130 Years Ago - 1896

T.F. Houlihan opened his new Liberty House at Liberty to the public on Monday, January 20. It is one of the grandest hotel structures – and perhaps the most complete in modern equipment – in the interior of New York State. The style of architecture is known as American modern – magnificent  in appearance with its alcoves, balconies, dormers and broad piazzas. The entire cost of the hotel, furnished, is about $40,000.

Livingston Manor, Jan. 20 – This morning John Baldwin Jr., while snapping a revolver at his mother, shot her in the forehead. Mrs. Baldwin took the revolver away from John last summer because he was snapping it at the hired girls.

John Fuhrer died of pneumonia Monday, aged nearly 75 years. He was born in Switzerland and came to America in 1851.

Mrs. Barbara Wagner, widow of Peter Wagner who died seven years ago, was stricken down suddenly with heart disease at her home in Callicoon on Friday, January 17, aged 65 years.

Mrs. Caroline Elizabeth Neuberger, died at the home of her son, Frank, in this village on Sunday night, in her 74th year.

A choral society has been organized at Liberty.

Grand Jurors to serve in County Court included Ferdinand Lieb, William Hessinger and Henry Wormuth of the town of Callicoon and Jacob Schwarts and John H. Schwinge of Delaware Township. Trial jurors included Henry Theyson, William Menges and Charles Moore of Callicoon and Josiah Denner, Peter Wahl and Henry Wizeman of Delaware.

The produce firm of Lawrence & Yager of Jeffersonville shipped a lot of apples and cider to city markets on Monday.

The trustees of the Dutch Reformed Church have decided to sell family plots in that cemetery, which has not been allowed heretofore.

120 Years Ago - 1906

 On the ice at Tennanah last Saturday a match was trotted between the horses of Edward Faubel, John Foote and John Dreher for a purse of $150, each contestant putting up $50 and the winner take all. Foote’s horse took the first heat and Faubel’s the second and third, winning the race. Foote’s horse was driven by Monroe Clark. Several from this place were among the spectators.

Hymeneal Notes – The marriage of Miss Rhoda K. Reyman and Chester G. Yager of Jeffersonville will take place at the home of the former at eight o’clock this evening. One hundred invitations have been sent out.

August A. Neuberger of Jeffersonville and Miss Lydia A. Duttweiler of Swiss Hill will be married at the home of the latter’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. J.J. Duttweiler, Wednesday, January 31.

Obituaries – Mrs. E. Gebelein aged about 75, well-known resident of the town of Fremont, died at her home in Mileses, Friday; C.A. Bock, well-known citizen of Callicoon died at his home Monday; John B. Conklin, 73, of Callicoon Depot, died on January 14. He was a noted steersman on the Delaware River and for 55 years had not missed a trip; Howard Conklin, Civil War veteran, died at Callicoon Depot, January 10, aged 60 years.

White Sulphur Springs – The M.E. Church has received a solid silver communion set as a present from the M.E. Church at Rutherford.

Youngsville – Frank Sheffler has sold his farm to a party from New York for $1200.

Bethel – Walter Potts won a handsome Siberian bear skin coat on which chances were taken at Walker and Gillespie’s store recently.

L.P. Faubel, our cigar manufacturer, has John Meyers of Cochecton engaged in rolling up the weeds.

110 Years Ago - 1916

Dr. Frederick A. Cook, the former Callicoon boy who claims to have discovered the North Pole, but who scientists said was slightly mistaken, returned to his home in Brooklyn from Europe on Monday, from a tour of the world.

The first county convention of Free Masons in Sullivan was held at the Mongaup Lodge rooms in Liberty on Tuesday night.

The roads from Jeffersonville to Liberty and from here to Callicoon still remain the only roads open to automobile travel in Sullivan County since the snow set in. That Jeffersonville is thus favored is not due to the elements, but to the fact that we have people here who open the main roads and see that they are kept open.

A son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Wehner of Shandelee on January 21. A son arrived at the home of Mr. and Mrs. J. Ostrum Gedney of Kenoza Lake, Monday, January 24.

Careless throwing of matches is thought to have caused a fire at midnight last Saturday night destroying the Leroy Hotel at Horton, Delaware County, and resulting in the death of Oscar Norton, 69, his son, Floyd, 26, and Eugene Dresser, 45. 

Rev. J.K. Stadelman of the Presbyterian Church started for New York yesterday with his car accompanied by mechanic James Holmes, Roy Hess and two snow shovels. The dominie went down to buy a new Pullman car of the Colver runabout style. They expect to return from the city tonight. Mr. Stadelman has the chance to sell his old runabout.

Twenty-nine were killed and 91 injured in hunting accidents in the state during the season ending the first of January.

100 Years Ago - 1926

The average salary of teachers in one-room schools in the second supervisory district of Sullivan County, according to figures released by superintendent Charles S. Hick for the present year, is $29.87 per week.

The Secretary of State has sent a letter correcting the census report of the population of Jeffersonville from 49 to 409 citizens and 25 aliens, making a total population of 434.

Charles Hoffman of Jeffersonville took the civil service examination at Callicoon last Saturday as did Fred J. Weiss, Robert Mann, Elmer J. VanKeuren, Mrs. Ada W. VanKeuren and William Hupke.

Miss Carrie Townsend, one of our telephone girls who don’t take long to get your number, was given a surprise party by a number of her friends at her home on Center Street Monday night in honor of her twentieth anniversary.

The annual supper and dance of the firemen at Grange Hall last night drew out a large and happy crowd as usual with beneficial results for the firemen’s fund. In the balloon dance, first prize was won by Miss Hilda Spielmann of  Youngsville and Wm. Veyhl of Callicoon Center, and second by Mr. and Mrs. Percy Kohler.

William Kille of Obernburg, recently graduated in law, has entered George L. Cooke’s law office in Monticello to practice the profession.

Grand jurors drawn for the February Term of County Court included Andrew Gempler of Kenoza Lake, Alfred Hector of White Sulphur Springs, Philip Orth of Callicoon, Elmer H. Bryan of Youngsville, Philip E. Maurer of North Branch. Trial jurors included William Hess of Jeffersonville and Peter Schieffer and William A. Allgeier of Callicoon.

90 Years Ago - 1936

Sam Baer, Town of Callicoon collector, and Joseph Beiling, collector in Delaware, go their rounds next week.

Officers elected by the First National Bank of Jeffersonville on January 14 were: President J. Cameron Gain, Vice-President W.J. Grishaber, Cashier John Wohltjen Jr., Assistant Cashier Fred Schmidt.

The heaviest snowfall here in years came last Saturday night and Sunday tying up everything in old-time fashion – but not for long, for the modern snowplows make short work of snow on the main highways: 12 to 14 inches fell. There has not been much joy riding since the snowfall, and only those have come out who really had to .The farm roads will be hard to travel for some time unless a hot sun gets in its work quickly.

Oscar Sander of Liberty has been given letters by Surrogate Cooke in the estate of the late George Yager of Jeffersonville in which he is the executor. Oscar is a cousin.

Louis Dauch of White Lake was awarded $1680 by the state compensation board for the loss of his right eye and facial disfigurement. 

Much has been published about Sullivan County getting an airport through WPA funds but as yet nothing has been done.

The Town of Delaware is having a hard time getting men to accept the job of constable under the new law which requires a constable to file a $1000 bond.

Charles P. Durr, an invalid for five years, died at the age of 76 at his home in the village of Jeffersonville January 18th. He was bookkeeper for Kohler lumber mills for 36 years.

Callicoon Center – All officers of the Willing Workers were re-elected with Mrs. Fred Hessinger as president; Mrs. Edward Kastner as vice-president; Mrs. E.J. Knise, treasurer; and Miss Grace Becker, secretary.

80 Years Ago - 1946

Martin Gross, proprietor of the White Sulphur Springs House for over eight years, was killed in an automobile crash at Lakewood, N.J., where he operated a winter hotel.

The engagement of their daughter, Barbara A. Frost, to Peter DeBruyne of Briarwood Gardens, L.I., was announced by Mr. and Mrs. John Frost of Jeffersonville.

Freezing at night after thawing during the day has turned the highways into icy surfaces, bringing many accidents. It is not time for pleasure driving.

Florence B. Fulton, daughter of Mrs. Florence A. Fulton of Kenoza  Lake, was married to Robert Townsend, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Townsend of Fosterdale at the Presbyterian Church in Jeff with Rev. Joseph C. Kovach officiating.

Lawrence Norman Kabat, son of William C. Kabat and the late Margaret Miller Kabat of Fosterdale, was married to Sarah Agnes Bascot, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Bascot of Savannah, Ga., in St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Savannah.

Robert, son of Mr. and Mrs. C. Waldron of Lake Huntington, was married to Miss Catherine Tuminey of Brooklyn on January 5th.

PFC Fred Edelman, son of Mrs Joseph Edelman of Fosterdale, arrived home on January 13 after having been honorably discharged from the Army. Sgt. Oscar Schaefer has returned from the Pacific. Lt. M. Bietz, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E.S. Bietz, is at Sampson after having returned from service on the U.S. Hospital Ship Consolation in the Pacific.

The Methodist Ladies Aid re-elected Mrs. Hess president; Mrs. Harry Townsend, vice-president; Mrs. Louis Erdman, secretary; and Mrs. Oscar Will, treasurer.

William L. Huff has sold his East Main Street residence to William Schott of Brooklyn. Henry Fischer has sold the corner store business and property in Fosterdale to Adam Seibert of Hollis, L.I.

70 Years Ago - 1956

Harold Wohltjen of Liberty, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Wohltjen of Jeffersonville, has been appointed cashier at Sullivan County National Bank of Liberty.

The engagement of Mary Catherine, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene O’Connor of Hallstead, Pa., to Valentine G. Hessinger, son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Hessinger of Callicoon Center, has been announced by her parents. A spring wedding is planned.

Assemblyman Hyman E. Mintz has announced his intention to toss his hat in the ring as candidate for the seat of State Senator Arthur H. Wicks, who has announced his retirement at the expiration of his present term.The reduction in price of a TV hookup to $158 was announced by the Jeff TV Corp. Four years ago, when the corporation was formed, the price was $230.

The Jeff Synagogue sent a contribution to Beth Israel Synagogue in Winsted, Conn., which had been wiped out by floods.

Mr. and Mrs. Chester Yager of Loomis Road, Liberty, celebrated their golden wedding anniversary.

Mrs. Anne B. Bossley, who formerly made her home with her daughter, Mrs. William Schloss in Youngsville, Mrs. John Smith of Matamoras, Pa., at the age of 95.

Local folks who are vacationing in Florida include Mr. and Mrs. Fred Miller and son Victor, Mr. and Mrs. Ted Rittershausen, Mrs. Winfield Hessinger, Mr. and Mrs. Martin Jauernick and Mrs. Gertrude Peschke.

Featured at the Maple Theatre in Jeffersonville – Clark Gable, Robert Ryan  and  Jane Russell in “The Tall Men.”

A son, James Franke, was born to Rev. and Mrs. LeRoy Herzog of Jeffersonville at Maimonides Hospital on January 21st. The Herzogs are also the parents of two daughters, Victoria, four, and Nancy, 15 months.

Mrs. Mary Bossley celebrated her 94th birthday at Sickmiller’s Nursing Home and friends and well wishers poured in all day to extend their greetings. Mrs. Sickmiller made her a beautiful cake inscribed, “Happy Birthday, Aunt Mary.”

60 Years Ago - 1966

Miss Cheryl Taylor, a Livingston Manor High School junior, was crowned Queen of the annual Manor Rotary Ice Carnival Sunday. She was crowned by Starr Rager, last year’s queen.

Dairy farmers will receive a uniform farm price of $4.66 per hundredweight (46.5 quarts) for December milk delivered to pool handlers in the New York-New Jersey milk shed.

The Nava-Len Boy Scout Klondike Derby was held Saturday at the Lochmor Golf Course in the Town of Fallsburg. It was the largest Derby ever.

It’s the middle of January and still no snow. It just doesn’t seem healthy to us not to have some snow this time of  year. Many claim that a foot or so of snow on the meadows would make for better crops this coming season.

Workmen are busy preparing the site for the new United National Bank building in Callicoon.

White Lake, N.Y. the “fishing capital” of the Southern tier, is completing final plans for a fishoff weekend on January 22-23 which should leave no doubt about the ice-fishing title holders.

50 Years Ago - 1976

The Liberty Pharmacy, founded in 1923 and said to be the oldest pharmacy with family ownership in Sullivan County, will close its doors in February. The drugstore, owned by the Klugman brothers, Aaron and Robert, who took it over from their father, is located on the lower end of Main Street in Liberty. Robert will join his brother, Aaron, in “helping out” at Thompson’s.

Exactly a year after an accident between a school bus and a Town of Callicoon sanding truck, the Supreme Court of the State of New York awarded the widow of the bus driver $195,000. On January 13, 1975, Harold Kautz, 45, of Callicoon Center was driving a van-bus filled with children of the J-YCS on the Gulf Road. Several children were injured and the bus driver was critically injured. He was treated for seven days at Liberty-Loomis Hospital before being transferred to Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City where he died the next day.

The Hancock Grange No. 1591 in the town of Hancock has presented a check for $500 to the Ladies Auxiliary of the Grover M. Hermann Hospital. Presented by Treasurer Herbert Hughes and his wife, Genevieve, the money is to be used toward the purchase of a blood gas-analyzer machine, installed as permanent equipment in the hospital at Callicoon.

Infants born at Community General Hospital in 1976 will receive special Bicentennial Certificates of birth, it was announced by Martin Rosenblum, executive director of the health care institution.

John N. Crary has been named village manager to replace William Buchanan who resigned last November.

Mrs. Mary Glaab was honored by the Catholic Daughters in observance of her 90th birthday with a Mass celebrated January 10 at St. Francis Xavier Church, Narrowsburg. A dinner for family and friends was held at the Century Hotel in Narrowsburg following Mass.

40 Years Ago - 1986

Loretta Duarte, Sullivan County’s new Commissioner of Jurors, was sworn into her first four-year term of office by Supreme Court Justice Robert C. Williams in his office. Among the witnesses were her mother, Olga Alver and Mrs. Duarte’s three children, Steven, Stacey and Keith, and court attendants.

David Peters won the 50/50 drawing at the New Year’s party held at the Delaware Community Center, attended by 120 patrons. The annual skate-a-thon will be held February 21.

The former Maxie’s on Broadway in Monticello, which was destroyed by fire last January, is said to have been purchased by William Croissant, proprietor of the Swinging Bridge Marina, who plans to turn the place into a disco and a catering hall.

An October wedding is planned by Susan Schanil and Scott Klipp whose engagement was announced by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Schanil of Obernburg. . . An August wedding is being planned by Regina Sullivan and Fred W. Stabbert III, son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred W. Stabbert Jr. of Callicoon. Miss Sullivan is from Garden City, L.I.

Other engagements announced were that of Athena Nickou of Liberty to Michael Parker of Syosset; Ginger Neer of Callicoon Center to Kenneth Pierce of Cochecton Center; Sheila Salonich to Robert Fix II, both of Liberty; and Barbara Snedeker of Fosterdale to Joseph E. Schultz, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Schultz of Callicoon.

Fiftieth wedding anniversaries were celebrated recently by Mr. and Mrs. Tom Barkley of Foxcroft, Me., hosted by their children Tom Jr., Richard and Harry Barkley and Geraldine Bowers and Marlene Lawrence, all of Sullivan County...Mr. and Mrs. Walter E. Thomas of Liberty with a party at the Swan Lake firehouse...Ed and Sadie Chellis of Jeffersonville who reaffirmed their wedding vows at a party held at King’s Catering House in Livingston Manor.

Father Cassian J. Kirk, a native of Narrowsburg, died January 18, after a long illness. He was 79 years of age. He studied at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Callicoon and in 1946 returned to the seminary where he served as rector until 1955. 

Area horse owners will soon be feeling the effect of Sunday morning’s fire at Belmont Racetrack in which 45 horses were killed. Track officials estimate the value of the horses at $5 million. “Owners just won’t insure their horses for their full value,” said Peter Rhulen, vice-president of Rhulen’s Insurance Agency. “While the effects of the aftermath of the loss haven’t yet been fully evaluated, you can bet rates will go up. This is just the icing on the cake,” he said. According to John Manzi, publicist at the Monticello Raceway, “On the average, 50 percent of the horses at Monticello Raceway are underinsured (or not insured at all). The premiums  are usually more than the horse is worth. Those really good horses (like Nihilator or Niatross) will always be insured and people will pay any price.” Only two horses were able to escape the fire at Belmont which had a sprinkler system knocked out when pipes burst in last week’s cold weather. All the stables at Monticello Raceway are fireproof, said Manzi.

Congressman Ben Gilman nominated four Sullivan County high school seniors to the U.S. service academies for the class entering in July 1986: Michael M. Shapiro of Kauneonga Lake and Paul A. Kopplin of Monticello look to enter the Naval Academy; Tiffany Peters of Monticello wants to enter the Military Academy; and Daniel Beck of Narrowsburg wants to enter the Air Force Academy.

30 Years Ago - 1996

On Friday, January 19, flooding diverted muddy rivers through Callicoon and Hortonville. The rivers, streams and brooks overflowed their banks onto roadways and streets. 

A 50-degree snow thaw and steady rainfall was the culprit. The result was flash floods and rock and  mud slides that resulted in road closings, evacuations,  and power outages in the towns of Delaware, Callicoon, Fremont, Cochecton, Rockland, Bethel and Liberty.

 Fremont Supervisor Walt Sipple and Highway Superintendent Brian Gebelein were looking over a town highway map, not to figure out which roads needed minor repairs – but which ones were still left to work on. 

While others in the western part of Sullivan County were removing debris and ice over the weekend from the recent flooding, supporters of the Sullivan County International Airport gathered Sunday to form an organization to promote the county’s public and private airstrips. Organized by Robert Ratner of Swan Lake, the group came together to form a local chapter of the national Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA).

Angel Ginn of Monticello, the co-founder of the first senior citizen organization in Sullivan County, died Jan. 19, 1999 at the Roscoe Community Nursing Home. She was 94 years of age and the widow of Elia Ginn.

In a half-time ceremony between Narrowsburg and Tri-Valley, Derin Kraack was presented with a plaque marking his becoming a 1,000 point scorer in basketball. 

20 Years Ago - 2006

When Evelyn Parks started as clerk for the Town of Forestburgh 32 years ago, there were no offices inside the town hall on Hartwood Road. The clerk’s office was her home. The town hall was just used for meetings. Being Forestburgh’s clerk and taking care of much of its daily business has been a natural for Parks. After all, her grandfather, John T. Evans, was also the town’s clerk. A retirement lunch was held for Evelyn this past weekend at Mr. Willy’s in Monticello.

Countdown to a curtain call: 157 days until the curtain rises at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts.

DEATHS: Judy VanWagner of Roscoe, 60, died on January 21, 2006 at her home. She was the daughter of Daniel Foote and the late Louisa Sherwood Foote

Stuart Littman of Kauneonga Lake, 45, died January 14, 2006 at home. He was the son of Julius and Lillian Sklar Littman.

Herman Reinshagen, a lifetime resident of Bethel, 88, died January 18, 2006. He was a retired vegetable farmer and the son of Karl and Grace Smith Reinshagen of Bethel. 

George Smith of Liberty, 83, died January 16, 2006 at the Sullivan County Adult Care Center. The son of the late Joseph and Emma Moore Smith, he was born in Neversink.

10 Years Ago - 2016

The Town of Callicoon’s January meeting was packed with some surprise guests – members of the Youngsville Fire Department were on hand to surprise longtime fireman Joe Nosek. The Youngsville resident was honored by the Town Board for his 40-year tenure as a commissioner on the Youngsville Fire Commission and for serving as its chair for several decades. Along with wife Mary, who has long been an active member of the fire department’s ladies auxiliary, Nosek was the Town of Callicoon’s nomination for a Sullivan County Pride Award in 2012.

Public Affairs Officer Captain Christo- pher Connolly with the 364th Press Camp Headquarters was deployed to the Middle East in July 2015 in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. In March 2016 he will be returning to the 201st Press Camp Headquarters in Los Angeles. He is a 1996 Honors Graduate of Monticello High School. 

Lexi Rea Lang ofNarrowsburg, recently rose from Corporal rank to Sergeant in the Israeli Air Force. She moved to Israel at age 20 and decided to apply for citizenship and serve in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) for a full two and half year service in 2013. Once Lexi fulfills her service obligation and is discharged this March she plans on traveling the world then attending Penn State to complete her undergraduate degree.