140 Years Ago - 1885

Livingston Manor — There was a slight frost around here Monday morning but not enough to do any damage.

In traveling from Jeffersonville to this place (Robertsonville) one cannot help being struck with the big change in farming methods and in the variety of crops cultivated. Instead of the fine fields of rye and oats which greet the eye throughout the Town of Callicoon, we find an almost total absence of rye, only small patches of oats, large fields of buckwheat and meadow, few potatoes, much fruit, and some corn, all of which with the exception of oats are looking fine and have the appearance of producing beautiful crops.

130 Years Ago - 1895

One of E.T. Calkin’s valuable cows was struck by lightning August 6. She was standing by a barbed wire fence eating cornstalks when the lightning struck a huge chestnut tree two or three hundred feet away, to which the fence is fastened, and a portion of the spark traversed the wire, passing into the ground through the cow’s body. The animal was not killed, but remained helpless for several hours.

The schoolhouse at DeBruce was struck by lightning on August 6. It will be rebuilt.

A rattling game of chase the leather was indulged in by Jeffersonville and Youngsville clubs at the latter place last week. It lasted for seven innings, when the Youngsville boys had hammered out forty-four runs and the Jeffersonvillers 11. The Youngsville players were Glueck, Patterson, Carr, Underwood, Corry, Starr, Stoddard, Beach and Frosch. The Jeff players were Grishaber, Bennett, Laufersweiler, Volmer, Quinn, Gurd, Baines, Hoss and Hoff. Umpires were W. Grishaber and Oestrecher.

A well dressed woman boarded an O&W train at Mountaindale on Wednesday and during the journey to New York caused considerable comment because the trainmen suspected her of being a man. Their suspicions were not verified however, until the next day in the New York papers: “For the second time in twenty-four years, Regina Culton is within the toils of the law. And strangely enough, his first arrest was on suspicion of being a woman in man’s clothing, and the second time was being a man in woman’s attire. He is now in the workhouse on Blackwell’s Island on a technical charge of vagrancy.”

It is said that fashionable coats for fall wear will be thirty inches longer than those of last season. If this is soon, male attire will soon be dragging on the ground. Men’s costumes are lengthening while women’s costumes are shortening, as witness to the bloomers and other bicycle garb. This is a topsy-turvy age.

120 Years Ago - 1905

The greatest crowd of people ever seen in Jeffersonville assembled here last Monday to witness the coaching parade, which was a big happy success. Two years ago there were more decorated rigs in line, but for an all-around big day this year easily takes the lead. “The Japanese Peace Envoys” from Bauernfeind’s Hotel, North Branch, were the first place winners in the float class. “Pink Tea,” from the Werth House, won second prize. “Kenoza Lake Hospital” from the Pfeiffer House came in third.

Edward J. Staib and Miss Carrie Sullivan of Brooklyn were married at the home of Reverend H.F. Bernhardt, formerly of Jeffersonville.

When John F. Royce, a farmer a couple miles northeast of this village, went to his barnyard Sunday morning a week ago, he saw a large buck deer grazing contentedly among his cattle in the pasture only a few rods distant.

A Washingtonville dispatch says Secretary Wilson is aiming to stop “graft” but he doesn’t seem to be a crack shot.

It appears to be certain that if the Orange County Board of Supervisors were to take action in the matter again, it would not grant permission for a consumptive sanitarium in that county. The dairying interests are becoming greatly exercised over the project, as it is reported that city dealers will refuse to receive milk from a district inhabited by consumptives.

Mayor Belcher of Patterson, who has been lost for some time, hopes wherever he is, that he will stay lost. He is short in his accounts.

More on coaching – The only grotesque rig in the parade was a one hoss shay driven by Mrs. Emma C. Brand and Miss Kate Gunther, as Cinth and Si, and the hull dam family – Hazel and Jimmy Brand, Alan Leib and Albert Pfeiffle. The rig was profusely trimmed with green cornstalks and on either side were cards with the inscriptions: “Cinth and Si from Punkin Holler, are bound tu spend their vary last dollar b’gosh.” “We don’t keep no summer boreders – hense our prosperity.”

110 Years Ago - 1915

It has been some years since the lightning rod swindlers have been heard from in these parts, but they are again on the job hereabouts and so far as known have secured one victim in this section. He is George Feigenbutz, a farmer at Obernburg, in the town of Fremont.

Frank Breakey, a native and lifelong resident of the town of Bethel has sold the old Breakey homestead in Hurd to a neighbor, Theodore Best, and after disposing of his chattels on August 23, will remove with his wife to Lawrence, Kansas, where he will engage in teaming for the firm by which his son, George, is employed.

Lightning struck and burned the large barn of Charles Kaiser on East Hill near Youngsville Sunday. The bolt entered the ridge of the roof near the cupola in the center and the upper part of the building was soon in flames. The chicken house next to the barn was also burned but the chickens were saved.

The Schmidt bowling alleys in this village are advertised to be sold on August 25 under a chattel mortgage by the Brunswick-Balke Collender Co. of New York.

Francis Teart, aged about 50, and son Reynolds, aged about 20, of Rochester, touring a Ford car, ran off the small bridge over the Buck Brook in North Branch Friday evening and since then have been at Gautech’s Hotel in North Branch, awaiting repairs to themselves and to their car.

Mrs. Fannie Lichtig of Jeffersonville announces the engagement of her daughter, Helene, to Frederick H. Gilbaun of New Haven, Conn.

Inquiries have been made to learn the plans, if any, the Board of Education has made for providing a school in the event that the order of consolidation is sustained. The Board says that five teachers will be employed, two of whom will teach the seventh and eighth grades and will assist with the high school work. Another will teach high school subjects only and the principal will teach the vocational agriculture and supervise the work of all other teachers, besides being available to any farmer in the district to assist him on any farm problem.

100 Years Ago - 1925

On Monday 41 cows, reactors to the tuberculin test by County Veterinary Floyd P. Hust of Jeff, were shipped from Callicoon station of the Erie Railroad to the slaughter house at Chester, Orange County, to be slaughtered under the supervision of a federal man. Twenty-eight of these cows came from owners at Jeffersonville and the others from other parts of the Town of Callicoon and the Town of Cochecton, which were the first to be inspected.

Owing to the low pressure of village water system this summer, the trustees are considering the need of discontinuing the supplying of water outside the corporation.

Charlie Hoffman of Jeff, the emergency lineman in this section of the electric light company, flirted with death last Saturday when he spliced the high tension of the cut-out box of the transformer located back of the Catholic church in Youngsville. The wires carry a charge of 8,000 volts and caused a fire in the cut-out box. Rather than shut off the power and put the entire territory out of lights for a couple of hours, Charlie took a chance and spliced the separate wires in a few minutes with those 8,000 volts spitting death devils of electricity at him.

A Ford touring car driven by Mrs. Frank Cole of Callicoon and a Dodge touring car driven by George Hausenpflue of Jeff had a head-on collision in front of the shop in this village Tuesday afternoon. Although the cars were moving at a moderate pace, both were damaged so that it was necessary to lay them up for repairs. Minors injuries were sustained.

A baptismal font has been presented to the Methodist Church in Jeff by Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Simon of Philadelphia in memory of Mrs. Simon’s grandfather, the late Squire John C. Mall of Jeff.

Ideal weather favored the annual carnival of the Jeffersonville firemen yesterday and good sized crowds patronized the various attractions. The Hankins Band, under the direction of Francis Larkin of Callicoon, arrived at noon and started things with their good music.

90 Years Ago - 1935

Complaints have been made to District Attorney William Deckelman by Monticello citizens about certain merchants keeping their stores open on Sunday, in violation of the state law. The district attorney notified the merchants that they must keep their stores closed or he would prosecute them.

Six armed men, four of them masked, held up six guests and the night clerk at the Elm Shade Hotel in South Fallsburg at three-thirty Monday morning, bound them to chairs with wire and broke open the hotel safe.

Dr. Leon H. Westfall, former principal of our school, was elected unanimously over a hundred applicants as the principal of the South Glens Falls school system.

Trooper A.C. Brescher, stationed at Lake Huntington for the season, on August 6, confiscated a gambling slot machine at the Lakeside Casino there and arrested the operator Noah Cracower of New York.

A bee took the steering wheel of the bus away from Donald Danzeisen, en route from Liberty the other day, while passing the Henry Schmidt place two miles east of here, and as a result the bus crashed into a tree. When the bee suddenly alighted on Donald’s face and sunk his shaft, Donald had other business than steering a bus. One of the two passengers was injured.

The 50-room four-story summer hotel of Rifkin and Weet, located about one mile south of the O&W station at South Fallsburg, was destroyed by fire which started when a cigarette was thrown on the porch roof from a bedroom window.

During the past few days the village water system has been serving to its users chocolate soda, without extra charge. The county road project up along the water shed furnished the chocolate water and the chlorination plant at the reservoir the soda. But the sweetening is lacking – wherefore there are sour tempers about the kitchens and laundries in the village. The trouble is caused by the county road building just above the village supply reservoir and the heavy rains washing new earth into the spring brook that supplies the reservoir. Mayor Huff has an inspector from the state health department here this week and he will send in a report in a few days.

80 Years Ago - 1945

Lott and Holmes, who have been turning out parts for government ships for nearly three years, received a telegram last week, cancelling all government work. This shop has been employing about twenty men on three shifts a day, and the payroll was quite heavy. The Public Service Garage here is still making metal baskets for dishwashers on ships.

The Board of Supervisors this week passed a resolution providing for the purchase of a 50-foot lot on the Port Jervis road as a site for a new county welfare home. The proposed structure will cost $150,000, half of which will be paid by the state.

John H. Reyman, one of the central school custodians, took his departure last week and returned Saturday with a bride in the person of Mrs. Katherine Klein of Ridgewood, Brooklyn.

The next Jeffersonville problem and necessity may be a village sewage system. Under normal conditions cesspools and septic tanks have in most cases taken care of our sewage; but the continued rains this season have so saturated the soil with water that the ground is failing to leach away the liquid from the cesspools.

When a truck accidentally backed against an electric pole at Harry Mathern’s place in Delaware last Sunday, it jarred the pole so that two heavily charged electric wires contacted and caused a short circuit, blowing a fuse in the distributor box on a pole at the Brand & Co. Furniture Store on East Main Street, a half mile away, with a loud report. The wires carry 6900 volts. The movie matinee was disrupted for a short time, during which Paul Schwatz, trouble shooter, repaired the damage.

70 Years Ago - 1955

Ellen Doetsch, Frank Nolde and William Gute have been notified by the State Education Department that they have been awarded New York state scholarships.

The coffers of the cancer fund were enriched by the sum of $16 this week by a circus put on by Susan Kohler, Bethany Fuller, Nancy Lott, Betty Peters, Mary Margaret Tegeler, Barbara Krongel, Linda Stecker and Frank Hahn.

Magistrate Milton Levine, Hurleyville, Friday afternoon, filed a declination for the office of District Attorney.

On last Tuesday evening, about fifty ladies gathered at the Kenoza Lake Ladies Aid Hall where a surprise baby shower was tendered Mrs. John T. Taylor.

A baby boy was born to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Knack Thursday, August 11, at the Callicoon Hospital.

Jeffersonville Lions trounced the Callicoon Indians and as a result were put into contention for the coveted crown of the World Series in the Delaware Valley League, as reported by David Sims.

A reunion of the Eggler family was held Sunday, August 14, at the home of Casper Eggler in Kohlertown with 25 members of the family present.

Mr. and Mrs. John Traynor of Callicoon, accompanied by their daughter, Marcia Lou, celebrated their 23rd wedding anniversary by having dinner at Michael’s Open Kitchen on Route 97 Cochecton.

60 Years Ago - 1965

County Highway Superintendent Jack J.J. McGough had his term as highway superintendent extended for four additional years from January 1st by the County Board of Supervisors. Salary is $14,675 annually.

State Police and County Highway Department employees, using a backhoe, found the remains of the last of five victims of the fire at the Prospect Inn at Parksville late Saturday afternoon.

The finishing touches of the Erie-Lackawanna station at Callicoon were completed on Sunday morning when a cupola and weather vane were put on the roof. Of added significance is the fact that the wrought-iron wild turkey on the weather vane symbolizes the Dutch name for Callicoon, “wild turkey.” Mrs. Edmund Rumble designed the turkey and the cupola was executed by Fred Starck.

The ten central schools in Sullivan County will open September 7th and 8th, a day or two after Labor Day.

Herbert F. Buddenhagen, a salesman of baby chicks, died at his home in Hortonville Saturday. He was 66 years of age.

50 Years Ago - 1975

Eight cars of a derailed Erie-Lackawanna train ended up within ten yards of the Jeff Hulse home in Long Eddy Monday morning. Track employees are putting in their usual hard work in an effort to get the line back in operation.

Despite the rain, contestants in the Callicoon Youth Center Tennis Tourney managed to overcome a soggy court and turn in some splendid playing. Declared champions were Andy Ziegler Jr., under 14, singles; Bob Lang, doubles; Roger Widmann, over 15, singles; Fred Stabbert III, doubles. The tournament was coordinated by Andy Ziegler Sr.

On Tuesday, August 12, the three Valentine brothers, Victor Jr., 17, James, 14, and David, 13, went for a swim in White Lake, out to a make-shift raft they had fabricated out of an old boat and some scrap lumber. Up for the holiday from New York City with their family, and staying at a lakeside bungalow at the southern end of the lake, the boys went for a fast swim about 7 o’clock. Saying he was not feeling well, Victor wanted to return to shore and his brothers continued on. Looking back they could not see him and a search was begun which has lasted more than a week. At this writing the body has not yet been recovered. Divers have reported being down to depths of 87 feet.

Ground-breaking ceremonies took place recently in Roscoe for the new Ellenville Savings Bank due to open there this fall. The building, to be 56’x39’, will join the bank family which now has branches in Liberty and Monticello.

40 Years Ago - 1985

Comedienne Joan Rivers recently appeared at the Concord Resort Hotel in Kiamesha Lake.

With nearly 80 cars on hand for Saturday night’s stockcar racing program at the White Lake Speedway, the Strictly Stock division was split into two separate 20-lap main events. A.J. Cucci and Craig Stewart, both of Callicoon, were the victors in the 20-car finales. Rich Cucci, also of Callicoon, is the current point leader.

Willie Taggart, who played shortstop for Nugget’s Restaurant, was awarded a plaque for his outstanding batting average of .549 which was tops for the Monticello Men’s Softball League.

The 106th Little World’s Fair at the Grahamsville Fairgrounds this weekend broke previous attendance records as more than 12,000 people packed the fairgrounds Saturday.

Mabel Hill of Grahamsville celebrated her 100th birthday in June. To commemorate the occasion Assemblyman Richard Coombe, R-98, also of Grahamsville, presented Mrs. Hill with a proclamation passed in the state assembly.

Rev. Richard W. Moore, former pastor of the Hurleyville United Methodist Church, has been appointed pastor of the United Methodist Church in Westbrookville, effective September 8.

The Bloomingburg Fire Department planned a two-day festival in honor of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the firematic unit this past weekend. An open house and a block dance was sponsored by the company in the newly renovated firehouse and a firemen’s field day was conducted on Sunday in the Town of Mamakating Park with ten local fire companies participating in the event. A memorial honoring the deceased firemen of the Bloomingburg Fire Company was also dedicated as part of the weekend’s events. The company has a 1977 Dodge-Pierce Mini-Attack Pumper with a 200 gallon fiberglass booster tank, a 1977 GMC-Sutphen Pumper-tanker with a 1,000 gallon booster tank, and a 1966 Ford-Morrison Utility body Emergency Truck which carries brush and forest fire fighting equipment.

Wendy Krum and Thomas Christiansen were married June 30 at the Tranquility United Methodist Church in Tranquility, N.J. She is the daughter of Catherine Krum and the late Elroy Krum of Jeffersonville.

30 Years Ago - 1995

Griebel Park on Revonah Hill in Liberty has undergone a refurbishing after ten years of neglect. Mr. Griebel, for whom the park was named, was a former water department supervisor.

Cathleen Mullally, daughter of Helen and Tim Mullally of Jeffersonville, and Leonard Miret Jr. of Lauderdale Lakes, Fla., were married at St. George’s R. C. Church in Jeffersonville on June 24. They now reside in Pembroke Pines, Fla.

Kristina Kautz, daughter of Raymond and Charlotte Kautz of Callicoon, became the bride of Jesse Lopez of Harriman at the Club at the Villa Roma on June 17. They will reside in Harriman.

Leslie Ann Loeffel, daughter of Norman and Lillian Loeffel, became the bride of David Deutch on July 20, at the Arrad Evans Inn in Fayetteville. They now reside in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Mr. and Mrs. Walter Gerow of Liberty celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on August 16. They met in Liege, Belgium, on December 8, 1944, when he was stationed a short distance away with the anti-aircraft during the Battle of the Bulge. A party was held at the Woodbourne Firehouse for 55 family members, including her brother, Joe, and his wife from Oupeye, Belgium.

The Rose Valley Senior Center celebrated its 6th anniversary on August 17. The whole program was filmed by Channel 6 TV.

Driver Matt Romano guided Chi Chi Girl to the wire en route to a new track record of 1:56:4 at the Monticello Raceway, thus breaking a two-year record set by Sunset Renee.

The 14th annual golf tournament of the Sullivan County Democrat was won by Walter Herzog and Jerry Garber with Ken Cohen and Barry Winter as runners-up.

The old Brown’s Hotel in Loch Sheldrake will undergo a $3 million renovation with the goal of creating 640 condos and commercial units.

The Triangle Diner, a Liberty eatery for the past 57 years, was gutted by fire on August 24. It took 150 firemen six hours to contain the flames.

20 Years Ago - 2005

Sullivan County’s manager, Dan Briggs, was ousted from that position Thursday. Briggs, a Republican, has served as the county’s manager for the last five years and 18 years before that as county treasurer.

The Munson Diner has taken its place on Lake Street in the village of Liberty; management is now scheduling its grand opening to coincide with the International Rally New York event in White Sulphur Springs in the first weekend of October.

The number one project among 42 participants in Sullivan Renaissance this year is deemed to be Circle Park in the Town of Lumberland, adjacent to the Town Hall in Glen Spey. It won the top prize – the $50,000 Golden Feather Award. John Conway of the Barryville Chamber of Commerce accepted the Category C historic preservation award for his group’s work on the Route 97 corridor, including the preservation of an early 20th century gas station.

Paul Minton of Liberty, who earlier this year was named the general manager of Ellenville Lanes, is now the new general manager of Kiamesha Lanes in Kiamesha Lake. The 30-year-old Minton will assume the general manager’s position immediately and will be greeting bowlers at league meetings next week.

Tom Larsen and his wife Deborah are converting the former St. Paul’s Reformed Church in Callicoon Center into a home. He moved to the county from New Jersey in 1973 and ran the North Branch Garage for a while before opening up Monticello Collision. Deborah grew up in South Fallsburg and graduated from Fallsburg High in 1972. In their quest to restore vintage houses, the Larsens owned one of the oldest houses in Hortonville and a 1920s postcard house in Callicoon Center.

10 Years Ago - 2015

When it comes to enjoying a life rich in family, friends, community and healthy eating, pasta entrepreneur Bob Eckert passionately proclaims “go local.” The Roscoe resident will paint that message on a national canvas when cable TV’s Food Network airs a segment on Northern Farmhouse Pasta owned by Eckert and his Roscoe-raised wife Jennifer. The new Food Network TV series is called Great American Food Finds. The Eckerts launched their homemade pasta business in the two-car garage of their home and now do a booming business. Eckert finds supporting local entrepreneurship is a win-win. Last week, he filmed a pilot for a production company that would feature the good eating and living in the Sullivan County area. 

Legislators honored 20 county employees Thursday who have logged at least 30 years in the government’s employ. Present to accept certificates of recognition were Office for the Aging Director Deborah Allen, Adult Care Center Administrative Secretary Sue-Ellen Osterhout, Sheriff’s Office Senior Fiscal Administrator Brian McCabe, Purchasing Coordinator Barbara Sydorko, Sheriff’s Office Lt. Paul Pratti, Sheriff’s Confidential Secretary Marilyn Bas-tone, Jail Administrator and Sheriff’s Office Civil Division Chief Hal Smith, Probation Supervisor Barbara Martin, Dept. of Motor Vehicles Administrator Judith Kelly and Public Health Nursing Full Charge Bookkeeper Kim Carlsen. Not present were Public Works’ Senior Master Mechanic Gary Keesler, Family Services Case Supervisor Mary-Ellen Lazarus, Public Works Bridge Carpenter Arthur Petrowsky, Adult Care Center Marketing Outreach Coordinator Julie Dreher, Public Works Construction Equipment Operator Karl Molusky, Public Works Automotive Shop Supervisor Joseph Schultz, Public Works Grounds Maintenance Worker Ronald Rhodes Jr., Purchasing Director Kathleen Jones, Family Services Senior Stenographer Karen Hayes and Family Services Account Clerk Bonnie Vandenberg.