Here are the daily Bovina history bits that were posted on the Bovina NY History Facebook page for November (there won't be an entry for November 22 because I did a blog entry for November 22, 1963 instead) [Note: the asterisks are to note latitude and longitude to help you locate certain houses]:
184 years ago today, on November 1, 1829, Jannet Raitt
was born. The daughter of Thomas Raitt and Jennet Thorburn, Jannet would die in
Bovina in 1846 when she was only 16.
Ninety eight years ago today, on November 2, 1915, one
of the items appearing on the ballot in Bovina and statewide was a
constitutional amendment to confer equal suffrage upon women. In Bovina, there
were 77 votes in favor but 103 against, with 32 blank or void votes. The
amendment failed statewide. Here is the sheet that recorded the results of this
vote. Two years later another women suffrage amendment succeeded in New York
State. Bovina voters this time supported the amendment - by 13 votes. At that
election, 97 voters supported women suffrage and 84 voted against it.
155 years ago today, November 3, 1858, Edward O’Connor
signed this document submitting his claim for expenses as commissioner of
highways. O’Connor is noted in history
as one of the two men sentenced to hang for the killing of Undersheriff Osman
Steele during the Anti-Rent War in 1845.
O’Connor’s sentence was commuted to life in prison and he was released
from prison within about a year. He had
been a town official before going to prison and resumed participating in town
government after his release.
The widow of the late John W. Bramley was found dead
in bed 114 years ago this morning, November 4, 1899. As later reported in the Andes Recorder: “[Mrs. Bramley] had not been feeling well for
a few days and had complained of her stomach.
The doctor was there Wednesday but it was thought she would be better in
a few days. Thursday morning her son
Fred, went to her room about 4 o’clock and spoke to her and receiving no
answer, thought she was asleep. About an
hour later he went back and found her dead.
She was cold and must have been dead when he was in the first time. She was 72 years old.” Her husband John had just died two weeks previously on October 19.
About 100 of the 212 women voters in Bovina voted 95
years ago today, November 5, 1918. As reported
later by the Andes Recorder, “Their votes did not change results in the town
except to swell the Prohibition vote by about 40.” Women in New York gained the right to vote in
the November 1917. This was the first
time in New York that women were able to vote.
Women suffrage became nationwide in 1920.
113 years ago on Election Day, November 6, 1900, the
ladies of the Methodist church served meals in A.T. Strangeway’s rooms and the
receipts were about $15. Also reported
on Election day in the Andes Recorder was the number of votes cast in Bovina –
262. This was a gain of 11 over four
years previous. There were two void
ballots and 11 Prohibition votes. Of the
total vote McKinley received 190, a gain of 11, and Bryan 58…
Fifty eight years ago today, on November 7, 1955, John
S. Burns died. Born in Bovina in 1888,
he was the son of Alexander Burns and Nancy Miller. He married Elizabeth Carnright and had two
daughters, Mary, who would later marry Harold Lounsbury, and Agnes, who was
married to Robert Burns, Sr. He was
widowed when his wife Elizabeth died in 1952.
John is the grandfather of Jack and Bob Burns.
216 years ago today, on November 8, 1797, Margaret
Donald was born in Scotland. She married
Henry McDonald in 1818 in Scotland and they started their family there. Sometime after 1832, they emigrated to the
United States. They had six children,
four born in Scotland and two in Bovina.
They farmed in the Mountain Brook area and then retired to a house just
outside of Bovina Center – the house I now live in as it so happens. Margaret was widowed at the end of 1879 and
survived her husband by barely a month, dying on February 3, 1880.
Ninety seven years ago today, on November 9, 1916,
William R. Miller died at the age of 63.
The Miller family had a bereavement three days earlier, when William’s
cousin Kate Barnhart lost her husband Jeremy at the age of 49. Both cousins lived on Pink Street. William had the farm at the corner of Pink
Street and Scutt Mountain Road.
149 years ago today, on November 10, 1864, tavern
keeper Dorcas Aitkin presented this bill for various services to the town,
including lodging four recruits likely receiving town bounty to help Bovina
meet its quota (who these men were we do not know). Her hotel/tavern was located where the
Jardine house is now located*.
Gordon Coulter entered the blacksmith shop of Gideon
Miller to learn the trade 106 years ago today, November 11, 1907. Gordon probably is Elton Gordon Coulter
(1891-1945), the son of David and Lucy Coulter and an uncle to Grace Coulter
Roberts.
113 years ago today, as later reported in the Andes
Recorder, “Supervisor John A. Irvine went to Delhi [on November 12, 1900] … to
attend the meeting of the supervisors.
John looks well to the interests of the town.” John was the father of Isabell Russell.
Eighty eight years ago this evening, as later reported
in the Stamford Mirror, “A masquerade and box social was held in the Hillis
hall on Friday night, November 13,[1925] for the benefit of the lecture course.
The proceeds amounted to $23.15. Season tickets were on sale at the social and
there will be an opportunity given on Tuesday morning, November 24th, at nine
o’clock at the post office for those having secured season tickets and choose
their seats for the course. The first number will be given November 28th in the
Hillis Hall by the ‘Fernandez Russell Duo.’” Hillis Hall was once known as
Strangeway’s Hall and later was Clayt Thomas’s garage.**
104 years ago today, on Sunday, November 14, 1909, the
pastors of the Bovina United Presbyterian, Reformed Presbyterian and Methodist
churches all preached sermons against dancing.
Ninety five years ago today, in its November 15, 1918
issue, The Andes Recorder reported that “Andrew T. Doig, who for a number of
years has conducted a general merchandise business in the Thos E. Hastings
store, has sold his business to Cecil Russell, who will take over the business
January 1.”
109 years ago today, on November 16, 1904, 90 year old
Mina Mabon died at the home of her son, William near Lake Delaware. The daughter of James Cairns and Jane Nichol,
she married William Mabon in 1841. They
had six children and were married 52 years when William died in 1893. Mina was buried next to her husband in the Bovina
Cemetery on November 18, 1904.
Margaret Sanderson Doig died 141 years ago today on
November 17, 1872 of typhoid fever. Born
in Washington County, NY in 1807, she was the daughter of Patrick Sanderson and
Nancy Hodge. She was married Andrew Doig
and would have nine children. Andrew
died in 1865.
Eighty nine years ago today, on November 18, 1924,
Mrs. Alex Hilson and Mr. and Mrs. Wm. C. Russell moved into their new
houses. Mrs. Hilson's home is where Mike
and Christine Batey live (Mrs. Hilson was her great grandmother). Mr. and Mrs. Russell's home is now the home
of Mark Schneider and Julie Hilson.
134 years ago today, November 19, 1879, Alexander Meyers was married to
Isabelle Laing. The couple would be
married for almost 68 years. In 1939,
the couple celebrated their 60th anniversary with a party given for them in the
Bovina UP Church parlors. Alex died in
1947 at the age of 91. His wife Isabelle
died 4 years later in 1951, when she was 90 years old.
 |
| Photo by Bob Wyer, Courtesy of the Delaware County Historical Association |
134 years ago today, on
November 20, 1879, Isabella
Coulter Armstrong died in Bovina, aged 81 years. She was the daughter of
Francis Coulter and Nancy Glendenning and was the only one of their children to
be born in Scotland. She was married to John Armstrong and was widowed in 1864.
She was survived by six of her eleven children at her death. (Isabella is my 4
greats grandmother.)
Ninety years ago today, on November 21, 1923, as later
reported in the Andes Recorder, "Fletcher Davidson moved from the Cable
house [later known as the Currie house and located next to the old firehouse]
to the house of his mother situated at the foot of Russell Hill [where the
Denisons now live]."
Eighty seven years ago this evening, November 23,
1926, as later reported in the Andes Recorder, the "Pines Brook Walton
Basket ball team defeated the Bovina Center team … in a hard fought game."
Ninety five years ago today, November 24, 1918,
memorial services were held for Sergeant James D. Calhoun, who had been killed
in action in France in October. As later reported in the Andes Recorder,
"the U.P church was filled to overflowing on Sabbath at the memorial
services for Sergeant James D. Calhoun.
Rev. G.A. Forbes preached the sermon.
A delegation of Sheldon Rifles from Delhi were present." See the Bovina NY History blog entry for November 2010 for more about
James.
Earl Harold Miller, son of John M. Miller of Bovina,
and Miss Rachel Mary Sullivan, of St. Paul, Minnesota, were married 99 years
ago today, November 25, 1914, in Minnesota. Miller was living in Minnesota by
then, but had grown up on Pink Street, the son of John and Bertha Miller, at
the farm that later became Suits Us Farm.*** He was a lawyer in St. Paul and ran
for congress there (unsuccessfully) in 1920. Earl died in 1955 in Walton and is
buried in Bovina.
Ninety years ago today, on November 26, 1923, the
Bovina Town Board "met with a Mr. Rose, a representative of the New York
State Gas and Electric Company to consider the giving to the said company a
Franchise to build, maintain and operate a light and power line in the town.” The franchise was granted.
Ninety three years ago, today, November 27, 1920, Mrs.
John Irvine departed from Bovina to visit her son, William, in Seattle. The
Andes Recorder later noted that she "made a quick trip and arrived the
following Wednesday morning [December 1]". William was married in 1922 and
in 1926 was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He battled the tumor for three years,
undergoing several operations, including one at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
Elizabeth would pay him a visit while he was at the clinic. William ultimately
succumbed to the tumor, dying in May 1929 in Seattle, when he was 42. He left
behind a widow, three brothers and his sister, Isabell Russell.
Charles F. Smith was married to Christina Lamont 157
years ago today, November 28, 1856. This
was his second marriage. Born in
Scotland in 1824, he first married Annie Williamson, by whom he had two children
before her death in November 1855. There
were no children from the second marriage.
Charles was widowed again in 1898 and he died 10 years later in
1908. He ran the hotel at what is now
Jardine's for many years.*
Ninety five years ago today, on November 29, 1918,
John Elliot moved from his house on Maple Avenue "to the Thomas Miller
house." The following Monday, Mrs.
John Irvine, the mother of Isabell Russell, moved into the Elliott house (now
the home of Tony and Norma Gabriele)****.
Note: I'm still trying to figure
out which house was the "Thomas Miller house," but I think it is the house now owned by Wayne Morris, next door to mine.*****
On November 30, 1894, 119 years ago today, a dance was
held at Hoy's Hall. As briefly reported
later in the Andes Recorder: "Thirty-three numbers. Music by Eliott and
Sloan." I'm not exactly sure where
Hoy's Hall was located (it was NOT Strangeway's Hall), but likely it was on
what is now the Tim McIntosh property, which was owned by William Hoy for many
years.
*42.2619°N 74.7882°W
**42.2623°N 74.7819°W
***42.291499°N 74.777088°W
****42.2638°N 74.7803°W
*****42.26°N 74.7762°W
