130 Years Ago - 1895

Mrs. Sarah Harris died at her home in Monticello March 26, at the age of 104 years.

The New York O&W Railway announces that on April 9 they will run an excursion to Barnum Bailey’s “Greatest Show on Earth,” which is now exhibiting at Madison Square Garden.

John G. Stenger of Callicoon Depot has been appointed coroner by Governor Morton in place of Philip Metzger, deceased.

Jeffersonville will not have a baseball team this year as most of the players have gone to other places to seek employment.

120 Years Ago - 1905

 Since the organization of this county in 1809, says the Watchman, thirty-three different men have held the office of sheriff. The first man to die while holding the office was the late William F. Royce.

The  committee appointed to select a design for a new parsonage in Kenoza Lake in place of the one recently burned is as follows: Thomas Taylor. W.B. Gedney and Mrs. Rodney of Kenoza Lake; George Neill and wife and Mrs. Waddell of Fosterdale; and Jackson Hawks and Rudolph Heinle and wife of Cochecton Center.

The ladies of the Kenoza Lake Aid held a salary party at Bermin’s Hall Saturday night which was attended by between 30 and 40 people.

Cerebro-spinal meningitis, a spotted fever, which has been preying among the children in the city, has made its appearance in Hurleyville.

Injuries: One of the black horses of Henry Schaefer ran the sharp point of a shaft in its right side just back of the shoulder blade the other day. In starting up, the whippletree broke, letting the horse ahead, and when Mr. Schaefer pulled the horse back the shaft entered its side to the depth of a foot.

While doing some tinning at John Beck’s residence yesterday, Christian Sander fell with a ladder and was severely bruised.

While clipping Frank Fulton’s horse at Kenoza Lake Tuesday, Will Lawrence was severely kicked in both knees and is now limping around on two game legs.

A number of the old members of the Methodist Church, now disorganized, are agitating for English preaching in the church in Jeff.

The Liberty Register says that Herman F. Inderlied of Cochecton will be appointed sheriff by the governor in place of W.P. Royce, deceased.

110 Years Ago - 1915

A good number of our boys met at the firehouse Saturday night to talk over prospects of a baseball team here for the coming season.

The Maple Grove Hotel at Youngsville, one of the largest hotel properties in this section, was sold last week by the owner, Mrs. Geneva C. Inderlied, to John E. Abplanalp, who formerly conducted the Forest House  at Youngsville, owned by his father, the late Andrew Abplanalp.

W. Beatty Townsend has sold his 55-acre farm on the Briscoe Road to Patrick Whalen of New York.

Miss Gertrude Goodman of Jeffersonville, who will be graduated from New Paltz Normal School in June, has been engaged to teach in Freeport, Long Island.

The debate for and against school consolidation by Charles S. Hick for the affirmative and Edwin C. Neiger for the negative will begin at 9 o’clock Friday night at the chapel.

Jeffersonville is to have movies once a week — every Saturday night at Union Chapel, which has been engaged by G.H. McKane, the moving picture king of Liberty. The first show will be “The Battle of Gettysburg.”

100 Years Ago - 1925

Fred Edelman on Monday sold his road house east of Fosterdale on the state road to Michael Astone of Brooklyn.

After the regular service of the Lutheran Church next Sunday evening, a congregational meeting will be held for the purpose of extending a call to Rev H.J. Berkobin of Ontario, Canada, who preached a trial sermon here last Sunday.

A call was phoned here about ten o’clock yesterday morning for help at a fire at the Koch house this side of Kenoza Lake. It was a chimney fire.

A cold wave on Friday night turned the falling rain into snow, and on Saturday morning a couple of inches of snow covered the ground, which, of course, is better now than later.

Another settler passed away on March 20 when Herman Sturm died suddenly at his home at Youngsville from heart trouble. He was 70 years old.

Kenoza Lake: Announcement has been made of the marriage of William S. Nelson, formerly of Kenoza Lake, to Mrs. Amanda A . Bacorn of Plainfield, N.J.

90 Years Ago - 1935

A county road construction program embracing 10.6 miles of highway in the townships of Fremont, Mamakating, Lumberland and Forestburgh was approved by the Board of Supervisors Monday. The cost of work will be $56,176.

Elsa Fredericks, four-month-old daughter of Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Fred Foerster of the Lutheran Church, will be christened by Papa Foerster at the church service next Sunday morning.

Mrs. Susanna Potsch, county welfare commissoner says that Sullivan County has been assigned a quota of thirty for the next CCC contingent. Recruits will be taken to Deposit April 5.

The extra cent gasoline tax voted by the Legislature went into effect Monday. Under the terms of the new and old laws, the total tax will be 5 cents per gallon.

The trout fishing season opened April 6 and lasts until August 31.

There are 2,454 applications for jobs in the Monticello office of the National Re-employment Service for Sullivan, Ulster and Delaware counties.

Coach Fuller is organizing a softball league for the village of Jeff.

Baseball practice has started. Twenty-nine boys are out for the team and prospects look fairly good for the school. Trackmen, out for the mile and half-mile runs, are working hard under Capt. Danzeisen. Those showing promise are T. McCoach, R. Duttweiler and S. Sedletsky.

80 Years Ago - 1945

Janitor Elmer Ostrum went up the belfry of St. George’s Catholic Church on Monday to clean away the bird dirt that had clogged up the bell rope and pulley. His intrusion was strongly resented by the flock of starlings that had made the belfry their home and claimed possession as nine points of the law, and the sharpness of their beaks as the other point. They hit on Elmer with fury, pecking and jabbing at him with their bayonets. Elmer finally fought them off, cleaned up the place and then screened in the belfry so that hereafter curfew will ring regularly.

Lt. Edythe Beiling of the Army Nurse Corps has arrived overseas according to word received by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Beiling of Jeff.

The village board at its meeting Monday night engaged William Kluckas as policeman for the summer months. Mr. Kluckas is a retired member of the NYC police department.

The 61st wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. George Riemenschneider (Martha Townsend) of East Hill was celebrated at their home Tuesday night.

Miss Spring is here. Some days she’s warm and appealing and other days she gives us the cold shoulder -– - Just like a fickle woman.

Sign in barber shop: We repair Army haircuts.

70 Years Ago - 1955

A son, their second, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Weiss at the Callicoon Hospital on April 6, 1955.

The April 2 issue of the Rural New Yorker contains an article by Harry Haas, local resident artist, on Bumblebees and Red Clover. That should prove of material interest to our farmers. The article is finely illustrated by Mrs. Marjorie Haas, who is a professional artist.

Three Jeffersonville Central seniors received word over the weekend of college scholarship awards at Union College Schenectady, for their freshman year. William Gute, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lester Gute, was given a $500 scholarship, while John Gnan, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Gnan, and Carl Hassis, son of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Hassis, were awarded $400 each. All the boys plan to enter the field of engineering.

Robert J. Flynn, son of County Clerk and Mrs. Robert J. Flynn Saturday completed the 11-week course at Troy. He will go to the Kingston substation.The new trooper is a former Navy man.

Cpl. Eugene Doetsch and Cpl. Harrison Townsend have been discharged from the service and will arrive from Fort Riley, Kans., this week.

Deaths this week were Edward Hahn, age 79, of Callicoon Center, at the Callicoon Hospital on April 2. George O. Manny, 75, former owner of the Crystal Spring boarding house in Youngsville died April 1 at Newburgh after a long illness.

Final plans were being whipped into shape for the colorful Shriners parade in three Sullivan County villages the afternoon of April 16. The parades were to be held at Livingston Manor, Liberty and Monticello, and will be followed by a banquet at Kutsher’s Country Club.

60 Years Ago - 1965

Announcement was made on  April 16 that the Grover M. Hermann Foundation has allocated a grant of $5,000 to the Sullivan County Community College Library Fund to be used for the purchase of books. The grant will mean another 1,000 volumes can be added to the expanding library at the college.

A public vote will be held at the Delaware Valley Central School April 27 on the matter of purchasing a new 60-passenger school bus. The bond resolution which is to be placed before the voters limits the expenditure of $10,000 as the ceiling.

The egg hunt on the grounds of the Delaware Youth Center Saturday was bigger and better than ever. More eggs were hidden and more kiddies sought them than ever before. It appears that this annual event is growing in popularity by leaps and bounds.

A valiant four-month effort by the people of Roscoe to save their N.Y. O. & W. Railroad Station from demolition and to convert it into a combination library and railroad museum, failed when a foundation confirmed its previous decision to refuse a grant which, it had been hoped, would meet most of the cost of $76,000.

Youngsville — On Saturday evening, April 18, Mr. and Mrs. William Frieds of Youngsville celebrated their golden wedding anniversary at a dinner party at the Chan-Al Hotel in Shandelee with more than100 friends and relatives in attendance.

Upon being inducted in the U.S. Navy at Camp Barry, Ill, March 30, David Kazmark, Class of ‘63 at DVCS, earned a special recognition. Shortly after his arrival, he tried out for, and was accepted, in the famous Navy Blue Jacket Choir.

50 Years Ago - 1975

A spectacular blaze in the John Olver house, Damascus, Pa., leveled the structure to the ground Friday at about 7:30 p.m. The house is said to be over 100 years old. It is reported that the Olvers were cleaning paint brushes in the kitchen, and the cleaner exploded. The Olver house had one of the few spiral staircases in the vicinity. The Damascus Fire Department was assisted by Callicoon, Lookout, Narrowsburg, Beach Lake, Cochecton and Lake Huntington.

Fifty years of service was recognized at a steak dinner of the Jeffersonville Fire Department when they honored Oscar Will, Earl Kohler, John Reyman and William Erdman. Unable to attend was Charles Peterson who is a patient at the Albany VA Medical Center. Several fellow volunteers visited him and presented him with his badge.

Laurie Lee Curry of Kauneonga Lake was named Loyalty Day Queen to represent the Sgt. Andrew Brucher Post No 5499, White Lake, at the upcoming Sullivan County contest the end of the month.

On Saturday, the congregation of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Liberty will unveil and dedicate a new stained glass window which was given in memory of Mrs. Wanda Beseler and Mrs. May Kroenor, depicting Christ’s raising of Lazarus from the dead. The congregation has completed a project of placing lexan protective glass coverings on all of the church’s windows.

Lynn Madison, outgoing queen, passed the crown to Betina Krum, at the Livingston Manor VFW Loyalty Day Queen contest held recently.

40 Years Ago - 1985

Liberty Mayor Ida “Skippy” Frankel was guest of honor at a “Thank U Skippy” dinner at the Liberty VFW hall. Mrs. Frankel will be leaving the post of mayor which she held for 14 years. The ice cream cake was decorated by John LaPolt of the Dairy Barn. Mrs. Frankel is also a longtime dedicated member of the Town of Liberty Ambulance Corps.

The new 512-bed prison at Woodbourne is ready and officers are in training preparing for the arrival of inmates planned for early May and will be in complete operation by the end of July. The cost of the new facility will be near $50 million. It will add about 300 more state employees, including corrections officers and staff. A superintendent has not yet been named.

William Erdman., 60 years of service, and Robert Mann, who has served 55 years with the Jeffersonville Fire Department, were honored at a recent dinner.

Steve Royce, 14-year-old son of            Sid and  Doris Royce of Kenoza Lake, was awarded his Eagle Scout Badge at a ceremony Sunday at the Kenoza Lake Methodist Church. Troop #943 Scoutmaster Edwin Gettel made the presentation.

Dr. Joseph Lauterstein has been re-elected to the Board of Directors of the New York Cardiologists Society and has been reappointed to the Empire State Medical Education and Science Foundation, Pacemaker Indication Task Force.

Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Doug Ackermann of Kenoza Lake who were married Saturday at Our Lady of the Lake Church in Lake Huntington. A reception followed at Hermann Hall in Callicoon.

30 Years Ago - 1995

Ivo Sweens and Tom Verhoeven, residents of the Town of Tilburg in the north of Holland, set out from New York City on Easter Sunday to bicycle across the United States. Three days later they were in Hankins and hope to complete their “dream trip” in three months, ending in San Francisco. They plan to visit friends and relatives along the way.

Roger Busing, a native of Narrowsburg, retired from New York State Electric and Gas Corp. after 42 years with his only employer. After being discharged from the U.S. Navy on August 3, 1954, the 20-year-old sought work with NYSEG and was hired. He never left their employ.

Dr. Harry Propst, chief of staff at the Wayne Memorial Hospital. will be awarded the 1995 Citizenship Award of the B’nai B’rith at a dinner to be held at Lukan’s on May 7.

Alan Gerry of Liberty, the chairman and chief executive officer of Cablevision Industries (CVI), based in Ferndale, will receive the Distinquished Leader Award by the National  Cable Television Association when the 1995 Vangard Awards are presented on May 10. Gerry, founder of CVI, will receive his award in recognition of his role as the driving force behind medium-sized operators’ lobbying efforts for new telecommunications legislation to create a level playing field for competition with local telephone companies. One of the first entrepreneurs to respond to demands for a greater number of channels and improved reception, Gerry built his first cable television system in 1956 in Liberty, where the company still maintains its corporate offices. Since then, he has assembled one of the largest privately-owned companies in the cable industry, employing more than 2,500 people nationwide and has been at the forefront in the use of new technologies.

20 Years Ago - 2005

Students from the city of Albany partook in planting 60 trees at the state-owned Camp DeBruce in the Town of Rockland Friday.

Marion Roche, a longtime Callicoon resident, will be leaving this June for the wilds of Kenya, accompanying the Brunswick Presbyterian Church Mission Team from Troy. Roche’s niece, Lisa Seidel, is a member of the upstate mission team.

The Sullivan County legislature approved 49 resolutions on Thursday at its full-body meeting at the Sullivan County Government Center in Monticello. A controversial spending measure passed which would give an additional $25,000 to the Sullivan County Partnership for Economic Development to pay half of the projected salary for a new business expansion specialist.

At the recent meeting of the Town of Lumberland board, Supervisor John LiGreci summed up the amount of damage incurred during April rainstorms as at least $1.4 million.

The Obernburg Veterans Militia honored Lt. Col. Bill Brustman Tuesday evening for his long and distinguished service to our country. He served in three wars, entering the service in 1941, he served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam.

Donald Edward Molusky, the unofficial “Mayor of Callicoon” and the former owner of the Autumn Inn restaurant in Callicoon, died Friday, April 22, 2005 at his home at the age of 79.

10 Years Ago - 2015

Repairs to fix leaks in two sections of the Delaware Aqueduct, which result in the loss of up to 35 million gallons of water per day, are already under way, according to Adam Bosch, Director of Public Affairs for the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). According to Bosch, the project is focusing on a 44-mile portion of the Delaware Aqueduct known as the Rondout-West Branch Tunnel. This section conveys water from the Ulster County end of Rondout Reservoir to the West Branch Reservoir in Putnam County. The aqueduct – the longest tunnel in the world – was put into service in 1944, but has not been drained for inspection since 1957-1958. Two areas of significant leakage, in Wawarsing and the Roseton section of Newburgh, will be the focus of the project. The leak in Roseton is large enough to require the construction of a new bypass tunnel which, upon completion, will take the damaged section of the aqueduct out of service permanently. In 2022, the Delaware Aqueduct will be drained for the first time in nearly 65 years to allow the bypass tunnel to be connected to structurally sound portions of the existing aqueduct. During that shutdown, workers will also enter the tunnel in Wawarsing to repair the leaks there.