Here's the compilation of the Town of Bovina Facebook page entries for April 2026:
Seventy-three years ago today, on April 1, 1953, Charles LaFever started working for LaFever Excavating. His job change was reported in the Catskill Mountain News, April 3 issue: "Charles LaFever, who has been employed the past three years at the Hilson Brothers feed store, has resigned and will start April 1 with his brother, Howard, in bulldozing work." He would work for LaFever's for 40 years. He was honored for his 40 years by his nephew John in August 1994.
Sixty-one years ago today, on April 2, 1965, as later reported in the Delaware Republican Express, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Monroe and daughter, Frances Burns, were guests Friday of his sister, Mrs. Arthur Kellam, at Binghamton."
129 years ago today, on April 3, 1897, "The catalogues have been printed and the Bovina Public Library was opened to the public… It contains many valuable books for both old and young." The library at that time was located in the basement of the Bovina United Presbyterian Church. The church had started a library in 1879, but it ended after about a decade. In 1896, E.T. Gerry donated $100 and Mr. H.C. Frick, of Pittsburgh, $50 to starting up the library again. Elbridge Gerry owned the Gerry Estate at Lake Delaware. He died in 1927. Frick was Henry Clay Frick, noted industrialist, financier and art patron. He died in 1919.
110 years ago today, at the primary election held April 4, 1916, only 34 people voted - 18 Republicans, 13 Democrats and 3 Prohibitionists.
131 years ago, Andes Recorder cast some disparaging remarks concerning certain people in Bovina and how they spend their money. In its April 5, 1895 issue, the Bovina correspondent reported that "About thirty people in town purchased a copy of the Biographical Review, which shows that there are at least thirty fools in town." The Biographical Review of Delaware County has proven to be an invaluable tool for genealogists, but this comment does confirm what I have done for years - take these biographies with a grain of salt. The full text of the Review is on the Delaware County Genealogy website at http://www.dcnyhistory.org/bioindex.html.
103 years ago today, the April 6, 1923 issue of the Andes Recorder reported in its Bovina column: "The dry milk plant of the Bovina Center Co-operative Creamery is now in operation. The company is experimenting in the making of cocoa which only requires the addition of hot water to make it ready for use. One sample shipment has been made." This Wyer image from 1946 shows the creamery. The dry milk plant is on the right with the two smokestacks.
139 years ago today, the April 7, 1887 issue of the Hobart Independent reported on the death of James H. Bramley: "Our citizens were shocked on Thursday to learn of the sudden death of James H. Bramley, of Bovina, who also has resided at Kortright and in Delhi, and is well known and highly esteemed for his genial disposition and many worthy traits of character. He was in Delhi on Saturday, the 25th ult. in apparently good health. On Sabbath he complained of a pain in his breast, which continued at intervals without exciting especial alarm until Thursday, the 31st, when it was thought best to have medical advice, and his brother Girard, came to Delhi to procure a physician. Dr. Gates, who was desired, being absent at the time, his return was awaited as no immediate danger was apprehended, but in a short time a telegram came from Bloomville announcing that Mr. Bramley was dead." He was buried in the Bovina Cemetery.
Seventy-seven years ago, the Catskill Mountain News' Bovina columnist reported in the paper's April 8, 1949 issue: "I think everyone in town is rejoicing over the fact we have the daily Binghamton Press route back again. It was discontinued during the war and up to now no Press papers were available same day they were dated."
It was 106 years ago today, on April 9, 1920, that Elizabeth Murdock Doig passed away. The Andes Recorder reported her death under the headline "Last of Her Generation." The paper went on to note that "she was born in Bovina 81 years ago and her entire life had been spent in the town. The funeral was held Monday from the U.P. church of which she had long been a member. She was the last of the family of the late Andrew Doig." Born in 1839, she was the daughter of Andrew Doig and Margaret Sanderson.
114 years ago today, on April 10, 1912, as later reported in the Andes Recorder, " A.J. Nicholl was up from Delhi…for the purpose of organizing a Cow Testing association." A cow-testing association was a group of dairymen organized for the purpose of improving their dairy herd and dairy conditions thru monthly milk, butterfat, feed, and profit or loss records of each individual cow in a member's herd, and thru a study of selection, breeding, and feeding.
In 1946, Delhi photographer Bob Wyer took a series of aerial pictures around Bovina in a plane piloted by Eddie Davidson. These images are of what was then the Jack and Eleanor Damgaard farm. This was originally the John Hastings homestead and stayed in the family for over 100 years. The farm came to Eleanor through her mother, Dora Hastings Barnhart. More about the Damgaard farm is in my blog at https://bovinanyhistory.blogspot.com/2011/09/american-success-story.html Images courtesy of the Delaware County Historical Association. Wyer Aerials 064 Jim Barnhart a AER144 Jack or Damgaard a
107 years ago today, the Bovina column of the April 12, 1919 Delaware Republican reported that "Hale Elliott, who has been laid up several weeks with injuries received by a fall in the dry milk plant, has returned to his work there." He was born in 1890 and died in 1980.
Eighty-six years ago today, on April 13, 1940, as later reported in the Delaware Republican, "Mr. and Mrs. Robert Boggs and children Bobbie and Barbara, were at Delhi on Sunday afternoon and called on her sister, Mrs. William Sanderson and her baby, Shirley Bell."
115 years ago today, the April 14, 1911 Bovina column of the Andes Recorder reported the following: "It is stated that Professor John P. Mabon, a son of Jas C. Mabon, in southern Bovina, contemplates giving up teaching and hopes to take up the business of farming." And it does appear he gave up teaching and was farming for some time in the Oneonta area. He died in 1953 in Oneonta. His obituary noted him as a "retired educator and farmer." He was widowed in 1935 and his only child, James Mabon, was killed by a lightning strike in 1944.
103 years ago today, on April 15, 1923, Margaret Coulter Boggs recorded the following in her diary: "Been a nice day. All went to church. First time Grandma has been to church this year. We saw a flying machine go over today. First one this way." Not sure who she means by grandma, but she's likely referring to her mother-in-law, Alice Jane Russell, the wife of William Fountain Boggs. Alice would die in June 1923.
The Andes Recorder reported 158 years today in its April 16, 1868 issue, the following: "Ho! For California – the following persons left for California on Monday last. Mssrs Robt. Smith, Daniel Smith and Jas. Armstrong, of Delhi, Mr. James Miller, of Bovina, and James Davidson of Andes, with their families; and Mr. John B. Scott of Bovina. They will sail from New York on the 15th, by the North American Line, for San Francisco. We wish them a safe passage and a pleasant journey." Robert and Daniel Smith likely were the sons of Robert Smith and Christiana McFarland. Daniel died in Salinas in 1886 and Robert in Fresno in 1903. James Miller probably is the son of James Miller (1802-1878) and Agnes Coulter (1802-1869). He appears to have settled in Gilroy, Santa Clara County, California. His cousin Libbie Miller married Robert Smith and traveled with him to settle in California. [I was not able to clearly identify James Armstrong, James Davidson or John B. Scott.]
This chauffeur license image of Mrs. Olav Nysather (or Nysether) was taken by Delhi photographer Harold McMurdy in the late 1930s. Chauffeur licenses were required for anyone driving for hire or as part of their job or for any form of ID. Today this is known as a Class E license in New York. Mrs. Nysether, the former Margit Peterson, was born in Norway in 1902. She married Olva in 1926. The Nysathers lived in Bovina from the early 1930s to 1943 in the house where Dick and Carol Brannen now live. In 1943, the family moved to Wisconsin. Olav died in Madison, Wisconsin in 1970. Margit died in 1974. Image courtesy of the Delaware County Historical Association.
130 years ago today, April 18, 1896, as later reported in the Andes Recorder, "H.G. Bramley was still making [maple] sugar…Sap was still running fairly well in his camp."
142 years ago today, on April 19, 1884, as later reported in the Delaware Republican, "Mr. W.J. Coulter, of Bovina Valley, passed through town….with beautiful specimens of Colorado Elk horns, three in number, sent by his brother, Mr. John A. Coulter, of Colorado. The horns of one of the larger ones measured from the center of the frontal skull-piece, or forehead, to the tip of the horns, one horn 4 feet 10 1/2 inches, the other 4 feet 11 inches; from tip to tip, 9 feet 9 1/2 inches." More about John Coulter is in my blog at https://bovinanyhistory.blogspot.com/2020/05/bovina-ex-pats-john-coulter-colorado.html
145 years ago today, on April 20, 1881, John Russell, son of Stephen and Mary Russell, married Agnes Orr, the daughter of Robert and Barbara Orr. The Bovina column of the Stamford Mirror for April 26 reported that "Our friend, John Russell, went to Kortright yesterday, and returned in the evening, bringing a young bride with him." They would have three children, Henry, Clarence and Everett before John's death at the age of 56 in 1910. Agnes survived her husband by 23 years, dying in 1933.
192 years ago, a notice dated April 21, 1834, appeared for several weeks in the Delaware Gazette: "TEMPERANCE ADDRESS. An address on Temperance, delivered before the Bovina Temperance Society, by Mr. Douglas, just printed, and a few copies for sale at this office. April 21, 1834."
152 years ago today the Delaware Republican carried this ad dated April 22, 1874: "Farm for Sale. Said farm is situated in the town of Bovina, three miles from Brushland and one mile from Kingston Turnpike; contains 154 acres of land, well-watered by two streams of running water, large Orchard and Sugar bush, good Buildings. TERMS EASY. Will sell Stock with farm if desired, or trade for small place. Inquire of owner on the premises. John F. Graham." I think this farm was located on what is now Lee Hollow and later became the Lee Farm.
146 years ago today, on the April 23, 1880, someone passed through Bovina that aroused enough interest for someone to post in the Bovina column of the Stamford Mirror this notice: "Does any one know who that young man was, who passed through Bovina village, Friday evening, April 23d, riding a small bay horse, with a large white strip in its face."
This chauffeur license image of Glenn Hobbie was taken by Delhi photographer Harold McMurdy in the late 1930s. Chauffeur licenses were required for anyone driving for hire or as part of their job. Today this is known as a Class E license in New York. Glenn was born in 1913 in Bovina and spent his life there. Married to Anna Boggs in 1944, he passed away in 1970. Image courtesy of the Delaware County Historical Association.
This postcard view of the Bovina Center creamery dates from before 1913.
105 years ago today, on April 26, 1921, the Bovina Town Board voted to have David G. Currie fill the unexpired term of town clerk Thomas Gordon, who had passed away on April 22. “On motion the Supervisor with Justice Strangeway be appointed a committee to assist the present Clerk to examine all papers and records in the private office of the late Town Clerk and remove all that are of value to the Town, to the office of the Town Clerk.” My dad recalled that Thomas's daughter Margaret told him that she had to help the committee locate all the records in the house. Margaret was 13 at the time.
In 1946, Delhi photographer Bob Wyer took a series of aerial pictures around Bovina in a plane piloted by Eddie Davidson. The image was labeled in the Wyer materials as "Wilson (Wally Hanson)." I think this is the Wally Hanson farm on Coulter Brook (though I have conflicting information that said it was in the Cape Horn area). The cultivated fields are cauliflower. According to the 1940 census, Hanson lived next to the old Schneider farm, which was on Coulter Brook. Wally was born in Colorado and came to Bovina when he was around 10 years old. His father died when he was 14. He stayed on the family farm until the late 1940s when he moved to North Carolina. Wally died in North Carolina in 1998 at the age of 83. Image courtesy of the Delaware County Historical Association.
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127 years ago, the April 28, 1899 Bovina column of the Andes Recorder reported that "David Finkle, of Lake Delaware, has been suffering for several months with sciatic rheumatism and through the kindness of Mr. Gerry he will receive treatment in a New York hospital." He returned home from his treatment about a month later.
169 years ago today, the April 29, 1857 Delaware Gazette carried this item, entitled "Carelessness with Fire Arms." "A young woman living with Mrs. Luddington, in Bovina, while sweeping at the head of the stairs, a boy about eight years old, a grand-child of Mrs. L. took a gun which he supposed was unloaded, and playfully pointing up at the girl, pulled the trigger. The charge mostly took effect in one hand, lacerating it so severely that the thumb and one or two fingers had to be cut off. The handle of the broom was shivered to pieces - some of the splinters hitting her in the face and making some scratches, but nothing serious. When will people learn to keep fire arms out of the reach of children?" Mrs. Ludington likely was Jane Northrup Ludington, widow of Henry Ludington, son of one of Bovina's Revolutionary War soldiers. I'm not sure who the 'young woman' was, but it might have been her servant, Jennet Shields, who would have been about 22 at the time of this incident.
Seventy-six years ago today, April 30, 1950, as later reported in the Bovina column of the Catskill Mountain News, "Milton Hastings visited Miss Lilly Happy at East Meredith on Sunday. He found her much improved in health. Sunday was her 87th birthday. She took great pleasure in reading many cards and letters which she had received in honor of her birthday." Miss Happy was Milton's housekeeper for many years. She had become ill about a year before. In the summer of 1951, she was moved to the Delaware County sanatorium, where she died that October.
