Life in Bovina 100 years ago this month, as reported in the pages of the Andes Recorder
October 1, 1926
• Mr. and Mrs. Fred Thomson were at Ithaca last week.
• Mrs. John Aitkens and son were Andes visitors Monday evening.
• T.C. Strangeway and Erwin Russell were Andes visitors on Tuesday.
• Mrs. James A. Gow spent Saturday with her cousin, Mrs. George Polley at Andes.
• Mrs. Gideon Miller, of Hamden, spent over the week end with Mrs. Carrie Doig.
• Miss Mary Thomson, who recently returned from a trip to California, will soon go to her new home in Oneonta.
• The ice house and woodshed of Ray Thomson in upper Bovina, was destroyed recently by fire of unknown origin.
• Rev. F.N. Crawford preached last Sabbath afternoon at New Kingston. Rev. Roseburg, the pastor, is in Ohio on a vacation.
• Anna Boggs, the four-year-old daughter of James Boggs, underwent an operation at Delhi on Wednesday for an infection on the ankle. [Anna married Glen Hobbie and later Harold Lounsbury.]
• Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Russell were given a surprise visit last week by a number of their friends on the occasion of their tenth wedding anniversary.
• William S. Gordon, who graduated last June from Pratts Institute, as a mechanical engineer, has taken a position with the New York Central railroad. [William would work for the New York Central until his death while traveling on a NY Central train from Chicago to New York in June 1960.]
• Miss Marten Monroe, daughter of the late James Monroe, and Arthur Kellam were married at Binghamton, September 15. They will reside in Binghamton. [Martena and Arthur were married for 49 years until Arthur’s death in 1975. They had one son, Arthur, born in 1929.]
Leaves Lake Delaware
Walter Doenges, for the past two and a half years herdsman on the Gerry estate at Lake Delaware, left last week to take a similar position in Massachusetts, at an increase of salary. His successor comes from Virginia. [Walter would be married to Ada Quinn, a grand daughter of A.P. Lee of Bovina in 1927.]
BOVINA MAN CAUSED ACCIDENT
E.C. Parsons Tries to Pass Auto at Frasers—Woman Injured.
Sabbath afternoon a collision occurred on the Delhi-Walton state road at Fraser’s, due to the car starting to pass another without having a clear road ahead.
Clark Branning, of Maryland, with his wife and two children, and with his brother-in-law, Earl Jackson, at the wheel, were enroute home in their Ford sedan, after a week-end trip to Equinunk, Penn. Two cars had been behind them and the first passed, the second car, driven by E.C. Parsons, of Bovina, was following closely and speeded up to pass them, when a car coming in the opposite direction appeared so close at hand that to avoid hitting it Mr. Parsons turned sharply and his car hit the front wheel of the Banning car, throwing it off the road and into a tree, where it overturned. Mrs. Banning was thrown through the top of the car and was severely cut and bruised on the head and sustained contusions all over her body. She was taken to the Delhi hospital but was able to go home Wednesday.
The others in the car were considerably bruised. The Ford was badly smashed. Mr. Parsons, who was responsible for the accident, promised to make good the damages.
October 8, 1926
• William J. Storie made a business trip to Kingston on Tuesday.
• Rev. F.N. Crawford will go [to] the meeting of U.P. Synod next week.
• Alex Myers left Thursday to spend a vacation with his son, Frank Myers, at Endicott.
• John Thomson, up Pink street, broke both bones of his arm while cranking his Ford truck.
• The Young Ladies Missionary Society held an all day meeting with Mrs. Wm. J. Storie on Thursday.
• Mr. Stevens, who drives team for the Hard Maple Lumber Co., has moved his family from Hamden to part of William Boggs’ house.
• Harry Robinson has had his house treated to a new dress of paint. He has also put in a new concrete steps and walk leading to the house.
• Mrs. F.N. Crawford received word Monday of the death of her father at New Concord, Ohio. He had been an invalid for about four years.
• Little Francis Decker, who has been very ill with scarlet fever, is now on the road to recovery, but will not be able to walk for a month yet. [Francis was the son of Arthur Decker and Beulah Armstrong. He ultimately survived this attack, but it may have impacted his later health. He enlisted in the Army in 1942 but was discharged after only six weeks. Married with two daughters, he died at the age of 51 in 1970.]
• The Christian Union held a business meeting followed by a social time at Rev. Crawford’s on Tuesday evening. Rev. and Mrs. Hannum, from West Delhi, were present and he gave a talk.
• J.D. Burns, who has been with his daughter, Mrs. Howard McPherson, during the summer, moved this week to part of the house on the David J. Miller farm, which he purchased some time ago.
Sudden Death in Bovina
Fernando P. Hunt died suddenly at his home at the cemetery entrance in the Town of Bovian on Thursday evening, September 30, aged 74 years. He had retired for the night and when his wife went up stairs a short time later she found him dead. Besides his wife he leaves a son, Robert Hunt, of Delhi and an adopted daughter, Mrs. Howard Miller of Mt. Vernon, N.Y. The funeral was held Saturday with interment in the Bovina Center cemetery.
October 15, 1926
• Ralph Hillis spent a few days the past week in New York City.
• Mrs. James A. Gow is visiting Mrs. Margaret Boggs at Albany for a few days.
• Miss Frances Sloan, of Delhi, spent over the week end with her friend Miss Margaret Laidlaw.
• Rev. F.N. Crawford left Monday morning to spend a few days with relatives at New Concord, Ohio.
• Charles A. McPherson, on the former Robert C. Scott at the stone arch bridge, is having his large barn painted.
• The Young Ladies Missionary Society held a party at the home of Mrs. John Armstrong on Monday evening in honor of Mrs. Mary Mulnix, a former resident of Bovina. [This was Mrs. Chas J. Mullenex. Mr. and Mrs. Mullenex moved to Ilion, NY in 1916, where he died the following year. I have found little information about Mary, except that she lived in Lake Delaware and was born in Scotland around 1876.]
• Superintendent Walter G. Coulter and his force of men are putting in about 300 feet of stone road connecting the Bovina Center Creamery with the main macadam highway.
• Mr. and Mrs. Frank Myers, of Endicott, were here over Tuesday night, bringing home his father, Alex Myers, who had spent a week there. They left Wednesday for a trip to New York.
• Mrs. Mary Crosier left Thursday for Philadelphia, Penn. to spend the winter with her son, Dr. James Crosier. Mrs. Walter Wilson, the postmistress at Bovina, accompanied her for a week’s stay. [Mrs. Crosier was the former Marion R. Johnson. Born in Bovina, she married Alexander Crosier in 1889. She was widowed in 1908 and died in 1949.]
Poultry man on Gerry Estate
Elmer Middlemis, of Delhi, who last year graduated from State Agricultural school, is now in charge of the poultry on the Gerry estate at Lake Delaware.
Bovina Man Injured
John W. Storie, who lives up Pink street in Bovina, was struck by the car of Judge Bruce, of Andes, near the Kingston street corner in Delhi, last Thursday afternoon. He had just gotten out of his car. Dr. Schumann attended him and found that his injuries consisted of abrasions, bruises and a cuts on the leg.
Bovina Estate
Estate of Thomas R. Boggs, late of Bovina. Will admitted to probate and letters testamentary issued to James A Boggs and Callie J. Boggs. Estimate $3,500 personal and $50 real. To wife, Janet Boggs, is willed $500; residue in trust to wife and at her death Callie Boggs is to receive $1,500; Maggie E. Ormiston and Dora A. Foreman each $200; James A. Boggs, residue.
Arm Broken
Mrs. Mary Lunn, of Lake Delaware, fell last week and broke one of the bones in her forearm. She is now at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Thomas Hoag, in Glenburnie.
October 22, 1926
• Mrs. David Wordon, of Bloomville was a recent visitor here.
• Miss Mary Gladstone is the new clerk in Hilson Brothers Store.
• Mrs. Ralph Barnhart and young son are visiting relatives in Jefferson. [Mrs. Barnhart was the former Anna Ruland. Her son was Ralph.]
• Miss Jessie Stuart, of Franklin, was a caller in town the first of the week.
• Miss Mary Thomson, of Oneonta, is visiting her brother, Elliott Thomson.
• Rev. A.M. Thomson, pastor of the R.P. Church, has returned with his bride.
• Mrs. Robert Foreman, of Walton, has been visiting her mother, Mrs. Thos R. Boggs. [Mrs. Forman was formerly Dora Alice Boggs (1874-1962). Mrs. Boggs was the former Jane Archibald, who died in 1930.]
• Mrs. and Mrs. Harry Robinson and daughter visited his sister at Schenectady last Saturday.
• Mr. and Mrs. Robert Low, of Brooklyn, have been visiting his cousin, Mrs. Lancelot Thomson.
• Professor and Mrs. Leon Taggart and sons, of Oneonta, spent Sabbath with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. T.C. Strangeway.
• Charles Cunningham, a brother of Mrs. James E. Hastings, died recently in Pipestone county, Minnesota. His age was 73 years.
• Little Francis Decker, who was improving from scarlet fever, has not been so well for a few days and is again confined to bed.
• Mr. and Mrs. W.E. Kardeen and family, of Montrose, Penn. spent from Sabbath until Wednesday with his sister, Mrs. Milton Stratton.
• Special services are being held every evening this week in the U.P. church. The series of meetings will close on Sabbath with communion services.
• The Bovina town school fair was held in Bovina Center on Monday, October 18. There was a large attendance. The exercises, on account of the rain, were held in the U.P. church. [A fuller report appeared in the following week’s edition of the Recorder.]
Bovina Farm Sold
William B. Smith has sold his farm in the part of the town toward Hobart, to a western party. He had lived on the place for 43 years. He may move to Oneonta.
Foreman-Laidlaw
Clifford Foreman, of Walton, and Bernice Laidlaw, on Kerr’s Creek, were married October 9. The groom is a son of Robert G. Foreman formerly of Bovina.
A Card
We desire to thank the many friends for their kindness during the illness and following the death of our loved one; Also for flowers, the singing, and the minister for his comforting words. Harvey J. Robertson, Mr. and Mrs. W.T. Forrest, Mr. and Mrs. H. C. Burgin.
October 29, 1926
• Harry Robinson is having his house wired for electric lights.
• Frank Miller, manager of the Bovian Center Creamery, was at the County Seat on Tuesday.
• Dr. Leonard Thomson, of Farmington, Connecticut, visited his father and brother one day last week.
• Mr. Craig, the blacksmith, has purchased a home at Hamden and will move there about November 15.
• Lancelot Thomson has erysipelas in his foot. Mr. and Mrs. Low, of Brooklyn, are at the Thomson home for a few days. [Erysipelas is a bacterial skin infection.]
• Mr. and Mrs. Archie Calhoun and her aunt, Mrs. Alex R. Myers, were at Meridale on Tuesday to see Mrs. Calhoun’s father, James Laing, who is on the sick list.
• The week of special services came to a close at the United Presbyterian church with communion services on Sabbath morning. Several vicinity ministers assisted during the week.
• Mr. and Mrs. Frank Miller and Mrs. Thomas Gordon motored to Albany on Saturday and spent the week end with Margaret Gordon and Mrs. Miller’s Niece, Mabel Winter, who are students at the Albany Teachers College.
UP Elders Meet – Elders Association held at Bovina Center on October 26
The annual convention of the Elders’ association of Delaware Presbytery was held at Bovina Center Tuesday, October 26, with Samuel Read, of Philadelphia, as the principal speaker. H.S. Covert, of Delhi, is president of the association.
The convention opened with a social hour at noon followed by a devotional service led by J.P. Doig. W.J. Storie extended greetings to the delegates and after the response by L.E. Roberts, reports were heard and committees appointed.
The general theme of the convention was Evangelism.
BOVINA HOLDS TOWNSHIP FAIR – Large Number in Attendance – The List of Winners
The annual Bovina school fair was held at Bovina Center, October 18 and was attended by a large number of people.
The sports were very efficiently conducted by Mr. Fields, the Delhi Physical training instructor. The following were chosen as athletic champions to compete at the rally at Delhi, Oct. 23: William Redman, Floyd Aitken, Glen Hobbie, Hugh McPherson, Eleanor Burns, Bernice DeSilva, Ethel Burgin and Olive Bramley.
On account of the weather, the program was held in the Presbyterian church. The three best numbers were first primary department of Dist. 4, Mrs. VanDusen Teacher; second Sist 10, Miss Archibald teacher, and Dist. 6, Miss Dean teacher.
For the best school exhibits ribbons were awarded as follows: First Dist 3, Miss Hoy teacher; second Dist 4 upper grade room, Mr. Banker teacher and third to both Dists 8, Mr. Owen teacher and Dist 11, Miss McPherson teacher.
The prize for the best all around school, which is a silver loving cup was awarded to the primary department of the Bovina Center school. This cup, presented by John Smith, of Delhi, was won by the pupils in the upper garde of the same school last year. [This cup is now in the Bovina Museum. More on the cup is on the Bovina NY History blog at Bovina (NY) History: School Fair at Bovina Center]
There were a great many club workers to receive pins showing that they had completed their project work. Those who received ribbons were: Poultry A, James Crawford 1st; Alex Hilson 2nd; Archibald Mabon 3d.
Pig A, Robert Burns 1st.
Calf A, Floyd Aitken 1st, Edward Schneider 2nd, John Redman 3d.
Calf C, Walfred Hansen 1st.
Sheep A, Walfred Hansen 1st; Claude Hansen 2d.
Garden A, Pearl Hadley 1st; William Redman 2nd; Grace Redman 3d.
Garden B, Ethel Burgin 1st; Mable Hadley 2nd; Grace Redman 3d.
Sewing B, Anna Gladstone 1st; Ethel Burgin 2nd; Olive Bramley 3d.
Foods, Louise Hilson 1st; Mary Banuat 2nd; Louise Rockfeller 3d.
Farm shop, Charles Speidel 1st; Frank McPherson 2nd; Hugh McPherson 3d.
Ethel Burgin was selected as the one to receive the free trip to Cornell Field Days next June.
