This Day in Bovina for August 2024

Here's the compilation of the Town of Bovina Historian Facebook page entries for August 2024:

Seventy-two years ago today, the August 1, 1952 Delaware Republican Express reported that "George Leidner lost a valuable cow last week with rabies."

 

117 years ago today, the August 2, 1907 Brooklyn Citizen, in its summer resort directory included this entry for Mountainside View Farm House. This is now the Ed and Donna Weber farm.

 

Sixty-four years ago today, on August 3, 1960, Mabel Archibald died. Her obituary appeared in the August 12 Catskill Mountain News   

 

Forty-eight years ago today, the Bovina column in the August 4, 1976 issue of the Stamford Mirror Recorder, this correction was noted: "It was mistakenly reported last week that the town girls won the tug of war at the Bicentennial celebration It has since been reported that that was not the case, and the out -of-towners actually won!"

 

Twenty-nine years ago today, on August 5, 1995, Bovina celebrated its 175th birthday. I've uploaded pictures from that day on my Flickr account. If you have any additional information about the pictures, please note that in the comments. I'm also always looking for more photographs. https://flic.kr/s/aHsmNLHoUw

 

135 years ago today, the August 6, 1889 Stamford Mirror carried this report on two people injured in falls: 

 

113 years ago today, on August 7, 1911, as later reported in the Andes Recorder under the headline "Two Tons of Pork," "John M. Miller delivered, to Howard Hall, 17 pigs which weighed over two tons, and he also delivered 10 cows." The paper went on to note that Miller had 20 more pigs "that he will sell in the fall."

 

150 years ago today, on August 8, 1874, as later reported in the Delaware Gazette, "Andrew Boyd, of Bovina, sailed for Scotland, from New York, on the 8th inst." Boyd had come to Bovina from Ireland in the late 1840s. He was an ancestor of the Worden family. Andrew died five years later in 1879.

 

143 years ago today, the August 9, 1881 issue of the Stamford Mirror carried this small Brushland column. Old Mr. Dickson probably was Gilbert Dickson, though I can't track down when he died.

 

224 years ago today, on August 10, 1800, Elizabeth Coulter was born, the daughter of Francis and Nancy (Glendenning) Coulter. It is not clear whether she was born in Scotland or in Delaware County. Elizabeth died in June 1847 and is buried in the Associate Presbyterian Church cemetery at Reinertsen Hill Road in Bovina.

 

132 years ago today, the brief Bovina column of the August 11, 1892 Delaware Republican reported "98 in the shade last Tuesday."

 

134 years ago today, the August 12, 1890 Hobart Independent reported that "Bovina Cows Go West." The article went on to say: "Four fine cows have been shipped by Wm. L. Ruff of Bovina, to Dillworth Bros., of Spokane, Wash. Valencey E. Fuller, vice-president of the American Jersey Cattle Club and an expert judge of the famous race of butter-makers, was engaged to make the selection for the western men. He selected Rose of Bovina, Ida’s Gray Belle of Bovina, Ida's Jane Eyre of Bovina, and Ida’s Little Gray Belle of Bovina. Mr. Ruff received $450 for the four Jerseys. The Ruff farm is now the Weber farm on Crescent Valley Road.

 

Seventy-two years ago today, on August 13, 1952, as later reported in the Catskill Mountain News, "Forty-eight descendants of Francis and Nancy Coulter held their 30th reunion at the Fish and Game clubhouse on Wednesday….A picnic lunch was enjoyed by all. The president, William Cash, of Delhi presided. The following officers were elected for the coming year: Myron Coulter of Walton, president; Robert Hall of Bovina, vice-president; Mrs. David Roberts, secretary-treasurer; Mrs. Myron Coulter, dinner committee chairman." The Fish and Game club was on Coulter Brook Road and was where Francis and Nancy Coulter settled in Bovina around 1802.

 

128 years ago today, on August 14, 1896, as later reported in the Bovina column of the Andes Recorder, "John, the three-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Davidson, died. The funeral was held Monday, Rev. Thomas Park preached the sermon from 2d Timothy 4:7,8." As well as his parents, John was survived by his sister Vera and his brother Fletcher.

 

Fifty-one years ago today, the Bovina column of the August 15, 1973 Stamford Mirror Recorder included the following item: "Canvassers will be visiting homes from Aug. 15 - 22 to ask for donations for our annual Bovina library tag day. Solicitors have been assigned for all areas. The funds from tag day are used for maintenance of the library so welcome your neighbor when she calls."

 

204 years ago today, August 16, 1820, Thomas Miller was born in Bovina, the first child of David Miller and Agnes Thomson. He spent his entire life in Bovina. Around the time he turned 30, he developed rheumatism which prevented him from working and from being eligible for military service. This is his claim for exemption from military service, filed a few months before his death on May 4, 1863. He is buried in the Bovina Cemetery. 

 

Forty-seven years ago today, the Bovina column of the August 17, 1977 Stamford Mirror Recorded included this item: "Mrs. Norma Gabriel, Bovina town clerk, reports that big game licenses and party permits are now available through the town clerk's office. Party permits must be postmarked no later than Sept 12."

150 years ago today, on August 18, 1874, Frederick McFarland was married to Phebe A. Reynolds in the Town of Middletown. They were married by Rev. J.D. Hubble. The marriage ended in 1889 with Frederick's suicide. His wife died two years later. More about Frederick is at the Bovina NY History blog at http://bovinanyhistory.blogspot.com/2013/02/stories-from-bovinas-cemeteries.html.

 

Fifty-nine years ago today, the Bovina column of the August 19, 1965 Delaware Republican-Express reported that "Mrs. Sophia Reinertsen, accompanied her son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Reinertsen, to Missouri, and Madison, Wisconsin, where they are visiting relatives of the family."

 

109 years ago today, August 20, 1915, David Low Thompson died in Oneonta. He was 84 years of age. More about Thompson's life is on my blog at http://bovinanyhistory.blogspot.com/2019/03/i-dont-know-whether-i-dare-to-go-back.html

 

136 years ago today, the August 21, 1888 Stamford Mirror reported in its Bovina column that "The friends of Ed O. Hanlon were much alarmed, a few days ago, by the report that he had suddenly died at Delhi, while having some decayed teeth extracted. Happily, the report proved untrue. Ed says he knew it was a lie as soon as he heard it."

 

108 years ago today, on August 22, 1912, Therese "Que" Aitken was born in Peconic, NY, the daughter of John Bauer and Frances Deitz. She married Floyd "Steve" Aitkens in 1937 and moved to his home in Bovina. She worked for a number of years for the Delhi Telephone Company. Que was widowed in 1982. She died in February 2003 at the age of 90. This photo of Que was taken by Bob Wyer in May 1947.

 

142 years ago today, on August 23, 1882, as later reported in the Delaware Gazette, "Mrs. Peter Calhoun, the mother of Dr. Calhoun, of this village [Delhi], died at her residence in Bovina, Aug. 23. Mrs. Calhoun was born in the year 1799, in the Parish of Luss, Dumbarton Shire, Scotland. She came to America in 1834, and settled in Bovina in 1835, where she resided until her death. In 1835 she united with the Presbyterian church in Andes, of which she was a faithful and consistent member during her life. She was a kind and loving mother, a faithful wife, and a much esteemed neighbor."

 

Eighty-five years ago today, on August 24, 1939, the "Bovina Centre" column of the Delaware Republican reported that "Mr. and Mrs. Jack Myers, Mrs. Anna Thompson and Ledger Myers of Binghamton visited Mr. and Mrs. Alex Myers over the weekend."

 

104 years ago today, the Brookfield (NY) Courier in its August 25, 1920 issue reported under County and State News Paragraphs on an illness impacting Bovina's dairy cows: "Several cows in Bovina dairies recently attracted attention by giving small messes of milk, and the suspicion of trouble was intensified when the next morning about thirty cows in the dairy of Mrs. Kate Barnhart were very ill, several of them being unable to rise, and one dying during the day. Inspection by Drs. Irvine and Wheeler developed that some powerful physic had been eaten by the animals. Wednesday most of the cows were on their feet again, and suspicion being directed to feed which all had eaten, the stomach of the dead cow and some of the grain were sent to the state agricultural college for analysis."

 

Eighty-one years ago today, the Lake Delaware column in the August 26, 1943 Delaware Republican included this item: "The boys at Lake Delaware Boys' camp will return to New York this week. On Sunday the boy's choir from the camp sang at the service in St. James' Chapel."

 

122 years ago today, on the evening of August 27, 1902, Margaret H. Sloane was married to James M. Gladstone at the home of her sister and brother-in-law, William and Clara Doig. The couple started their family in New York but at some point before 1910, they moved west, settling in Denver, Colorado. James was a furniture salesman for thirty years. He died in 1937 at the age of 61 after a brief illness. Margaret died sometime after 1940. 

 

110 years ago, the August 28, 1914 Catskill Mountain News published a small article entitled "Gerry Will Build Road." The article noted that "Robert Gerry will have a stone road built from where his private road connects with the highway in southern Bovina to the top of the pitch above T.C. Strangeway's. The town of Bovina will probably put on a team or two. Work is expected to commence about the first of September."

 

Fifty-four years ago today, on August 29, 1970, the town of Bovina celebrated its Sesquicentennial - the 150th Anniversary of its founding. Here's an album on my Flickr page of pictures from the celebration: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmNL4BpF

 

143 years ago today, the August 30, 1881 Stamford Mirror reported in its Bovina column that "There are a number of severe cases of sickness in town at present. Mrs. Orr, [Mrs.] Sloan and Mrs. Ira Worden are considered most critical." Though not clear, Mrs. Sloan may have been Sarah Collins Sloan, who died September 15, 1881 at the age of 78. Mrs. Worden survived this illness but died in 1888 when she was 44 years old.

 

Eighty years ago today, the Bovina column of the August 31, 1944 Delaware Republican Express reported that "Mrs. Sarah Archibald has gone to New York City for treatment for her eye. Her daughter, Mrs. Charles Lethenburg (sic), came for her on Friday." Her daughter was the former Jane Archibald, daughter of William Archibald (1870-1941) and Sarah Hobbie (1870-1945).