In my last blog entry, I reported on some statistics from the 1860 census as part of a small project to report on Bovina 150 years ago. I noted that noted under occupation, Bovina had 185 farmers, as well as 50 servants and 22 ladies.
From there, the number of people in each profession drops into the single digits. The census recorded eight merchants, including two recorded specifically as grocers - Alexander Kinmouth and Robert Sloan. The six merchants were James Adee, William Archibald, James Elliot, Thomas E. Hastings, John M. Murry, and Walter Telford.
Bovina also had eight shoemakers. Some of the shoemakers appear to have been in close proximity to each other. Three families enumerated in a row had four shoemakers. These included father and son Sloan and David Orr, as well as John Downie and Richard Smith. Other shoemakers in Bovina included John Halsted, Charles F. Smith and William Boggs. Listed in the census as a tanner, William Lull was also listed in the 1860 industrial census as also being a shoemaker and owning his business. Boggs also was listed in this industrial census.
Bovina's six blacksmiths were George Frelts, John Johnston, Bartholomew McFarland, Almeron McPherson, Patrick Murphy, Robert Penell. George Frelts was living with Almeron McPherson, likely in an apprenticeship (and Frelts is only a guess - the handwriting was very hard to decipher). Bovina also had four carpenters, two millers, two harness makers and two cabinet makers.
There were a few professions for which there was only one representative each. These included a bookbinder (Thomas Georgia), butcher (John Thompson), clothier (Thomas H. Johnston), innkeeper (Dorcas Hamilton), milliner (Margaret Jones), seamstress (Margaret White) and tailor (John Phyfe).
914 of the 1241 Bovina citizens enumerated in the census were not listed with any occupation noted. This would include many of the wives and almost all the children.
One other occupation in the 1860 was that of laborer. Bovina recorded seven such workers. Laborer might simply have been a way to explain someone in the house. Sometimes they were related, other times they were not. One laborer stood out because he was only 9 years old - at least if the census taker can be believed. While many of the children in Bovina certainly worked on the family farm, this is the only child specifically given that as an occupation. He was living with William and Rachel Rutherford with two teenagers also seemingly unrelated. The 9 year old, Adam Easton, does not show up in any future Bovina censuses. So we don't really know what happened to little Adam Easton. If anyone does, let me know. I hate to have him disappear from history!
Showing posts with label Business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Business. Show all posts
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Bovina Business, 1855
This entry first appeared in the Bovina UP Church Community Newsletter in February 2008. I will be doing other entries about Bovina businesses during the year, so I thought it made sense to repeat it here. And I'm submitting this while once again sitting in Russell's Store!
***
Bovina for much of its history has been known as a farming community. But one cannot live by bread (or for most Bovina farmers, milk) alone. Farmers and non-farmers alike needed clothing and shoes. They needed materials to build houses and barns. And they needed some way to make some of their products useful. The 1855 New York State Census included a census of local businesses, providing a look at the kinds of businesses Bovina had in its 35th year of existence.
Bovina had abundant water power, allowing for a number of mills. Mills for grinding grain into flour and cutting lumber into boards. In 1855, Adam Scott and Thomas W. Dennis had grist mills. Each had on hand about 4000 bushels of grain worth about $3000 in 1855. The grain was converted into about 4000 pounds of flour and meal annually. Not wishing to use their water power just for making grain, Mr. Dennis and Mr. Scott also had lumber mills. Dennis’s grist and saw mills were located about where the town sheds are today, across from the residence of Pat and Hugh Lee. This was the site of the first mill in the hamlet, erected about 1800 by Alexander Brush.
One likely user of the lumber was John Johnston, who made wagons and sleighs. And since a wagon could not be constructed totally of wood, Johnston also was a blacksmith. Johnston had some competition, in both blacksmithing and wagon making, from Stephen Russell, William M. Miller and a Mr. McPherson. Bovina also boasted a wheelwright, Andrew Boyd. For harnesses, one could go to Charles R. Lee, where a harness set would cost about $27.
Transportation wasn’t the only need of Bovina residents. In 1855, Bovina had a number of people to help supply clothing and footwear needs. Mary Johnston had a woolen factory, where she had two men earning $20 a month and one woman (possibly her) earning $5 a month. The factory included a carding mill for preparing the wool, a fulling mill for its weaving, and a woolen mill for making the garments. It appears that this later became the Bovina Woolen Mills, under the proprietorship of her son, Thomas H. Johnson. Johnson’s factory was at the Butt End, located where Robert Scott built for Matthew Russell a grist-mill in 1801. Charles R. Lee was a clothier and also supplied cloth and carded wool.
One possible user of all this wool was John Phyfe. Phyfe was the local tailor, producing annually about 100 each of coats, vests and pantaloons. For finer articles, such as hats, bonnets and the like, there was a milliner, Mrs. Phyfe, probably the wife of John Phyfe. To protect the feet, Bovina had several shoemakers in 1855, including William Boggs, Robert Sloan and William Lull. They made both boots and shoes. Boots tended to outsell shoes by more than two to one. Mr. Lull didn’t have to go far for his leather. He also operated a tannery, which required some water power. Mr. Sloan’s shoe store was in present day Bovina Center, kitty corner from Hilson’s Store.
This 1855 census did not reflect stores, but in 1869, the hamlet of Bovina Center, then known as Brushland, had three stores, run by J. Elliot, T. M. Hastings (what is now Russells Store), and J.K. Hood.
Given that Bovina’s population during this time was only about double what it is today, it may seem surprising to see so many more businesses. One must keep in mind that during the mid to late 19th century, Bovina had no railroads and that the roads were mostly rough dirt. Travel was by horse, wagon or foot. Citizens of the town were not too likely to go very far to purchase clothing and footwear or to have their grain made into flour. They had to rely mostly on their local businesses. It would be several decades before transport and roads would allow Bovina residents the option of going to Andes, Delhi, Oneonta or beyond for their purchasing needs.
***
Bovina for much of its history has been known as a farming community. But one cannot live by bread (or for most Bovina farmers, milk) alone. Farmers and non-farmers alike needed clothing and shoes. They needed materials to build houses and barns. And they needed some way to make some of their products useful. The 1855 New York State Census included a census of local businesses, providing a look at the kinds of businesses Bovina had in its 35th year of existence.
Bovina had abundant water power, allowing for a number of mills. Mills for grinding grain into flour and cutting lumber into boards. In 1855, Adam Scott and Thomas W. Dennis had grist mills. Each had on hand about 4000 bushels of grain worth about $3000 in 1855. The grain was converted into about 4000 pounds of flour and meal annually. Not wishing to use their water power just for making grain, Mr. Dennis and Mr. Scott also had lumber mills. Dennis’s grist and saw mills were located about where the town sheds are today, across from the residence of Pat and Hugh Lee. This was the site of the first mill in the hamlet, erected about 1800 by Alexander Brush.
One likely user of the lumber was John Johnston, who made wagons and sleighs. And since a wagon could not be constructed totally of wood, Johnston also was a blacksmith. Johnston had some competition, in both blacksmithing and wagon making, from Stephen Russell, William M. Miller and a Mr. McPherson. Bovina also boasted a wheelwright, Andrew Boyd. For harnesses, one could go to Charles R. Lee, where a harness set would cost about $27.
Transportation wasn’t the only need of Bovina residents. In 1855, Bovina had a number of people to help supply clothing and footwear needs. Mary Johnston had a woolen factory, where she had two men earning $20 a month and one woman (possibly her) earning $5 a month. The factory included a carding mill for preparing the wool, a fulling mill for its weaving, and a woolen mill for making the garments. It appears that this later became the Bovina Woolen Mills, under the proprietorship of her son, Thomas H. Johnson. Johnson’s factory was at the Butt End, located where Robert Scott built for Matthew Russell a grist-mill in 1801. Charles R. Lee was a clothier and also supplied cloth and carded wool.
One possible user of all this wool was John Phyfe. Phyfe was the local tailor, producing annually about 100 each of coats, vests and pantaloons. For finer articles, such as hats, bonnets and the like, there was a milliner, Mrs. Phyfe, probably the wife of John Phyfe. To protect the feet, Bovina had several shoemakers in 1855, including William Boggs, Robert Sloan and William Lull. They made both boots and shoes. Boots tended to outsell shoes by more than two to one. Mr. Lull didn’t have to go far for his leather. He also operated a tannery, which required some water power. Mr. Sloan’s shoe store was in present day Bovina Center, kitty corner from Hilson’s Store.
This 1855 census did not reflect stores, but in 1869, the hamlet of Bovina Center, then known as Brushland, had three stores, run by J. Elliot, T. M. Hastings (what is now Russells Store), and J.K. Hood.
Given that Bovina’s population during this time was only about double what it is today, it may seem surprising to see so many more businesses. One must keep in mind that during the mid to late 19th century, Bovina had no railroads and that the roads were mostly rough dirt. Travel was by horse, wagon or foot. Citizens of the town were not too likely to go very far to purchase clothing and footwear or to have their grain made into flour. They had to rely mostly on their local businesses. It would be several decades before transport and roads would allow Bovina residents the option of going to Andes, Delhi, Oneonta or beyond for their purchasing needs.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Russell's Store
Last Saturday (June 6) I attended a meeting at the Bovina Community Hall to discuss the future of Russell's Store. The Bovina Historical Society has received a planning grant through the MARK Project Inc. MARK is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt rural development company that unites efforts and secures resources to build and revitalize communities in and around the Margaretville area.
The Bovina Historical Society became the owners of Russell's Store in 2000 after the death of Marjorie Russell. It has been a challenge to maintain the store but many people in Bovina agree that the it is an important component of life in the town. After a brief hiatus, the store is open again under the proprietorship of Bea Sonhi.
One of the main attractions of the store is its long history. There has been a store on the spot almost since the founding of Bovina. In the 19th centur
y, the first owner was James Cowan, who purchased the property in 1823. He sold it in 1846 to Robert Murray. Ten years later, T.E. Hastings became the proprietor (the picture above dates from about 1880, when Hastings owned the store). Mr. Hastings had the store until 1893 when Andrew Doig purchased it. On New Year's Day, 1919, Cecil Russell became owner and proprietor. The store would stay in the Russell family for 81 years until the death of Cecil's daughter Marjorie.
Cecil ran the store alongside his wife, Isabel and later his daughter. The Russells kept the store open six days a week, only closing on Sunday and on a few holidays a year. During most of the time the Russells had the store, dairy farmers were their main customer base. Cecil allowed farmers to buy their groceries on credit. Farmers paid up once a month when they got their monthly milk check.
The main labor for Russells came from the family, but they hired after school and summer help too. I was one of those privileged to work at Russells. Starting in 1968, I worked there off and on for a decade, working after school, a couple of summers in college and for several months after I graduated college. I started by 'putting away the freight' once or twice a week. This was essentially hauling upstairs to storage boxes of canned goods so they would be where they wouldn't freeze. I didn't exactly love hauling all that stuff up the stairs, but I imagine it was good exercise. I do recall very fondly the arrival of the brown sugar. Russells sold it in bulk, weighing it out in paper bags as requested. It would come in a 50 pound sack that Cecil would open then have me dump into a large barrel in the back room. Every time I finished dumping the bag, Cecil would ask 'Have a sample?' I always accepted the offer!
One of the interesting activities that I got to do two or three times was the annual inventory. Cecil kept everything, so I found myself inventorying shoes, hats and tools that had to date from when he first opened the store. I was particularly attracted to a couple of the old style hats and bought three of them. And he charged the original price on the hats, something like $2. People used to say that you could find anything at Russells. I can attest to that.
Marjorie kept on running the store after the death of her father in 1982 and her mother in 1985. Ill health forced her to quit working in the store in 1997 and she died the first day of the new century on January 1, 2000.
Marjorie bequeathed the store to the Bovina Historical Society so that one of Bovina's oldest places of business would be around for future generations. The society could have decided to make it a static museum, but instead determined to keep the store open as an active place of business. Doing so increases its value and should help ensure that it stays around as a store for many years to come. So when you're in Bovina, be sure to stop by, wish Bea good luck and make your purchases. You'll be glad you did.
The Bovina Historical Society became the owners of Russell's Store in 2000 after the death of Marjorie Russell. It has been a challenge to maintain the store but many people in Bovina agree that the it is an important component of life in the town. After a brief hiatus, the store is open again under the proprietorship of Bea Sonhi.
One of the main attractions of the store is its long history. There has been a store on the spot almost since the founding of Bovina. In the 19th centur
y, the first owner was James Cowan, who purchased the property in 1823. He sold it in 1846 to Robert Murray. Ten years later, T.E. Hastings became the proprietor (the picture above dates from about 1880, when Hastings owned the store). Mr. Hastings had the store until 1893 when Andrew Doig purchased it. On New Year's Day, 1919, Cecil Russell became owner and proprietor. The store would stay in the Russell family for 81 years until the death of Cecil's daughter Marjorie.Cecil ran the store alongside his wife, Isabel and later his daughter. The Russells kept the store open six days a week, only closing on Sunday and on a few holidays a year. During most of the time the Russells had the store, dairy farmers were their main customer base. Cecil allowed farmers to buy their groceries on credit. Farmers paid up once a month when they got their monthly milk check.
The main labor for Russells came from the family, but they hired after school and summer help too. I was one of those privileged to work at Russells. Starting in 1968, I worked there off and on for a decade, working after school, a couple of summers in college and for several months after I graduated college. I started by 'putting away the freight' once or twice a week. This was essentially hauling upstairs to storage boxes of canned goods so they would be where they wouldn't freeze. I didn't exactly love hauling all that stuff up the stairs, but I imagine it was good exercise. I do recall very fondly the arrival of the brown sugar. Russells sold it in bulk, weighing it out in paper bags as requested. It would come in a 50 pound sack that Cecil would open then have me dump into a large barrel in the back room. Every time I finished dumping the bag, Cecil would ask 'Have a sample?' I always accepted the offer!
One of the interesting activities that I got to do two or three times was the annual inventory. Cecil kept everything, so I found myself inventorying shoes, hats and tools that had to date from when he first opened the store. I was particularly attracted to a couple of the old style hats and bought three of them. And he charged the original price on the hats, something like $2. People used to say that you could find anything at Russells. I can attest to that.
Marjorie kept on running the store after the death of her father in 1982 and her mother in 1985. Ill health forced her to quit working in the store in 1997 and she died the first day of the new century on January 1, 2000.
Marjorie bequeathed the store to the Bovina Historical Society so that one of Bovina's oldest places of business would be around for future generations. The society could have decided to make it a static museum, but instead determined to keep the store open as an active place of business. Doing so increases its value and should help ensure that it stays around as a store for many years to come. So when you're in Bovina, be sure to stop by, wish Bea good luck and make your purchases. You'll be glad you did.
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