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Down the Decades

January 24, 2023 Edition

Compiled by Lee Hermann, Muse, & Ruth Huggler
Posted 1/24/23

150 Years Ago - 1873

Charley Quick, that model hunter, has shot 43 foxes this winter. With the aid of a welltrained dog, a good gun and a Quick ear, he has proven himself a terror to the fox …

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Down the Decades

January 24, 2023 Edition

Posted

150 Years Ago - 1873

Charley Quick, that model hunter, has shot 43 foxes this winter. With the aid of a welltrained dog, a good gun and a Quick ear, he has proven himself a terror to the fox tribe.

Wurtsboro was the first district school in Sullivan in which a teacher got $20 a month for his services and that teacher was John H. Divine.

Arthur P. Bird, editor of the Record was robbed of $12 by a sneak thief. The comments of two of the contemporary weeklies seem to wonder how an editor could possibly have so much money.

Gay times for travelers bound to Thomasville. Drifts 12 feet high.

George Wind has purchased the building which was formerly used as an office of A. Clark & Co.

140 Years Ago - 1883

J.L. Sherwood had about 1700 feet of tin roofing put on his house. Wm. Grishaber did the work. That kind of roofing is becoming very popular with those who wish good roofs.

Wanted: a boy to learn the harness maker’s trade. Inquire of the undersigned. Shop in the Record building, Jeffersonville. C.L. Pendell.

On the farm of Samuel McCoach is a strange specimen of rock, the puzzle of geologists, compounded of zinc, vitrol and lime and supposed to be a good fertilizer.

The G.A.R. Posts are now in this county. A charter has been granted for a post G.A.R. No. 374, at Fremont Center. Wm. W. Purvis, commander of Post 347 has been detailed to muster the new post.

A new industry, which is deserving of note, has been started by Wm. Hardenburgh at his place above Youngsville. We shall soon try and get the particulars. He proposes to buy eggs through the summer and keep them by a new process until autumn and winter in as good condition as when received.

130 Years Ago - 1893

The Record had correspondents in the following places: Bethel, Fallsburg, Liberty, Liberty Falls [Ferndale], Hurleyville, White Sulphur Springs, Cochecton Center, Monticello, Narrowsburg, Parksville, Beaverkill and Fremont Center.

J.P. Wood of Philadelphia, Pa., who within the past couple of years has transformed Round Pond, near Roscoe, and the surrounding land into a magnificent summer resort and named it Lakewood, was in Jeffersonville Friday. Mr. Wood who is interested in the manufacture of sugar barrels in the Quaker City, has spent a large amount of money in building a large house, several cottages, etc., at Lake Wood and contemplates making many more improvements.

Olver Hofer has sold the Jeffersonville Bottling Works to George Yager and John VonBergen, both young men of this place, who took possession Tuesday.

Andrew Simon of Philadelphia is spending a few days with his uncle, John Beck.

Bethel Grange No. 292 installed the following officers: Master George W. Waddell, Overseer Nathan Smith, Lecturer Schuyler Duryea, Chaplain A.F. Libolt and D.C. Knapp, Secretary Annie S. Colwell, Steward, H.A. Hendrix, Assistant J.J. Bradley and Purchasing Agent, J.P. Royce.

W.R. Denman and F.D. Russell of Ellenville were in Liberty Friday looking around to see what could be done in regard to lighting the village with electricity. They propose to put in 20 arc lights at $50 each which will cost the citizens of Liberty $1,000 per year for street lights.

120 Years Ago - 1903

The creamery and real estate of the Bethel Elgin Creamery Co. will be sold at public auction February 10th.

Representatives of the Elgin Creamery Assoc. have secured subscribers enough among the farmers and businessmen of the Town of Fremont to establish a cooperative creamery there to cost $4,000.

A piece of land opposite the residence of W.F. Grimm in the village of Fremont Center has been bought by Dr. A.J. Smith for the creamery building, which will be erected at once.

Valentine Wolf, an old resident of Callicoon, died January 22. He was born in Immelhord, Saxony, Germany, in 1827 and came to America in 1853. In 1866 he married Christina Ranft and they were blessed with six children. He was prominent in the Dutch Reformed Church and for many years its sexton. He was also superintendent of St. Paul’s Sunday School.

Ralph L. Marks, publisher of the Callicoon Democrat, who went to California about two weeks for his health, returned home on Tuesday night.

The annual meeting of the German Presbyterian Church was held Monday afternoon and the old officers were re-elected. The question of repairing the parsonage or building a new one was taken up and discussed. In its present condition the building is said to be unfit to live in and Pastor Blaschke has taken up his abode at the Hofer residence in Jeffersonville. Wm. Kohler, Charles Wilfert and Wm. Bollenbach were appointed a committee to look into the matter and see what is best to be done. Mr. Kohler gives the opinion that it would cost $500 to repair the old building. A new structure could be erected at an outlay of $800. A new parsonage is needed to keep in line with the order of improvement in our thriving village and would probably be cheaper in the end.

110 Years Ago - 1913

M.F. Ernst, who bought the store business of W.J. Grishaber on Maple Ave., Jeffersonville, takes possession on February 1 and is moving his household goods to the room over the store occupied by C.G. Yager who will store his goods and live with his father-in-law, J.A. Reyman, until his new house is completed on Center St., ground for which has been broken this week. Mr. Grishaber has begun the work of tearing down and remodeling the Royce house on Maple Ave.

Dan Rose, a young man near Youngsville, shot a large American eagle at his home one day last October and exhibited the bird with considerable pride, not aware that it was against the law to shoot an eagle at any time. It was not until recently that Game Protector Cross of Liberty got word of the incident and last week Rose was brought before Justice Bruetsch of Youngsville and fined $10 and costs. Had he fought the case and been convicted, the fine would have been about $50.

The 35th annual ball of the Sullivan County Social Club will be held at Palm Garden, 58th St. between Third and Lexington Aves., New York, on Wednesday, February 26, 1913. Music by Prof. Lemlein’s Hippodrome Orchestra. This is the great event that all Sullivan County people and their friends are waiting and watching for.

George Washington Maybe, teacher, soldier, editor and justice, died at his home in Narrowsburg on January  15. Mr. Maybe was born in the town of Liberty June 27, 1842, and became a school teacher at Youngsville, Jeffersonville and Calicoon Center. While at the latter place in 1878 he joined the Callicoon Lodge of Free Masons which later moved to Jeffersonville. In 1861, Mr. Maybe enlisted in Major John Walker’s Company H of the 28th Regiment of New York Volunteers in the Civil War. He was wounded in the left wrist and discharged from further service.

In 1881, Mr. Maybe bought the Sullivan County Record of John Beck and after running the newspaper three years, part of the time with Martin J. Weyrauch as a partner, he sold out his interest to Weyrauch and settled in Narrowsburg.

A government meat inspector was at Cochecton Saturday looking for bob veal calves into the New York market. The law requires all veal calves to be four weeks old and weigh at least 45 pounds.

100 Years Ago - 1923

Joseph Merritt of Goshen has been appointed to hear and determine the action brought against the Callicoon Cooperative Creamery Assoc. by former patrons of Kenoza Lake and Jeffersonville. The suit involves about $40,000 which is claimed to be due the patrons.

Henry F. Gardner and Wm. Deckelman are the attorneys for the plaintiffs. The defendants are represented by Guernsey T. Cross of Callicoon, Judge George H. Smith of Monticello and Ellsworth Baker of Hurleyville.

Two of the three big barns with the contents which included 32 head of Holstein cattle, the herd sire, all registered; also four horses and a large quantity of feed, hay and straw, burned last Saturday night at Tyler Hill, Pa.

Jacob Maslow was surprised to learn that he had been sued and a judgment of $24,690.15 was filed in the Sullivan County Clerk’s office against him for a breach of contract. Mr. Maslow says he was never served with papers of any kind and had never heard of the action until the papers were filed at Monticello.

Harry Schuler, who recently sold his trucking business and mail route to Peter and Charlie Schmidt, is now negotiating for the purchase of Tumble Inn at Callicoon Center. This was formerly owned by Steinhauser and was bought a couple of years ago by Morris Keichgott who came from White Lake.

Frank S. Anderson, who practiced law in Sullivan County a dozen years ago, and is now city attorney in Galveston, Texas, has been absolved from charges by his wife seeking to disbar him.

90 Years Ago - 1933

Decker Chaffee won the law suit against him brought by Curtis, Francis and Harold Summerson for alleged damages resulting from an auto accident. Curtis Summerson is the father of Francis and Harold. They sued for $70,000. A son of Curtis Summerson, Donald, was killed in the accident. The jury brought in a no cause of action.

Rev. Bernhard Bohrer, former Lutheran pastor here and who since retiring from the pastorate of the Johnson City Church on November 1, 1931, has been living with his father-in-law, Charles Schmidt, will assume the pastorate of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church at Greenport on Long Island, with a population of about 4,000.

Shop at Buddenhagen’s Market: Leg of lamb, 20¢ lb.; pork loins, rib end, 8¢ lb.; chuck roast, 18¢ lb.; plate beef, 10¢ lb.; fish, haddock, half pound package, 9¢; oysters, pint cans, 30¢.

80 Years Ago - 1943

Herbert Grishaber moved his family to a furnished apartment at 20 Conklin Ave., Binghamton, on Sunday, leaving his home here vacant.

A daughter, their first child, was born January 21, at Horton Hospital in Middletown, to Mr. and Mrs. George Loderhose of that city. The mother is the former Berma Hones of Roscoe.

Mrs. Olive H. Erdman inherited $2,500 from her cousin, Miss Edith Hodge. She also received some jewelry and other personal valuables. Miss Hodge was a daughter of Louise Hofer, a daughter of the late Victor Hofer Sr. and Rev. Munson Hodge, a Universalist minister and also a graduate physician. She was born in Danbury, Conn.

Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Sedletsky of Swan Lake, announce the engagement of their daughter, Tillie, to Sgt. Albert Libitsky, at present stationed at Fort Sill, Okla. Miss Sedletsky is employed by the John Hancock Life Ins. Co., New York City.

There will be no balls or dances celebrating the president’s birthday in aid of the fight against infantile paralysis in Sullivan County this year because of the shortage of gas, oil and rubber.

A large truckload of wire baskets, used in the war commissary department, was shipped from the Public Service Garage, Jeff, on Monday. The garage makes them through contract with a large war contractor down in New Jersey.

70 Years Ago - 1953

An old landmark in Kohlertown will disappear. It is the former home of Mr. and Mrs. Edward F. Kohler and was built by them many years ago. The house stands on a lot between the garage of August Lott and that of Earl Kohler and was recently bought by Mr. Kohler from Joseph Beiling.

Frederick W.F. Schadt of Jeffersonville will conduct an adult education program, sponsored by the Jeffersonville Central School, on “Law Everybody Should Know.” A series of lectures, the course will begin January 28.

Henry Schaefer boasts of an unusual feat – he erected his new house in two days. This new house is on the land he bought of his aunt, Mrs. Katherine Sohl, near the new Dr. Flax home. It was not a ready cut house, but was built of lumber cut from logs Henry cut in the woods and hauled to the saw mill. Of course Henry didn’t do all the work himself. He had plenty of help – enough to accomplish getting the building up and enclosed with a roof in two days.

Ward Burlingame, who has recently been promoted to the rank of corporal, writes his folks that he soon expects to be home on a leave.

Principal Erwin Baker goes to Middletown this afternoon to attend a meeting of school principals called together by the State Education Department.

Janet Rosenberger of Hortonville plays saxophone in the Ithaca College Concert Band of 64 members, being selected from 203 students in the music department.

60 Years Ago - 1963

Michael J. Reddy of Callicoon, former Delaware Township supervisor and vice-chairman of the Sullivan County Democratic Committee, was appointed Sullivan County Election Commissioner Monday.

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Maas were surprised with a 40th wedding anniversary party on January 12 at the Fosterdale Grange Hall. They live in Cochecton.

Mrs. Judith Highhouse, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Engert of Callicoon, was the guest speaker of the Kappa Chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta sorority of Puget Sound University, Tacoma, Wash., recently. Mrs. Highhouse has the scholastic honor of being selected the most outstanding student teacher of the University during the fall term 1962. She received a cash award and an umbrella from the chapter.

The little princess of John and Winnie Mae Grishaber has been named Rhonda Lou. She makes the 21st great-grandchild of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Sheppard of Cochecton.

50 years ago - 1973

No one can quite believe how the six persons in Bob Lavelle’s State Farm Insurance Agency escaped with their lives last Friday morning when the building owned by Lavelle was rammed, dead-center by a tractor trailer, smashing out the front wall and buckling the rear of the Liberty building. Lavelle was pinned behind his desk and sustained stomach bruises. The driver of the truck, Arthur Thaler, 27, of Monticello, was delivering milk to the A&P when the vehicle’s brakes failed.

Mr. and Mrs. James Amback of Callicoon Center Road have been named as having the prettiest doorway in the Roscoe-Rockland Garden Club Home Decorating Contest. Best use of lights went to Mr. and Mrs. Roy Gorton of Rockland Road; Nativity scene to Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Cheplick, Church St.; and best decoration went to the Roscoe Craft Center.

John Amback, electrical contractor at Callicoon Center, received severe injuries last Saturday afternoon when he fell through the ceiling of Roche’s Garage in Callicoon where he was doing work. The extent of his injuries are not known.

Multi-handicapped students at the Overbrook School in Philadelphia benefit from a fund set up from memorial contributions given by the family of Donald Adams who was killed in a logging accident last week. Twenty-year-old Donald Adam Jr. was killed January 2 when a tree he had attempted to fell broke loose and struck him.

Miss Rita Murphy of North Bergen, N.J., became the bride of James Greier of Obernburg recently at St. Mary’s R.C. Church in Obernburg.

40 Years Ago - 1983

Alexander Cohen, a much celebrated and popular former Monticello businessman, sportsman and civic leader, died Thursday, January 13, 1982, at the Miami (Fla.) Heart Institute.

Clemence Frank of North Branch has been elected to her third term as president of the Board of Trustees of Community General Hospital in Harris.

The Power Authority of the State of New York has announced – in an advertisement in the Sullivan County Democrat’s January 11 issue, and in various press releases – a series of public hearings on its proposed 345 kilovolt Marcy-South transmission line, which will pass through Sullivan County. The hearing for this area is scheduled in Monticello on February 1.

Legislative attempts to get the state to fork over funds to the county for the development and upkeep of Lake Superior Park “looks pretty good,” according to Bethel’s Supervisor Frederic Obermeyer. The state had purchased the park in the late 1960s, later turning over the jurisdiction of the facility to the Palisades Park Commission which hasn’t allocated any funds at all in recent years for upkeep of the park. As a result, the county has been shelling out about $15,000 per year to keep the park operating during the summer season.

Evelyn Heinrichs, teacher-in-charge at the Youngsville School, and Carol Newkirk, art instructor, at the Jeffersonville-Youngsville Central School, have announced their upcoming retirement in a notice given at the regular monthly meeting of the J-YCS school board held last week. At the same meeting, Dr. Reilly announced that on February 9 there will be a district referendum to vote on the purchase of a new relocatable classroom to be paid for by Chapter 1 funds.

30 Years Ago - 1993

Bowing once again to public pressure, the Sullivan County Board of Supervisors Thursday tabled an upcoming vehicle use tax that was supposed to help pay for the operation of the Motor Vehicle Bureau and make up for a $300,000 cut in the $500,000 contingency fund.

Irna Wagner, 72, of Mountainside, N.J., received a medal for her first place finish in her division at the 70-Plus Skiers Day at Holiday Mountain Ski Area in Bridgeville Thursday afternoon. Irna was one of five first place winners in the event, sponsored by the 70-Plus Ski Club.

Town of Fallsburg Supervisor Nat Kagan cut the ribbon on the ice skating rink at the Morningside Park Lake in the Town of Fallsburg Saturday, officially opening the rink for ice skating for all area residents.

Sheri Lyn McMahon and Robert Rutledge Jr. were united in marriage on October 3, 1992 at the Kenoza Lake United Methodist Church with Rev. Richard Hewitt officiating. 

20 Years Ago - 2003

One of the early highlights of every year is the Livingston Manor Rotary Ice Carnival. This year’s event, the 44th annual, did not disappoint the people who came from near and far to enjoy the theme of Mardi Gras. Taking first place in the ice sculpture competition was the Livingston Manor Central School’s junior class sculpture of a green parade dragon.

The second annual Narrowsburg EagleFest turned out to be another huge success this year. More than 1,000 people flocked to the little town to take part in the day-long event. Featured during the morning’s attractions were the Lenni Lenape Native Americans, who performed a ceremonial dance honoring the eagles, and Bill Streeter, the executive director of the Delaware Valley Raptor Center, who introduced a 22-year-old golden eagle with a 7-foot wing span to the gathered audience.

The seventh annual Sullivan First Winter Forum took place this weekend at the Paul Grossinger Dining Room at Sullivan County Community College. Said Sullivan First Co-Chair Gerald Skoda, “(Seven years ago) we looked at the good things and the eyesores. Most of the eyesores are now gone. There is still room for improvement.”

On the way to his team’s lopsided victory over the visiting Wildcats of Livingston Manor on Wednesday night, Tri-Valley’s Kyle Humphrey crashed through the 1,000 point barrier.

10 Years Ago - 2013

On hand for the swearing-in of new New York State Supreme Court Judge Stephan Schick were fellow active and retired judges: County Court Judge Frank LaBuda, Family Court Judge Mark Meddaugh, NYS Appellate Judge (Ret.) Anthony Kane, County Court Judge Michael McGuire, Supreme Court Justice Kevin Cahill of Ulster County (who administered the oath to Schick), and County Court Judge (Ret.) Burton Ledina. By winning a seven-county election last November, Schick became Sullivan County’s first Supreme Court since Judge Kane, who, in 2002, was elevated to the Appellate Division by then-Governor George Pataki.

The Sullivan County 143rd Volunteer Infantry reenactors added some living history to last Saturday’s screening of “Lincoln” at the Callicoon Theatre. They stood at attention as patrons entered the theatre, presented arms and handed out brochures on the history of Sullivan County’s own Civil War regiment as well as publicizing this summer’s 25th annual Civil War encampment at Liberty’s Walnut Mountain. Some of those participating were  Private Jesse Staszewski of Honesdale, PA, 1st Sergeant Dennis Bernitt of Hankins, Private Joey Galli of Liberty, Captain Glen Bothun of Honesdale and Tina Bothun of Honesdale, Private Tyler Jon Bernitt of Hancock, Corporal Kolin Bothun of Honesdale, Private Joseph Galli Sr. of Liberty, Private Joseph Landing of Liberty, and Private David Ribello of Staten Island.

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