110 Years Ago - 1915

Headline reads “Allies Report Gains – Russians in Retreat.”

A city woman has sued William F. Henry, owner of William F. Henry’s Boarding house at Lake Huntington, for $10,000. A week after an auto accident, from which she sustained, she claims to be a physical wreck.

The four-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Uriah Fisk who resides in Liberty, ran into the automobile of a Hurleyville man and is in serious condition.

The kitchen and bedroom in the Tennanah House were badly damaged in a fire of unknown cause.

A horse, upon venturing onto the pond for water, was rescued by two men from Cline Pond near Galilee.

Mrs. Mary Hill of Hurleyville, upon her return home from shopping, was hit by a train. Miraculously she did not suffer from any broken bones or other injuries. Her husband, the late Albert Hill, had been killed some four years ago by a northbound milk train.

The people of Roscoe and Livingston Manor are petitioning the Public Service Commission to compel the Livingston Manor Electric Co. to furnish a day current in those villages.

The Cochecton correspondent writes: The past two weeks of zero weather has grown a fine ice crop which everyone is busy gathering. The Borden Co. is already at work.

Extra: It may seem impossible but diamonds may be extracted from sugar. Because sugar consists of carbon united with oxygen and hydrogen, one must separate the carbon and in certain experiments for the production of diamonds, this sugar carbon has been employed. The diamonds were of course very small and destitute of commercial value, nonetheless, they were real diamonds.

A New Year’s Eve ball will be held at Harmonie Hall with Reichmann’s Orchestra furnishing the music. Prizes will be given to the best waltzers.

Christmas morning a train of fifty-two carloads of horses passed through Callicoon from Chicago, bound for New York and then to Germany. There were 1072 horses in the cars.

The show which was to appear every night for a week at Bauernfeind’s Hall near North Branch, stayed but two nights. Perhaps the residents have been faked enough by these shows.

George DeLap of Kenoza Lake has the agency for the Saxon car. Mr. DeLap has ordered one of the cars for demonstrating purposes.

Guernsey Cross of Liberty has taken a position in Ellsworth Baker’s law office at Hurleyville.

100 Years Ago - 1925

The new hunting licenses for 1925 require that sportsmen applying for them must give a full record of the amount of game they had killed during the past season. This is to give conservation and state officials an idea of the amount of game taken each year.

Frederick Kautz of Upper Beechwoods and Lillian M. Krantz of Jeffersonville were married December 28th.

The County Jail reports its largest number of prisoners in the jail’s history – 168. The new year opened with 13 prisoners behind bars.

New York’s new black-on-yellow plates have been allotted with Sullivan to receive 10,298 plates for pleasure cars and 2,500 for trucks.

Tax rates for the year 1925 were announced by the Supervisors. Following are the total rates for the towns: Callicoon, $35,110.57; Cochecton, $35,110.57; Dela-ware, $45,248.27; Fremont, $38,306.94; Highland, $24,242.48; and Tusten, $27,177.32.

Twelve men and six women unmasked but attired in KKK regalia attended the Baptist church in Liberty last week when the pastor, Rev. Coffey, preached a farewell sermon. They were strangers in Liberty.

The Lake Huntington Fire Department has ordered two trucks: one is to be equipped with a pumper and the other with a chemical outfit. They will be delivered in the Spring.

The Delaware Lodge has installed its officers for 1925 – Master is Wm. B. Schenck; Sr. Warden W.H. Stengel; Jr. Warden Adam Metzger; Treasurer Charles P. Kautz; Secretary George N. Homer; and Chaplain Rev. John Heritage.

Should married women earn? An increasing number of women continue to earn money after entering matrimony argue for the fact strongly that in these days of high prices, it is the only way their families can meet expenses.

Miss Katherine Hill of White Sulphur Springs and Percy Kohler of Jeffersonville were married at noon on Monday at the home of the bride.

W.A. Orth of Callicoon advertises 4 cyl. roadster, $495; 4 cyl. touring car, $495; 4 cyl. sedan, $715; and 4 cyl. coupe, $635.

Various village correspondents report that ice houses are being well stocked.

The consumers of the Callicoon Water Co. are notified that water left running to prevent it from freezing will be shut off.

90 Years Ago - 1935

Supervisor Ralph Wheelock reports that the 5-mile section of Route 3A between Long Eddy and Hancock will soon be (hopefully) completed, as the board is unanimously in favor of the completion.

County may have airport! Interest in construction of a centrally-located county airport was revived in Sullivan County last week by hints from Washington. The site is to be near Swan Lake, and local hotelmen, businessmen and a score of fliers are in favor of the airport idea, as it would be a boon to the summer resort business.

George H. Woods, while staying at the bungalow of his son, popular songwriter Harry Woods, was burned to death. The bungalow was located on River Road in Callicoon.

Henry Alsdorf, proprietor of the Highland Lake Inn, died at his home following a short illness.

The Christmas wedding of Nellie Marie Klein and Elmer Charles Long took place at the Callicoon Center Church.

The Roscoe Cooperative Milk Producers received $1.96 per hundred for 3.5 milk.

Associated Stores’ advertisement: salad dressing, 25¢ a quart; walnut meats, 29¢ for 1/2 lb.; 2 1-lb. tins of coffee for 61¢; toilet paper, 4 rolls for 25¢.

Local correspondent reports that Miss Jane Valleau of Jersey City was a guest at the Charles G. Curtis home for a few days recently.

A&P Food Stores: sugar, 10 lbs. for 49¢; Picnic hams, 14¢ lb.; pink salmon, 11¢ per tall can; Maxwell House Coffee, 31¢ per 1 lb. can.

80 Years Ago - 1945

Andrew J. Ackerley, 77, a resident of Beaverkill for 46 years, died suddenly December 26th.

Robert Fleischer, 70, died of heart failure on January 1. 

Delbert Marks, 28, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Marks, died December 31 after a long illness.

Elmer Hess of Callicoon purchased the truck and milk route of Milton Mauer and started operation January 1. Milton started this milk route and has operated it for nearly 19 years.

Mr. and Mrs. Henry Weiss of Hawthorne, formerly of Callicoon, announce the engagement of their daughter, Lillian, to Kenneth Werlau of Irvington, N.J., also formerly of Callicoon.

Mr. and Mrs. William Rosenberger of Hortonville are the proud parents of a daughter born December 29.

The school children of Sullivan County collected nearly enough milkweed floss to fill 1,000 life jackets for the Armed Forces.

Dr. and Mrs. Arch Freer (Edith Goselin) reached their 24th wedding anniversary on December 23. Formerly of Ellenville, they have been residents in Jeff about twenty years.

Mr. and Mrs. James Cullen of Narrowsburg announce the engagement of their daughter, Mary, to Pvt. Joseph Ganci of Brooklyn.

70 Years Ago - 1955

Miss Peggy Hess, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Hess of Jeffersonville, and William L. Krum, son of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Krum, were married December 21st.

A son, David, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Robisch of Callicoon.

George Graziadio of North Branch announces the engagement of his daughter, Madeline Marie, to John P. Hickey of Carmel, son of Mrs. Mary Hickey of Astoria, L.I.

Kirk McDermott, 67, passed away January 1 . . . Jennie M. Rhineback, 43, died January 2 after a short illness.

Corp. Chester Gillette, son of Mrs. Lillian Gillette of Callicoon was killed in France on December 19.

Mrs. Helen Evans of Callicoon was elected Worthy Matron of St. Tammany Chapter, OES, on December 30.

A campaign to prevent the spread of rabies in Sullivan County was given the green light. First action will be employment of a fox trapper from Barryville, Lewis Eckhart, who has broken all records for fox trapping and claims to have developed a scent which will attract foxes for five miles.

60 Years Ago - 1965

On December 26, Miss Ucola Lucke of Miami, Fla., and Andrew William Forness, son of Mr. and Mrs. A.W. Forness of Lakeland, Fla., and Roscoe, were married at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Coconut Grove, Fla.

Mr. and Mrs. John M. Campbell of Bowling Green, Va., formerly of North Branch, announce the engagement of their daughter, Judith, to Julian C. Roden of Richmond, Va.

Four metropolitan area girls miraculously escaped death Saturday afternoon when their car skidded going down Wurtsboro Mountain, went into the center mall, struck the concrete ditch and flipped over on its top on the inside of the three westbound lanes. The escape was even more miraculous when it came to light that only one of the four girls was using a seat belt. The top of the car was pushed down onto the pavement.

50 years ago - 1975

Jean Amatucci of White Lake became the first woman ever to represent the Sullivan County area when she reported Wednesday in the Assembly in Albany.

Unemployment in Sullivan County reached its highest level in the past 16 years when the rate soared to 9.5 percent.

Linda Diane Stewart of Narrowsburg and Patrick M. Adase of Edison, N.J., were married December 21 at the United Methodist Church in Narrowsburg.

The Board of Directors of the Sullivan County National Bank is pleased to announce the promotions of Robert E. Mullen to vice president, Mrs. Lois Fontana to assistant vice president and Mrs. Jean Brucher to assistant cashier.

Mr. and Mrs. Chester Phillips of Ferndale were feted by relatives and friends on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary at an open house held November 30 at the Swan Lake Firehouse.

40 Years Ago - 1985

Pro-Line of Middletown is a subcontractor for Cablevision Industries of Liberty who is rebuilding the newly purchased cable strands cable lines to extend service to western Sullivan County. Adjustments to cable strands hung over Callicoon’s Main Street were made this week.

It’s the law! Seat buckle use will be enforced with the new year. 

In a review of the year, the Sullivan County Democrat notes that the fifteenth anniversary of the Woodstock Festival drew many spectators to Sullivan County, including two television crews who chose to host on the spot coverage to celebrate the anniversary. Bethel town residents disagree over the placement of a marker to honor the historic event.

Mrs. Clare Reddish of Callicoon announced the engagement of her daughter, Sally Margaret, to George Creegan, son of Doris Creegan of Cochecton. A Fall wedding is planned.

Construction will begin in the Spring of 1985 on the Roebling Bridge which connects Lackawaxen, Pa., with Minisink Ford, which will eventually open the historic bridge to vehicular traffic. Rewrapping of the cables of the suspension bridge and rebuilding the piers is included in the work of the project. Protective dams, looking more like the prows of ships will be built upriver of the piers to protect them from damage from ice. The piers will be built in part from stone from the piers which have fallen into the Delaware River. The rest of the stones will be taken from quarries with similar rock. Technically called the Delaware Aqueduct, the cost of the study and first phase of construction will be $1,028,125 according to the National Park Service.

Two workers at Kutsher’s County Club died early Thursday morning in a blaze that destroyed a staff house located in front of the hotel’s main entrance.

More than 150 men, women and children filled the streets of Callicoon last Saturday for the First Annual Christmas Shopping Spree sponsored by the Callicoon Business Association.

An in-house computer system has been installed in the United National Bank of Callicoon. There are eight terminals in the present system which will handle the computer needs of the facility.

Ginger Rasulo of Long Eddy has a Santa’s workshop to which she invited needy children for a pre-Christmas party. Ginger also has a holiday supper for the elderly in her restaurant.

30 Years Ago - 1995

Nel Miros, a hair stylist in Monticello, has been awarded the 1994 National Outstanding Service Award by the American Cancer Society for his work as a volunteer coordinator of the “Look Good...Feel Better” program which provides services to cancer patients. 

Three holiday fires disrupted seasonal cheer. Firemen were called to fires in Mileses, Liberty and Callicoon. A fire at the Lyman Bauer home in Mileses had flames in the attic due to a fire that reportedly started near the chimney of a wood stove. No one was at home at the time. A fire broke out at the residence owned by Barbara Delgatto on Revonah Hill near Liberty in which the old farmhouse was damaged by flames, smoke and fire. It was reported that a faulty wire leading to a light fixture was to blame. A fire broke out in the garage at the residence of Roger and Betty Stauch in Callicoon at 11:19 p.m. Monday night. The garage was destroyed, a nearby swimming pool was damaged and heat scorched the vinyl siding of the two-story house.

Billy King, 12 grand slam wins in women’s tennis whose accomplishments led Sports Illustrated to name her one of the most influential figures in sports in the past half century, made a guest appearance at the Concord Hotel.

Jim Rubino of Obernburg creates replicas of the Windsor style writing chair which dates back to the early 1700s and was used by Thomas Jefferson in writing the Declaration of Independence. 

Luke Fedlam of Jeff-Youngs-ville scored 10 points to lead the Trojans to their first win, 46-12, over Franklin at the Downsville Tournament last Thursday.

20 Years Ago - 2005

Rose Toscano and Scott Ricco knew they were in the running to have the first baby of the year. On Saturday at 6:19 p.m. Cody Scott Ricco entered the world and became Sullivan County’s first newborn of 2005.

The father and daughter team of John and Erin Slaver helped people rock the night away with their fiddlin’ at St. John’s Episcopal Church on St. John Street in Monticello Friday evening at First Night 2005.

A boy, Dylan Orion, was born November 29, 2004, to Francine and John Nichols of Liberty at the Seelig Division of Catskill Regional Medical Center in Harris.

A boy, Christopher Andrew Schroeder, was born June 30, 2004 to Michele Lee Schroeder of Eldred at the Seelig Division of Catskill Regional Medical Center in Harris.

Carmine Rufrano of Narrowsburg received his $100 check from the Sullivan County Democrat for his entry in the newspaper’s annual Big Buck Contest. He shot the winning buck while hunting on his property in the town of Tusten, from 175 yards away. The buck had 21 points and measured up to an official score of 84.

10 Years Ago - 2015

A humble hero was laid to rest yesterday at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Obernburg. LTC William F. Brustman, U.S. Army (Ret.), probably would not have approved of the high praise he received during the Mass of Christian Burial at St. Mary’s Church. Because 95-year-old “Un-cle Bill” was not about himself, but rather spent a life of devotion to his God, his country and his very extended family.

“We all know Uncle Bill was intense,” niece Barbara Watson said. “He was one of nine kids who survived without their father, and was raised by a strong-willed mother.”

Four of the nine children – Clarence, George, Joe and Bill – would fight in World War II. Today, only two of the nine are alive, brother Clarence, and sister Ida Watson, who is 99.

Charles “Chuck” Myers and his wife Ruth traveled to all fifty states and every United States territory during their 67½-year marriage. Home, however, was always Eldred.  Chuck lived in the same house on State Route 55 for all of his life, and on December 31, 2014, Chuck passed away peacefully in his home, just over a year after his beloved wife. He was a combat veteran of World War II, having been stationed in the European theater through the War’s end. Chuck stayed overseas for an extra year as part of the occupation troops. After his return from WWII, Chuck embarked on what would become a defining path in his life, a path of volunteerism through the American Legion Ambulance Corps and Yulan Fire Department.