110 Years Ago -1911

From the Sullivan County Democrat, June 17, 1911, issue: Our popular girl Piano Contest is ended and Miss Mary Bretchel of Cochecton is the winner by an enormous majority. She garnered 454,000 points with the first runner-up, Annette Graeb­ner, getting 88,500. During the last day, Miss Brechtel turned in over $175. Miss Graebner won the silver tea set and Ruth Brown of Callicoon won a gold watch. The contest was a big success and our circulation is more than doubled as a result.

On Wednesday evening, the St. James Ladies Club held a porch social at the home of Mr. and Mrs. C.B. Starck on Prospect Heights, and a large number of people took advantage of the opportunity to attend such a distinctive social event. Refreshments and musical selections provided a most joyous outing.

Ambrose O’Neill, aged 35, a native of White Sulphur Springs, was drowned at Toro Point, Panama, May 30. The unfortunate man was a nephew of Lawrence and William H. McGrath of Livingston Manor. He had gone in bathing, was carried out by the undertow and the body was not recovered.

Thomas Tormey of Fosterdale left for New York on Saturday and will be married on Tuesday to Minnie Just of that city, formerly of Cochecton. They will make their home in Fosterdale on the Tormey homestead.

Myron E. Simons of Honesdale has been appointed United States Commissioner in Wayne County to take the place of E.C. Mumford, who refused some time ago.

100 Years Ago-1921

Effective July 1, the Callicoon Post Office will become a second class office due to the increasing volume of business. Postmaster Bergner has two assistants but will be allowed, under the new classification, a third during July, August and September.

Loretta May Menges of Youngsville and August Knack of White Sulphur Springs were married Saturday morning, June 18, at the chapel of St. Joseph’s College, Callicoon, in the presence of immediate relatives and friends.

With the commencement exercises last evening, following class night Monday evening and the baccalaureate sermon Sunday evening, the Callicoon High School closed for the year 1920-21. The class of eight was made up of Myrtle J. Simon, president; Mildred Buddenhagen, secretary; Valleau Curtis, treasurer; and Erma Mawdsley, Gladys Hauser, John Traynor, Lloyd Stengel and John Dering.

To creosote the 250,000 ties which it uses each year in construction along its lines, the O&W Railroad has established at Livingston Manor, a quarter-million dollar creosoting plant, now operating at full capacity.

Superintendent of Schools Charles S. Hick during the week conducted spelling contests in the various towns. Excepting Hortonville, the representatives were as follows; Upper Beechwoods, Helen Kautz; Kenoza Lake, Evelyn Steiner, Martha Marsco and Teresa Finerty; Petersburg, Evelyn Snetlage and Ethel Schmidt; Lower Beechwoods, Lisa Boettger and Mary Winnd; Callicoon, Mary Henke and Howard Hermann. Miss Henke and Miss Steiner were the winners and Helen Kautz and Teresa Finerty were selected as alternates. Winners will become contestants in the county contest held in Monticello at the time of the county fair. From there the winner will be awarded a trip to the state fair with all expenses paid. The next five ranking highest will be awarded medals. Mr. Hick has just been re-elected for a third term of five years as head of schools in the district. The position carries a salary of $1,800 a year and an expense allowance of $1,600 which does not cover that item.

On June 15, Miss Muriel Henry and Joshua Boucher were united in marriage by Rev. Mr. Reynolds at the Kenoza Lake parsonage. They were attended by the bride’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. F. Henry.

Chas. Dossenbach, the Callicoon baker, is this week completing the installation of another oven with a capacity of 500 loaves. At present he employs 7 hands and has agencies from Port Jervis to Susquehanna. He will then be able to bring 750 loaves of bread out every 45 minutes and 2,000 pounds of cake.

90 Years Ago -1931

Dr. George R. Mills announced on Wednesday that he had purchased the former Capt. Anderson property on Church St. from Peter Baum. Dr. Mills has been seeking a location for the hospital for some time and the Baum property will make an ideal one. Plans are not yet fully complete but it is confidently stated that within a year work will be started. This will be fully equipped with everything necessary for the proper conduct of a modem hospital.

The 23rd annual commencement of the Callicoon High School was held last evening with thirteen members of the graduating class receiving their diplomas.

Helen Gestel of Maspeth, L.I., and Harry Snyder of Callicoon were united in marriage on June 20. They have taken an apartment in the Orth building. Harry is an employee of Kautz Bros.

Russell Meyer, 13, of Long Eddy, won the Sullivan County spelling championship Friday. Ruben Ruderman of Wood­ridge High School placed second and Frances Persbacker of Callicoon was third. Both are fourteen.

Harold Alquist and Vincent Hoffmann are members of the 1931 graduating class of the Teachers Training Course State School of Agriculture in Delhi.

Mr. and Mrs. George K. Rosenberger of Callicoon have announced the engagement of their daughter, Mae, to Charles Irving Kratz, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kratz of the Beechwoods.

Miss Clara Banuat, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Banuat of North Branch, and Sam Herbert of Acidalia were united in marriage by Justice of the Peace R.A. Schrumpf on June 18.

Announcement was made yesterday that James Roche had purchased the Edwin C. Hermann garage business in Callicoon. Mr. Roche has been employed as a mechanic at the Hermann garage, and he states that he expects to conduct a general garage business with expert repairing a feature.

80 Years Ago -1941

At the Callicoon Hospital it was a boy, June 20, for Mr. and Mrs. Frank Fulton of Kenoza Lake; a boy, June 21, to Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Bauernfeind of the Beechwoods.

Seven graduated from Holy Cross School June 22. They were: Margaret Freda, Frances Geiselmann, Richard Hoffmann, Elizabeth Horvath, Vincent Schmidt, Dorothy Stark­weather and Doris Wachter.

Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Canfield of Damascus celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary on June 21. Their grandson, William Gregg and his wife, celebrated their 4th anniversary on the same day.

Walter W. Plain has been named postmaster at Tyler Hill, PA.

The local Delaware Valley Central School baseball team has been named co-champions with Roscoe Central School, both teams losing only one game.

The excavation for the Callicoon bowling alley building has been completed and footings for the concrete foundation walls are now being poured.

Miss Margaret Kirk, formerly of Narrowsburg, now of New York City, and James C. Edwards of the same city, will be married June 28.

The Delaware Valley Express took 12 truckloads, mostly groceries out of the metropolis in one day over the weekend. Delivieries are made mostly at Boy Scout camps and summer hotels in Sullivan and Wayne counties. Joe Schmidt and John Leewee will continue to run their newly acquired egg route under the name of Schmidt’s Express. The Delaware Valley Express will not handle the trunks for the camps this summer as they are too busy with their other cartage.

Square dances every Wednesday night, beginning June 25, at Fisher’s in Hortonville. Wagner’s Orchestra. Admission free.

70 Years Ago -1951

At the Callicoon Hospital it was a boy Tuesday for Mr. and Mrs. Roland Oed of Jeffersonville; a daughter, Tuesday, to Mr. and Mrs. Edward White of Narrowsburg; a daughter, Friday, for Mr. and Mrs. Rupert West of Roscoe; and a son, Thursday, for Mr. and Mrs. Norman Simpson of Jeffersonville.

The sportingest harness horse race meeting along the Grand Circuit will open in Goshen Monday for five days at Historic Track, America’s oldest trotting oval.

Dr. and Mrs. J.C. Gain of Jeffersonville celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary last week.

Several local folks attended the Polish Night at the Valley View House in Kenoza Lake, the former Anthony Heidt farm. The Polish W.A.F. Youth Circle put on the folk dances under the direction of Miss Frances Nesolowski of New York City. Dancers were in the colorful costume of their country and it was enjoyed by all who attended.

Thomas Manouse spent the past weekend at the Caughnawaga Indian Reservation in Quebec, Canada, where he attended an Indian wedding ceremony. Tom accompanied Angus Paul, an Indian who is one of the steelworkers on the Cochecton bridge.

Closing of the old Stone Arch Bridge on the Kenoza Lake Road down Callicoon Creek from Jeffersonville brought back many memories to George N. Hembdt Sr. of Monticello. He recalled that his father, Philip, a carpenter and his uncle, Henry, a mason, built the structure some sixty-five years ago. Mr. Hembdt was waterboy on the project. The Hembdts received $3,000 for building the bridge. They worked twelve hours a day, from six o’clock in the morning. It took a whole summer to do the work. The two arches were constructed by first placing a wooden arch which was strongly braced, Mr. Hembdt said. The stones — on edge — were laid up from the ends with a “key stone” at the top of the arch in the center. The bridge, some sixteen feet wide, is too narrow for modern traffic. It has been replaced by a modern steel and concrete structure a short distance down the brook.

60 Years Ago - 1961

Miss Clare Long, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John J. Long of Callicoon, received her cap at the annual capping ceremonies at the nurses’ residence of the Cortland Memorial Hospital on June 18 as a practical nurse. She completed four months of preclinical training at Morrisville and will spend the next seven months completing her clinical experience at Cortland Memorial Hospital.

Edson J. Tegeler, Jeffersonville insurance broker, has been named to membership in the National Life Insurance Company’s President’s Club for outstanding service and client-service records. Mr. Tegeler is associated with the Binghamton general agency which is headed by Mr. R. Clint Meadows. Mr. Meadows is a former Roscoe resident and well known in the county.

The Paul Furks of Lake Huntington have named their infant daughter, Joan Lee. She was born June 7.

Ruth Ann Fulton of Kenoza Lake was guest of honor at a bridal shower Friday evening at the First Presbyterian Church auditorium in Jeffersonville.

Miss Barbara Kratz, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Irving Kratz, became the June 17 bride of Gerald Griffin in a ceremony performed at the First Presbyterian Church in Jeffersonville.

At the A&P — Smoked picnics, 6 to 8 lb. avg., 29¢ lb.; California sweet, juicv oranges, 3 doz. $1; sliced bacon 2 lb. 89¢; and delicious Spanish Bar, 29¢ each.

A fire threatened Wylie’s Restaurant in Lake Huntington for a time on Saturday evening. Swift arrival of the firemen and their efficient handling of the situation kept the damage to four rooms.

Twenty-nine members of the Muth family met June 25 at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Freidenstine in Fremont Center. A turkey dinner was served.

In recognition of an outstanding sales performance during Pontiac Motor Division’s recent “King Pin Sales Campaign,” Roche’s Garage in Callicoon has been awarded the Knudsen trophy.

The engagement of Lavadia Garrison to Frederick George Theadore, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Theadore of River Road, Callicoon, has been announced.

50 Years Ago -1971

Miss Lynn Ropke and Glen Wachter of Callicoon were united in marriage on June 12 at Holy Cross Church in Callicoon.

Elaine Neer, 5th grade student in Jeffersonville-Youngs­ville Central school holds the unusual perfect attendance record of never having missed a day of school since she started in kindergarten. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Neer of Callicoon Center.

Mr. and Mrs. Sam Herbert of North Branch celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary…Mr. and Mrs. Claude Wahl also celebrated their 40th anniversary.

Miss Pauline Meisinger was guest of honor at a surprise bridal shower at the Tumble Inn in Callicoon Center on Wednesday evening with about 50 guests attending. She will become the bride of George S. Kent on July 10.

A surprise Golden Wedding Anniversary party was given to Mr. and Mrs. George Hecker Sr. on Saturday.

The John Harris Doll Club of Harrisburg, PA., has announced that the internationally known doll artist Bernard Revca of Jeffersonville and Livingston Manor, and his wife, Frances, will be the guests of honor at the club’s June 25 and 26 show at Pomeroys at Lamp Hill, PA. Hundreds of his dolls will be on display at the sale.

Mr. and Mrs. Walter Baumgardt of Syracuse became the parents of a baby girl, Heather Lynn on June 20.

Miss JoAnne Lindsley of Jeffersonville became the bride of Ensign Leonard Scullion of North Branch on Saturday, June 26, at St. George’s R.C. Church in Jeffersonville.

40 Years Ago - 1981

A record crowd is expected this weekend at the annual July 4th celebration in Narrowsburg. In the past 1500 people have been served chicken barbecue in less than 3 hours proving the efficiency of the people in charge of the affair.

Harold C. Bush received a silver certificate and a pin from Postmaster Donald Krantz commemorating his 25 years service to the federal government. He is the RD 2 rural mail delivery man.

A son, Devin Donald, was born May 19 to Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Day of White Sulphur Springs…Vye Townsend, Betty Brown and Eleanor Grant were recipients of 20-year membership pins at the 11th annual dinner of the Nightlighters Home Extension Unit of White Sulphur Springs, held at the Lone Pine Restaurant in Callicoon Center.

Graduation ceremonies this week in all Sullivan County schools were featured in this issue of the Democrat. There were 55 graduates from Delaware Valley; East Ridge graduated 1. Eldred presented diplomas to 48 graduates; Fallsburg had 87 graduates. Jeffersonville graduated 78 and Honesdale, PA., had 279. In Liberty, 128 received the coveted paper with Livingston Manor sending 43 seniors into the world to make their mark. There were 234 in Monticello, 31 in Narrowsburg, 32 in Roscoe, and 73 in Tri-Valley.

Wilda Priebe of North Branch has been named postmistress at that small Sullivan County hamlet. She succeeds her sister, Mae Poley, who had taken the reins over upon the retirement of their mother, Amanda Stewart.

Plans are underway for the 150th anniversary celebration of the Borough of Honesdale, PA., which will be held July 16-19. A circus will be sponsored by the Honesdale Knights of Columbus to start off the event. The kick-off party will be held in Central Park.

30 Years Ago - 1991

After 35 years of being in charge of the fish hatchery at DeBruce, Charlie Fontana has retired. The hatchery is sponsored by the Department of Environmental Conservation.

J. William and Mavis Gager of Galilee, PA., celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on May 5 at the Unity Grange Hall in that village. They were married May 3, 1941 at the home of her parents, the late Mr. and Mrs. Ernis White…Carolyn and Winfield Barley of Liberty were honored on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary with a gathering at the Eldred Preserve. He is retired from the Livingston Manor Lumber Co. office in Liberty. They were married at the Liberty Methodist Church on May 3, 1941…Rose and Gustav Strang of Monticello celebrated their 40th anniversary at a gathering which was hosted by their children. They were married May 20, 1951, in St. Joan of Arc Church in the Bronx.

Ronald Klein of White Sulphur Springs was feted on the occasion of his 50th birthday, at a party hosted by his wife, Maureen. More than 150 guests enjoyed the festivities.

Railroad officials expect to have the tracks cleared and trains running again today after a 35-car derailment Wednesday. Containers carrying clothes, dry goods, fasteners and camping gear were on the last leg of a 2,500 mile journey from a West Coast port when the cars in the center of the train jumped the track at about 3:15 a.m. Wednesday morning. Several years ago, derailments on the old Erie Railroad line were common. Since Conrail has taken them over, however, derailments have been rare.

Noah and Elisa Leifer have opened Indigo Stables in Kenoza Lake, a dream he has had since his family started coming to the mountains 30 years ago. The Leifers celebrated their 3rd wedding anniversary in a very different way. Riding horseback through the countryside, they decided to buy the old Clifford place and since last February have been on the trail almost every day. Indigo Stables got its name from the fact that they both were blues musicians, she on the electric violin and he on the harmonica.

Carousel Amusement Park in Beach Lake, PA., will celebrate their 25th anniversary this week, June 26-28, with free balloons for the kids and free baseball caps to the first 50 customers. The water slide will be free for the three days. The park is owned by Dolores, Ron, Tom and Cosmo DePasquale.

Richard Cina, a chef at the Villa Roma for 16 years, has been named employee of the month at that establishment.

20 Years Ago - 2001

Six thousand NYSEG customers from Narrowsburg through Lake Huntington into Bethel and White Lake were without power Wednesday night after a severe thunderstorm criss-crossed Sullivan County at about 5 p.m., downing trees and causing damage to residences in its path.

There  are 22 existing exits [on Route 17] in Sullivan County, covering approximately 45-50 miles of roadway, starting in Roscoe and ending in Bloomingburg.

Married fifty years ago on May 12, 1951 at the Liberty Methodist Church, Ethel (Cindy) Ernst and Robert F. Budd attended a 50th anniversary dinner with the immediate family at the School House restaurant in Downsville. The Budds have two daughters, Barbara Auclair and Linda DeCarlo, five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Callicoon Center Band director Jim Newton is getting the band members ready for their weekly performances which will begin this coming Wednesday and continue through Labor Day. Concerts are held at the band’s pavilion on County Route 123 and are free.

10 Years Ago - 2011

Seventeen-year old Tri-Valley Central School Junior Ariana Kaminski has won the Teen division at the 2011 finals of the International Prince & Princess Pageant held at the Marriott Hotel in Stamford, CT, April 16-17. Kaminski beat out about a dozen other contestants to earn the Miss Teen International Princess 2011 crown, the first national title she has garnered.

With a 7-4 victory over the visiting Liberty Lady Indians at Edward M. Collins Memorial Park in Mongaup Valley, the Monticello Lady Panthers earned their first win of the softball season. The win was also Monticello’s first since the 2009 season. The Lady Panthers ended the lengthy losing streak with good pitching and defense and some timely hits.

The Sullivan Striders Running & Walking Club has brought the Interclub Challenge Cup trophy back home to Sullivan County. In April, the Sullivan Striders, Orange Runners Club and Rockland Road Runners met for the 10th annual Interclub Challenge at Thomas Bull Memorial Park in Montgomery. When all the times and point totals were tallied, the Sullivan Striders won the trophy with 290 total points.