Bovina's 1894 Flood

When the Bovina Center hamlet experience a flood in August 1953 (go to April 26, 2009 and August 14, 2011 entries in this blog for more information), Walter 'Watt' Coulter recalled that it was the worst flooding since that of 1894.  So what was 1894 like?

The flood of 1894 happened 119 years ago today on Sunday, June 24, causing about $7,000 in damage (about $190,000 in today's money) - $3,000 in damage to bridges and roadways and $3,000 to $4,000 in damages inflicted on local farmers and businesses.

It started in the afternoon when two clouds seemed to meet over Mt. Pisgah.  The brief but intense downpour overfilled the streams in the upper part of the town, causing them to rapidly overflow their banks and send a large load of debris down the Little Delaware.  Included in the debris were sections of a number of bridges going down Bovina road to the Butt End and beyond.  A new arch bridge at the Butt End, which had only been built about two years before, was partially damaged.  The Johnson Brother's Woolen Mill saw extensive damage to the dam containing their mill pond.  The shingle mill at the rear of the building was carried away completely.  The loss at the Johnson Brother's alone was around $1000.

The torrent of water continued into Bovina Center, damaging the bridge at Thomas Hilson's and taking away the milk house of William Liddle on its way (these appear to be a couple of farms on County Route 6 about a mile from the hamlet).  Another Hilson, Alexander, lost the bridge at his property.  It was feared that Dennis's mill, located across from about where Hugh Lee's house is located, would fall victim to the flood but by then there was enough driftwood to form a breastwork and thus the mill was saved.  Scott's bridge at the lower end of the hamlet withstood the torrent but the water was running very high.  The flats beyond the bridge did see considerable damage.  As the Andes Recorder reported, "the flood as seen by those who could see it coming appeared like a huge wall of water eight or ten feet high."  The flood continued to the Hook and took out the bridge there (located at present Route 28).  It was determined afterwards to replace that bridge with an iron one.

Along with the property damage, a number of farmers lost some of their livestock.  The Andes Recorder noted that "a number of hogs and a cow were found on the flats down the Little Delaware that had come down with the flood."

June 1913 - 100 Years Ago in "That Thriving Town"

In June 1913, the correspondent for the Andes Recorder continued to report in the weekly Bovina column issues related the state road that went through Bovina.  The Scott Bridge, the old stone bridge near the present day McPherson farm had improvements made to it and several people were moving or improving their homes.  And several of Bovina's Civil War veterans - 'Old Soldiers' - were making plans to travel to Gettysburg for the 50th anniversary of the famous Civil War battle.

The spelling you will see of 'daughter' as 'dauter' was not a random typo but a way that the paper for sometime consistently spelled it.


June 6, 1913

Charles Tuttle found one of his best yearlings dead in the pasture Tuesday morning, with blackleg (the Tuttle farm appears to have been in the Tunis Lake area).

The state road contractor was compelled to bring back the steam roller and tar wagon from Bloomville to do some more work.

William J. Archibald, on the Robert C. Scott farm, is enlarging the cellar under his residence by putting it under the wing of the house. [This is the present day McPherson farm at the lower end of the hamlet.]

Daniel McMullen has moved from what is known as the D.Lyle Thomson farm on Pink street to William A. Hoy’s house in the Center (Hoy's is the Tim McIntosh house).

Thomas Fuller died at his home in Bovina Center on Friday, May 30, after a long illness from acute myocarditis.  Mr. Fuller was born and always resided in the town of Bovina.  He is survived by his wife who was Miss Abdigal Seacord, of southern Bovina, and one son, Charles Fuller.  The funeral was held Sabbath afternoon with interment in the Center Cemetery.

Moving to Delhi

Russell Archibald, formerly of Bovina, who has been in charge of the New York office of the F.S. Royster Guano company, as district sales manager while the company was organizing its Northern territory, will come to Delhi to reside, and will travel for the firm part of the year.  [F.S. Royster Guano was a fertilizer company, based in North Carolina.]

June 13, 1913

Concrete sides are being put on the stone arch bridge at the R.C. Scott place on the State road.

A.E.T. Coulter, on the Turnpike, has installed a telephone on Downsville company’s system. [Andrew Coulter lived on what is now Route 28.]

The Bovina State road was accepted Tuesday by the authorities and has been taken off the hands of the contractor.

Among those who expect to attend the re-union at Gettysburg on the 50th anniversary are Frank Gowanlock, G.D. Miller, Thomas Gordon, William Richardson and Jas. G. Seath.

The town traction engine was broken last week while working in Biggar Hollow and it was necessary to send to Harrisburg for a new part, and in the meantime the engine is standing in the road.

June 20, 1913

J.T. Barnhart and dauter were at Andes on Monday. [This would be Jeremy Barnhart and the daughter was either my grandmother, Anna Bell, or her sister, Edith, who later married James Boggs.]

James E. Hastings is about to purchase an automobile for his dauter, Miss Dora. [Dora later married James Barnhart and was the mother of Eleanor Damgaard.]

Congressman and Mrs. Peter Gerry arrived at their summer home at Lake Delaware, Tuesday evening.

Master William Gordon, son of Thos Gordon, has been critically ill the past week with typhoid fever, but is now reported to be recovering.  A son of Dan McMullin also has the disease in a light form.  [See this blog for January 12, 2012 for more information on William Gordon.]

Professor Ayers, wife and child, of Ithaca, spent a few days last week with his brother, who is butter maker at the Center creamery.  Professor Ayers is an instructor in the dairy school at Cornell University.

If arrangements can be made to have second year academic subjects taught as well as first year subjects it is expected that private school in the Center will be continued the coming year in charge of Miss Jane Hastings. [There is little information about this private school - I will be checking into this further.]

June 27, 1913

Alex Hilson attended the meeting of feed dealers at Delhi on Thursday.

For the month of May patrons of the Bovina Center Co-Operative Creamery company received 37 cents a pound for butter fat.

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas C. Strangeway have issued invitations for the marriage of their youngest daughter, Helena, to John Hilson on Wednesday July 2. [These are the parents of Alex and Jack Hilson and Louise Hilson Mole and Jane Hilson Hoy.]

Miss Marjorie Bailey dauter of the late Jacob Bailey of this town, who for the past year has been teaching in Salt Lake City, Utah, arrived home Friday evening to spend the summer with her mother in Bloomville. 

Bear Shooting in Bovina 111 Years Ago

The June 13, 1902 issue of the Andes Recorder reported the shooting of a bear in Bovina, which happened on June 6:

     Last Friday a black bear was killed in Bovina.  The bear had been seen in different parts of the town for several days and on that day came through below Arthur Hoy’s house. Mr. Hoy, his hired man George Todd, Peter Robson and his hired man, resolved to go on a bear hunt and according set out, and on reaching a piece of woods on W.R. Miller’s hill the party separated, Todd taking the small dog and going one way and the others going around the woods.
      In a few minutes the dog found the bear and tackled it.  Todd who was armed with a shot gun let bruin have both barrels and then the animal turned from the dog and made for the man, but the dog kept up its fight and detracted the attention of the animal until Todd could reload and again he let go both barrels with no apparent effect only to make bruin more angry and it reared up on its hind legs, and with outstretched arms made for Todd, the dog meantime keeping up its hectoring from behind.  Todd slipped his fifth and last cartridge into the gun and placed the muzzle close to the bear’s head and fired.  The charge entered the head tearing a hole like a bullet and the bear dropped dead. 
      The bear, which was a yearling was taken to the village and weighed 137 pounds. G.D. Miller dressed it in fine shape and Bovina has had plenty of bear meat.
      The skin weighed 16 ½ pounds and Arthur Hoy gave Mr. Todd $10 for it.

The Arthur Hoy farm was located on Jim Lane road.  The W.R. Miller farm I think was the old Reinertsen farm at the end of Reinertsen Hill Road - that road used to connect with Jim Lane road. 

Faces of Bovina - Bill Storie - "A Highly Respected Citizen"

Fifty years ago this week, former Bovina Supervisor and former Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, William J. Storie passed away.  Having lived in Bovina his whole life, he was the Bovina Town Supervisor for 14 years - the longest tenure of any Bovina Supervisor to that date (later to be exceeded by Frank McPherson, 20 years, and Charlie LaFever, 24 years).  Below is his obituary as reported in the Delaware Republican Express in its June 6, 1963 issue:

Long-Time Supervisor Passes Away

    With the passing of William J. Storie on Sunday morning, June 2, Bovina Center lost a highly respected citizen and many lost a kind friend.  Mr. Storie passed away at his home following an extended illness. 
    He was born February 29, 1892, in Bovina, and was the son of John W. and Jennie Laidlaw Storie.  On September 8, 1915, Vera Davidson became his wife at the Bovina Center United Presbyterian Church.
    Mr. Storie served as Town of Bovina Supervisor for 14 years and was Clerk of the Delaware County Board of Suprvisors for 25 years, 1937-1962.  He had also operated a large dairy farm.
    A lifelong member of the Bovina Center United Presbyterian Church, Mr. Storie was ever active int he work of the church of which he served as an elder for 41 years.  He was past treasurer of the Metropolitan Milk Producers Cooperative Bargaining Agency. 
    "Bill" always wore a broad smile and he will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
    His survivors are Mrs. Storie; one daughter, Mrs. Eugene Vandenbord of Delhi; one brother, George Storie of Bovina center; three grandchildren.
    Funeral rites were held Wednesday at the United Presbyterian Church in Bovnia Center and were conducted by the pastor, Rev. Maynard Grunstra.  Interment ws in Bovina Center Cemetery.  Serving as pallbearers were Clifford Burgin, Jack Hilson, David Roberts, Jack Damgaard, Craig Banuat and Lester McPherson.
    Arrangements were by the R.J. McCall Funeral Home of Delhi.

The obituary did not mention that Bill was predeceased by his twelve year old son John in 1938, the result of injuries sustained in a sledding accident. 

The obituary that appeared in the Catskill Mountain news was similar, but noted that Storie was "for a greater part of his life prominent in Delaware county affairs."

Bill's tenures as town supervisor and clerk of the board overlapped for two years.  He became clerk in 1937 but was supervisor of Bovina until the end of 1938.  Storie noted this overlap to the reporter for the Binghamton Press when he retired as clerk in 1962, stating “That’s irregular as hell, but no one ever criticized it...”

The two Bob Wyer photos below show Bill in his role as Clerk of the Board of Supervisor.

This Wyer photo was taken in January 1940.  With Bill is his secretary Helen Penfield.  Photo courtesy of the Delaware County Historical Association.

This photo of Bill was also taken at the County Courthouse by Bob Wyer, dating from December 1951.  Photo courtesy of the Delaware County Historical Association

Remember the Silent Boys in Blues - Memorial Day in Bovina

A snippet from the Andes Recorder from May 11, 1894 reported on plans for how Bovina would be celebrating Memorial Day:

Memorial Day at Bovina.

At a meeting held in Strangeway’s Hall, April 28, to make arrangements for the proper observance of Memorial Day and to give homage to the fallen heroes of ’61 to ’65, the following officers were chosen, vis: President of the Day, Rev. J.P. Carley; Speaker, Dr. J. N. Wright; Marshall, B.S. Miller; Commander, J.R. Hoy; Officer of the Day, J.P. Dennis; Chaplin, Thomas Gordon; color Bearer, Henry Hogaboom; Placing marking flags, Frank Gownlock; Committee of Arrangements, G.D. Miller, William Richardson; Committee on Flowers, Mrs. J.R. Hoy, Miss Maggie Storie, Miss Maggie Chisholm, Mrs. Thomas Miller, Mrs. Frank Gownlock, Mrs. J.P. Dennis, Mrs. G.D. Miller.  

All the old soldiers and the committee on flowers are to meet at Strangeway’s Hall at 9 o’clock sharp. The procession will form in front of Strangeway’s Hall and march to the cemetery to decorate the graves of the silent heroes.  Returning to Strangeway’s Hall for the Memorial oration by Comrade J.N. Wright, of Grand Gorge, at 2 o’clock.

The Marshall request that all old soldiers, other than the officers having swords, will please to provide themselves with canes.  In past years the people have failed to keep in the ranks during the march to the cemetery, thus making the appearance of the line very poor.  We would suggest that all who go to the cemetery keep in the ranks, and thus make a fine appearance, and we can assure you that it will be fully appreciated by the old veterans. Try it. 

On this, a day which has been set apart in memory of the fallen dead, let all unnecessary labor be laid aside, and let everyone take a holiday, it comes only once a year.  Think of what it commemorates; think of the hardships, dangers and trials of those who now lay in the silent tomb, some of them in the sunny south where they fell bathed in their own blood.  Although Bovina has turned out well to the exercises in the past, it is possible to improve.  Remember the silent “Boys in Blues.”

Bovina Postcards

Work continues on the 2014 Bovina History Calendar for the Bovina Historical Society, the theme of which will be postcards.  Today (May 24), Chuck McIntosh shared a number of cards from his collection with me.  He had a few postcards which are generic ones with 'Greetings from Bovina, N.Y.' or 'Greetings from Bovina Center, N.Y.' stamped on them.  The two color ones below are both from "'NYCE' Quality Colored Landscapes Local."

This card has a postmark from 1929.  It was sent to a Myrtle Gibson in Andes from someone named Lillie. 

This postcard, though likely not from Bovina, made me do a double take.

Compare it with the one below that is from Bovina:

The color card is not a watercolor version of the black and white card, but I had to really look. 

Chuck also had a number of postcards with authentic images of Bovina that had been 'colorized.'  Here's one of the Bovina Center school (now the Bovina Public Library) that has a postmark of 1910:

From everything I can tell, the building was never painted red, so someone took some artistic license.  This postcard, like many of that time period, was printed in Germany. 

The plan is to try and have the 2014 Bovina History Calendar ready for Bovina Day in July.  Stay tuned.  

May 1913 - 100 Years Ago in Bovina, "That Thriving Town"

I will be starting a new monthly series on this blog – 100 Years Ago This Month in Bovina.  The source of this information comes from the Andes Recorder, which from about the late 1890s until it folded in the late 1930s, had a weekly Bovina column called "A Week With Bovina People."  Other area papers had such columns also, but not always weekly.  The Andes paper was consistent in publishing this column each week, likely because the publisher, Thomas W. Miller, had Bovina roots.

I’ll be presenting snippets of what the Bovina correspondent for the Andes Recorder was reporting  in the column, along with occasional small articles not included in the column but usually next to or under it.  The dates are the dates of the newspaper, which was published once a week on Fridays.  As much as possible, I have kept the spelling and capitalization as presented in the paper and have only made corrections when otherwise the context would not be understood.  When I know it, I also will provide in brackets [ ] further information on the persons or places mentioned.

One theme during the month of May 1913 seems to have been issues with the then state road that went through Bovina Center, now County Route 6. 

May 2, 1913

Alex Bryden sold his 266 acre farm which is located near Lake Delaware in this town to George N. Neupert, of Hartford, Connecticut, who has taken possession.  [The farm was on the now unused part of Tom Hoag Road near the Delhi Town line.] The sale includes tack and farm machinery.  Mr. Bryden has moved to a small place at East Delhi, or Fitch’s Bridge, which he purchased a year ago. 

The piece of state road from the Scott bridge to the Russell road is completed.  Last week the engineer was here and the contractor, according to instructions, is repairing the part of the road built last fall.  In some places the dirt must be scraped off and the road re-surfaced.  [This is County Route 6 from the McPherson place at the lower end of the hamlet to Russell Hill Road by Denison’s.]

May 9, 1913

At a meeting of the town board last Thursday it was voted to purchase a 45-foot iron bridge to cross the river at Douglas Davidson’s [now Behrer's] on the C.S. Gladstone road [now Bob Hall Road].  The present wooden structure, which is condemned, is 66 feet long.

Daniel McMullin has sold his farm on Pink street, known as the D. Lyle Thomson place, to August Lifgren, of New York city, and will give possession May 20.  The sale includes 29 head of cattle, three horses and farm machinery, and the price is $10,000. [This farm was later the Bill and Mary Inman farm and is now the Mollie Brannen farm.]

Bovina Resident Dead

John G. Russell, aged 83, passed away May 7

John G. Russell died at his home in Bovina Center, early Wednesday morning, May 7, aged 86 years.  Last week he suffered a shock and death resulted.  He was born at the Butt End and the greater part of his life was spent in that part of the town.  A few years ago he retired from farming and removed to the village.  He married Margaret George, who survives him with three daughters, Mrs. Wilson Scott, of Bovina, Mrs. Bert Thomson, and Mrs. Robert Doig, of Walton.  The funeral will be held Friday and burial made in the Covenanter cemetery at the Butt End, within a stone’s throw of where he was born.  [John Russell was the grandson of William Russell, an early settler of Bovina who came from Scotland.  He farmed on what is now the Monroe Farm on Mountain Brook for many years.]

May 16, 1913

Division Engineer Hoadley, County Superintendent Van Tassel, and Supervisors Dickson, Patterson and Johnson were here Tuesday and went over the State road. In numerous places the road has to be plowed up and put in over again.  It is estimated that it will require from one to two months to complete the road.

Post office Will be Discontinued

The post office at Lake Delaware will be discontinued May 31, and after that date patrons of the office will be served by the Andes-Delhi stage.  Mr. Mason who had been postmaster for a number of years resigned some time ago, and no one there could be found to take the job.

May 23, 1913

Emily Elliott has hired to teach the school in the Miller district.  [Emily Elliott later married Bill Burns. A number of her descendants still live in Bovina. The Miller district’s school house was on Miller Avenue on Bramley Mountain].

Thos C. Strangeway, trustee in the E.L. Coulter district has hired Beulah Armstrong as teacher [this district was around Russell Hill Road and Doig Hollow].

Miss Vera Davidson, a graduate of Cornell University, has been hired to teach the Center school next year.  [Vera later married Bill Storie and was the sister of Fletcher Davidson.]

For the month of April the Bovina Center Co-Operative Creamery paid its patrons 42 ¼ cents per pound for butter fat.

Last Thursday evening at the special school meeting in the Oliver district Peter Robson was elected trustee, and his hired Ethel Worden for teacher. [The Oliver district school house was located on East Bramley Mountain Road and is now owned by Joe Salvo.]

May 30, 1913

The state road contractor has moved part of his machinery to Bloomville, and some of his men have gone to the Treadwell-Franklin road.  Engineer Hoadley was here again Wednesday and went over the road, but what the decision was is not known.  Thru the village the top is already worn off the road.