This Day in Bovina for July

This month's compilation of the July 2022 entries on the Town of Bovina Historian Facebook page has a different approach. To celebrate Bovina's Bicentennial, I'm sharing images from past celebrations starting in the 1920s (but ending with a celebration almost 200 years ago). 
 
A feature of the annual Old Home Days held in Bovina in the 1920s included some form of a softball game. This is the Bovina Center ladies softball team. The women are Blanche Armstrong, Beulah Decker, Helen Gladstone, Ruth Coulter, Mary Robinson, Wilhelmina Archibald, Isabel Russell, Beatrice Hoy and Frances Bell. One feature of Bovina's Bicentennial celebration on July 30, 2022, will include a vintage baseball game with the Bovina Dairymen.

 
The August 1926 Old Home Day parade featured Alex and Louise Hilson on this flower decked cart and pony. 

 
Another feature of Bovina town picnics in the 1920s was some form of a band. This picture is from the Cecil Russell family. The picnic was on the flat at the end of Maple Street. 

 
Old Home Day in the 1920s usually included a parade. The image is blurry but you can see the parade is on the main street in Bovina. 

 
As well as parades and music, town picnics in the 1920s often included a speaker. I'm not sure about the date of this image, though it comes from the 1920s.
Attorney Ernest Bergeman, a New York City lawyer who summered in Bovina, talked about the very recently passed woman suffrage amendment at the 1920 picnic.  Woman in NY already had the vote, but he noted that even though they had this privilege, many failed to vote in the elections of the previous fall.  He said that it is up to every woman to vote at election time as it is up to the men.  

 
On August 26, 1926, as later reported in the Delaware Republican under the headline "Bovina a Big Town," Bovina's annual Old Home Day took place. The article noted that “At least once each year everyone in this vicinity preens himself or herself, and claims some sort of connection with Bovina. That is the date of the annual town picnic. If everyone who at that time claims the town as a birthplace is right, either there has been a most awful migration from the home nest, or else someone is stretching the truth." Bovina's Old Home Day started with a parade, led by "little Jack Hilson riding his flower-decked Shetland…".  

 
After a 28-year hiatus, Bovina revived the tradition of a town picnic on August 18, 1956. The paraded included this float from the Bovina United Presbyterian Church. The replica of the church was built by Frank McPherson, with the ladies of the church painting the windows. It stood in her garden for years and was featured in several town parades. It is being prepared to appear in the Bovina Bicentennial parade this coming July 30. The kids on the float are Dianne Rabeler Abele, Marcia McPherson Lichtman, "Mac" McPherson & Judy Rabeler Chambers .

 
Bovina's Old Home Day parade in August 1956 included the Bovina Firemen's Ladies Auxiliary. 

 
This interesting character in the August 1956 Bovina Old Home Day parade was my cousin Bobby Boggs. 

 
The 1956 Bovina Town Picnic was advertised in the local newspapers. For the Bovina Bicentennial Celebration, we'll be using the same flat, thanks to the McIntosh family.

 
On September 5, 1964, Bovina held the very last event known as Old Home Day. This slide, taken by my Uncle George LaFever, shows the Bovina Fire Department in formation.

 
In the 1964 Old Home Day, the Bovina Happy Hearts 4-H float, which had won a prize at the Walton Fair the previous month, featured the Fisher Quints - the first ever U.S. born quintuplets. My sisters were both on the float - Susan as one of the nurses and Diane as one of the babies.

 
Following in his father's footsteps (see the July 6 entry), John Hilson rode his horse in the parade at the 1964 Bovina Old Home Day. 

 
Another view of the Old Home Day parade from September 1964, taken by George LaFever. 

 

In 1970, for the first time in its history, Bovina celebrated a milestone birthday with its Sesquicentennial celebration on August 29, 1970. Here's the ad from the Delaware Republican Express for the celebration. 

 
One of the best remembered floats at the 1970 Sesquicentennial celebration was the Burns family float, with Jack and June Burns recreating the Grant Wood painting "American Gothic." The float won first prize. 

 
The 1970 Bovina Sesquicentennial celebration included several activities on McIntosh's flat. Here's Marjorie Russell talking with her mother Isabell. In the background are sisters Elizabeth and Janet McKenzie. Photograph from the Monroe family. 

 
Another memorable float from the 1970 Sesquicentennial featured Mary Pelletier and her mother Jan. This photograph was taken by Charles Winter. 

 
Antique machinery was a feature of Bovina's 1970 Sesquicentennial celebration. Clark Lay's Indian motorcycle, made in 1914, had belonged to his uncle, Clark Miller, who was killed in the First World War. And John Mueller displayed one of his gas engines. Both images by George LaFever. Clark Lay’s Indian Motorcycle will be making an appearance in the upcoming Bovina Bicentennial Celebration on July 30.

 

Laura LaFever took this photograph of Florence Thomas with Congressmen Hamilton Fish at the 1970 Sesquicentennial celebration. Florence drove the congressman in one of Clayt Thomas's antique cars. 

 
Charlotte Vanderhurst shared this image from the 1970 Bovina Sesquicentennial Celebration showing McIntosh's flat. This is where the upcoming Bicentennial celebration will take place. 

 
Like many communities in the United States, Bovina held its own celebration of the nation's Bicentennial in 1976. These two images by Hugh Lee show Cecil and Isabell Russell on John Mueller's antique truck and some of the McIntosh/Brannen family all dressed up for the celebration.  

 
This model of the Bovina UP Church, which stood near Stella McPherson's garden, showed up in another parade in Bovina during the celebration of the nation's Bicentennial in 1976. Photo by the late Dot Ryder. 

 
The second time Bovina celebrated a milestone birthday came in 1995 with the Town's 175th. Here's the poster advertising the celebration. 

 
 
The Bovina Fire Department participated in the 1995 celebration of Bovina's 175th birthday, as they will for the Bicentennial. 

 
The Monroe family had a float in the 175th Bovina Birthday celebration in 1995 (and hope to do so again this year). 

 
My dear ole Pa drove his red Chevrolet convertible in the parade, taking along Howard LaFever and Alan Davidson. (Sorry, I don't recognize the woman with them - if anyone knows, please share) 

 
The Bovina UP Church school had this float for the 175th Birthday celebration in 1995. 

 
The last parade held in Bovina (until tomorrow!) was a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Bovina Fire Department in 2009. Making at least its third appearance in a Bovina parade was this model of the Bovina UP Church. And it will appear again in tomorrow's Bicentennial parade. 

 
Today's the day. After a two-year delay, we are finally celebrating the Town of Bovina's 200th Birthday. The logo was created by Samantha Misa.

 
We conclude this month of reviews of celebrations in Bovina by going back almost 200 years to 1826, when the nation celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Go to the Bovina NY History blog at https://bovinanyhistory.blogspot.com/2015/08/celebration-at-bovina-1826.html to read an article from the Delaware Gazette describing that celebration.
 
 

Town of Bovina Bicentennial Celebration

This is a compilation of the notices I have posted over the past week on the Town of Bovina Bicentennial Celebration Facebook page. 

The long-awaited Bovina Bicentennial Celebration will kick off at 10 am on July 30 with a parade, starting at Coulter Brook Road and going through the hamlet to Creamery Road, ending on McIntosh’s flat. The parade will include floats, antique cars and farm equipment, the Delaware County Sheriff’s Mounted Patrol and finishing with the Lake Delaware Boys Camp. The floats, cars and vehicles will be on display throughout the afternoon on the flat, as will the Bovina Fire Department’s equipment, including the department’s first fire truck. Come see this celebration of our town!

Image is of Jack and June Burns on their 1970 float during the celebration of Bovina's  Sesquicentennial.

Be sure to come to the Bovina Bicentennial Festival on the McIntosh Flat on July 30 from noon until 4 for many fun things to buy and good things to eat. There will be Bovina souvenirs, books, baked goods, demonstrations of blacksmithing, butter making and spinning, children’s games and much much more. Ty’s Tacoria and Pam Guy’s Crossroads Café will be serving lunches and snacks.

Celebration organizers request that attendees not bring their dogs.

Photo is from the Town of Bovina's 1976 celebration of the nation's Bicentennial, taken by Dean Lapinel.

At 2 pm on Saturday, July 30, the Bovina vintage baseball team, the Bovina Dairymen will take on the Fleischmanns’ Mountain Athletics Club on Creamery Field (1396 County Highway 6) in Bovina. Come and cheer along Bovina’s home team during our Bicentennial Celebration!

More information about the Dairymen may be found on their website at https://www.bovinadairymen.org/

Photo shows what appears to be the outfield of the ladies softball game at one of the town picnics from the 1920s.

At 4:30 p.m., an exciting range of musicians from Bovina take the stage for a concert closing the bicentennial’s afternoon festivities. Musicians include Kate Burrascano, College Farm, True, Dan Pelletier, John "Chico" Finn, Laurie McIntosh, the Catskill Music Consort, Dan Finn, Mark Pelletier, Etienne Lytle, and Timothy Harlo Bray. Ira McIntosh will emcee and kick off the music. Don’t miss it!

Image is of the Bovina Coronet, probably from the 1890s or early 20th century.

Bovina's Bicentennial Celebration includes a very special art project. Bovina artists were given old images of Bovina buildings no longer in existence or altered and invited to do their own interpretation of them. These 10 paintings will be displayed in the hamlet during the celebration at the site where the original structure stood (or still stands). Thank you to Brooke Alderson for suggesting and coordinating this project. 

1. Antonio Mora - Strangeway’s Store and later Clayt Thomas’s garage, now home of Tom Hetterich

2. Mike Casey - Hilson’s Store, built in 1867, now Dry Town Tavern

3. Sandra Finkenberg - Kennedy Hotel, demolished in 1960, lot now vacant, across from Brushland Eating House

4. Lizbeth Firmin - Old Jock Hilson Home, burned in 1915

5. Lori Glavin - Creamery in 1943, building was refurbished on the outside a year or so later to its present look

6. Scott Hill - Creamery, original, constructed in 1902

7. Gary Mayer - Scott’s Bridge, built in 1870s, demolished in 1955

8. Rick Mills - Bovina Methodist Church, built in 1849, demolished in 1926, now residence across from Community Hall (photograph below of the old church)

9. Cornell Verlaan - J.R. Douglass home, later Alexander Hilson residence, replaced in 1920s with home of Mike and Christine Batey

10. Tim Cunningham - Kinmouth Store, later home of Clark and Gladys Lay, and Tim Cunningham, now home of Betty Powell

The Bovina Bicentennial celebration will wrap up with more food! A community picnic will take place at noon on July 31 under the tent at McIntosh’s flat. Bring a dish to pass and your own table service or bring your own lunch if you prefer. And there will be birthday cake! Children and adults are welcome to participate in a pie eating contest, tug of war and sack race. 

For those of you visiting from out of town, you can bring lunch with you. If you wish to buy your lunch at Russell’s Store, we are asking you, if possible, to order your lunch the day before so Ellen will be able to have it ready for you. Here's the order form you can use. Forms also are at Russell's and will be at the celebration on Saturday.

It's Almost Here!

We are only 10 days away from Bovina's Bicentennial weekend celebration. Originally scheduled for August 1 and 2, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to delay the celebration until this year - specifically July 30 and 31, 2022. Here’s the schedule:

Saturday, July 30

Parade – 10 am
The parade will start at Coulter Brook Road and go through the hamlet to Creamery Road, where it will end on McIntosh’s flat (the field to the left of the creamery). The parade will include floats, antique cars and farm equipment, and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Mounted Patrol, finishing with the Lake Delaware Boy’s Camp.
The floats and vehicles from the parade will be on display throughout the afternoon on the flat, as will the Bovina Fire Department’s equipment, including the department’s first fire truck. If you are interested in participating in the parade, contact me at bovinahistorian@gmail.com.

Bovina Bicentennial Festival – Noon until 4 pm
The Bovina Bicentennial Festival will take place on the McIntosh Flat, just to the left of the Bovina Creamery (21 Creamery Road) with food vendors, local businesses and organizations offering their products and/or services for sale. Children’s games and demonstrations, including blacksmithing, butter making and spinning, also will take place. Ty’s Tacoria and Pam Guy’s Crossroads Café will be providing food for sale. The Delhi Telephone Company will be providing free wi-fi for the day. Celebration organizers request that attendees not bring their dogs.

At 2 pm, the Bovina vintage baseball team, the Bovina Dairymen will take on the Fleischmanns’ Mountain Athletics Club on Creamery Field (1396 County Highway 6) in Bovina.

Music Festival – 4:30 to 6:30 pm
At 4:30 p.m., an exciting range of musicians from Bovina take the stage for a concert closing the bicentennial’s afternoon festivities. Musicians include Kate Burrascano, College Farm, True, Dan Pelletier, John "Chico" Finn, Laurie McIntosh, the Catskill Music Consort, Dan Finn, Mark Pelletier, Etienne Lytle, and Timothy Harlo Bray. Ira McIntosh will emcee and kick off the music. Don’t miss it!
And if you want more music, Livestock is offering a live concert at 124 Bob Hall Road in Bovina, at 8 pm, with The College Farm as one of the performers.

Sunday, July 31

The Bovina United Presbyterian Church will hold a service at 10:30 am at McIntosh’s Flat.

A community picnic will take place at noon under the tent to wrap up the weekend. You can bring a dish to pass and your own table service. You also are welcome to bring your own lunch if you prefer. A birthday cake will be provided. Some children and adult games, including a pie eating contest, tug of war and sack race will be offered to anyone interested in participating.

Information is available on the town's website at the Town of Bovina Bicentennial site.

July 1922 - 100 Years Ago in "That Thriving Town"

A couple of Bovina farmers lost livestock by lightning. The resurfacing of what is now County Route 6 was completed, and an old Bovina native died in his sleep at his son's home. 

July 7, 1922

• The Camp Fire Girls will sell ice cream on the U.P. church lawn Saturday evening.

• Margaret Gordon has gone to Fall Clove to spend the summer at the home of [the] Scott Brothers. [These likely were her uncles.]

• United States Senator and Mrs. Peter G. Gerry have been spending the past week on their estate at Lake Delaware.

• Arnold Bellows, of Roxbury, has been hired to teach next year in the combined districts No. 1 and 9 at $40 a week.

• The town insurance company has allowed Charles A. McPherson $50 a head for five cows killed by lightning last week and $30 for one.

• John Burns, in the upper part of the town, found a horse dead in the pasture this week. The animal had evidently been dead for three or four days when found.  Whether it was struck by lightning or what was the cause of death is not known.  Mr. Burns was at Meridale on Wednesday and purchased another horse.

July 14, 1922

• Andrew T. Doig was in New York City this week with a party who are boarding at William T. Russell’s.

• The receipts from the sale of ice cream by the Camp Fire Girls on the U.P. church lawn Saturday evening amounted to $30.

• The remodeled Methodist parsonage now owned by Fred Thomson, is nearly ready for occupancy.  Alex Myers is doing the painting. [This is now Chuck and Betty McIntosh's house]

• Warren Archibald, of New Kingston was here last week and traded his Cadillac car with Andrew Doig, the agent, for a new model Sedan.

• The resurfacing of the state road is completed from the bridge at Strangeway store building to the top of the pitch at Lancelot Thomson’s. [This is now County Route 6]

• Ted Fuller, who recently sold the Armstrong farm, has stored his household goods in the Dickson big house and with his wife has gone to Utica.

July 21, 1922

• Miss Angelica Gerry has arrived at her summer home at Lake Delaware.

• The ten-year-old son of Harrison Hall, on the Soper farm, fell from a load of hay and twisted his arm in such a manner that in order to get it straightened the physician had to break the arm.

• Gustave Lifgren, who lives on the D. Lyle Thomson farm up Pink street, has sold the Aitken or Ward farm on the hill further up the same valley, to A.E. Hadley, who lives across the road on Andrew Thomson farm.  The price is $2,500 with immediate possession.

July 28, 1922

• Elliott Thomson is visiting his son, William Thomson, at Binghamton, and taking in the horse racing held at Endicott.

• Mr. and Mrs. Alex Myers are taking a vacation and are visiting their son, Frank Myers, at Endicott.  Mrs. Arthur Decker is in charge of the central telephone office during their absence.

• Frank Kinch, who has been working for F.W. Hyatt in haying, was taken ill on Sabbath with an attack of acute indigestion and is still confined to his home in Delhi.  He had fallen a few days before and struck his side on a stone and the doctor found that he had cracked some ribs.

Found Dead in Bed

Joshua Hobbie was found dead in bed Tuesday morning at the home of his son, Rema Hobbie, in upper Bovina.  He was born in Bovina about 80 years ago and the great part of his life had been spent in the town.  A few years ago the family moved to Colchester, where he and his wife still resided.  Besides his wife he leaves six children. He was one of a family of fourteen children and only one sister, Mrs. E. B. Frisbee of Delhi, survives.