110 Years Ago - 1912

John E. Baldwin died Sunday in his 68th year. He was one of the old pioneers of the county and years ago lumbered and rafted it along the Delaware. He began steering rafts when a boy of 18 and was considered one of the most expert helmsmen working the river.

E.G. Watson of the Moller Organ Co., Hagerstown, Md., is erecting the new pipe organ at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Honesdale, Pa. It will take about 10 days to complete the work. 

Frank and Eugene Rosenberger have bought the John Rieber farm at Falls Mills from Mr. and Mrs. Frank Agnew for $2,000.

Ezra Selleck of Jeffersonville made a trip to Shandelee Pond one day last week and caught 80 pickerel through the ice.

The recent outbreak of smallpox in Hancock seems to have spent its force as not one new case has been reported for more than three weeks. The schools reopened Monday. The Cadosia and Claryville schools will reopen next Monday, December 23.

One hundred sixty people were vaccinated in Long Eddy during the recent smallpox scare. Last week, Dr. Kemp of Callicoon, health officer for the Town of Fremont, removed the quarantine.

100 Years Ago - 1922

Miss Margaret Maus of Tennanah Lake and Fred Reichman of Acidalia were married by Rev. Straub at the Callicoon Center parsonage on December 16.

Twenty-six new houses completed or under construction  are the result of the building boom that was launched in Liberty this summer. The development is on what is known as Anawanda Hill; one of the most sightly locations in the village.

A daughter, Alma Jean, was born December 1 to Mr. and Mrs. Fred Rivenberg of Equinunk, Pa.

That the toll bridge spanning the Delaware at Shohola and Barryville will be freed before Christmas is the belief of those most familiar with the developments. Monday the deeds were filed in Sullivan and Pike counties by the states.

90 Years Ago - 1932

Bids were opened at Albany yesterday afternoon for the contract for the construction for the viaduct for Route 3-A at Callicoon. Low bidder was Bursin Engineering Corp. of New York, $130,392. The span will be 1,055 feet long and 70 feet high to be completed by December 1933. The broadway is 20 feet wide with walks on either side. Through the courtesy of H.C. Persbacker of the Hermann Lumber Company, we are able to present the following statistics regarding the new bridge: 40 carloads of cement, 32,000 bags will be used in the piers and roadbed, 251 tons of reinforcing steel will be placed in the concrete to give the structure added strength and the structural steel will be approximately 500 tons in weight as each of the seven foot girders is estimated to weigh about 30 tons; 6,300 yards of sand and gravel will be used in the concrete and 300 yards of stone are specified for fill near the base of the piers. About 3 carloads of piling will be required for the foundations. Work on the bridge will be started immediately.

Arrangements have now been completed and today New York State is taking title to the lands necessary for the new state prison at Woodbourne. Included in the construction will be administration building, two cell blocks, two recreation buildings, dormitory building, hospital building for forty-two beds, mess hall, auditorium and school building, power house, kitchen, laundry and storage building. About 300 acres of the John Eidel farm, 12 acres of the Kohan property, sixty acres of the Ben Clark farm and about 100 acres of the Kessther property are involved.

The Delaware River has been frozen over for the past ten days. the coldest weather registered in Callicoon was 14 degrees below.

Miss Alice, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Rauner of Stalker, Pa., and Robert, son of Mr. and Mrs.. w.D. Adams of Stalker, Pa., were united in marriage at the Honesdale Methodist parsonage on December 10.

A variety shower was tendered Miss Dorothy Graebner at the home of Mr. and Mrs. J.V. Hunt Wednesday evening. She will be married to William Schenkar on Christmas Day.

Philip Knack of Callicoon has purchased the former Adelaide Anderson house near the hospital from Frank M. Anderson of Monticello.

Two Narrowsburg hunters, Richard Behling and Emil Oellrich last week shot a wildcat which weighed 35 pounds.

80 Years Ago - 1942

Monticello’s most disastrous fire in 23 years caused the destruction of the Republican Watchman building and the virtual loss of the adjoining K of C building on Broadway Sunday night. Loss may exceed $200,000. The Watchman building contained four stores, two apartments, county office of the U.S. Employment Service and office of the Sullivan County Democratic committee. Virtually nothing was saved. Firemen were called in from Middletown, Liberty and South Fallsburg.

Fire destroyed the Honesdale supermarket of the Great A & P Tea Co. shortly after midnight Tuesday morning, December 15, entailing heavy loss. The store was heavily stocked in anticipation of the holiday trade.

Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Schumacher are the parents of a baby boy born Tuesday, December 15, at the Callicoon Hospital.

The Thomas Keery Company of  Hancock is making about 12,000 pounds of formaldehyde a day, using synthetic methanol shipped in from different chemical manufacturers. It is used in the production of stainless steel for which there is a widening demand.

Mrs. Charles Meyer and infant son, Robert, who was born at the Roscoe Hospital November 25, returned to their Fremont home recently.

News of our servicemen: Pvt. Clarence Roesner is reported to be in the Solomon Islands… PFC Carl Rohrman, stationed in Hawaii, writes that he misses the ice and snow… 2nd Lt. Christina Eschenberg is stationed with the American forces in northwest Africa. Her brother, Machinist Mate 1/C John Eschenberg, is aboard the U.S.S. Capella, a transport, present whereabouts unknown. He has been in the Navy 3 1/2 years.… Chandler Keller is driving an ambulance and is in Syria with the American Field Service. He is billeted with English troops. He is the son of County Rationing Administrator and Mrs. O.E. Keller… Howard Korth of Callicoon Center, Charles I. Kohl of Jeffersonville and Irving J. Eagle of Liberty have completed mechanics courses at Kessler Field, Mississippi.

70 Years Ago - 1952

Considerable damaged was done to roads and bridges in the Delaware Valley last Thursday following a torrential rain. 

At the Callicoon Hospital, a son to Mr. and Mrs. Harold Bjorklund on Friday; a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. George Foster of Barryville, Sunday; a son to Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Miller of Callicoon on Tuesday; a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Chester Oset of Yulan on Wednesday.

PFC Donald Tyler, son of Mr. and Mrs. Watson Tyler of Damascus,  has been selected as “Soldier of the Week” at his military post in Kaizerlautern, West Germany.

Janet Rosenberger of Hortonville is a member of the 96-piece marching band at Ithaca College.

John V. Taylor Jr., son of the late editor and publisher of the Bulletin-Sentinel at Monticello, and Rubin J. Katz of Glen Wild, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Katz, today announced the incorporation of the Bulletin-Sentinel. At  the same time they announced the purchase of the Crum Press of Bridgeville.

60 Years Ago - 1962

Announcement has been made of the engagement of Miss Helen Scardefield and Malcolm Back Jr., both of Jeffersonville.

Winners in the annual Sullivan County American Legion oratorical contest Saturday at Monticello were Dominic Rolla of St. Joseph’s Seminary, Callicoon, first; Miss Jane Willis of Jeffersonville-Youngsville Central School, second place; and Mitchel Ross of Monticello Central School, third. Ray Weber of Eldred and Helen Acosta of Liberty Central School were given and honorable mention.

Jerald Green and his wife, Mary  Sue, have taken over the Joyner Store at White Sulphur Springs.

Sam Gould, a court stenographer, is working his last term of Supreme Court in the Third Judicial District. He resides with his wife at 4 Hammond St., Monticello.

William C. Fuhrer of Kenoza Lake had the pleasure of receiving his life membership card at the last meeting of the Port Jervis Elks Lodge No. 645.

Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Kolbe became the parents of a daughter, Kathy Ann, born December 14.

Mrs. Siegfried Kelting of Hankins was guest of honor at a stork shower at her home Saturday evening. Mrs. Allen Kraft was hostess with about 13 attending.

50 Years Ago - 1972

Stanley Lipkowitz, Jeffrey Goldner and Matthew Bessen led all county students in the 1973 Regents exams whose results were announced this week. They are students at Liberty High which swept the field with 21 of the 60 scholarships awarded the county, and also had 3 of the 20 alternates.

Mrs. Eleanor C. Knack was elected vice president of the New York DIrectors Association. Mrs. Knack is Project Director of Neighborhood Youth Corps of Sullivan County.

Mr. and Mrs. Louis Rende of Beacon announce the engagement of her daughter, Romona Marie Eutermarks, to John J. Hubert, son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Hubert of Hankins. An April 14 wedding is planned.

It was a baby girl, Melanie, December 8, to Mr. and Mrs. Richard Hyzer of Livingston Manor; a boy, December 11, to Mr. and Mrs. Rudolf Hoering of Jeffersonville, both at the Liberty-Loomis Hospital.

Cochecton Supervisor Carl Grund of Cochecton Center was elected as second vice chairman of the Tock’s Island Regional Advisory Council on Saturday.

The Delaware & Hudson Railway Co. has received a theme portrait for its upcoming sesquicentennial celebration from well-known artist and historian Manville B. Wakefield of Grahamsville. Contrasting the old and the new, the Wakefield portrait shows a coal boat being towed down the old D & H Canal and a modern D & H diesel elected locomotive pulling a contemporary freight train.

40 Years Ago - 1982

Between 100 and 125 firefighters were on the scene of a fire which completed destroyed the Great H Mart, located in the Route 5 Shopping Mall in Honesdale that began at approximately 11:25 p.m. on Wednesday night. It took more than 14 hours to contain the blaze. “It was a very hot fire and couple of the firefighter suffered minor burns – more like steam burns – from the intense heat,” according to Assistant Chief Dan Ross of the White Mills Fire Department. Other units  at the scene included Seelyville, Beach Lake, Hawley and Hose Company #1 and Alert Company #2 of the Honesdale Fire Department.

Werner Huhn, gifted artist and enthusiastic participant in vital community activities, died Saturday, December 12, 1982, at the age of 67. He was president of the Catskill Art Society. An artist with a camera, the famous Broadway photographer was dedicated to preserving and promoting all arts forms… Charles Sundstrom, a lieutenant in the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department, died Friday, December 17. He was 69 years of age and well respected by his co-workers.

The Delaware Eagles, off to their best start in many years with a 5-0 record, defeated a tough Beacon team Monday evening, 52-44, to win the New Paltz Tournament. This tournament victory was the second for the Eagle squad, having also won the Delaware Valley, Pa., tournament earlier in December.

Holiday Mountain Ski Area opened six slopes for the 25th winter season Saturday. About 450 skiers came to try out the slopes of the Town of Thompson ski center.

Coke may be billed as “The Real Thing” but guzzling down a bottle of Pepsi Cola pays better. Margaret Milano, 26, of Woodbourne, opened a 16 oz. bottle of Pepsi Cola and discovered to her surprise and elation, the bottlecap on her soft drink had netted her $500. When asked what her good fortune would do for her, she said, “Buy Christmas presents.”

30 Years Ago - 1992

Wendy Power and Gary Spielmann of Kinderhook were married on October 10 in Spencertown. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Karl Spielmann of Youngsville.

Mr. and Mrs. Karl “Toddy” Friedman of Margate, Fla., former residents of Monticello, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a surprise dinner for 50 guests at the Sheraton Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., hosted by their children and their spouses. He is the former owner of Sullivan County Iron Works in Monticello… Raymond and Nancy Stadtmuller of Monticello celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on November 28 by renewing their wedding vows in front of their four children, other family members and friends, at their home. Their first grandchild, Kenneth H. Rogers Jr. was born the following day.

Linda and Douglas Immoor of Youngsville have announced the engagement of their daughter, Tracy Lynn, to Larry Krug Jr., son of Diana and Lawrence M. Krug of Troy, Pa. An April 24, 1993, wedding is planned.

Jessica Gill was named Most Valuable Player of the SCCC Basketball Tournament in which her team, the Eldred Yellowjackets, beat S.S. Seward 41-34.

Even though no church is located on the property of the former St. Joseph’s Seminary in Callicoon, weddings still take place there. Barbara Newton, formerly of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, and Cory Roberson of the Bronx, both students at the Delaware Valley Job Corps Center, exchanged wedding vows at the Center on October 17 with the Rev. Paul Rothberg of the Hankins Assembly of God Church presiding.

20 years ago - 2002

Roscoe resident and well-known county figure Raymond Pomeroy died Thursday in his hometown at the age of 85. Pomeroy was an original member of the Sullivan County Planning Board and a former member of both the Sullivan County and Town of Rockland Democratic committees. He is survived by his wife, Ruth, three children and numerous in-laws, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. 

Luminaria set up Christmas Eve throughout the county ought to lead Santa on his way through the countryside this year. The lights have been a tradition for 20 years.

Every Sunday, the Voices of the Prodigal Sons, a group of inmates at Sullivan Correctional Facility in Fallsburg, sing praises about the Lord and salvation through contemporary gospel music. The 12-member choir is composed of hardcore inmates, who collectively have been sentenced to more than 250 years behind bars.

Dolores Conklin of Glen Spey, a sophomore biology major at Keuka College, will work at the Seneca Nation Reservation’s Health Center in Salamanca, where she will be involved with the day-to-day operation of each department of the health center, and go on home visits with the nursing staff. 

Minh N. Huynh, daughter of Khanh and Yen Huynh of WilkesBarre, Pa., and Robert P. Hubert, son of James and Bonnie Hubert of Jeffersonville, were united in marriage on June 15, 2002 in Laflin, Pa.

BIRTHS: A girl, Chloe Elizabeth, was born November 28, 2002 to Candy and Robert Huggler of Liberty… A boy, James Bradley, was born December 2, 2002, to Marjorie and Adam Linko of Rockland… A girl, Victoria Lynn, was born December 4, 2002, to Laureen and Allan Clearwater of Wurtsboro… A boy, Xander Robert, was born December 5, 2002, to Shannon and Lance Kip of Liberty.

10 years ago - 2012

On Christmas Eve a thief or thieves raided a church rectory – and stole several thousand dollars in cash and gifts.According to State Police, Father Bill Scully was delivering his sermon during Midnight Mass at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Narrowsburg when the parish house that serves as his residence was broken into. Police and Father Scully believe the burglar(s) kicked in the back door of the rectory located next to the church, and pilfered everything of significant value they could find. 

Memories of winters past came flooding back to Sullivan County’s inhabitants yesterday as a snowstorm brought 4-8 inches across the region, including Callicoon.Sleet and freezing rain compacted the snow somewhat, but official National Weather Service reports indicate Sullivan County received an average of half a foot of snow from Wednesday night into Thursday morning.

DEATHS: Anna J. Theadore, 91 of Callicoon, died Friday, December 21, 2012... David Proyect of Woodridge passed away peacefully in Florida. He was 92... Raymond E. Collins of Woodridge passed away on Thursday, December 20, 2012 at age 88... Sherman Robert Ehrich of Ellenville died Wednesday, December 26, 2012 at age 89.

The boys’ basketball game between rivals Sullivan West and Liberty last Friday night was appropriately relegated to a supporting role. The main event was a heartwarming and thoughtful show of respect for the 26 children and educators who lost their lives in the mass shooting at Newtown, Connecticut’s Sandy Hook Elementary School. In addition to a somber 26-second moment of silence observed before tip-off, the two schools asked all attendees to wear green and white – the school colors of Sandy Hook. Normally one of the more hotly-contested rivalries in Section IX with fan sections dominated by Carolina blue for Sullivan West and scarlet red for Liberty, it was a sea of green and white Friday night as fans and administrators alike paid homage to the victims and families affected by the tragedy.