Years Bring Little Change in the Town of Bovina

Seventy-five years ago, the Walton Reporter published a series of histories of local towns, written by Fred Doherty.  Here's the one that he wrote for Bovina under the title Years Bring Little Change in Town of Bovina (unfortunately, I do not have the precise date, just the year, 1938):

    Most appropriately named of all townships in this county is Bovina.  The name, derived from the Latin word bovinus, pertaining to cattle, was suggested by General Erastus Root, also credited with the naming of the village of Delhi. 
    As the name implies, Bovina, as during the early history of the town, is mainly dependent upon the production of milk.  In late years, another important industry has been developed, the production of cauliflower, cabbage and sprouts.  In accordance with other townships in the county Bovina rates among the leaders in the raising and marketing of cauliflower.
    However, regardless of the growth of the truck gardening industry, the township is still mainly dependent upon the milk industry for maintenance.  With the exception of the occupations named above, the locality has no other means of support.
    What is now included in the Town of Bovina, was a part of the towns of Delhi, Middletown and Stamford until it was set apart by an act going into effect February 25, 1820.  The first town elections were held the following March.
    One of the interesting features of the township was the early division into three trade centers, all of which are still in existence today.

Bovina Center Once Brushland

    Most important today, as it was a century ago, is Bovina Center where most of the stores and the lone creamery of the township are now located.  Originally the mallet was called Bovina Center, the name later being changed to Brushland in honor of the first settler, Alexander Brush, who migrated from Long Island.  The original settler is said to have owned about 400 acres, including the present site of the village.  On the property he erected the first grist mill ad his son-in-law, Cornelius Davis, is said to have constructed the first distillery. 
    As in the early days of the settlement, the church buildings and the largest school in the town are located in Bovina Center.  Other industries of 100 years ago located there included cooper shops, blacksmith shops and general stores.

First Inn at “The Hook”

    Another center of trade was called the Hook.  Located on the Delhi-Andes road in the extreme end of the township, the Hook at the present time consists of only a few residences.  In earlier years the first inn in the town was operated there by James Wetmore.  In 1803 a distillery was also operated there. 
    Still known by its name of a century ago is the Butt End.  According to history it is described as a “post hamlet in the northeastern part of the town.”  History also has it that the name was given by “group of people who lived farther down the river in the days when town meetings were shifted from one locality to another.”

Story of the “Butt End.”

    On one occasion it is said that Thomas Hamilton, who favored holding the next meeting in that section introduced a striking simile into his argument.  He claimed that the north settlement was the larger and alluded to the big ends of logs, with which all of the people were familiar.  In his argument he referred to the portion of the town as the “Butt End.”  Although his proposition was defeated, the name suggested by Mr. Hamilton still exists. 

Tunis Lake Camp

    According to historical data the lake, called a “muddy pond of a few acres” is the only monument to the memory of Teunis, an old Indian who once lived in that locality.  He is supposed to have been the last of his kind to live in that section and has the reputation of having issued friendly warnings to the settlers when malicious tribes were on the warpath.
    An interesting item is that a hundred years ago, as today, there was no liquor license in the township.  This is unusual in view of the fact that in the early days there were several distilleries located in the various parts of the town.  [Note:  this is not true.  There were liquor licenses issued from the town's founding until about 1870.]

Scotch Ancestry.

    A large part of the early population was of Scotch extraction.  And more in Bovina than in any other town in the county, is the noticeable preponderance of names which exist today in living memory of the early settlers.
    The white man’s knowledge of the territory which is now Bovina extends back over the period when Delaware county was first settled before the Revolutionary warm.  At that time, the residents of the town of Harpersfield, the first town in this county to be settled, knew that section as “over the mountain.”
    All parts of the county are steeped in tradition.  In Bovina the story is that there were lead mines known only to the Indians.  It is said that the old Indian who made his home on the shores of what is now Tunis Lake, would take his hammer and after a short absence return with pieces of mineral from which he made his bullets. 

Once Nine Distilleries

    In a town of settlers, for the most part of Scotch extraction it is not unusual that at one time the most important industry aside from dairying, was the distilling of liquors. It is said that the largest distillery was built by David Ballantine.  At that time there were at least eight others in the township.
    For a quarter century before the township was erected, the ashries were listed among the more important industries.  Wheat was also in(sic) important product during the early days.
    It is said that Scottish thrift and piety transmitted traits that did honor to the “old country.”  One writer has it that 100 years ago there was a Bible in every home and that love of country and love of God went hand in hand in the town of Bovina.
    One phase of the early existence of settlers in Bovina, which is reflected in present day life, is the absence of expansive postal facilities.  During the first 30 years of the settlement, advantages of that kind were definitely limited.  Today, in comparison with other towns in the county, Bovina does not have the most complete mail service desirable.  However, in comparison of the days when one member of the community went over the hills to Stamford once a month for the mail, the service is adequate. 

Education Problems

    Education today in the town of Bovina presents a problem.  Part of the students of high school age are transported to the Andes central school  Others go to Delaware Academy and Delhi central school.  Several of the one-room schoolhouses in the township have been closed and the pupils attend the more modern, two-room schoolhouse, maintained in Bovina Center.
    When first organized, the township contained more than 400 children of school age.  At that time the total expense for maintenance of schools for that number of students was $221.87, according to the report of the school commissioners.

A Gody Township [Note: I suspect they meant to say "Godly."]

    In common with the upbringing of the Scotch settlers of the township, the founding of churches was one of the first steps in conjunction with the settlement of the area.  At the present time, as during the early days, two of the three churches are located at Bovina Center.  The third, built by Miss Angelical Gerry, is located at Lake Delaware, near the Hook. 
    An interesting story which is a part of the growth of the United Presbyterian church in Bovina was told by the present pastor, Rev. Harvey McClellan. After a half century of growth, the Bovina church constructed a new edifice in 1849.  The old building was dismantled and given to the United Presbyterian congregation at Delancey. 
    The growth of the churches throughout the past century has kept pace with other developments in the township.  At the present time the residents are served by churches of three denominations, including the Reformed Presbyterian church, the United Presbyterian church, both at Bovina, and St. James Episcopal church at Lake Delaware. 
    Of the three churches, the one at Lake Delaware, erected by Miss Gerry several years ago in honor of the memory of her parents, is undoubtedly one of the outstanding edifices in this section.  Constructed of native stone, the chapel houses many priceless articles.
    And so we find the Bovina of today little changed from that of a century ago.  Residents of the town lead a similar existence, gaining their livelihood from the same practices employed by their forefathers. 

Postcards and the Bovina Historical Society Calendar for 2014

I am starting work on a Bovina History calendar for 2014, proceeds to benefit the Bovina Historical Society.  If things move along ok, I hope to have the calendar ready this summer, so you'll be prepared for the new year in good time.

The theme is going to be Bovina postcards.  I have some good postcard images, but am asking for your help in finding some others.  If you have a postcard with a Bovina scene on it and you aren't sure whether or not I've seen it, assume I haven't and get in touch with me.  Sometimes, I might have the image, but your card may be in better shape.  Though I'd like to see any Bovina postcards that are out there, for the calendar, our preference is black and white images. If you don't have a scanner, don't worry, I can arrange to come and scan the card myself or make whatever other arrangements to capture the image.

And below are several images for which I have low resolution scans only.  Some of these came off the Delaware County genealogy web site and were provided by the late Alan Davidson.  They are great images, but I need a higher resolution scan (at least 300 dpi) to make them work for a printed calendar.

Does anyone recognize where this is?

This is now called Silver Lake or Cole's Lake. It's right on Route 28 as you head towards Andes.

There are some very old Bovina postcards which, unfortunately, are of such poor quality that they will not blow up to 8 1/2 by 11. I do hope, however, to include some of these in a set of four on the inside pages of the calendar.  The card below, recently shared by Dan Finn on Facebook, is a wonderful view of Bovina Center that, unfortunately, is very blurry.  He scanned it at a good resolution, so the issue here is not the scanning.  The card is black and white but has been somewhat 'colorized' - basically, leaves and grass have been colored green!  If anyone has a version of this image that is clearer I'd love to see it. 

So start digging through those boxes of treasures and let me know if you have Postcards from Bovina.

Faces of Bovina - the McKenzie Sisters

In August 1972, sisters Janet and Elizabeth McKenzie had their passport pictures taken by Bob Wyer in Delhi.  These certainly were not the first such photos.  The sisters had extensive travel experience throughout their lives. While not life long residents of Bovina, they spent considerable time in the town.  I have many fond memories of these delightful sisters.

Janet and Elizabeth were the daughters of the Reverend Peter McKenzie (1869-1948) and his wife Elizabeth Gordon McKenzie (1874-1950).  They moved with their father several times as he progressed in his career as a minister.  Janet was born in 1898 in Auburn, New York.  Elizabeth was born in Palmyra, New York in six years later.  Janet and Elizabeth had a brother, Gordon, born in 1901 and a younger sister Margaret, born in 1906.  Their father was born in Hawick, Scotland and came to the United States in 1884.  Reverend McKenzie had several pastorates in New York, including Avoca, Naples, Utica, and Schenectady.  Around 1918, he and his family first became familiar with the Catskills, taking a vacation in New Kingston.  In 1925, the McKenzies settled in Stamford when the Reverend became the pastor at the Presbyterian Church there. 

Janet and Elizabeth both became teachers in New Jersey, living in Hackensack and later Newark.  Their father and mother ended up living in Newark also, but they bought a vacation home in Bovina, the house across from Russell’s and now owned by Amy Burns.  Janet and Elizabeth inherited the house upon the death of their parents and spent many summers there in the 50s, 60s and 70s.  Their sister, Margaret, and her husband, Ed Coleman, lived kitty corner from Janet and Elizabeth in the house where Joe and Connie Dibble live now.

One attribute that Janet had that was memorable to me from an early age was that she had one leg shorter than the other - significantly shorter.  Janet had a special shoe to make up the difference.  She never seemed self conscious about it - it certainly never stopped her from her career or from her travels.  And she had a great sense of humor about it.

Sometime in the early 70s, when I was a teenager, I took a phone call from Janet - she was calling to ask my Dad to come down and look at her television (Dad did TV repair).  When I asked what the trouble was, she paused a bit then said that when the telephone rang the TV would turn on - and usually at very high volume!  I wondered if maybe she was nipping at the sherry or something, so I went down to see what she was talking about.  Sure enough, if the phone rang the television turned on or changed channels.  It turns out the problem was the remote control.  It was one of the first remote controlled televisions I ever saw.  In the early days, such remotes used a tone to turn on the TV and change the channels.  The telephone had just the right tone to mimic the remote.  The solution was to live with it and when out of the house, unplug the TV.  Both sisters found the whole situation quite amusing.

As noted earlier, Janet and Elizabeth traveled extensively.  Several records related to their travel were found on Ancestry.com.  Reverend McKenzie and his wife and daughters Janet and Elizabeth made a trip to England in 1934, returning home in August on the Majestic.  The Andes Recorder reported in its July 8, 1938 issue that "Rev. and Mrs. Peter McKenzie went to Newark, last Thursday to see their two daughters sail on a trip covering six weeks in Finland." [I'm assuming the daughters were Janet and Elizabeth, though it's possible one of the daughters instead was Margaret.]  In July 1941, Janet and Elizabeth traveled to Guatemala.  Janet and her father made a trip to Scotland in 1947.  In 1952, the sisters flew to Ireland.  Three years later, Janet went to England, returning on the Queen Elizabeth in April 1955.  I am sure there were many other trips not documented through Ancestry.com.  Later in life, I recalled them spending at least one winter in Costa Rica.

It has been 40 years since I took my first ever overseas trip - a week in England in April 1973.  For a graduation present, the sisters, knowing I had just been there, gave me an old travel book about England that I still treasure.  Their traveling has inspired me to make a number of subsequent trips.  Here's what they wrote inside that book:

Janet and Elizabeth made their last winter trip together in the winter of 1978, visiting friends in Mississippi.  When they came back to Bovina in the spring, Elizabeth was ill and passed away that summer.  Janet stayed in Bovina for a few years then settled in a retirement community in Florida to be near her brother Gordon.  Janet died in 1987 (on my birthday, as it so happens). 

Janet got one last joke in after her death.  My mother was working at the Bovina Post Office in 1987.  When she came in one day to work, Pat Parsons (now Pat Miele), the post master, pointed out something in the safe.  Mom found a large envelope addressed to Janet.  When Mom pointed out that Janet had just passed away, Pat explained that the envelope contained – Janet!  More precisely, Janet’s ashes.  She would have gotten a big chuckle out of it all.


Note:  This is one in a continuing series called "Faces of Bovina," using photographs of people from Bovina taken by Delhi photographer Bob Wyer.  Thanks to the Delaware County Historical Association for allowing the use of these images.

Please share your stories about Janet and Elizabeth in the comments section of this blog.

Stories from Bovina's Cemeteries - John Sinclair Burns

150 years ago today, on April 4, 1863, Sinclair Burns became Bovina's first fatality in the Civil War.   Born in Bovina on August 29, 1841, Sinclair was the son of John and Nancy Burns.  He enlisted on his 21st birthday to serve for three years in the 144th infantry, mustering into Company E on September 27, 1862 as a private.  The Town of Bovina paid him a bounty of $150 for enlisting.  At the time of his enlistment, he listed his occupation as farmer.  He had gray eyes, brown hair, and a fair complexion and was six feet in height.

This is the Muster Roll Abstract for Sinclair Burns, obtained through Ancestry.com and held by the New York State Archives.  The Muster Roll Abstracts were created in 1893, using existing military records.

There are no authenticated photographs of Sinclair Burns.  This photograph was in the Burns family collection and could be Sinclair.  Photograph courtesy of Jack Burns.

A little over six months after he was mustered in, Sinclair died of typhoid at the Fairfax Seminary Hospital in Virginia. His remains were sent back to Bovina for burial.  Sinclair was survived by his parents and a number of siblings.  Fourteen years later, his mother Nancy died and was buried near her son.  Sinclair's father, John, survived his son by 33 years, dying in 1896.  The last of his siblings to pass away appears to have been his younger brother Alexander.  Alex died in 1939, having survived his brother by 66 years.  It is through Alexander Burns that I am related to John Sinclair.  Alex's daughter Ella married my great grandfather, Sylvan LaFever.  So Sinclair is my great great great uncle (though my genealogy software notes him as my 2nd great grand uncle).

Another American Tragedy - The Closing of the Bovina Center Co-op Creamery

It was 40 years ago today on March 31, 1973 that the Bovina Center Co-op Creamery closed, after being in existence for 72 years.  This was reported in several local papers.  Here's the article from the front page of the Walton Reporter from April 5, 1973.  [See the blog entry for January 26, 2012 for some photos taken by Mrs. William Elliott on the last day the creamery operated.]

Bovina Center Co-op Closing Is Blow to Town and Farmers

     An era has ended.  After 73 years of operation, the Bovina Center Co-op Dairy is bowing to "progress" and closing its doors.
     It was the last plant in the county to handle exclusively canned milk, this out of an undetermined number over 50 which once operated.  It is known that nearly every village and hamlet in the county once had at least one creamery and some of the larger communities had four or more. 
     A twinge of sadness comes to one's heart when it is realized that anything is becoming extinct, but a special touch of remorse in this case is felt by anyone who grew up hearing the clanging sound of the cans.  The saddest thing of all, though, is that fact that it cannot help but adversely effet the small farmer, who must either convert to expensive bulk equipment or go out of business, if they do not desire to haul their milk to the Dellwood plant at Fraser. 
     It must be noted, of course, that New York State as a whole is declining in influence as a dairy producer, as its market is now controlled by Midwestern prices, a further blow to the little guy.

Had Long History

     The closing of the co-op means that the Town of Bovina, for the first time since its founding over 150 years ago, is now without an industry (other than tourism).  This is a blow to the town and to Bovina Center village which will be hard put to recover for a while. 
     The Bovina Center Co-op was banded together in 1901 by a group of 48 farmers and was, at the time of its demise last Saturday, reported to be the oldest existing co-op in the country, if not the world.  The original farmers had been coming together to make butter for a year or more, but realized need for some sort of organization to benefit them all, hence the co-op.  
     The plant produced exclusively butter until 1906, when a milk sugar-making process was installed.  Shortly thereafter, Bovina became one of the early producers in the United States of powdered milk.  Smaller rollers than one normally would think did the job - they were sometimes no more than two feet in length. 

Operations Change Often

     In 1922, the creamery switched to a drying box and the spray process for the milk and were pioneers at this also.  Skim powder was made until World War II, when they fulfilled a goverment contract (as did many other area plants) to make dried eggs.  
      Early power there, as in all such enterprises, was a team engine, but in 1924 they converted to electricity.  One of those who wired the plant was current county historian Fletcher Davidson (who lives just outside the village and who made a living doing electrical work on area creameris as well as providing much of the historical info herein). 
     The old wooden plant was razed and the present one built, primarily for its wartime contract, in 1942.  The operation of late has been carried out by four people, chief of them being Miss Beatrice Thomson.  Miss Thomson has been at the plant for 25 years and its manager for the last 10. 
     Floyd Aitkens has been a co-op empolyee since the dry milk days of World War II.  Marvin Archibald has been at the plant for about 15 years and Herman Archibald about 10.  

Served Wide Area

     Before the Mar. 31 closing, the co-op at Bovina Center served 43 farmers directly, several of whom may opt to close rather than to adapt to bulk operations or cart their milk all the way to Fraser.  
     One of the producing and hauling farmers is Roscoe Brink, who has been hauling milk everyday from the area of Durham, near the Albany-Greene-Schoharie county border and who serves several other farmers.  He has come to Bovina for a year, since the closing of a similar plant in Blenheim, Schoharie county and will now have to truck to either Worcester or Cobleskill with his load.  
     Most of the Bovina producers will be able to haul their milk to the Dellwood plant, which is the only plant now in the county to handle cans (most of its business comes from the bulk milker but it will accept all can dairies which meet its quality standards).  They will take cans at Fraser only so long as it is profitable for them to do so, but David Jones of the Dellwood operation added that closing of their can operation and deck will not be in the immediate future. 

Vote Near Unanimous

     The 43 farmers in attendance at the Friday night meeting voted with only one dissension for closing.  Thirty-three of the group also voted to dissolve the co-op and the board of directors was designated to do as they saw fit along these lines.  Charles McIntosh Sr. is president of the board, which also includes Jack Hilson and Millard Russell Jr. 
     All parties concerned are still wondering what can be done about saving the small farmer, who once was the backbone of the country, but is now being pushed out of existence by financial and other woes.
     It is another American tragedy. 

Kennedy vs. Lee - Part II - The Bed Was Badly Tumbled

In part one of this story, presented in the March 18 entry for this blog, I reported on the development of a slander case between the two Presbyterian ministers in Bovina:  Rev. Joshua Kennedy (Plaintiff) from the Reformed Presbyterian Church and Rev. James. B. Lee (Defendant) from the United Presbyterian Church. The case finally went to trial in February 1870, starting with testimony as to how the whole slander issue started.  Then the defense brought in some of the more salacious elements of this story, starting with the story of Augusta Hamilton.

Hamilton was the daughter of Parmelia Dorcas Hamilton, who owned the hotel where the Jardine residence is now located.  She was about 20 when Kennedy came to Bovina.  Witnesses reported that Hamilton worked for Kennedy and that she had a bastard child in the fall of 1866.  Rev. Lee had stated that he did not believe the rumor that the child was Kennedy’s, but then Miss Louis Helsinger testified.  She lived in Croton in 1866 at Figgar’s Hotel.  She reported seeing Kennedy there with Augusta Hamilton and that he called her his wife.  He wanted a room for his wife to wash in.  When she came back after showing her the room, Kennedy was tip-toeing up the stairs and asked in which room she had put the lady.  Helsinger saw him go in and said that he remained about an hour.  She was in the room below and "heard a sound as of the putting down of boots."  When they left, she went to the room and found that the pitcher of water and towel she had brought for the lady to wash with had not been used but that “the bed was badly tumbled.”  The wife of the hotel keeper testified along similar lines.  Also testifying about the incident was Helen Dennis.  She had lived in Bovina but was living in Croton in the summer of 1866.  She went to see Kennedy to find out about things in Bovina and saw that he was with Miss Hamilton.  Kennedy called on her later and when Dennis asked if Mrs. Kennedy was with him, he said no but that Miss Hamilton was and that he had been taking her to Unadilla.  He had expected her to stay there, but when he was ready to leave Unadilla, she was ready to come back with him.Given that the incident in Treadwell happened in the summer and she had the child that fall, it would seem that Kennedy was not the father - unless any relationship between Kennedy and Hamilton started early in the year or before.  

At least two women in Bovina also reported being on the receiving end of inappropriate behavior by Kennedy.  Kennedy rented part of the house of Mrs. Elizabeth Thomson in December 1864, occupying the lower story while Mrs. Thomson had the upper one.  While Mrs. Kennedy was away in May 1865, Mrs. Thompson was passing through Kennedy’s part of the house when he came out of a bedroom and put both arms around her waist.  When she raised her arm to strike him, he let go.  Kennedy put his arm around her again when they were riding in a buggy.  She threatened to ‘put him out of the wagon’ if he didn’t behave.  He said she couldn’t do it.  Another widow, Mrs. Mary Huggans, provided board for Kennedy in the summer of 1866, when Mrs. Kennedy was again absent.  She was making his bed when he came in from harnessing his horse, put his hand on Huggans’ shoulder, and said “Mrs. Huggans, as young a woman as you ought to think about getting married.”  She responded “I thought I knew my own business.”  He took her hand, looked into her palm and said “You have a great many crosses in your hand but no lovers.”  Mrs. Huggans also reported that Kennedy said he “had passed himself off as an ‘old bach’ at Saratoga, and that he had exchanged likenesses with young ladies and it was not unusual to do so.”

Next came the testimony of a number of people who knew Kennedy in Pennsylvania.  This testimony had been collected previous to the trial and was read in court.  A number of witnesses reported that Kennedy’s “character for chastity was bad.”  Several women from the school that Kennedy created reported incidents.  Samantha French was the daughter of a neighbor of the Kennedys when they were in Pennsylvania.  Kennedy suggested to Mrs. French that she send her to Miss LeConte’s school in Harrisburg and that he would be happy to accompany her.  They went by buggy to Shippensburg then by train to Harrisburg.  She reported that during the buggy ride his conduct was ‘ungentlemanly.’  They arrived at the school at dusk.  When it was time to retire and Miss LeConte and Miss French got up, Kennedy asked if Miss LeConte could leave him and Miss French alone for a few minutes.  French reported that Kennedy tried to kiss her and when she took offense, he said he meant it kindly.  He apologized while closing the blinds and turning down the gas in the parlor, then took hold of her again, suggesting that she should get married instead of attend school.  He pulled her onto his lap and she struggled free and left the parlor.  She was “astonished, angry and excited” as she “considered his intentions towards me dishonorable.”

When Kennedy spoke in his defense, he denied every allegation made against him.  His wife also rose to his defense, as did Augusta Hamilton and her mother.  Augusta specifically denied any wrong-doing at the hotel in Croton.  Yes, she did ask for a room in which to wash and she did so, but both she and Kennedy denied that he went into the room.  A number of witnesses also testified that Kennedy’s ‘character for chastity was good.’ 

The lawyers for Lee and Kennedy summed up their cases.  The judge charged the jury, spending nearly an hour doing so.  The jury got the case at 4 pm on February 5 and an hour later came out with their verdict for Kennedy.  They awarded Kennedy the sum of six cents.  It appears that while the jury agreed that Kennedy had been slandered, there was no real damage to his career.  Kennedy was pastor of the Bovina Reformed Presbyterian church for another 15 years, so certainly his congregation did not hold it against him.  Kennedy’s lawyers had asked for $5,000 plus costs. 

Within a couple of weeks, both ministers held ‘donation parties’ at their homes.  These were often held by ministers to help bring in the dollars they needed to serve as pastors.  Lee’s party brought in $1900.  The newspaper noted that “his parishioners must be not only wealthy but liberal, and hold their pastor in high estimation.”  Kennedy’s party did not bring in quite as much, but he did collect $1400.  Given that the Reformed Presbyterian Church congregation was substantially smaller than that of the United Presbyterian Church, the amount collected is impressive. 

Lee and Kennedy lived in Bovina for another 15 years.  How did they get along?  Unfortunately, there is nothing in subsequent records or newspapers that demonstrates how these two men managed to continue working as ministers in the same town - and in churches almost across the street from each other.

Kennedy left Bovina first, moving back to Pennsylvania in 1885 and living in Greencastle as a retired minister.  He suffered a stroke within a couple of years of returning to Pennsylvania.  He died in October of 1891 at the age of 76 and is buried in Greencastle.  His wife Mary moved to Denver, Colorado to live with her daughter Catherine and her family.  She died there in September 1905.

Lee left Bovina three years after Kennedy, accepting a call as the pastor for the Presbyterian Church in Franklinville, NY in the spring of 1888.  He stayed there until 1904 when age and ill health forced him to step down as pastor.  His wife Jane died in Franklinville in 1897.  Lee was remarried to a woman he met while traveling in Scotland in 1899.  When Lee stepped down as Franklinville’s pastor, he came back to Bovina to spend his remaining years.  He died in July of 1914 at the age of 81 and is buried in Bovina. 

This story was fun to put together, partly because of its sensational nature, but we must remember that Kennedy was found to have been slandered.  The testimony of the people against Kennedy is more sensational, but there were people ready to step up to contradict it. We also have to remember that about the only source for this story is one newspaper, the Bloomville Mirror. I will continue digging to find other perspectives on this case and its aftermath. 

Kennedy vs. Lee - Part I - Libel of Slander

Reverend James B. Lee, a native of Cadiz, Ohio, came to Bovina in the fall of 1856 as pastor of the Associate Presbyterian Church of Bovina.  Twenty three when he came to Bovina, Lee was the longest serving pastor in the church, staying for 32 years.  In January of 1865, the Reformed Presbyterian Church installed Joshua Kennedy as its pastor.  Born around 1815, Kennedy was a native of Ireland.  He stayed for 20 years, having the distinction of being the longest serving pastor of that church.  Kennedy had lived previously in Pennsylvania and was a pastor there for about 20 years.  During his time in Pennsylvania, he was instrumental in establishing the Fayetteville Academy in 1852 and, like Rev. Lee, spent some of the Civil War as a missionary and chaplain.

In their early history the two Bovina Presbyterian Churches were at loggerheads.  In 1837, several members of the Associate Presbyterian Church were brought before Session to answer charges of having gone to hear the Reformed Presbyterian minister preach.  By the 1850s and 60s, however, the churches became more cordial to each other and started having joint social events, including a summer picnic.

So it is likely that Reverends Lee and Kennedy started on friendly terms, but about a year and a half after Rev. Kennedy came to Bovina, this started to unravel.  In July of 1866, Lee reported to Robert Sloan of Walton that there were unfavorable reports from a Rev. Woodburn of Kennedy’s behavior while in Pennsylvania, including the fact that Kennedy’s hired girl had a child and that he took liberties with a female pupil in the school he established.  Later that same month, Kennedy went to a hotel in Croton (now Treadwell), accompanied by someone other than his wife, namely Augusta Hamilton.  Over a year later, Lee signed a statement about what he had been told about Kennedy’s behavior by Rev. Woodburn.  The statement, which appears to have been read in the pulpit, is as follows:

“I hereby certify that Rev. J.S. Woodburn did make the following statements to me about Rev. Joshua Kennedy, viz; - ‘Mr. Kennedy’s hired girl had a child while at his house, and he retained her in his service after the child was born. This gave rise to reports and suspicions among those acquainted with Mr. K. Mr. Glenn informed Kennedy of these reports, and urged him to clear up these things.’

“Miss Brown, of Philadelphia, said she rode in a buggy with Mr. Kennedy from Chambersburg, Pa., and he kissed her until she was perfectly disgusted with him.   Miss Brown said to Mr. Kennedy, ‘what would Mrs. Kennedy say if she should see you?’  Mr. Kennedy said, ‘Oh, she don’t care.’  Mr. Kennedy offered to join the U.P Church, if a certain one of our congregation would give him a call.”

“That each and all of the above statements were made by Rev. J.S. Woodburn, I do now certify and set my hand and seal, this 18th day of October, 1867.  J.B. Lee”

In December, Kennedy wrote to Lee after he had spoken with Woodburn about the allegations.  Lee drafted a letter the next day stating that Kennedy was free of scandal, with a couple of edits suggested by Kennedy.  A week later, Lee signed a further statement again stating that there was no evidence to support the allegations.  It also was read to the congregation:

“… I am free to say that I am fully satisfied there is no evidence for any of the reports made in relation to the character of the Rev. Mr. Kennedy, or of his standing in his church; and that I exceedingly regret any connection I have had therewith, and cheerfully and unreservedly say that anything I have said in regard thereto was based upon rumors that are now without evidence to sustain them.  Dec. 12th, 1867.  J.B. Lee”

Though seemingly settled, the story did not go away.  When Kennedy asked for Lee to sign a further statement, he said no and after some conversation, they decided to see Judge Murray in Delhi for his advice.  Murray drew up a document reiterating what Lee had stated and that he had not ‘signed a libel.’  He said this should be the end of it.  Meanwhile, the statement that Lee had signed in December was circulating around, with the words ‘Libel of Slander’ added at the top in Kennedy’s handwriting.  In early 1868, Lee attended a meeting at the Reformed Presbyterian Church at which Kennedy gave his version of events.  When Lee was invited to give his version, he instead asked for a letter from Judge Murray to be read.  This obviously did not settle things, for in May of 1869, the case of Kennedy vs. Lee went to trial in Delhi.  The trial drew large crowds, filling the courtroom to capacity. 

After only a few days, the case had to be adjourned when a juror became ill.  It was nine months before the case reopened, and in that period the complexion of the case changed.  Early in the proceedings, Lee was making the case that he had withdrawn the allegations and stated very clearly that they were false.  By August, it appears that Lee was working to prove the allegations.  It was reported by the Bloomville Mirror in August of 1869 that the Judge had been asked to arrange for the examination of 20 to 30 witnesses from Pennsylvania.  Kennedy served an amended complaint, which the newspaper said ‘virtually amounts to a confession of guilt.’  The paper was not impressed by either minister, suggesting that “the only wish that honest people have in the matter is that the shortcomings of these Reverend gentlemen will be thoroughly sifted.”

So when the case reopened in February 1870, the effort on the part of the defense was to substantiate the allegations, though the testimony started with more witnesses about the statement by Lee being altered by Kennedy to include ‘Libel of Slander’ at the heading.  Then came the story of Augusta Hamilton.


Part two of this story will appear on March 24 in this blog.