108 years ago today, December 1, 1915, the Hilson Bros new feed store was dedicated "by a dance with 57 numbers." This is photo of the feed store taken in the 1980s.
113 years ago today, on December
2, 1910, the Delaware County tuberculosis crusade held "two sessions at
Bovina Center…, one for the benefit of the school children in the afternoon,
the other in the hall at 7:45 in the evening."
Seventy-four years ago today, on December 3, 1949, Marjorie Russell received this letter from Bresee's Department Store in Oneonta:
111 years ago today, the December
4, 1912 issue of the Delaware Gazette reported that "DeWitt C. Sharpe,
Jr., a Bovina farmer living on the old Elisha B. Maynard place, filed a
voluntary petition in bankruptcy Saturday with liabilities of $2438 and no
assets except those claimed as exempt. There are about 20 in Bovina including
Johnson Brothers who have a claim for $1,100. The other creditors are located
in Bloomville, Stamford and Bovina Center."
301 years ago today, on December 5, 1722, Bathsheba Brush was born. She was the mother of early Bovina settler Alexander Brush. She came to live with her son later in life and died in 1803. She is buried in the Brush cemetery next to what is now the library.
Forty years ago today, the December 6, 1983 Stamford Mirror-Recorder carried this story about the resolution of a boundary dispute between Bovina and Andes.
Sixty-seven years ago today, the December 7, 1956 Walton Reporter carried this item in its Bovina column: "Eighteen friends held a surprise party for Mr. and Mrs. Clark Lay at their home Thursday evening in honor of their 10th wedding anniversary. Out-of-town guests were Mr. and Mrs. Frank Swantak of South Kortright, Mr. and Mrs. Edwin LaFever of Unadilla, Ida Lay and Mrs. Maude Rockwell of Oneonta. The honored couple received a purse of money." Here's a wedding picture of Clark and Gladys taken by Bob Wyer.
113 years ago today, on December
8, 1910, as later reported in the Delaware Gazette, "Two yearlings, part
of a dairy of Wm. Smith, a large farmer of this town [Bovina] died last night
of Paris green poisoning and four or five other cattle are sick, but it is
expected they will recover. The Paris green was part of a can which had been
used last summer and was placed on a shelf above the stanchions in the stable
by Larry Mitchell, a farm hand in the employ of Smith. Mr. Smith did not know
that the Paris green had been placed in the stable and was greatly surprised
when he found that his cattle had eaten the poison. It appears that the can had
been knocked off the shelf and the contents got into the feeding buckets."
116 years ago today, on December 9, 1907, Mary Brown was born, the daughter of James Brown and Nancy D. Coulter. She married Edwin M. 'Ted' Burgin in Delhi in 1925. They farmed for many years on the Burgin homestead at Route 28 and County Route 6. Mary was widowed in 1993 and passed away in 2004 at the age of 96. Here's a picture of Mary as a young woman.
Seventy-three years ago today, on
December 10, 1950, as later reported in the Catskill Mountain News, "Mrs.
Richard Crosley held a party for her music students and their parents at the
[Bovina] church parlors… Twenty-five were present. Much credit is due Mrs.
Crosley in her untiring efforts to further her class in their talents of
music." Mrs. Crosley lived on Cape Horn Road. Born Ruth Daley in Colorado
in 1907, she and her husband Richard spent about 20 years in Bovina before
moving to California in 1965. She died in 1984.
Ninety-seven years ago today, on
December 11, 1926, as later reported in the Andes Recorder, "Bovina
defeated Bloomville at basketball here Saturday [Dec 11] evening by the score
of 26 to 20."
119 years ago today, on December
12, 1904, as later reported in the Delaware Gazette, Jacob Bailey of Bovina
died quite suddenly. The paper noted that "we have been able to get but
few particulars, but he seems to have been quite seriously afflicted with
asthma of late and his ailment is thought to have been complicated with heart
trouble that resulted fatally." The paper went on to note that Bailey had
lived on his farm near Lake Delaware for many years. He had just sold the farm
and had only about a week before moved into Bovina Center. The death notice
concluded by noting that Jacob "has always been regarded as a good
neighbor, a faithful friend, an exemplary husband and father, one of the best
citizens of that town."
128 years ago, the December 13,
1895 issue of the Andes Recorder reported that "A club called 'Patrons of
Industry' has been organized at Bovina, with Sloan Archibald, president and
A.T. Russell, vice president. It is
proposed to establish a store at the Butt End and buy their supplies at
wholesale, and thus dispense with the profits of the middlemen." It is not clear how long the organization
operated, or even if it did. The Franklin based Delaware County Dairyman the
following week had a letter to the editor disputing that this store was being
established, noting that "the Patrons have never held a meeting in the
town of Bovina…" The Andes Recorder in January 1896, however, reported
that "the Bovina Patrons of Industry have received their first lot of
groceries, and have several car loads of feed at Delhi. We trust that the
farmers will stick together and make the undertaking a success." At the
end of January, the paper reported that James A. Gow had been hired to run the
store. How long the store operated, I have yet to determine.
184 years ago today, on December 14, 1839, Walter Coulter, the Bovina Commissioner of Common Schools, submitted this report of monies received from the County Treasurer for use in the twelve Bovina school districts.
102 years ago today, on December
15, 1921, as later reported in the Andes Recorder, "Bovina had a double
wedding last Thursday evening, December 15.
The contracting parties were Miss Viola Russell and Wilfred Barnhart,
both of this town, and Alfred Russell, of Bovina, and Miss Katherine Oliver, of
Delhi. Mrs. Russell is a granddaughter
of the late Walter Amos of southern Bovina." Wilford and Viola Barnhart
lived on Pink Street and had six children. They would be married until
Wilford's death in 1979. Alfred and Katherine Russell had four children and
were married until Alfred's death in 1957. Viola and Alfred were brother and
sister.
Eighty years ago today, the December 16, 1943 Delaware Republican published this relatively brief "Bovina Centre" column.
Eighty-one years ago, the December
17, 1942 Bovina column of the Delaware Republican reported that "The body
of Mrs. Ella Cable was brought here from Delhi on Friday for burial. Mr. and
Mrs. Fred Thomson, Mrs. John Hilson, Mrs. Aggie Draffen and others from here
attended the funeral at Delhi." Ella Cable was Ellen Forest. Born in 1860,
she was married to George Cable in 1882 and had a daughter, Nelle. Ella was
widowed in 1930.
201 years ago today, on December
18, 1822, Thomas H. Johnston was born, the son of Andrew Johnston and Mary
Hamilton. His father would die when he was only 15. Mary Johnson took over
management of the Johnston Woolen Mill until Thomas became an adult. He married
Violet Hamilton and had four children. Thomas was one day past 70 when he died
in 1892.
159 years ago today, on December
19, 1864, Close Light died. Born in 1792, Light was a War of 1812 Veteran. More
information about Light can be seen at the Bovina NY History blog at
http://bovinanyhistory.blogspot.com/2012/06/war-of-1812.html
144 years ago today, the December
20, 1879 Delaware Republican had this item: "A correspondent of the
Unadilla Times, says: The prize speaking on Friday evening, in chapel hall,
Franklin, did credit to the participants and was listened to with attention by
a large audience. The 1st prize was awarded to James Hastings, of
Bovina…." This probably was James Blair Hastings (1860-1920). More about
James' life is on my blog at
https://bovinanyhistory.blogspot.com/2012/07/lightning-strike-in-bovina-120-years-ago.html.
Seventy-nine years ago today, the
Bovina column in the Delaware Republican Express for December 21, 1944 reported
that "Isabelle Monroe, who is attending Westminster College at New
Wilmington, Pa., is spending her holiday vacation with her parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Henry Monroe." Isabelle would marry Arthur 'Tex' Deter in 1951. She
passed away in June 2018 at the age of 92.
114 years ago, on the evening of
December 22, 1909, William McNee died suddenly. He was 60 years old. The Andes
Recorder reported his death: "Mr. McNee had worked all day at the Center
creamery assisting in putting in the ice and his part of the work was to take
the cakes as they came on to the platform and get them to the elevator. After completing his work there he went home
and cleaned the sidewalk and then went to the outhouse. Mrs. McNee, after keeping supper waiting for
half an hour or more, became alarmed and went to see what was the cause of the
delay and he was found lying just inside of the door of the outhouse, and he
had apparently dropped dead as he entered. It was known that Mr. NcNee had
valvular trouble of the heart and it is supposed that the over exertion of
handling the heavy cakes of ice was responsible for his death. Mr. McNee was
born on Scotch Mountain but for many years has been a resident of this
town. He married Euphema Doig, youngest
daughter of the late William Doig and she, with three sons and a daughter,
survives him."
119 years ago today, the Bovina
column of the December 23, 1904 Andes Recorder reported that "Civil
Engineer W.W. Hoy is visiting his mother, Mrs. John R. Hoy. He has just
returned from India, where he has been employed." William Wilson Hoy was
born in 1872 in Bovina. He lived for some time in Pennsylvania before settling
in California, where he died in 1967 at the age of 94.
167 years ago today, on December 24, 1856, Mrs. J. Lewis of Bovina died at the age of 88 years. The January 6, 1857 Bloomville Mirror published this poem in memory of her.
Eighty-two years ago today, the
December 25, 1941 Catskill Mountain News reported on the American Red Cross's
appeal for a "fifty million dollar War Relief fund.." The paper noted
that the "Bovina-Lake Delaware branch had its Red Cross Victory Christmas
tree ready to decorate…" It was decorated with crosses, each one
representing "$50 given to the War Relief fund." The campaign chair,
Tom Wallis, "announced that farmers were being asked to contribute a can
of milk to the fund on Christmas day." The paper noted that "although
some of the farmers do not have the ready cash to contribute to the fund just
at this time, they are giving orders on their January milk checks."
135 years ago today, the December
26, 1888 issue of the Delaware Gazette reported that "The school at Bovina
Center was closed a few days on account of diphtheria, and at Bovina (Mountain
Brook), on account of measles. Both schools have commenced again, there being
no more cases."
141 years ago today, the December
27, 1882 Delaware Gazette reported under "Bovina Items" this item:
"Rev. J.L. Scott and bride have been expected at Bovina for several days.
We learn that there will be a family reception for them at his father's to-day,
Monday. Happiness attend them." This is John Loughran Scott, who was
married on December 20 in Fishkill, NY to Elizabeth Laurens. They had two
children, both named Lauren. The first Lauren died as an infant. The second
Lauren lived to the age of 23 but spent much of his life in an institution,
dying in 1911. Rev. Scott died in Philadelphia in 1919, survived by his wife,
and was buried in Connecticut near his son. I do not know when his wife died.
Eighty-four years ago today, on the December 28, 1939 Mexico (NY) Independent, carried the obituary of W. Elliott Thomson, who had died at his daughter's home in Mexico, Oswego County. Thomson was a blacksmith in Bovina for many years. Here's the obit:
202 years ago today, on December
29, 1821, Jonathan Adee was born. He married Henrietta Kipp (born about 1823).
They would have three children and farmed on Cape Horn Road for many years.
Jonathan died in 1902 at the age of 80. Henrietta died about four years later.
115 years ago today, the December
30, 1908 Delaware Gazette reported the following: "Elmer Doig, of Bovina,
the 7 year old son of Milton Doig, recently harnessed a pair of horses and
drove three miles to the Center and returned home with a load of grain."
144 years ago today, the December
31, 1879 Delaware Gazette reported that "Dea[con] Thomas McFarland, of
Bovina, one of the best farmers in America and a veteran subscriber to the
Gazette, was in town [Delhi] yesterday. It is never a bad day when the Deacon
is in town."
