delaware Republican, "Wm. T. Miller died of heart trouble at his residence in Bovina...aged about 60. He leaves a wife who was a sister of John and Thomas Hastings, and one daughter, Mrs. Geo. T. Russell. Mr. Miller was one of the substantial men of Bovina, and a very worthy citizen. His funeral was held on Tuesday, the pastor of the Reformed Presbyterian Church officiating."
Fifty-five years ago today, on June 11, 1967, Delhi Tech Professor (and Bovina resident) Gaston Pelletier gave an address at the school’s graduation ceremonies that so impressed local Congressman John G. Dow that he it entered into the Congressional Record.
139 years ago today, the June 12, 1883 Stamford Mirror reported that "Dr. Finney [Phinney], of New Kingston, thinks of locating at Bovina." Dr. Phinney did indeed relocate to Bovina, working there until his premature death in 1901 at the age of 51.
Eighty-two years ago today, the Lake Delaware column of the June 13, 1940 Delaware Republican reported that "Miss Angelica Gerry has opened Ancrum House for the summer and has as her guest Saxham Deury of Newport, R.I."
103 years ago today, on June 14, 1919, as reported by the Andes Recorder, "Sergeant Donald Lee, a member of the Lightning division, who served over a year in France, arrived home ….having received his discharge." Lee was born in Bovina in 1896, the son of John Bruce Lee and Lucy A. Hall. The Lee family lived on Lee Hollow. Donald was a US Army Sargent during World War I, receiving the Purple Heart. Donald lived to see his 99th birthday, dying in Florida in May 1995. He is buried in Bovina. He was Bovina's last surviving World War One veteran.
142 years ago today, the Bovina column of the June 15, 1880 Stamford Mirror had the following item: "Miss Jennie Russell, our late milliner, has been in town a few days past. This is not supposed to be news to one certain young gentleman in town." As to which Jennie Russell this is I have yet to determine.
127 years ago today, on Sunday, June 16, 1895, Bovina saw a weekend of burglaries. It started the evening before when Homer Burgin's home on present day Route 28 was entered. The following morning, while the William Forrest family was at church, two burglars entered his house and took his gun and a number of other things. That evening, burglars entered Francis Coulter's house on Coulter Brook. While rummaging through the house, they awoke Mr. Coulter and fled. Coulter found his pants dropped on the veranda. It is likely, though not definite, that all these burglaries were done by the same people. I never found any evidence that the perpetrators were caught.
179 Years ago today, on June 17, 1843, the commissioners of highway of the Town of Bovina received an application to alter a highway from Alexander Storie: "The undersigned resident of the said town and liable to the assessed for highway labour therein hereby makes application to you the said commissioners to alter the highway in said Town Commencing at the old road on the line between Priscilla Carman and William Jobson and running a northeasterly course through said Jobsons land to the Stamford town line (which said highway will pass through the improved lands of said William Jobson who does not consent to the laying out of the same)." Where this is located I'm not exactly sure, but I think it's the upper Pink Street area.
A few days later, twelve men were brought in to hear the case for and against laying out this highway and agreed that it was necessary to do so. William Jobson's objections (whatever they were) essentially were overruled.
113 years ago today, the Bovina column in the June 18, 1909 issue of the Andes Recorder reported that "Mrs. William A. Gladstone has sold her farm on Coulter Brook, known as the Robert R. Scott farm, to Emile Snyder (sic), of South Kortright, and he is moving onto it this week. The sale includes the stock and farm machinery, etc. The price paid was $4,250." This was the farm of Emil Schneider. Schneider died in 1965. He was the father of three sons and a daughter, Lillian, who married Alex Hilson.
145 years ago today, the June 19, 1877 Ogdensburg Advance and St. Lawrence Weekly Democrat had this tidbit from Bovina: "Mrs. Hoy, of the town of Bovina, Delaware Co., some days ago, while asleep, swallowed a four-tooth gutta percha plate, teeth and all. Strange to say, she has, not as yet, suffered any inconvenience from the accident."
121 years ago, on June 20, 1901, the Bovina 'uptown' cooperative creamery was organized. As reported in the Andes Recorder, the "creamery will be built on the Andrew T. McFarlane [McFarland] farm," now the Schumann property. Thirty farmers were to participate. The trustees elected were Andrew McFarland, George T. Russell and Alexander Burns. The Recorder went on to report that "[t]he contract for the building and apparatus has been let to F.B. Floyd for $4,350 and it is to be ready for business by September 1." This creamery was organized a couple of months before the Bovina Center Cooperative Creamery was organized. The uptown creamery building is no more, though the foundation is still identifiable.
103 years ago today, June 21, 1919, Clifton Irvine arrived home from service in the army in the Great War. The Andes Recorder reported that "He is going back to Seattle, where he was before the war, and Lloyd Irvine and Millard Blair expect to go with him." Clifton and Lloyd were brothers and the brothers of Isabell Irvine Russell (Lloyd was her twin). Millard Blair was the brother of Helen Thompson. Clifton, Lloyd and Millard all settled in Washington State.
158 years ago today, on June 22, 1864, a vote was held in Bovina to pay a bounty of $500 to any man enlisting in the Civil War, to be credited to Bovina. There were several such votes during the war, each time for a larger amount. By the end of the war, it was up to $800. This vote was the closest of the war, passing by only one vote, with 68 for and 67 against.
117 years ago today, on June 23, 1905, William B. Thomson, the sole trustee of Bovina School District Number 1 issued this request to Bovina Town Supervisor John Irvine to pay Mina B. Cooke $25 for teaching at the Maynard School.
Sixty-two years ago today, the June 24, 1960 Walton Reporter in its Bovina column had this item: "Alan LaFever attended the Westville Air Show at Cooperstown with his uncle, Charles LaFever. Allan won a half-hour free airplane ride, which put him up in the air more than one way." The same column also carried this: "Mrs. Mary Jardine finished her term of school last week. School is now closed until she opens again for the coming year in September. I think all are in accord, Mrs. Jardine is a fine teacher and has done wonders with her group of children." This would be the next to the last year that the school was open. It would close a year later in June 1961.
Eighty years ago today, the June 25, 1942 Delaware Republican Bovina column reported that "The Recreation Club enjoyed a 'hot dog roast' at the home of Henry Monroe on Thursday night of last week.
168 years ago today, on June 26, 1854, Elizabeth Thomson Miller was born, the daughter of Thomas Miller and Elizabeth Thompson. She died at the age of 31 in December 1885 and is buried in Bovina.
172 years ago today, on June 27, 1850, David P. Stewart acknowledged a debt to William Doig of $53.93, dating from 1848, in this document, known as a chattel mortgage. To cover the debt, he mortgaged several items from his blacksmith shop and components for a wagon being built for him by Herman Roterman, including "one running gear box and three seats of a Two Handle Plesure Wagon.." Stewart was obligated to pay the $53.93 with interest by the 1st of August. If payment wasn't made, the items mortgaged would become Doig's. Note that Doig also had the option to redeem the note before the due date of August 1st if he "shall at any time deem himself insecure…" In the days before credit cards, chattel mortgages were way to get a secured loan.
There are two possibilities as to who William Doig was. William Doig (1809-1872), son of Walter Doig and Elizabeth Murdock, is one candidate. The other is William S. Doig (1829-1896), son of Andrew Doig and Margaret Sanderson. There is only one Daniel Stewart that I've found, born in 1825 and died in 1877, but there is little other information about him. Herman Rotermund was a German born wagon maker who was living in Andes in the 1850s and 1860s. He appears later to have gone to California. His daughter Mary married James Coulter and is the ancestor of the Parsons and Boggs family, among others.
171 years ago today, on June 28, 1851, four Bovina men made statements related to their unfitness for military service. Joshua Carman, age 40, had hearing issues and a problem hip joint. Walter Hamilton, age 42, ran the hotel located where Jardine’s house is now. He reported a knee injury from a few years previous that continued to plague him. Homer Burgin, age 33, was a farmer on present Route 28. He was not specific about his health problems, just stating that he was 'unfit for military duty on account of ill health…' Thomas Seacord, age 39, had a "weak and lame leg." All four statements were sworn before assessor Walter Stott, Jr. Two of these gentlemen, Hamilton and Seacord, would both die six years later in 1857. The other two lasted considerably longer. Carmen was 70 at his death in 1891, while Burgin was 78 when he died in 1897.
121 years ago today, the June 29, 1901 Walton Reporter carried this article about "Bovina's New Creamery. F. B. Floyd, who built the Delhi co-operative creamery, with C. H. Broughton and a Mr. Kent of Western New York, have been interviewing the dairymen of upper Bovina and secured thirty stockholders in a cooperative creamery. The largest subscription was by F. R. McFarland, who took $600 in and the others took $300 and $200.
Mr. Floyd has the contract for the building and apparatus at $1,350, and the creamery Is to be ready for business September 1. It will be a two-story building arranged for putting in dry curd machinery.
On Thursday of last week Mr. Floyd assisted in organizing the company at a meeting held in the Maynard school house. The trustees elected were F. R. McFarland. Geo. T. Russell and Alex. Burns, who act for the subscribers at present and as a building committee. Mr. Floyd was authorized to engage an expert butter maker for one month on trial when the plant is ready, at $75 per month, make a contract with the Casein company and purchase the supplies needed.
The creamery will be located on A. McFarland's lands east of the arch bridge. The thirty subscribers have 1,000 cows and as is well known they are all fine dairies in that section. Mr. Floyd says that in all his extensive traveling in dairy sections he has not seen the equal of Bovina.
The conditions certainly are favorable for success in this enterprise, and it is quite likely that the creamery will prove a material benefit to those interested.
It is quite likely that the central part of the town is not going to be left behind by their wideawake uptown neighbors and a similar effort is being made to form a cooperative company and erect a creamery at Bovina Centre.
Eighty-four years ago, on June 30, 1938 (as later reported in the Andes Recorder), "Rev. and Mrs. Peter McKenzie traveled to Newark to see their two daughters sail on a six week trip to Finland." The McKenzies had three daughters, Janet, Elizabeth and Margaret. Which two daughters was not stated in the newspaper, though it probably was Janet and Elizabeth.
