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Down the Decades
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Under construction: This 1920s or 1930s photo has the look of a busy construction site, (on a warmer day than today!). If any one of our readers recognizes the location of this job, or any of the faces in the photo, please call our office in Callicoon at (845) 887-5200.
November 8, 2022 Edition
110 Years Ago - 1912 William Rau, the artist, returned Sunday from Omaha where he and his partner, Mr. Philipson of New York, have just completed a $5,000 job of mural paintings in the new million … more
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Going ‘home’ again: At left is Charlie Meyer at age 70 with his grandson, Bob Meyer, in the driveway to what was then home in 1952, 70 years ago. In the mid-‘70s, Dick Hofer purchased the property with his wife and they raised their family there. Serving Cochecton as Town Justice for 28 years as the Honorable Robert C. Meyer, Bob presided over Dick Hofer’s wedding, as well as the Hofers’ son Zach’s marriage to Danielle. Now retired, the former judge recently enjoyed reenacting the 1952 photo with his grandson, Sullivan West 6th grader Jack Meyer of Cochecton, in the same driveway. Many thanks to Bob Meyer for sharing his generational memories with our readers!
November 1, 2022 Edition
110 Years Ago - 1912 It was announced at the service Sunday at the Episcopal Church in Callicoon that a stained glass window will be donated by George Wolf of New York. The Western Sullivan … more
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Ghostly reflections: In the spirit of Halloween, this image of the Globe Hotel in Callicoon is superimposed by a reflection of the photographer, indicating that the camera was inside the depot when the image was exposed. Note the reflection of a hand with a ring (and handkerchief or rag) at left. The earliest operator of the Globe Hotel that we could find was William E. Batsford, who kept the hotel in 1874. In 1898, Cris Jardin sold the hotel to a man named Kothe.
October 25, 2022 Edition
110 Years Ago - 1912 One of the largest fires which have occurred in Sullivan County in many years happened in Mountaindale early Saturday morning. Fire was first discovered in Kettler and … more
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Hay ride! The sight of this burgeoning hay ride on the left might slow traffic today, but what were the rules of the road in the horse-and-buggy era? Which is the passing vehicle here? What did a driver do to signal their intent to pass, especially an over-wide vehicle such as this hay mound? This photo from Sullivan County has been circulating for some time with no known photographer attached, and no description giving exact location. All that aside, we’re glad this photo was saved for us to ponder how differently we get around today – and whether drivers back in the day complained about the cost of horse and hay.
October 18, 2022 Edition
110 Years Ago - 1912 A recent discovery of gas on the flat below Monticello has set the people talking. A newly formed company, Monticello Developing Company, has leased the Lemuel Banting farm … more
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‘Brothers’ in beards: The advent of facial recognition software might have changed the Monticello Sesquicentennial’s Brothers of the Brush challenge. Looking at issues of the 1954 Monticello Bulletin-Sentinel (the Monticello newspaper merged with the Hurleyville Sentinel) we learned that the contest was determined by subscribers voting on photos of just the facial hair of the contestants. From the Sept. 17, 1954 Republican Watchman: “The winners in each of the eight classes were the following: longest – Henry Stratton; most unique – Norman Bleach; bushiest – Nelson Snyder; grayest – I. Samuel Levine; reddest – Donald Norris; mutton chops – Leon Lashinsky; and longest mustache – Carl Anderson.” Winners were given a Remington electric shaver (courtesy of the Remington company and Crain’s Pharmacy), and two “best beards” were given tickets to the Rocky Marciano - Ezzard Charles fight held Sept. 17, 1954 (Marciano won). Thank you to the Sullivan County Historical Society for access to its archives, and for researching these photos. If anyone can identify the gentleman above, please call our Callicoon office at (845) 887-5200.
October 11, 2022 Edition
110 Years Ago - 1912 The Damascus School Board was called out last week to deliberate upon the advisability of building a new school house to accommodate the children in what is known as the … more
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Mystery (partially) solved! Gary Schmidt of Monticello called the Democrat about the ‘mystery men’ photos we printed last Tuesday. He pointed out the pins on the men’s shirts that designated them as Brothers of the Brush, which was a contest sponsored by the Monticello Bulletin-Sentinel beginning in April 1954, for men to grow beards for the Sesquicentennial Celebration to be held that September in Monticello. Our thanks to Edward N. Snyder of the state of Florida, who stopped by our Callicoon office later. He was up north for a family member’s funeral, and his wife spotted the photo in the Democrat, saying to him, “That’s your father!” A conversation with Snyder’s sister (who lives locally) confirmed that the man with the cap is Nelson E. Snyder who worked as a meter reader for NYSEG and lived in Briscoe at one time. A little research in our archives revealed that the first prize winner of the beard contest was Harold (Tate) Frey, 40, a Monticello carpenter. Thanks also to Fred Fries of the Sullivan County Historical Society and the Town of Thompson historian Judy Wolkoff for bringing these photos to our attention. We still don’t know the identity of the other man, but we like how seredipidity works to help us learn about people and places from our county’s past.
October 4, 2022 Edition
110 Years Ago - 1912 Walter Bury, assistant cashier of the First National Bank of Roscoe, was united in marriage Tuesday to Miss Margaret Muesgeier, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Godrey Muesgeier, … more
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Mystery men – who are they?: Among a batch of photos at the Sullivan County Historical Society’s archives in Hurleyville are these two images, men captured on film during their daily routine. From other items in the series of photos, it’s been determined that some of them were taken on the street in front of Washington’s liquor store, across from the county courthouse in Monticello. The time period is a guess, maybe the late 1940s or ‘50s, but why their photos were recorded is another mystery. If you recognize these men, please email Ruth at obits@sc-democrat.com or call the Democrat’s main office at (845) 887-5200.
Sept. 27, 2022 Edition
110 Years Ago - 1912 It is reported that the Lorillards of Tuxedo, the tobacco kings, are buying up portions of real estate in the towns of Forestburgh and Thompson for a park or preserve. The … more
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Vintage view from C. Spielmann Rd.: This photo of Youngsville predates the building of the old firehouse and St. Francis R.C. Church. The German Reformed Church (now the United Reformed Church) can be seen by its spire near the center-right of the photo. The now non-existent corner store (where the Youngsville Fire Department’s electronic sign now gives the time), is the long, tall building on the left, situated on the corner of North road (Shandelee Road) and the state route that bisects the hamlet. It appears here that Panther Rock Brook once traveled the way of what is now Tremper Lane. The photographer unfortunately is unknown.
Sept. 20, 2022 Edition
110 Years Ago - 1912 G.H. Treyz & Co. is the name of a new firm which last week purchased of Corbett & Stewart, their acid factory in Livingston Manor. The plant consists of a ten-pair … more
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Sept. 13, 2022 Edition
110 Years Ago - 1912 The second annual clam bake and Firemen’s Day held under the auspices of the Liberty Hose and Truck Company No. 2 was a huge success with about 550 visiting firemen. … more
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Polio’s painful past: The polio virus can destroy motor neurons that control the muscles for swallowing, breathing, and limb movement. Before vaccinations to prevent polio were available, it infected thousands of people in the 1940s and 1950s. Recovery and rehabilitation of polio patients was a long and arduous process. The earliest treatment was to apply braces to weakened limbs and torso. Later it was learned that in water, it was easier to stretch, massage and exercise the muscles, with the water assisting the patient’s buoyancy. In this contributed photo, a patient is being lowered into a pool for a therapy treatment.
Sept. 6, 2022 Edition
110 Years Ago - 1912 Born to Mr. and Mrs. Peter Wahl of Callicoon, a daughter, on Wednesday. Gus Neumann has installed new gas lights in the shoe department of B.E. Dycker and Co. store, the … more
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Farming in Jeffersonville: This is a rough photo (the sky is marked by someone’s thumb, caused by developing fluid), but St. George’s R.C. Church in Jeff is one recognizable feature. The present church was constructed in 1914, according to the late historian Charles S. Hick (Sullivan County Record, 1943). St. George’s rises on the hill at upper right, with the cemetery behind it. We don’t know the farmer pictured in the foreground, but his is a vintage two horsepower vehicle. Note the handkerchiefs protecting the animals’ ears from flying pests. The photo was contributed by Brian LaBarr, whose ancestors include the Bollenbachs of Jeffersonville, early settlers and one-time operators of the mill at the island.
August 30, 2022 Edition
110 Years Ago - 1912 Percy Hadsell, 17, of Galilee, Pa., while fishing on Bush’s Pond with his cousin, Walter Hadsell of Jersey City, was thrown into the water when the boat overturned. He … more
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Sportsmen identified: Thanks to our sharp-eyed readers for helping to identify all the gentlemen pictured in this photo from 1992. From the left are outdoorsman and guide Bill Fraser, New York State Senator Charles Cook (R-40 Delhi), Klendin Kirby of Yulan, and Jack Danchak, then-president of the Federation of Sportsmen Clubs of Sullivan County. The late Mr. Kirby was once a director of the Beaver Brook Rod and Gun Club, a member of the Ridge Runners Hunting Club, and a Town of Highland councilman, among other community organizations.
August 23, 2022 Edition
110 Years Ago - 1912 Wednesday morning the bowling alley of William Ives at Beach Lake took fire and was not only destroyed but also took the lives of three boys, John Gaw and Elwood and Neil … more
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Ye olde Lower Main: A photo contributed by Philip Kautz of Middletown shows Lower Main Street in Callicoon, before the Delaware Youth Center took its place in the neighboring field at left, with what appears to be sheaves of wheat or corn in its place instead. Dated September 1921, it shows the Sullivan County Democrat office, flanked to the right by John Kautz’s feed store and grist mill, where Peck’s Market stands today. Note the awning that extends out into the street, where carts could be driven up to be weighed on a scale. Nestled between, also a part of the Kautz building, was at one time a paint shop. Behind all these buildings (circa 1918) also stood an ice house and horse shed!
August 16, 2022 Edition
110 years ago - 1912 C.H. Young of Callicoon has purchased a Pope motorcycle for use in his grocery business to make quick deliveries. The post office at Narrowsburg has been raised to the … more
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August 9, 2022 Edition
110 Years Ago - 1912 Saturday was a record breaker in Cochecton when city boarders arrived with every train loaded. It is said that nearly 400 people arrived, for different locations. Robert S. … more
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August 2, 2022 Edition
110 Years Ago - 1912 Editor Hones of the Roscoe Review has recently been elected president of the New York State Editorial Association. Several detectives attached to the central office of … more
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Miss Janet’s graduates of ‘62: Thanks to Jim Schultz for another look at Miss Janet’s Nursery School’s first graduation ceremony. Miss Janet’s school operated for three decades, schooling hundreds of pupils over the years. Janet Sausmikat Doetsch operated the preschool, first located down the River Road and later along Route 97. The first graduating class included, front row, from left: Barbara Mills Fancker, Holly Curtis Perdan, Susanne Ziegler, and Douglas Doetsch. Second row, from the left, are Teresa Tenbus McBeath, Linda Leewe Kitson, and James Schultz. Third row, from the left, are Terri Moran Kuhn, Thomas Meyer, Lori Whitmore and Joan Chesnick. Eric Meyer can just be seen in the background (behind his brother Thomas). But who is the littlest one, barely visible in the greenery at right?
July 26, 2022 Edition
110 Years Ago - 1912 On Wednesday one of the worst storms we have had visited this section, accompanied by severe thunder and lightning. Long Bros. boarding house in Beechwoods was struck and one … more
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Callicoon Kiwanis celebrated: This photo dates back to September 15, 1986 and shows the Callicoon Kiwanis Club at its Annual Divisional Steak Bake meeting at the Delaware Youth Center, in Callicoon. The Callicoon Kiwanis were also celebrating their 40th Anniversary as a club that year. Callicoon Kiwanians were, front row, from the left, Robert Inteman, Audley Dorrer, Kiwanis President Ed Sykes, unknown and Charles Mills. Standing, from the left, are, Willard “Bud” Slausenberg, Howard Stewart, Matthew “Joe” Freda, unknown, Ed Lohr, Donald Molusky and Ron Gorr. If anyone knows the unnamed members please call Ruth at 845-887-5200. The Callicoon Kiwanis Club will be celebrating its 76th Anniversary this year.
July 19, 2022 Edition
140 Years Ago - 1882 One of the lady boarders at the summer hotel at Guymard’s took a dram and a  half of Fowler’s solution by mistake last Sunday. Dr. Cuddeback of Port Jervis … more
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Who was the bridal couple? The reverse of this Hillig photo was inscribed “Mrs. Matilda Wells,” nothing more. The archive of the Liberty Register, accessed through the Liberty Library website, reveals that Mrs. Wells was married in 1897 to Dr. Stephen W. Wells, then on the medical staff of Loomis Sanatorium. Shortly afterward they moved to the village of Liberty where Dr. Wells set up his private practice, and the Wellses raised three sons, one of whom was later elected to serve as town clerk. Matilda Wells was active in the American Legion Auxiliary and the S.P.C.A. and likely knew many people. Whose wedding this was is uncertain, but it is certainly one of the biggest wedding gatherings we have ever seen photographed on a porch.
July 12, 2022 Edition
110 Years Ago - 1912 Saturday afternoon, during the heavy thunderstorm, lightning struck the chimney of Jacob Dreher’s house in the Beechwoods, and nearly killed two little girls, Louisa … more
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Union Park was a local hot-spot Many church picnics and clam bakes were scheduled at a new park by the Masonic Hall in Jeffersonville, according to the Sullivan County Record, July 1891. Andrew Bietz’s Union Park was well-located for a community eager to have a good time outdoors. Music was provided by the Jeffersonville Band, and the crowd was sure to increase in the evenings once the farmers had finished the haying and other chores. In the park, the Record says, “electricity is not employed as the lighting power, but on such an occasion as this there are generally enough ‘sparks’ and auburn-haired girls around to fill the vacancy left by kerosene torches.” Willow Grove in Callicoon, Kohler’s Grove in Beechwoods, and Inderlied’s Grove in Youngsville (among others) offered alternate choices for entertainment in the warmer months.
July 5, 2022 Edition
110 Years Ago - 1912 The safe in the post office of South Fallsburg was blown some time during last Tuesday night by yeggmen and over $2,000 in money and stamps was secured. There is no trace of … more
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School is out! Local area high school grads should look for our special 2022 graduation issue of the Democrat, Friday, July 1. Philip Kautz of Milford, Pa. shared this postcard of the “lower school house” in Jeffersonville, now a family residence, according to a description on the reverse of the card dated 1941.
June 28, 2022 Edition
110 Years Ago - 1912 At the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Bauernfeind of the Beechwoods Wednesday evening, their eldest daughter, Ruth, was united in marriage with Ralph Harold Myers, son of Mr. and … more
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Stone cottage a part of historic ‘farm’: There have been a few stone dwellings in the county’s history, and only a few remain standing. We aren’t aware of the current status of the cottage pictured here, but we do know that James Wood of Philadelphia, Pa. settled near Round Pond near Roscoe around 1893, with intention to build on a summer resort there named Lake Wood. It was said that Wood “spent a large amount of money in building a large house, several cottages, etc.” He even considered raising Shetland ponies there. That first resort is said to have burned in 1897, and was rebuilt into a major property, and burned again in the 1930s. By 1944, the sale of Lake Florence (better known as Lakewood Farms), containing a private lake and golf course, was made to Lewis E. Wolff and Samuel Levenstein of Brooklyn, beginning a new era for the spot between Tenannah Lake and Roscoe. The mounting block from the hotel, which was used to alight from and to coaches, was removed from its resting spot in 2016 and installed outside the Roscoe Public Library by a number of volunteers. It can be seen to this day in Roscoe, with “LAKEWOOD FARM” still etched on the stone.
June 21 , 2022 Edition
110 Years Ago - 1912 During the heavy storm last Tuesday afternoon, a small-sized cyclone swept through Beechwoods, ruining orchards and damaging trees that were in its course of destruction. … more
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Jeff-Youngsville faculty starting line-up: This photo dates back to the early 1970s when many schools raised money through charity basketball games. The faculty team looked to be a formidable group at Jeff-Y with the players ready to go. From the left are Bob Breffle, Jeff Clewell, Ross Dimler, Bob Lynch, Jerry Davitt, Jim Scheutzow and Paul Zintel. With so many coaches on the team, we only wonder who was calling the plays.
June 14, 2022 Edition
110 Years Ago - 1912 At a meeting of the Delaware town board at Kenoza Lake last Tuesday, it was voted to give the contract for lighting the streets of Callicoon to the Busy Bee Club, whose bid of … more
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Union School among ‘cool’ photos: This image was printed from a 4-inch by 5-inch glass plate negative found in a shed in Callicoon in 1981. Along with about 100 other plates, it had been stored in a suitcase that had deteriorated and that fell apart when moved. Despite the rough storage conditions, and although a few plates broke in the moving process, most of the images survived. One of the people who discovered them, Lisbeth Neergaard Kohloff, is a photographer, photo-historian, lecturer and tour organizer in Colorado. Kohloff donated prints made from the plates to the Sullivan County Historical Society, hoping to identify some of the images. This is an early 1900s image of the Callicoon Union School, located on School Street, with what appears to be teachers and perhaps the principal of the school.
June 7, 2022 Edition
110 Years Ago - 1912   Born to Mr. and Mrs. Fred Huff of Fremont Center, a son, Wednesday…born to Mr. and Mrs. George Segar of Briscoe, a daughter, on May 19. The following class … more
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Powerful waters: As mentioned in this week's Decades, the rains of 1942 had a disastrous effect on Long Eddy, and areas of nearby Pennsylvania. While we don’t have vintage photos of the flood available, the above postcard shows the Long Eddy acid factory which was said to have suffered some damage from the rising waters. The consequences of this flood of 80 years ago was felt for a long time as it displaced houses and even the Erie Railroad. Honesdale, Pa. was among the hardest hit, with at least 15 people who lost their lives, in addition to damage to houses and businesses.
May 31, 2022 Edition
110 Years Ago - 1912 The boys are having great sport catching suckers lately, which are quite plentiful. The White Sulphur Springs House is being cleaned and renovated prior to its opening for … more
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'Main Street' looking east: The Republican Watchman reported in 1908 that Monticello village trustees had decided to change several street names, including renaming Main Street to Broadway, and discontinuing the use of “East” and “West” along its route. This postcard mailed in 1908 shows The Osborn, a boarding house operated by the Osborn sisters, which was later demolished. The hotel was located on the south side of the street, across from the intersection of Jefferson Street with Broadway. Note the wooden bridge that spans the distance between the curb and the sidewalk, offering pedestrians a place to alight from a carriage without stepping into mud and other debris. Broadway was first paved in 1912.
May 24, 2022 Edition
110 YEARS AGO - 1912 The Isaac Walton Fishing Club of Callicoon started on their annual outing to Stevensville on Tuesday evening, fully equipped with “Bait,” tents and other good things … more
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