A Week with Bovina People - November 1900 - 125 Years ago from the Andes Recorder

November 2, 1900

• John Hewitt was down at Delhi on Friday.

• James More, of Hamden, was here on Sabbath.

• Mrs. Thomas Miller was over at Andes on Friday.

• Peter McNair and wife were at Margaretville over Sabbath.

• George Bell, from Otsego county, was in town last Thursday.

• W.T. Black, the next County Clerk, was at Margaretville Tuesday. [William T. Black had served as the Bovina Town Supervisor from 1893-1898. As will be noted later in November in the Recorder, he moved from Bovina to Delhi because of his new duties. He would be county clerk until 1907. He continued living and working in Delhi until his death in 1938.]

• Mrs. Robert Mallory, of Hamden, visited her parents on Sabbath.

• John Taylor and Mrs. Colin McNaught visited Walton last week.

• Mrs. Robert Forrest and Miss Irene Forrest visited Delhi on Saturday.

• Marion Robertson and wife and David Oliver were over at Andes Saturday.

• Mr. and Mrs. John R. Hoy have returned home from their visit at Oil City, Pa.

• Rev. Levi Bird, from Scranton, Pa, gave a temperance address here Tuesday evening.

• Arthur How, Howard McPherson and Douglas McCune were at Bainbridge on Monday.

• Mrs. Elmer Hastings and Miss Jennet Ellen Hoy are spending the week in New York city seeing the sights.

• Among those in town Friday were Harvey Smith, of Bloomville, and Dan R. Liddle and Bert Gladstone, of Andes.

• Alex Hilson has placed gasoline lights in his store – four double burners and two single ones.  Rev. Samson has also placed a single burner in his house, which can be set on the table or carried around like a lamp.

November 9, 1900

• Dr. Gates was in town Monday.

• Alex. Hilson was at Delhi Thursday.

• James Gladstone was in town Wednesday.

• William Miller returned to Walton on Saturday.

• Frank R. Coulter and wife were at Delhi Wednesday.

• William Dennis has been visiting his brother, John P.

• Richard Smith returned from a visit at Walton Saturday.

• Some went to Walton Saturday to hear Senator Depew.

• Thomas Gordon went to Delhi Saturday after the ballots.

• Hon. E.T. Gerry returned to New York city Saturday.

• Gideon Miller, of Colchester, has been visiting in town.

• Mr. Swift of Scranton was in town last week buying butter.

• John Blair started Thursday with another drove for Kingston.

• Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Miller visited in Otsego county this week.

• Dr. W.J. Phyfe and wife, of Delhi, were visitor here on Sabbath.

• Alex. Myers commenced Monday to paint G.D. Miller’s residence.

• J.L. Hughes has been painting F.R. Coulter’s new wagon house.

• Gideon Miller and wife spent Sabbath with his parents at Andes.

• Mrs. Kennedy Warren visited in town the latter part of last week.

• Wesley Miller and wife, of Oneonta, were guests at G.D. Miller’s on Thursday.

• At the sociable at G.D. Miller’s last Friday evening for the benefit of the Methodist church, amounted to about $19.

• Mr. and Mrs. William D. Thompson celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their marriage Wednesday evening, November 7. [William would die in 1902, and his wife, the former Agnes Murray, in 1905.]

• On election day the ladies of the Methodist church served meals in A.T. Strangeway’s rooms and the receipts were about $15.

• Rev. Levi Bird, of Scranton, preached in the United Presbyterian church Sabbath evening.

• Colonel Copeland will deliver the first lecture in the course here on Tuesday evening, November 15.

• William Northrup and men of Walton, have been giving the Methodist church a new dressing of paint.

• Peter McNair has the contract to do a job of grading for Mr. Feder at Margaretville. The contract price is $1,550.

• Quite a number went to Delhi last Friday to hear M. Linn Bruce, and all were highly pleased with the speech. [Bruce, who had grown up in Andes, was elected Lieutenant Governor of New York for one term, 1905-06.]

• Last Thursday Drs. Gates, Phinney and McNaught performed an operation for appendicitis on, George, son of Jas. B. Thompson.  The operation was a difficult one, but the patient is doing as well as could be expected.  

• The whole number of votes cast in Bovina Tuesday were 262 a gain of 11 over four years ago.  There were two void ballots and 11 Prohibition votes.  Of the total vote McKinley received 190, a gain of 11, and Bryan 58, Odell 190, Sanchfield 56, and the remainder of the state ticket received the same vote as that of Governor.  On the county ticket Axtell received 166, Warner 78, Grant 165, Andrus 79, Smith 161, Kilpatrick 86, Black 197, Tway 50.

Bovina Lecture Course.

The Bovina lecture course is evidently going to be a grand success.  140 course tickets have been sold and seats secured.  Colonel L.F. Copeland will deliver the opening lecture November 15.  More money has been expended in securing the speakers and entertainments than ever before, and the course will be the best offered a Bovina audience. [Colonel Copeland of Harrisburg, PA was a noted Chautauqua and lyceum lecturer. Born in 1841, he died suddenly in July 1904.]

November 16, 1900

• W.J. White was at Andes Wednesday.

• Fred Bramley was over at Andes on Friday.

• Jennie Campbell was home over Sabbath.

• David Miller, of Delhi, is visiting his son, David J.

• John E. Gladstone was in town the first of the week.

• Mrs. Daniel McMullin was a visitor in this place Saturday.

• Andrew Franklin and George Persons, of Delhi, were in town Saturday.

• Leslie McNee and Arthur Burns went to Kingston Monday to enter school.

• Miss Alice Oliver went to Deposit Monday, where it is stated she will attend school.

• Among those at Delhi on Tuesday were W.T. Black, James Forman, J.B. Lee and John H. Hewitt.

• Wednesday at noon, Mina J. daughter of Alex Bryden and William Hogg [Hoag] were united in marriage, Rev. Samson, officiating. [They would have two children and were married until William’s death in 1944. Mina was 90 when she passed away in 1966.]

• Supervisor John A. Irving went to Delhi Monday to attend the meeting of the supervisors. John looks well to the interests of the town.

• Side walls are being built on the culvert across the deep ravene near Clark Hogaboom’s, and the roadbed has also been raised considerable.

• The amount of town audits this year is $294.37, and the amount of sheep audits agains the dog fund are $112.75. One man had $60 for sheep killed. 

• Saturday W.J. Doig started for Bloomville and when going up the pitch above R.A. Thompson’s one of his horses dropped down dead in the road.

• George Thompson, upon whom an operation for appendicitis was performed two weeks ago died Monday morning aged 15 years.  The funeral was held Wednesday.

November 23, 1900

• Peter Arbuckle was up from Delhi Saturday.

• William T. Black will move to Delhi next week.

• Archie Dickson was in town Friday from Andes.

• Barton Jackson was seen in this place Monday.

• Miss Maggie Archibald was a visitor at Andes Tuesday.

• Jacob Pintoff, of Philadelpia, has been town delivering fine enlarged pictures.

• Supervisor Irvine was at Delhi Monday and Tuesday attending a meeting of the Board.

• Otis McCumber, wife and daughter, of Andes, were guests at Mrs. Muller’s over Sabbath.

• Miss Linda Laing of Andes, who has been visiting relatives here during the past week, returned home Tuesday.

• The wife of William McPherson, son of Ferris McPherson of this town, died at Roscoe, November 14, with consumption. [This was the former Elizabeth Stott. She was born in 1863 and married William in 1891. She was the daughter of William and Mary (Neish) Stott. More about the Stott family https://bovinanyhistory.blogspot.com/2014/07/stories-from-bovina-cemeteries-stott.html.]

• Are the Democrats now satisfied of what they saved out of the sheriff’s bills as against the bills of Youmans and Patterson? This is reform.

• Cards are out announcing the marriage of Miss Elizabeth Rogers to John L. Gordon, Wednesday evening, November 28, at 6:30 o’clock, in St. Vincent Ferres church, New York city. [The sad story about John Gordon is in the Bovina NY History Blog: https://bovinanyhistory.blogspot.com/2014/05/stories-from-bovina-cemeteries.html]

• The following list of grand jurors for this town have been selected by Supervisor Irvine: T.C. Strangeway, Jacob Bailey, R.A. Thomson, Andrew Doig, W.B. Smith, David Liddle, W.L. White.

• Among Bovina people at the County Seat Saturday, were Mr. and Mrs. G. D. Miller, Mrs. Pinney, Mrs. Mary A. Russell, F.C. Armstrong, Frank Brown, James Robson, Peter Robson two daughters. 

• James Foreman and Miss Jennie Archibald were united in marriage at the home of the bride in upper Bovina Tuesday, Rev. W.L.C. Samson officiating.  The couple took the afternoon train from Arkville for New York city where they will spend their honeymoon. [James and Jennie would be married until her passing in 1941. They had six children, three of whom survived to adulthood, including Isabella Foreman, who would marry Delhi doctor Orin Q. Flint.]

November 30, 1900

• John Blair was at Delhi Monday.

• F.R. Coulter visited Andes Friday.

• G.D. Miller has his house nearly painted.

• Jackson & Mason’s team was in this place Friday.

• Ward Coulter and mother were over at Andes Friday.

• Grant Maxwell and wife were in town on Sabbath.

• Mary Ann Dean has been visiting relatives in town.

• A.O. Butts and Alex. Thompson have traded trotters.

• Miss Lillian McNaught of Delancey, is visiting relatives in town.

• David J. Miller purchased a matched team of colts at Hobart last week.

• Union Thanksgiving services will be held in the Methodist church on Thursday.

• William T. Black moved his household goods to Delhi this week.  Bovina loses and Delhi gains a good citizen.

• The next entertainment on lecture course will be concert by the Norton Wald Musical company December 10.

• Thomas Gordon and wife and B.S. Miller attended the Gordon-Rogers wedding in New York City this week.

• The hall was well filled last Thursday evening to listen to Colonel Copeland in his lecture “Snobs and Snobbery.” [I don’t know the content of this lecture, but it appears it was a regular one given by Colonel Copeland around the country.]

• Rev. Robb, a former pastor of the Reformed Presbyterian church, who has been a missionary in China, is visiting in town. [Rev. William Robb was a missionary in China for much of his life, even after his marriage in 1907. In fact, Robb would die in China in 1929.] 

• Among recent real estate transfers in town was George W. Redmond to William Rogers, $950. Property is at Lake Delaware.

• Oliver Dickson and sister will move next month from their farm on Pisgah to Delhi to spend the winter, and will move back again in the spring. 

• The old soldiers were invited to John P. Dennis’ last Thursday evening, and spent an enjoyable evening together.  The inner man was well cared for and an excellent repast served. [Old soldiers is a reference to veterans of the Civil War.]

 

Bovina and the American Revolution - Jesse Purdy (1748-1840)

Jesse Purdy, also known as Justus Purdy, is believed to have been born in Westchester County in 1748. A year after the Declaration of Independence, he enlisted in Dutchess County in 1777, serving in the Second Regiment, Artillery, Capt. Samuel Lockwood/William Steven’s Company. He was discharged in 1780. Jesse was in at least one battle, but he could not remember the name of it when he applied for his pension in 1826. By 1800, he was living in Delaware County, likely in what later became Bovina. 

Most of the information we have about Jesse Purdy comes from his pension application He noted that he was old and infirm (he was 76) and so was his wife, Deborah. 

His personal property included a bed and bedding, 4 very old chairs, a table, and a pot and kettle. Jesse also had “two suits of clothes of woolen and cotton, cheap and coarse in quality and worn.” He also noted that he had about 40 acres of land but never had a title to it.  In an amended filing from 1827, he said that until just before he filed his claim, that he "had sufficient bodily ability to labor" and that through "the kindness of the widow of General Richard Montgomery" he was allowed to occupy "a small piece of land belonging to her."  For the past three years, however, he claimed that old age and a rupture had made it almost impossible for him to support himself and that he "has now no means of subsistence save the charity of his country."  Purdy was placed on the pension rolls in 1828, receiving $96 a year.  

A problem developed with the pension a few years later when he claimed that his daughter-in-law, Ann Purdy, who had power of attorney for her father-in-law, refused to pay the funds to him. She held a certificate or warrant from the war office which authorized the pension, but she threatened to burn it up. 

The total sum he received was $594.57.  Purdy was in his 90s at his death in 1840, Bovina’s oldest revolutionary war soldier.

We are not totally clear as to where Jesse is buried. His name appears on the Hogoboom family monument in the main Bovina cemetery. The stone was installed in the early 20th century. Along with Jesse, the stone includes Elizabeth Hogoboom, who was Jesse’s granddaughter (and likely the daughter of Ann Purdy, who was withholding pension funds from her father-in-law). Elizabeth’s husband was John Hogoboom. Also on the stone is their son Henry, who was a Civil War veteran. 

November 1925 - 100 Years Ago in "That Thriving Town"

Life in Bovina 100 years ago this month, from the pages of the Andes Recorder. 

November 6, 1925

• Mrs. Hamilton Russell is nursing at Walton. [Mrs. Russell, formerly Margaret Doig, was the mother of Cecil Russell.]

• The poles are being set for the electric light line.

• Mrs. William Armstrong is under the care of a nurse.

• Mrs. Patrick Doig, is visiting her nephew, C.S. Gladstone.

• George Gladstone has gone to Delhi to visit his son, Walter Gladstone.

• Some thermometers are reported to have reached zero Saturday morning.

• The Woman’s Missionary Society realized about $12 at their bake sale on Election day.

• George Cable, of Delhi, has been helping Norton Forrest lay water pipe to take the water into his stable.

• Bovina real estate transfers recorded are Jessie Bryden to Floyd Rockefeller $1; Floyd Rockefeller and wife to John Bopp and another $1.

• Charles McPherson and wife, Oscar Felton and wife, C.S. Gladstone and wife, Thos C. Strangeway, William Strangeway, and Mrs. W.G. Coulter attended the funeral of John Strangeway at Unadilla on Monday.

• Mr. and Mrs. C.S. Gladstone entertained at a dinner party last Thursday the following: Dr. and Mrs. Whitcomb and son, of Walton, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Dickson, of Little Delaware, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Brown and children, of Delhi, Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Burgin and Mr. and Mrs. John Hilson, and Mr. and Mrs. Fred Thomson, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Miller, of Bovina, Mr. and Mrs. Leon Taggart, of Oneonta. 

VanDusen-Liddle, from our Bovina Correspondent

Miss Edith Liddle and Leon VanDusen were married by Rev. F.N. Crawford on Saturday, October 31. The newlyweds went to Niagara Falls on a wedding trip, returning home on Tuesday night. The bride is primary teacher in the Bovina Center school. [The couple spent most of their lives in Broome County. Leon worked for IBM for 29 years. Edith and Leon had one daughter, Ellen. Edith died in 1968, Leon in 1977. They were buried in Bovina.]

Election in Bovina

There was considerable interest in the election in Bovina on Tuesday and below is the result:-

• Supervisor – W.J. Storie, r, 208; Wallace B. Smith, d, 156.

• Town Clerk – David G. Currie, r, 262; John W. McCune, d, 87.

• Justices of the Peace – John W. Storie, r, 192; M.T. Hastings, r, 149; Howard McPherson, d, 164; James A. Boggs, d, 160.

• Justice (to fill vacancy) – T.C. Strangeway, r, 231; Rema Hobbie, D, 107.

• Collector – Isabelle Myers, r, 128; Jennie I. Hoy, d, 233.

• Assessor – W.J. Archibald, r, 228; Harold Campbell, d, 114.

• Assessor (to fill vacancy) – William C. Russell, r, 291.

• Superintendent of Highways – W.G. Coulter, r, 237; Guy Rockafeller, d, 82.

November 13, 1925

• Mrs. Gideon Miller, of Hamden, is visiting in town.

• Bovina real estate transfers recorded are Jennie B. Doig to Lena Doig, $1.

• Harry Frisbee, of Walton, was in town Tuesday in the interest of Farm Bureau.

• The Young Ladies Missionary Society held an all day meeting with Mrs. Alfred Russell on Friday.

• Misses Kate and Freda Muller spent over the wek end with their sister, Mrs. Otis McCumber, at Andes.

• Supervisor Wallace B. Smith is in Delhi this week attending the annual meeting of the board of supervisors.

• The Pickwick farm Lake Delaware, has been sold to John Ballard, of the town of Kortright. This is the former Franklin farm.

• There will be a chicken pie supper in the U.P. church parlors November 27, under the auspices of the Young Ladies Missionary Society.

• About 60 were present at a surprise party given the newlyweds, Mr. and Mrs. Leon VanDusen last Friday evening. All reported a good time.

• Dr. N.B. Whitcomb, medical missionary to Egypt, who is home on a vacation, will speak at the Thank Offering service at the U.P. church on November 22. 

Bovina Man Injured

Thursday forenoon while Sloan Archibald was working on the telephone line in Bovina Center the pole broke and threw him to the ground. It is feared that his hip may be broken. 

November 20, 1925

• From a social last Friday night the sum of $23 was realized.

• The Gerry house at Lake Delaware has been closed for the winter.

• Miss Edith Russell is employed in the home of Fletcher Davison.

• Born to Mr. and Mrs. Benson LaFever, November 15, a 5 ¾ pound son – Howard James.

• Mrs. Cora Tripp, of Oneonta, spent over the week end with her sister, Mrs. C.S. Gladstone.

• Robert Forrest and sisters, Misses Mary and Margaret Forrest, from the Little Delaware, were callers in town Monday.

• There was considerable damage done by high water caused by a heavy downpour of rain in the thunder storm Sabbath night.

• In the estate of Frank C. Armstrong late of Bovina, the estimate is $3,200 all of which is given to the son, William Armstrong.

• It is reported that Miss Lena Doig, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Milton Doig, and Benj. Schofield, were married November 18.

• Mr. and Mrs. Milton Liddle, and Mr. and Mrs. David Liddle visited the brother of the last named’ William A. Liddle, at Andes on Sabbath. 

• The town of Bovina has had the following sums levied against it: Town audits $1,010.36; Library $100; Street Lighting $430; Compensation Insurance $300.

Helda-Hennings

Miss Inez Hennings, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Hennings, of Bovina, and Louis Helda, of Brooklyn, were married November 14, by Rev. T.C. Bookhout at Delhi.

Surprise Bovina Newlyweds

A very pleasant evening was spent by the King’s Daughters’ Sabbath School class, their husbands, and many other friends at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Leon Van Dusen on Friday evening. The party numbered over sixty. The class presented Mrs. VanDusen with a beautiful framed picture “Dawn”. The bride was also given by her class a large bride’s cake decorated with orange blossoms and a wedding bell. Underneath the bell on top of the cake reposed a miniature bride and groom. Many other useful and costly gifts were left as a reminder of the occasion with best wishes for a long and happy married life. Mrs. VanDusen was Miss Edith before her recent marriage. 

November 27, 1925

• Bovina Center is now lighted by the new electric lights.

• Union Thanksgiving services were held in the R.P. church.

• Norton Forrest and John Robinson have each purchased a truck.

• Dr. Lester Irvine has been in town the past week examining dairies.

• Frank Brown and family, of Delhi, spent the week end at C.S. Gladstones.

• Mr. and Mrs. Andrew J. Thomson, of New Kingston, attended church here on Sabbath.

• The first entertainment of the Bovina Lecture Course will be held in Hillis’ Hall on November 28.

• Mrs. William Armstrong, who has been ill for several weeks, is now able to sit up for a very short time. [This likely is the former Mary Kaufman. She would survive another four years, dying in December 1929.]

• Mr. and Mrs. Milton Liddle and daughter, Dorothy Bergman, Mr. and Mrs. David Liddle were callers at Alex Anderson’s at Delhi on Sabbath.

• Mr. and Mrs. Thos C. Strangeway and Mr. and Mrs. John Hilson spent Thanksgiving with Mr. and Mrs. Frank Dickson on the Little Delaware.

• Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Oliver and family, of Peak’s Brook, Delhi, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Oliver and Mrs. James Oliver were Thanksgiving guests of their sister, Mrs. Alfred Russell.