140 Years Ago - 1884

The exact distance between the villages of Jeffersonville and that of Youngsville, given by L. Hannar, Mr. Roboms and Adam Homer, is just four miles from the Eagle Hotel in Jeff to the Post Office at Youngsville. Probably as good four miles of road as we have in western Sullivan County.

Thomas Lieb of New York City, who has been visiting his parents in Jeffersonville, started for Susquehannah last week, and purchased a harness shop in that place and intends doing business there. We wish him unlimited success.

The Liberty Register has moved into the large new building, one door below U.S. Messitor & Co. It has added a cylinder newspaper press.

Mrs. A.E. Wenzel is placing a Cranson Buckwheat shucker in her mill at Callicoon. She is determined to stand at the head of the buckwheat flour business this season.

George B. Diving has been appointed postmaster at Hurleyville. The office has been removed to his store.

Philip Elbert and his daughter, Christiana, accompanied by Mr. Coenish of Pike Pond, took Train 3 at Callicoon Depot Tuesday night for Davenport, Iowa. They will visit various parts of the west and return in October next.

130 Years Ago - 1894

A large and happy wedding occurred at the Spring House, Fremont Center, on the evening of August 20. The contracting parties were Miss Frankie, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. P. Minckler, and Charlie Leicht, Fremont’s popular young town clerk. Rev. J. Rose of Callicoon Depot performed the ceremony.

The cancellations at the Liberty post office during the past two weeks amounted to $365.62, an increase of twenty-five percent over the corresponding period last year.

Burdett Beck has been engaged to teach the Swiss Hill School.

So great was the gathering of people and  vehicles about the residence of Louis Mall on Friday evening that it resembled more a county fair than what it really was – a birthday party in honor of Miss Mary Mall and got up by amiable young ladies summering at that hospitable resort. All the available rooms in the house, and the spacious lawn as well, was taken up with jolly parties of youth, beauty and venerable maturity, and with singing here, instrumental music there, and ice cream, fruits and refreshments everywhere. The occasion was one of sublime happiness to the guests, a grand testimonial to the recipient of the honor, and a lasting memorial to those who so successfully managed the affair.

120 Years Ago - 1904

The new Presbyterian Church edifice at Lake Huntington was formally dedicated last Sunday afternoon and a large congregation attended the services. Rev. O.R.W. Klose of Cochecton preached the dedicatory sermon and Rev. H. Glaschke of Jeffersonville read passages from the Scriptures and made an address in German. The new church starts out with bright prospects and the officers are Charles Kraack, president; George Merckenschlager, secretary; John Meyers, treasurer; Rudolph Reichert and Alfred Dittmer, all on the Board of Trustees. The building committee was Charles Kraack, Alfred Dittmer and Rudolph Reichert. Rev. Mr. Blaschke supplies the church for the present.

E.A. Brand, the furniture dealer, has placed an upright piano in Charles Scheidell’s residence.

Mrs. Margie Greiner, who has been living with her niece, Mrs. Fred Scheidell, for over a year, is making arrangements to remove back to Chicago, her former home. She will leave the first part of next month.

Briscoe: Trustee Joseph Cox has engaged Miss Bertha Gabel of Callicoon to teach the first sixteen weeks of school.

Jacob Knell, the liveryman, lost “Babe,” his best horse, the other day. It died of colic.

Mrs. E.E. MacDonald and family have returned from Strongtown and we understand will occupy rooms in the Grishaber building.

Phil Schmidt and wife, after a couple weeks vacation here, left for New York on Tuesday, driving their rig via Newburgh. Mr. Schmidt will very likely buy real estate here shortly and eventually make his home here after retiring from the police department.

110 Years Ago - 1914

George B. Frasey, electrical engineer and contractor of Liberty, who installed buildings here, is now wiring the stores of Mrs. Fannie Lichtig and A.M. Kohler and Ed Kohler’s garage.

The winners of the weekly prizes for high score at Schmidt’s bowling alley last week were Oscar Eggler of Jeffersonville, 216; Mrs. Beyer of the Diehl Cottage, 144.

Miss Caroline Hofer and Katherine H. Scheidell returned Tuesday to the Long Island College Hospital, Brooklyn, where they will graduate next June as trained nurses after a four-year course.

Highway Patrolman John H. Wagner, under order from the State Department, counted the number of vehicles passing a certain point in this village between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. last Saturday. Mr. Wagner stationed himself in the center of the village of Jeffersonville and counted the following passing vehicles: Motor touring cars, 207; motor runabouts, 30; motor trucks, 14; Total motor vehicles, 267; also one-horse light wagons, 105; one horse heavy wagons, 30; two horse light wagons, 45; and two horse heavy wagons, 45, for a total of horse drawn vehicles, 225. Total vehicles passing - 492.

100 Years Ago - 1924

The 20-room two-and-a-half story farm boarding house of Edward H. Krantz, located on the Beechwoods Road about a mile west of the Kenoza Lake Falls House, was burned to the ground, together with all its contents, between 3 and 4 o’clock Tuesday morning by fire supposed to have started from the chimney leading from the kitchen range. When Mr. Krantz retired Monday night a couple of pieces of wood were still burning in the stove. He slept over the kitchen and was aroused in the early morning by the barking of his dog in the yard. His bedroom was filled with smoke and hastily dressing, he made his escape down the front stairway. At the time, he said, the whole kitchen wing of the building seemed to be on fire and escape by the kitchen stairway looked impossible. Remembering that he had nearly $200 cash in his bedroom dresser, he went upstairs to try and save the money, but the fire prevented his entering the bedroom, and he ran down the stairs again, choking with smoke. He owes his salvation to the timely warning given by his faithful dog.

The Mountain Bus Co. claims to have lost $1100 in five weeks operating a bus between Liberty and White Lake. The terrible condition of the road is blamed largely for the loss, one of the buses having been practically destroyed.

Gristian Geibel Jr. and Miss Emily Werth of Brooklyn, both former residents of Jeffersonville, recently started on an automobile tour to the Pacific Coast. They had not gone far when they sent word back home that they were married. A long, joyful ride.

On Sunday morning, August 10, Miss Irene Knack, the older daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Knack of Hortonville, became the bride of John Myers of Prince Bay, Staten Island. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. J. E. Straub at the Callicoon Center parsonage, with Mr. and Mrs. Edward Knack as attendants. A wedding dinner was served at the bride’s home and at 2 o’clock Mr. and Mrs. Myers left amid showers of rice and shoes in their car for a two week’s trip to Allendale, Staten Island and New York.

90 Years Ago - 1934

Charles Kohl, who’d rather hunt than eat (maybe), shot a porcupine in a tree on the hill Monday, and will use the quills to pick his teeth.

William Brockner, who conducted a barber shop at Long Eddy the past few months, has closed up and has gone to Albany to take a job in a barber shop.

Late Thursday afternoon, as William Hupke of Jeffersonville was driving his new Plymouth coupe in from Liberty, the car skidded on the wet pavement in front of the Lesser Lodge, between White Sulphur Springs and Youngsville, and hit a telephone pole, damaging the front of the car which turned on its side from the impact. Bill opened the door and stepped out, unhurt. The top of the telephone pole was broken off.

The Washington Heights team of Middletown were defeated here last Sunday 6 to 3. The visiting manager made the mistake of starting the wrong pitcher, Schmidt, a right hander, for he proved easy for our boys and they made 6 runs off him in the first three innings. Then Travers, a southpaw, went in the box and shot out the Jeff boys for the rest of the game.

Mr. and Mrs. Leonard E. Bock of Callicoon announce the marriage of their daughter, Miss Ruth T. Bock, to Robert Morris Burns of Maple Shade, N.J., on June 30 in New York. Mrs. Burns was graduated from New Paltz Normal and has been teaching in the public school in Merrick, L.I., since her graduation. Mr. Burns was graduated from Drexel Institute, Philadelphia, and is connected with the New York Telephone Co. in Brooklyn.

80 Years Ago - 1944

During the storm of last Friday evening, lightning entered the kitchen at the Charles Schmidt home on Terrace Avenue and, with a couple flashes, burned out two switches in the electric stove. Teakettles danced around on the stove, which was temporarily out of order. Mrs. Martha Bohrer, a daughter, was sitting nearby, but escaped with a little shaking up. The lightning left no mark as to where it entered or left the house.

 Wm. L. Huff has bought the Wilbert Cottage on East Main Street of August Segar, who got it from the Charles W. Wilfert estate. The place is now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Ruck. Mr. Huff is becoming our most extensive property owner.

Many prominent sportsmen have visited Kenoza Lake at one time or another in the past, but perhaps the most famous of them all came here over the weekend to enjoy the bass fishing which is famed all over New York State. He is none other than the famous Frank Buck, a big game hunter, motion picture actor and producer, author, dealer in wild animals and according to his autobiography “a great lover.”

Youngsville: A farewell party was given to Charles Ray last night at the home of Miss Nancy Patterson by a dozen of his schoolmates. Charles and his mother, Mrs. Mae Ray, will move next week to Syracuse, where the mother will keep house for a daughter, Rita, who goes back to nursing. Charles has one more year of high school, which he will take in Syracuse.

Mrs. Edna Peterson is entertaining her sisters and families, Mrs. H. Hill and baby of Larchmont, and Mr. and Mrs. W. Whelin and daughter of Franklin Square.

70 Years Ago - 1954

Miss Theresa Higgins, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Higgins of Scranton, Pa., and Walter Kohler, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Kohler of Kohlertown, were married on Saturday in White Lake by Justice of the Peace Chauncey Countryman.

Mr. and Mrs. Allen Segar and family drove to Kingston last weekend where they met Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Schaefer of Averill Park.

In an account by David Sims, our sportswriter, “The Jeff Lions fought desperately down to the final out of the last inning to overcome the Yulan Braves’ 4-run lead last Sunday in the final World Series game of the Delaware Valley League.” But they didn’t.

Walter Stewart of North Branch was awarded $250 by a 6-man jury last Thursday in Justice Court in the Jeffersonville Firehouse in repayment for a bull he owned and which was reportedly sold by William Reubman of Buck Brook.

Miss Ella Keough, who lived her entire life in Youngsville, died in Callicoon Hospital last Sunday, at the age of 88 years.

Philip P. Gorr, who was born and lived all his life around Beechwoods, celebrated his 88th birthday last Sunday at a dinner on the lawn of L.P. Orth, Callicoon. Mr. Gorr is the father of 12 children, 11 of whom are still living. Mrs. Orth is one of his daughters.

At the auction, dairy cows were bringing $170 to $180; beef cows, 7 1/2 to 3 1/4 cents a lb.; heavy hens were $1.30 each and large eggs 46¢ to 64¢.

Playing at the Maple Theatre, “The Caine Mutiny” in Technicolor, starring Humphrey Bogart, Jose Ferrer, Van Johnson and Fred MacMurray.

Steve Bodnar, steam fitter second class of the United States Navy, is presently aboard the destroyer tender USS Hamul. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Bodnar of Cochecton.

60 Years Ago - 1964

Ralph L. Tremper, son of Mr. and Mrs. George A. Tremper of Liberty, was promoted to private first class in Germany July 27, while assigned to the 566th Medical Battalion.

An announcement by the Monticello Hospital that a merger is being studied that would involve the joining of resources and facilities with those of the Maimonides Hospital in Liberty, is the first such move of its kind in the county. According to William E. Pearson, chairman of the Sullivan County Planning Board, Dr. E. Michael Bluestone, the widely recognized hospital administration expert, has indicated that the first need to improve the county’s medical future was for the existing hospitals to develop programs which would lead to accreditation.

World War II Bonus: Honorably discharged veterans of World War II who were on active duty between December 7, 1941, and September 2, 1945, and were legal residents of New York State for at least six months immediately prior to entry into the service, are eligible for a NYS Bonus. Application deadline is March 31, 1965.

Edward C. Sykes of Hankins announced his candidacy for the office of Member of Assembly from Sullivan County. Mr. Sykes will run on an independent ticket to be known as the Justice Party.

The Solomon Meyer Novet farm in Buck Brook is the site of Summerland School, launched as a revolutionary experiment in education and community living and based on A.S. Neil’s Summerhill boarding school which originated in Germany, migrated to England and claims Prince Phillip as one of its star pupils. Orson Bean, husband of actress Mitzi Gaynor and a well-known show business figure in his own right, makes frequent trips to the Roscoe school to visit his ward, a five-year-old girl, enrolled there. Mr. Bean has also started a similar school in New York City’s East Side. According to the reporter covering this story, a visitor would probably be alarmed at the unkempt look of the student body. They seem, to the writer, to be a happy-go-lucky lot who couldn’t care less about such trivialities as haircombing and spotlessly clean faces. (Faculty policy says that happiness does not consist of making a fetish of cleanliness.)

50 Years Ago - 1974

Miss Debbie Hassis, 17-year-old Jeffersonville-Youngsville School student, is in Norwich this week with more than 40 other high school girls preparing for Friday evening’s Miss New York State Teenager contest. She is representing Sullivan County as the titlist, having been named Miss Sullivan Teenager last Wednesday.

Shirley Ann Jersey, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Jersey of Livingston Manor, became the bride of Gary E. Krantz of Jeffersonville on August 10 at the Presbyterian Church in Livingston Manor.

Margaret K. Davis, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Planz of Abrahamsville, Pa., became the bride of Arthur Whitmore, son of Mr. and Mrs. Orville Whitmore, Conklin Hill, Pa., on August 10 at St. James Episcopal Church in Callicoon.

40 Years Ago - 1984

Balloons and doves will be filling the air on Friday, August 24, as the Liberty Community Coalition kicks off its first International Festival and Exhibition (LIFE) on the Liberty Elementary School grounds. Roger Parson, a professional bagpiper, will play as part of the entertainment and the Sullivan Chapter of Sweet Adelines will sing.

David Rutledge of Rutledgedale, Pa., won third place in the showmanship at the Wayne County Fair recently. He showed a white faced polled Hereford. A member of the Tri-Gal 4-H Club, he has been a member for seven years.

New York State Police were continuing their search Thursday for the man who took more than $14,000 in cash from the United National Bank in Callicoon. “By his extreme nervousness and the way he was dressed, particularly the white gloves, we all knew as soon as he entered the bank, he was trouble,” said head teller Loretta Reimer. The bank never closed its doors following the robbery and was back to business-as-usual in a few minutes.

The Hortonville Fire Department is planning its 41st annual field day on Sunday, August 26. A town of history, Hortonville was settled by David Young and John Ross. A sawmill was built in 1815 and the first regular grist mill was built about 15 years later. 

The Glen Wild Church in Glen Wild and the Kirk House in Narrowsburg have been added to the National Register of Historic Places and will be included in the more than 25,000 properties on the state and federal list. The Kirk House was initially built as a one-story clapboard schoolhouse around 1840 on a site approximately 250 feet northeast of its present location on Kirks Road. The Glen Wild Church was built in 1867 and is the only known example of vernacular board and batten Gothic architecture in the county.

Arthur Triquart, a commissioner in the Long Eddy Fire Department, has presented the fire company with a set of Jaws of Life.

30 Years Ago - 1994

William Ritchie of Grahamsville is working at the Apollo Plaza on a 30-foot 25th commemorative mural of the 25th anniversary of the Woodstock Arts and Music Festival of 1969. Melanie Safka returned to the Bethel ‘94 stage Friday to sing goodbye to the crowd who had launched her career on that very spot 25 years ago, and to announce that she was taking her “Summer of Love” show on the road for a national tour – perhaps with promoter Sid Bernstein – this fall.

“Mask, Myth and Magic” will bring former Rock Hill resident magician Jeff McBride to Monticello to perform in a benefit for the Monticello High School Centennial Fund. A few months ago, at the age of 26, McBride was named “1994 Magician of the Year” by the Academy of Magical Acts, an award won in past years by David Copperfield and Doug Henning. He has just completed an eight-city tour of Taiwan, India, Japan and Europe after a 28-city tour of the United States.

The 115th Annual Little World’s Fair in Grahamsville broke all records in attendance as it presented the best entertainment deal going last weekend. The four-day event covered everything from judging of arts, crafts, food, photography, horticulture, agriculture and animal management to music entertainment.

A section of the rain-soaked roof collapsed late Thursday afternoon in the communication room of the police department, forcing Monticello village officials to vacate most of the offices in the village hall, seal off the collapsed area and relocate the police department until the ceiling can be repaired and the asbestos removed. 

Lt. Col. Bernard Kramer, son of Mrs. Emma Kramer of Hortonville, was recently named Commander of the 3rd Brigade 70th Division (Training) at Ft. Wayne, Ind. He is a 1963 graduate of Delaware Valley Central School and has been in the Army since 1970.

20 Years Ago - 2004

Monticello’s 200th birthday is going to be celebrated all this weekend, beginning Thursday with a barbecue at the Town of Thompson Park. The West Point Band will be performing and there will be fireworks courtesy of Monticello Raceway. On Friday evening will be the Schmidt Family Concert with music on the Sullivan County Courthouse lawn – and where the winner of the beard-growing contest will be revealed. Saturday at noon the re-dedication of the repaired clock on top of the courthouse will take place, followed by a firemen’s parade and flea market. Sunday will include a family day at deHoyos Park, sponsored by Robert Green Auto & Truck Dealerships. Today will be the dedication of the new village clock in front of the post office by the Monticello Rotary Club. The Bicentennial Committee organizers are Les Kristt, Connie Keller and Steven Sharoff.

The Seneca-Cayuga Tribe announced on Friday that it has joined with Empire Resorts and will drop its litigation with the State of New York in exchange for a casino. The tribe’s offer would end its stake in the $247.9 million judgement it was awarded with the Cayuga Indian Nation, but there’s a pretty big string attached: the state must agree to a gaming compact for a casino to be located in the Catskills. A spokesman for Governor Pataki said the state is “reviewing their proposal.” He declined to elaborate.

On Saturday, the Cochecton Preservation Society will host the 250th anniversary of the Cushetunk Settlement at the restored Cochecton Erie train station.

The excitement is building for football in the Town of Fallsburg. Last Wednesday evening, a large group of parents watched from the edge of the field as the Fallsburg Pop Warner Jr. Comets Football and Cheering Association coaches conducted a practice session for the young football players and cheerleaders. The first games for the Pee Wee and Junior Pee Wee Comet football teams will be on Saturday, Sept. 11.

10 Years Ago - 2014

Phillipsport has been named the 2014 Golden Feather award winner with its Sullivan Renaissance project.  The beautification project expanded to several locations this year. In addition to keeping up and improving the Community Center planters and other flowers, volunteers built a “Little Free Library,” a covered bookcase in the park off Route 209, and erected iron gates and built a wooden fence at the old cemetery out of salvaged parts. 

Sullivan County Democrat Publisher Fred Stabbert III presented Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) Communications Director Nicole Slevin with a check for $1,000 in celebration of their 100th Anniversary.

Anthony “Tony” Emmanuel Argiros died at his home in Hancock on Sunday. He moved with his wife, Betty, and their family to Hancock in 1976 and operated a Mongomery Wards Catalog Store for a few years before starting what would become their life’s work, The Family Foundation School. 

The book “Cutters to Motor Coaches: Pioneering Commercial Transportation in the Catskills” explores the evolution of commercial motorized transportation in rural Western Sullivan County, through the story of Frederick H. Duttweiler’s family business. The author is Michael Duttweiler, a career-long adult educator, who has a long-standing interest in local history. He was raised in Jeffersonville, and now lives with his family in Ithaca.