This Day in Bovina for January 2024

Here's the compilation of the Town of Bovina Historian Facebook daily entries for January 2024:

Ninety-four years ago today, the January 1, 1930 Delaware Republican carried this Bovina Center column.

 

146 years ago today, on January 2, 1878, "A building in Brushland, occupied by John Phyfe as a tailor shop, and the upper part by his son as a residence, took fire from a stove pipe…and before it could be extinguished, a considerable damage was done both to the building and contents."

 

105 years ago today, the January 3, 1919 Catskill Mountain News reported that "Miss Angelica L. Gerry will erect an Episcopal church at Lake Delaware on the plot of ground lying between the state road and the road and the road leading to the Lake. The edifice will be built of imported stone. A house will also be erected for the use of the rector."

 

132 years ago today, on January 4, 1882, as later reported in the Bovina column of the Stamford Mirror, "S.G. Bramley lost a valuable ox….He was starting logs when one ran against the ox's leg, breaking it so badly that it had to be killed."

 

Fifty-seven years ago today, the January 5, 1967 Walton Reporter had this item in its Bovina column: "Winners in the Christmas decoration contest were: First, Mr. and Mrs, Herbert Parsons; second, Mr. and Mrs. John Robson; third, Mrs. Margaret Hoy; fourth, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Eaton. Judges were Mrs. Barbara Arnold of Lake Delaware and Richard Rusnock of Delhi."

 

Ninety-four years ago today, the January 6, 1930 Delaware Express in its Bovina column reported that "Thomas A. Archibald and family, whose home was destroyed by fire Monday morning have moved into the tenant house on Lee Calhoun's farm which they will occupy during the winter."

 

191 years ago today, on January 7, 1833, the Bovina Association Presbyterian Church session met. The main topic of discussion concerned "James Coulter having given in a complaint in in writing against William McGibbon Jr for traveling with a loaded wagon on [the] Sabbath."  The gist of the story is that McGibbon has been seen traveling to Catskill on Saturday afternoon and was then seen there on Monday, so an assumption was made that he made some of the journey on Sunday. It was fairly quickly proven, based on the testimony of several witnesses, that McGibbon did not travel on the Sabbath. "James Coulter … expressed his sorrow for taking up an ill report against a Brother, and stated he did not retain any malice or ill will to William McGibbon." The session indicated that they knew "James Coulter to be a peaceable young man [and] did not inflict any censure upon him for this than admonishing him to be more careful for the time to come." Thirty-three years later, James would once again appear before the session in a more serious matter. More at the Bovina NY History blog at http://bovinanyhistory.blogspot.com/2011/05/brothers-in-law-part-i.html

 

Eighty-two years ago today, the January 8, 1942 Delaware Republican published this short Bovina Centre column:

 

141 years ago today, January 9, 1883, as later reported in the Bovina column of the Stamford Mirror, "Mr. Andrew McGibbon fell….from the hay lot to the barn floor, a distance of about nine feet, and hurt his ankle and back quite badly." He never totally recovered from this injury, dying in July 1883 at the age of 80.

 

102 years ago today, on January 10, 1922, as later reported in the Andes Recorder, "Miss Louise Dennis had a sale of household goods...  After a visit with relatives in Walton she will go to Virginia to live with her brother, John P. Dennis."

 

128 years ago today, on January 11, 1896, a meeting was held in Andes concerning "an electric railroad."  A number of Bovina people attended this meeting.  As later reported in the Andes Recorder, "Our people are very anxious to have an electric railroad…The only trouble appears to be raising of the $2,000 a mile which the company requires, and the people think this is almost more than they can stand."  See the Bovina NY History blog at https://bovinanyhistory.blogspot.com/2011/03/when-trains-almost-came-i-everything.html for the start of a four-part series about this attempt to bring the trains to Bovina.

 

Ninety-five years ago today, the January 12, 1929 Bovina column of the Delaware Republican reported that "there are several cases of measles both in Bovina and Bovina Center." The same column also reported that "The superintendent of highways, with help, put salt on the Andes road and also at Lake Delaware. Cars had rather a sliding time of it, but no one was hurt."

 

172 years ago today, on January 13, 1852, John Murray took out this chattel mortgage with James Cowan of Cortland County for the amount of $370.63. He mortgaged to Cowan twelve cows, three calves, twenty sheep, a wagon, a sleigh, a harness, one five-year-old mare, one four year old horse and three acres of rye. He had a year to pay off the amount. Otherwise, Cowan would take possession of the aforementioned items. There is no record as to whether or not the mortgage was paid off. 

 

Eighty-one years ago today the Bovina column in the Delaware Republican-Express for January 14, 1943 reported that "Friends of Charles Hyatt now of the Bronx, New York City, a former resident of this community will regret to know that he has been compelled to give up his work and enter a sanatorium for treatment. His physician gives him hopes of better health again after having a lung collapsed and a rest period of four months." Hyatt was born in Yonkers on June 10, 1895, but lived in Bovina during the 1920s. His illness was tuberculosis from which he did not recover. A little over a year later, on July 19, 1944, Charles died in the Bronx at the age of 49. He was buried in Yonkers, where he was born.

 

117 years ago today, January 15, 1907, while returning from the funeral of Frank Coulter in their horse and wagon, Mr. and Mrs. John A. Irvine, met Fine Hunt in the area where Coulter Brook Road comes onto present day County Route 6.  Irvine's horse became frightened at some logs that Hunt was dragging behind his wagon. The horse went off the bank and over a stone wall, taking the wagon and occupants with it.  Mrs. Irvine sustained slight injury and Mr. Irvine escaped uninjured.  The harness was broken and the dashboard smashed. The Irvines lived on Coulter Brook Road and were the parents of Isabell Russell.

 

134 years ago today, on January 16, 1890, Christopher Strangeway died at the age of 75. Born in Scotland in 1814, he married Margaret Thompson in 1836 in Bovina. They would have seven children. Fifty-three years after his death, on January 16, 1943, his granddaughter Elizabeth Strangeway, daughter of his son Andrew T. Strangeway, died at the age of 68. Both images courtesy of the Hilson family. The image of Lizzie Strangeway likely is that of Christopher's granddaughter, but I can't be 100% sure. 

 

136 years ago today, the January 17, 1888 Bovina column of the Stamford Mirror reported that "Robert Black, late teacher in the Bovina Centre district, failed to return on the expiration of his holiday vacation, and A.F. Storie has been employed and is now teaching the school." Black had been hired the previous September to teach the 'winter term.' What ultimately happened to him I have yet to determine.

 

165 years ago today, the Bloomville Mirror for January 18, 1859, carried this advertisement. This likely is the Edward O'Connor of Anti-Rent War fame. The only known photograph of O'Connor may have been done at his 'picture gallery.' It shows O'Connor and his three children and was taken a few months after his wife's death in May 1858. 

 

 

142 years ago today, on January 19, 1882, "The personal property of James H. Dean….[was] sold at public auction….to satisfy a mortgage held by Wm. McNaught, of Hobart."

 

134 years ago today, on January 20, 1890, the third of three deaths from pneumonia in less than three weeks occurred. As later reported in the Delaware Gazette, "D. Lyle Thomson, of Bovina Center, died of pneumonia…., aged about 38." The paper went on to note that Thomson's brother, Andrew, "died of the same disease about a week ago (January 4), also Mr. Christopher Strangeway, father of Mr. A.T. Strangeway, of Bovina (January 16)."

 

105 years ago today, the January 21, 1919 Andes Recorder Bovina column had the following item "At a farmer’s meeting held Tuesday about 44 names were enrolled as members of the Dairymen’s League, W.J. Storie was chosen president; A.T. Archibald, secretary, and Frank T. Miller, treasurer.  A good start for the League in Bovina."

 

135 years ago today, the Bovina column of the January 22, 1889 Stamford Mirror had the following item: "Leonard Sloan was trying how near he could skate to the edge of the mill-dam without going over, when his foot struck some obstruction on the ice and he took a flying leap over the dam into the water below the falls." Leonard David Sloan, born in 1872, survived his 'flight' over the falls. He died at the age of 43 in 1916.

 

157 years ago today, the January 23, 1867 issue of the Delaware Gazette noted the following: "Hall of Military Record. - Alexander Storie, Supervisor of the town of Bovina, Delaware county, has paid the amount assigned to that town, in full, for the erection of the Hall of Military Record." The Hall of Military Record was to be built in Albany to store records of soldiers of the Civil War. It was created by an act of the State Legislature, passed in May 1865, to "provide a suitable repository for the records of the war, and for other purposes." County boards of supervisors were asked pass resolutions of support and contribute to this repository. In the end, this building was never built.

 

The session of the Bovina United Presbyterian Church met 164 years ago today on January 24, 1860 to discuss rumors about dancing and different interpretations by the area's Presbyterian churches: “…Elder J. Raitt Jr gave some statements which led session to believe that Mr. Joseph S. Raitt, Mrs. Mary A. Raitt and Miss Agnes Davis on the 20 inst [meaning this month, January] engaged in promiscuous dancing.  Elders A McEachron and J. Raitt Jr were appointed a committee to wait upon said persons upon the subject and report at our next meeting….A free conversation was held upon the course pursued by the Sessions of Andes & Cabin Hill in encouraging Dancing and it was unanimously agreed that the 139 Question of the Larger Catechism condemns dancing & this session will adhere to its former rules upon this subject.”

 

153 years ago today, the January 25, 1871 Delaware Gazette reported the following: "The loss of Mr. Coulter by the burning of his wagon house at Bovina Valley, a few days since, we understand is estimated at $1000, on which there was an insurance of $600." This farm was located in the present day area of Route 28 and Russell Hill Road.

 

125 years ago today, on January 26, 1899, Norton Forrest was born, the son of William L. and Mary Lunn Forrest.  The age of the mother made some impact on the Andes Recorder:  "Born to Mr. and Mrs. William L. Forrest, January 26, a son.  Think of Abraham and Sarah."  The reference to Abraham and Sarah does not so much relate to the age of the parents (William was 43 and Mary was 42) but the fact that when their son was born, their only other child, a daughter Irene, was 19 years old.  Ironically, Norton would predecease his older sister, dying in 1957 (she died in 1970).

 

Seventy-one years ago today, on January 27, 1953, the Bovina Fire Department had a meeting, called to order at 8:30 pm by David Roberts. An election for chair of the department was held, with Alex Hilson and Clarence Burns as nominees. When the balloting was complete, Clarence won, 3 votes to 2. At the same meeting, Robert Hall was elected Secretary/Treasurer. A motion was made and seconded that the janitor salary be $75.

 

144 years ago today, on January 28, 1880, "Rev. J. B. Lee was called out of prayer meeting …. To marry a couple who were in waiting at the parsonage. The parties were a Mr. Butler and Miss Van Dusen…" The couple were James H. Butler (1854-1935) of Andes and Lucinda M. VanDusen (1854-1933) of Hobart.

 

154 years ago today, on January 29, 1870, William Miller died of cancer at the age of 78 years, 2 months and 23 days. As reported in the Delaware Gazette, "He was a native of Scotland and emigrated to this country about 40 years ago."

 

138 years ago today, on January 30, 1886, John Johnson, the collector of taxes for Bovina, signed a statement reporting that there was $1.00 in dog taxes unpaid for 1885 - George Dougherty and Jacob Dietrich. Each had one dog for which taxes had not been paid. In his affidavit, he stated that "he has not been able to find the persons charged with said dog tax, nor to find any property belonging to said persons whereon he could levy the same, nor could he find and kill the dogs."

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167 years ago today, on January 31, 1857, Elizabeth Nettie Cairns was born, the daughter of John S. Cairns and Elizabeth Chambers. She married Edward L. Coulter in 1878. They had one son, Andrew. Elizabeth died in childbirth in February 1881 and is buried in Bovina. Her husband remarried and would survive Elizabeth by over 50 years, dying in 1932.