140 Years Ago - 1884

Tusten Lodge #467, I.O.O.F., will hold their second annual picnic in the beautiful Delaware Park at Narrowsburg, Sullivan County, on Thursday, July 26.

Eel fishing is good in this vicinity. Mr. Clark Hinkley set a line in the Willowemoc River a few days ago and caught nine eels and five trout. How is that for high?

Grahamsville: Schoolteaching is not a very high paying business in this town. I hear of two bright intelligent young women teaching in adjoining districts for 30 cents per day and board around. How is that for high? I think we need fewer teachers and a higher grade, and then we should pay them good wages. There are many who would be handling a hoe or washing dishes in our schoolhouses. When one is too lazy or too good for any other occupation, they are not fit to teach the young ideas.

Fallsburg: Farmers in this section are very busy gathering in their hay. They are paying workmen from $1.75 to $2.25 a day and board.

Boarders are pouring into the Long Pond region. This beautiful sheet had its name changed from the unpoetic “pond” to the more befitting “lake” and it is now known as Tennanah Lake. It is an Indian title and translates to mountain lake.

The entire program of the Fourth of July Celebration at Jeffersonville was carried out to the letter. The lady rope walker was a girl of 18 years and performed her part creditably for one so young and having had but one season’s previous practice.

130 Years Ago - 1894

Part of Main Street, Monticello, has been curbed.

The telephone line is now in operation between Loch Sheldrake and Hurleyville.

Liberty now has a public library consisting of 850 bound volumes. Miss Nettie A. Ward is librarian.

The people of Bloomingburg are very anxious to have the Middletown electric road extended to that village.

The rents of Liberty’s water works now amount to about $900 and the interest on the bonds issued for the construction amount to only $800. As the rentals increase, a sinking fund will be created which will in time pay for the entire plant.

About thirty marksmen participated in the shooting of the Scheutzen Verein at Callicoon on July 4. The prizes were won by the following: Chris Weiss, first; John Mootz, second; H. Wizeman, third; George Neumann, fourth; Casper Girard, fifth. The ball at Newmann’s Hall in the evening was largely attended.

The New York, Ontario and Western Railroad announces that on Tuesday, July 17, 1894, they will run an excursion from Livingston Manor and stations south to Cornwall to New York, giving our people an opportunity to witnessing Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show and congress of rough riders of the world, which is now drawing immense crowds.

The steamer Angler has been chartered to transport the party from Cornwall direct to Ambrose Park, South Brooklyn, where the great exhibition is given. Tickets will be sold of the lowest rate made from this section.

Liberty: The cancellation at this post office yesterday was 2700. This number was not reached last year until July 24.

Several New York papers recently filled space by stating that the latest fad of the society women is to have a little dusky page who spends his time keeping flies off of them with a big fan in true Oriental fashion. The fad will never take root in Jeffersonville. The ladies here have no flies on them.

North Branch: Rumor has it that Lewis and Ernest Bauernfeind will soon erect a cooper’s shop in this place.

120 Years Ago - 1904

Edward McDermott of this place has been engaged for the third term as principal of our school. Miss Grace Anderson of Beechwoods will have charge of the primary department.

The souvenir industry has grown to great proportion in this summer boarding section. Every merchant in town carries a large stock and makes a prominent display of these goods to attract the city guests.

Jeffersonville will soon have direct telegraph communications with New York. An extra Western Union wire is being put up between the city and Port Jervis, which will be connected with our wire.

Don’t blame the printer if your name isn’t printed right. The almighty couldn’t decipher some of the names as they are sent in to us.

An attempt will be made July 16 to organize the Livingston Manor Cavalry Co.

Edwin C. Monroe of Liberty has been granted a patent on a sawmill set works.

Coaching Day in Jeffersonville this year will be held on Monday, August 15 and promises to be the greatest event ever held here, eclipsing the coaching parade here last summer, which was the best and most successful one of the season held in Sullivan County.

A surprise party, in honor of her 16th birthday, was given Miss Gertrude Lawrence last Thursday evening, at the home of her mother Mrs. Hattie Lawrence. Dancing was the principal amusement. 

George W. Murphy, who managed the new Liberty House of Liberty for some time past, announces that he is going to give up hotel business altogether. Mr. Murphy has been in the hotel business for many years.

The dancing bear paid his annual visit to this town yesterday.

White Sulphur Springs: Our new hotel man, Charles Heidt, has his dance hall completed and will have a dance every Wednesday night during the summer.

Callicoon Depot: The bridge crossing the Delaware River at this place is to be raised five feet  higher. The stockholders have decided that this is necessary to protect the bridge from the floods of winter and spring.

Conhocton, Cohocton and Cochecton are all names of Indian origin. Conhocton is the name of the river that unites with Caniste and the Tioga to form the Chemung, but Cohocton is a village upon its banks. Cochecton is a village in Sullivan County and the other day sent a delegate to Cohocton to urge a change of name of the latter place in order to avoid confusion in the mails. They found Cohocton a much larger place than Cochecton and returned after concluding that the designation of their town was the one to be changed. —Watkins Express.

110 Years Ago - 1914

The first weekly high score prizes of the season were given out at Schmidt’s bowling alley last week. Al Lieb took the gent’s prize, a box of cigars, with the score of 229. His nearest competitors were Ed Homer and Steven Herman, each with 226. The ladies’ prize, a pound of chocolates, was divided between Miss Rose Hubert of Jeff and Miss Ethel Bennedum of Lake Huntington, who were tied at 154.

Bishop Thomas E. Gusack of New York will come to Jeffersonville on Sunday, July 26, to lay the cornerstone of the new edifice of St. George’s Church to be erected. The ceremonies will take place in the afternoon on the church grounds. Other visiting Catholic clergymen will be present and the event will mark another epoch in the history of St. George’s Church. E.A. Brand, the local monument dealer, will donate the cornerstone.

Services will be held in the present building until September, when it will be removed and the new structure erected on the old site. The growth of the church society and the summer attendance has necessitated a larger building.

John L. Schmidt is having his bowling alley fitted with electric lights and fans by electrician Fraley of Liberty.

Louis Ropke, a young man from Rutherford, is stopping at the Eagle Hotel, where he is giving moving pictures every Friday night.

The town officials of Callicoon and Delaware this week signed contracts with the Livingston Manor Electric Co. for furnishing street lights in the village of Jeffersonville, lying in the two towns. The contracts provide for twenty-nine candle power lights in the Jeffersonville district and eleven lights of the same power in the Delaware district. The cost is to be in the rate of 10 cents per kilowatt for a minimum of 1800 a year. Figuring the lights to burn about six hours a night, the cost of each light per year would be $13.50 or a total of $391.50 for the Jeffersonville district and $148.50 for the Delaware district. The company is to replace broken and worn lamps. The contracts are made for two years. President Woolsey of the electric company was in town last week and said that they could have the lights installed in about three weeks.

The rainy season has upset all plans and calculations in these parts. The farmers cannot make hay, or do much of anything else, and the rye and oat crops are crowding upon them. The city guests are not enjoying their vacations as they would like, and the merchants and other business people are waiting for the annual rush of summer business.

John Kenny and Miss Jennie Gordon of Long Eddy were united in marriage last Thursday, July 9, at St. Joseph’s College Chapel by Rev. Fr. Severin. Leo Kenny and Miss Nellie Burns, also of Long Eddy, were witnesses. After a short honeymoon, the newlyweds will start housekeeping in Long Eddy, where the groom, who is the son of the late Edward Kenny, is engaged in the stone business.

In the automobile parade at Liberty on July 4, the first prize for the most beautifully decorated touring car, run-about or truck was awarded to Liberty Hose and Truck Co. No. 2 and second prize to E.E. Pinney. 

100 Years Ago - 1924

A daughter, Constance Marilyn, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Frank O’Brien of Brooklyn. Mrs. O’Brien was formerly Miss Elsie Werth of Jeffersonville.

The barn on the Joseph Farber farm at Fremont Center was struck by lightning one night last week and burned to the ground. Floyd Stoesser, who rented the place, succeeded in saving his team of horses but his new wagon and harness were burned.

Jeffersonville Grange is advertising dances at their hall for every Tuesday night.

The horse of Charles Sapolin of Youngsville, left standing untied on South Main Street Saturday afternoon, ran into Charles Hick’s car in front of the Wagner house and damaged the car and wrecked the wagon and harness. The horse was then tied in the Presbyterian Church shed, from which it broke its mooring and then pastured in people’s gardens.

It is said that Game Protector Eugene Cross of Liberty has evidence against three persons, residents of the Black Lake section, said to be implicated in an attempt not long ago to dynamite Mud Pond, a lake on the Iroquois property in the town of Bethel. It is said that seven sticks of dynamite have been stolen from a road superintendent and a boat used to plant the pond, evidently to kill the fish that they might be gathered and sold. It is said a cap exploded and one of the three men lost one eye and is in danger of losing the other. He also had some of his fingers blown off. The boat was blown to pieces. The offense carries a 15-year penalty. Dynamite was also used in Stevensville Lake. Many thousands of fish were killed. The Mongaup River was also dynamited and many large trout killed, according to another report.

The influx of city guests to this section for the Fourth of July holidays was very large. The state road leading to Sullivan County was thronged with cars and traveling was dangerous. Many accidents, some fatal, are reported in the columns of the newspapers, while the car wrecks are too numerous to mention. The state road is no place for pleasure riding these days.

Vernon W. Howland of Callicoon, who graduated from the Callicoon High School this year, went to Cornell University Friday to prepare for entrance in the College of Engineering. He is the grandson of Mrs. Mary Scheidell of Jeffersonville.

Beechwoods — A pleasant time was  had at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Philip Schaefer on Tuesday evening, July 1, when members of the families of the Beechwoods Home Bureau unit gave the Schaefers a surprise and housewarming later in the evening. Mr. and Mrs. Fred Schaefer invited them all into their large dining room, where young and old enjoyed themselves dancing. About 45 were present and sandwiches, cake and lemonade were served by the members. All departed at midnight wishing Mr. and Mrs. Schaefer much happiness in their new home and more good times like these.

90 Years Ago - 1934

During the past year or more this village has been without a police officer, because of the expense and in the belief that the people have been educated up to the requirements of law and order. But since then the disregard of law and decency and safety has increased to such an extent that Major Huff has felt obligated to again put an officer on the streets of Jeff and this week swore in Everett Easton, former village policeman, to clean up the reckless driving, parking violations and other nuisances in the village.

The matter of enforcing the village ordinance against indecent exposure is under consideration by the trustees, and if the people want the regulation enforced it will be done. Make your complaint to the mayor. He likes to hear from you.

A daughter, Shirley Ann, was born July 5th, at Callicoon Hospital to Mr. and Mrs. Osmer Geib of Fosterdale.

Charles Duttweiller, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edwin J. Duttweiller, left on Sunday to join the Navy at Norfolk, Va. He enlisted some time ago and was waiting for a call.

Mayor Wm. Huff of Jeff sounds a great alarm in announcing that by the looks of the village reservoir on the Likel creek, two miles north of here, there is water enough now to last the village only another week, unless heavy rains increase the supply.

The mayor plans on pumping water from the Callicoon Creek to the reservoir and then running it back through the chlorinator into the mains. In this event, all bathing in the pond and lake on the creek will be stopped, which in itself will create quite a panic among the bathers.

Mayor Huff says that in view of the increasing droughts and greatly increased consumption there is dire need of a new supply of water for the village and no time should be lost in finding one. In the meantime, it behooves every user of the village water to use it as sparingly as possible to tide over the summer.

Mr. and Mrs. Fred H. Reum and daughter, Ellen, of Scranton are spending their vacation with the former’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Valentine Reum.

Group 6 of the Presbyterian Ladies Aide is putting on an old-fashioned party at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Phil Reum of Beechwoods tomorrow evening. This is something unusual for the church people and a large crowd is expected. The Reum home is conveniently reached from the Callicoon state highway and there is plenty of parking space for cars.

The Binghamton All-Stars came here last Sunday to outshine our Jay Boys but flickered very weakly for stars, -in fact, the only flickering they did was in the fifth inning when they managed to get one run over on two errors and a base hit. Two of their men got on base on errors in that inning.

80 Years Ago - 1944

The installation of Rev. Joseph Kovach of Jeffersonville as pastor of the Lake Huntington Presbyterian Church took place last Sunday evening and Rev. Edward Robertson of Hillburn was in charge.

A group of interested citizens made up of two representatives from each village, the health officer and the town supervisor, met with Miss Helen Jayne, county health nurse on Friday night, July 7, at the Legion Home in Jeffersonville, to organize a health association for the Town of Callicoon.

Only 19 attended the annual school meeting in Jeff Tuesday night at the schoolhouse. Fred Miller was re-elected trustee and a budget of about $98,000 was adopted. The tax rate will be the same as last year – 6 1/2 mills on a dollar.

Mrs. August Lott has been laid up this week with the grippe.

A daughter, Alice Mary, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Galke of New York, their second child. Edwin is the son of Louis Galke and Ann Ebert.

The Harvey Martins have sold their candy store fixtures and stock in the Ranft building to Claire Tegeler, Narrowsburg merchant, who will move them to Narrowsburg if he does not decide to continue the store in Jeff. Mr. Martin has been operating a cleaning establishment in Westfield, N.J., the past month and Mrs. Martin will join him there. 

Two leather bags, containing cash to the amount of over $2,000 were stolen from inside the iron lattice work of the National Bank in Liberty during the holiday rush. They were the receipts of the Liberty theater. A couple of suspects have been arrested but nothing definite has developed.

70 Years Ago - 1954

A daughter was born July 13th to Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Hubbert of Jeffersonville at the Callicoon Hospital.

A son was born July 8th at the Liberty-Loomis Hospital to Mr. and Mrs. George Keeler of Youngsville.

A girl was born to Mr. and Mrs. Russell Norris of Swan Lake at the same hospital.

Herbert Hassis, son of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Hassis of Jeffersonville, was among the 100 undergraduates named to the Dean’s List at Clarkson College.

The residents of the Youngsville Central School District No. 3 voted acceptance of a $72,951.27 school budget and re-elected Edwin Porter to the Board of Education.

Bradley Harder is with the contingent of Boy Scout Explorers from Orange-Sullivan Council, who are participating in this year’s camporee in New Mexico.

Cpl. James Graham spent Saturday with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Graham. He’s just back from overseas and hopes to be discharged from the service soon.

It was announced that Cardinal Spellman will be in Jeffersonville on November 6th to dedicate the new parochial school on Briscoe Road here.

60 Years Ago - 1964

Margaret Fulton of Lava was declared the Field Day Queen at Narrowsburg’s Fourth of July celebration and Joan Nearing of Lake Huntington, runner-up. Other participants were Bonnie Benedict, Roscoe-Rockland; Eileen Cosgrove, Welcome Lake, Pa.; Nancy Gloor, North Branch; and Mary Ann Mieczyn of Narrowsburg.

The Town of Bethel Float at the Narrowsburg Fourth of July Field Day emphasized the fact that Bethel with its central location in the county, was the logical place for the Sullivan County Community College.

Mr. and Mrs. James Tramble participated in a one-day antique flea market at the Genegantslet Recreation Center of Greene on July 4th, sponsored by 4-Valley Antique Dealers Association.

Marine Sergeant Paul M. Bennett, son of Mr. and Mrs. William A. Bennett of Cochecton, received his promotion warrant and chevrons to his present rank on June 16.

Mrs. Hiram Frank of North Branch and Valleau Curtis of Callicoon have been appointed to the new Business Advisory Commission recently formed by the Board of Trustees of Sullivan County Community College, to serve as consultants in the development and improvement of the business educational program.

Coast Guard Lieut. Jr. Grade Peter T. Muth, son of Mr. and Mrs. William S. Nakao of Jeffersonville, recently sailed aboard the Coast Guard cutter Owasco for duty as an ocean station vessel in the Atlantic.

Kenoza Lake — Robert Schurz launched a beautiful six pound bass from the lake here on opening day of bass season.

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Bihler received a letter from their son, Glenn, stationed in Okinawa, telling them he has been promoted to Specialist Fourth Class. He and a buddy will go on furlough the beginning of August and plan to see the Imperial Palace and Gardens, The Toxii Shrines and Mt. Fuji in Japan.

50 Years Ago - 1974

The Sullivan County Board of Supervisors at their regular meeting held Monday night in Monticello, by unanimous vote, resolved to make the office of District Attorney a full-time position at a salary equal that currently paid to the County Judge, $17,530.

Another Sullivan County press newspaper stopped its presses and closed its doors on July 4th with the publication of the final edition of the Sullivan County Times-Press of Livingston Manor, leaving the Sullivan County Democrat of Callicoon as the last independent newspaper published in a county which during its heyday saw 13 weeklies printed every seven days in the mid-forties.

Capt. William R. Johnson, U.S.N., has retired from the U.S. Navy after 39 years of distinguished service which merited him the rank of Captain, two Legion of Merit Medals and 20 other decorations. A native of Long Eddy, he graduated from high school at the age of 15 and had to wait until October 1937  before enlisting in the U.S. Navy.

40 Years Ago - 1984

Carl W. “Dick” Behling, supervisor of the Town of Tusten, died at his home Thursday morning, July 5. He was Grand Marshal of the 4th of July parade in Narrowsburg but had expressed his doubts about being up to take part in the parade. He was recently a patient at the Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pa., returning home several days before the parade.

Henry Grundel of the Lumberland Fire Department was awarded the Fire Policeman of the Year Award recently at the 95th annual Firemen’s Association Convention in Ballston Spa.

Kay Kelly Bogdan was the first applicant for an operator’s license to be photoed in the new order of the Motor Vehicle Bureau in Monticello. She was given that honor because her father, the late James M. Kelly, who was Deputy Secretary of State in 1932, was issued the first SC-1 special license plate.

Tina Tyler, representing the Yulan Fire Department, was named queen of the Narrowsburg Fire Department’s Annual Fourth of July celebration. Also competing were Paula Nelson of Lake Huntington, Sue Kraus of Narrowsburg, Brenda Clouse of Lackawaxen, Pa. and Christina Crandall of Lava.

State Supreme Court Justice Robert C. Williams of Monticello was recommended by the Sullivan County Board of Supervisors Monday for a position on the United States District Court. 

Miss Barbra Dee Hermann, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Hermann, became the bride of Bryan J. Sims, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Repko of Liberty and Thomas Sims of Orange, Mass., on Saturday, June 16, at the Callicoon United Methodist Church.

30 Years Ago - 1994

About $10,000 worth of fireworks were shot into the night sky for the fourth year in a row in the Beechwoods area, sponsored by the Villa Roma Country Club on July 3.

Fallsburg School was the smallest school, and the only one in Sullivan County, to have students participate in the Ulster County League Quiz Bowl.

Former Town of Rockland Supervisor Lee Siegel is recovering at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla after an injury sustained while mowing his lawn Sunday afternoon.

Mel Kaufman and Myron Josepher, both of Smallwood, finished in a first-place tie in the Senior Division of the Villa Roma International, and decided against a playoff. The women’s champion was Jackie Healy. Ken Cohen won the tournament.

20 years ago - 2004

The only living Congressional Medal of Honor recipient from New York State, Francis S. Currey, was welcomed in his hometown of Hurleyville on Saturday. Among those in attendance was Irving Kuskin, whose life was saved by Currey during World War II. Kuskin was one of five men directly saved by Currey, whose actions were credited with shortening the war by six weeks. Hurleyville’s main street will now be named Francis S. Currey Boulevard in his honor.

Crystal Run Healthcare in Rock Hill held its grand opening on Sunday. Managing Partner Hal Teitelbaum said he expects to have a staff of about 300.

Last week Cesar Loarca, Chairperson for the Sullivan County Federation for the Homeless, received a certificate of appreciation from Sullivan County for his community activism and compassion for the homeless.

The dog that was pulled out of a crate in the River’s Edge Trailer Park in Burlingham in April won’t be going back to the men who left him to die. According to Sullivan County Assistant District Attorney Michael McGuire, Fred and Matthew Luca were both convicted of misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty. The men were also forced to give up their cat, and they will not be allowed to own or harbor any animals for a period of five years.

DEATHS: Ross Herbert Buddenhagen, 62, of Colonie died July 14, 2004 in Albany. He was a 32-year teacher in the South Colonie School District. ... Norman H. Bury, 93, of Callicoon Center, died July 14, 2004 in Harris. … Doris Hornbeck, 100, of Grahamsville died July 13, 2004 at her home.

10 Years Ago - 2014

About 20 years ago Gordon MacAdam stumbled on the newspaper article that was to change his life. MacAdam read a story about a native Port Jervis couple who’d penned a family history about growing up in the then-bustling railroad town. “It was a full page article,” remembered Gordon. “I cut the article out, mailed it to my brother Henry and I made a little file in my office that I called ‘Grandfather’s Book,’ and I said to myself, ‘Some day we have to do this.’” Nearly 18 years later, the MacAdam brothers started writing that book, which took more than three years to complete. When published earlier this year it was called simply, “Family Remembrances.” This labor of love for the MacAdams documents their family’s century-plus history in western Sullivan County, specifically the Jeffersonville and Cochecton areas. The family, say the brothers, would eventually spread to “four miles south of Monticello,” near what is now Melody Lake, and where the brothers say the MacAdam clan once owned 700 acres. The MacAdams still own 65 acres from that original 1874 deed – 26 of them Gordon’s.

Kayla Carcone, who just completed her junior year at Eldred High School, is one of 11 winners in the fifth annual New York Times “Found” Poetry Student Contest. Carcone, daughter of Jennifer Lerner of Yulan, placed second in the Top 11 Winners with her poem “I want to be a pilot.”