140 Years Ago - 1885

A colt whose front feet were divided into toes, the left one having four and working much like the foot of a dog, and the right having two like the claws of a lobster, was foaled on the Phillip Mathern farm in the Beechwoods. It was purchased by Charles Homer of this village, who tried to raise it. For a few days it appeared strong and healthy but finally dropped and died.

130 Years Ago - 1895

If the Sullivan County Telephone Company keeps on extending its lines, the entire county will be connected by telephone. George Christian, who is the head of the enterprise, tells me that the lines are to be extended from Monticello to Fallsburg and Woodbourne.

Governor Morton has signed the barber bill closing all shops on Sunday except in Saratoga and New York.

Willie, the eight-year-old-son of William Peake of near Long Eddy, was walking to school Monday morning when a rattlesnake, which lay coiled in the road, stuck its fangs into the bottom of the boys right foot. His brother, Charlie, killed the snake and ran for help.

The Sullivan County Telephone Co. was incorporated with the Secretary of State on Thursday of last week. Capital, $5,000. The directors are Charles Homer and William H. Lawrence, Jeffersonville; and Edward Homer, Youngsville. George Christian of the Phoenix Telephone Co. of New York is president; E.H. Pinney, secretary; and Charles Homer, treasurer. The company has leased the lines of the Liberty Telephone Company and expects to secure lines running to Stevensville, White Lake, Mongaup Valley, Monticello, White  Sulphur Springs, Youngsville and Jeffersonville. 

120 Years Ago - 1905

Despite the efforts of Dr. Thomas Darlington, president of the New York City Board of Health, to secure permission to locate a tuberculosis sanitarium on the top of the Shawangunk Mountain at Bloomingburg, the Town Board of Mamakating decided by a vote of 4-2 against the project. That part of Sullivan County has been on the verge of a civil war for the last two months, many citizens advocating the sanitarium, while the majority were against it.

A son was born May 30 to John Dirig and wife of Callicoon Depot.

Our popular fellow townsman and supervisor for the past seven years, Valentine Scheidell, has just been honored with the appointment of deputy grandmaster of Free and Accepted Masons of the Sixteenth District, Sullivan and Delaware counties.

A local law, which was signed Friday, is designed to help town highway authorities to remove snow. It provides that the overseer may call upon residents for labor, which shall be credited upon their assessments.

John Huff Jr., who has the Gregory farm in Youngsville, was drawing stones from his lot on top of the high hill at the rear of his house last Thursday and dumping them from a two-wheeled cart over the high edge of rock. While at the brink of the precipice one of the horses became a little fractious and backed the team and cart off the ledge and the outfit fell in a tangled mess thirty feet down the hill. Mr. Huff was uninjured.

The Record on Tuesday received a call from Walter E. Fitch of Bridgeport, Conn., who with his mother visited his cousin, Mrs. M.L. Young, at Youngsville for a few days. Mr. Fitch was born in the Jeffersonville House in 1858 when his father Thomas D. Fitch, conducted that hotel.

The little fellows in town have organized a ball club of members not over 15 and are ready to play an outside club in the same class.

Miss Ellen Grishaber entertained her friends at her home Wednesday night, it being the occasion of her eighteenth birthday.

Edwin Maben and family of Kenoza Lake have moved into the Henry Gregory house in Youngsville.

Robert Farquhar has changed his harness shop from W. C. Brand’s store building to apartments in the Baum block. The new furniture store will occupy one place vacated.

110 Years Ago - 1915

The new Huff Bowling Alleys at Youngsville will be opened Saturday night with a match between Liberty and Youngsville.

In Monticello on Memorial Day, the Jeffersonville team defeated the county seat team, 12 to 16, in a seven inning game on Osborn’s potato patch. The Jeff players were C. Allington, 2nd base; Glassel, 1st base; E. Allington, cf; Lieb, ss; Lixfield, rf; Dedling, c; Kohler, lf; Ross, 3rd base; and Scheidell, pitcher.

Scrambled Eggs: As Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Townsend of Briscoe drove into town Monday, their horse, frightened at a passing auto at Chris Sander’s residence, jumped and upset the wagon. No injuries or damage was sustained other than the wreckage of a lot of eggs.

John Fulton Royce died at his home northeast of this village May 28th in his 80th year. He had been ailing from a heart affliction for two months and was confined to bed for three weeks. Mr. Royce was born at Maplewood, this county.

Henry Theysohn of North Branch took his annual walk to Jeffersonville Tuesday to renew his Record. Mr. Theysohn, though 80 years old, is still a good walker and does much of it during the year.

Cupid Tolls — Miss Fanny Hardenbergh, daughter of Mrs. Mary Hardenbergh, and J. Chandler Edwards, son of Ira Edwards, were married at Middletown Sunday. Miss Margaret Miller, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Miller of Beechwoods, and William Kabat of Fosterdale were married by Rev. H. G. Coenen of the Reformed Church at the latter’s home.

The 22x50 store building, with $15,000 worth of general stock of Herman Hoorvich at the eastern section of the village of Youngsville, was destroyed by fire last Saturday. Children started the fire at the kerosene tank on the porch of the store.

Mr. William Neagel, an erstwhile obstreperous young bachelor farmer in the Town of Delaware, on Tuesday accepted the invitation of Justice Wm. Murphy of Callicoon to spend sixty days with Sheriff Winner at the county hotel in Monticello and to contribute $30 to the cause of the people of the state of New York.

George B. Maas, who for several years conducted the Nutshell Hotel and Casino at Lake Huntington, and last year built a roadhouse at Hortonville, has returned to the blacksmith trade in which he was formerly engaged at Cochecton Center. He has leased the shop of  W.F. Theles at Kenoza Lake and will have living quarters over top of Theles’ garage.

100 Years Ago - 1925

On Monday night, Sergeant Jack Hopkins and Trooper William Vandercarr of the state police, located at Monticello, visited the farm of Henry J. Lipp, between Buck Brook and Callicoon Center, and found the largest distillery yet located in this county.

The 24x26 two-story wooden garage of Chester Myers, a couple of miles north of this village, burned early this morning with three cars on the lower floor and some lumber on the upper floor.

The action brought by the Callicoon Co-Operative Dairy Assoc. of Callicoon against Valentine Scheidell and another was tried last week. The jury decided all the questions in favor of the defendant.

On May 31, friends and relatives to the number of 30 gathered at the home of Mrs. Charles Crance in Montgomery,  Orange  County,  to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Graff, a seventy years resident of Callicoon Center.

Miss Gertrude C. Heller, daughter of George Heller, and William Weissmann, son of Peter Weissmann, both of Callicoon Center, were married at St. Joseph’s College June 3.

Leonard Krum and family have moved from Newark to the farm of his father-in-law, Charles Gabriel, in Beechwoods, where he will work. For the past 11 years, Mr. Krum has been employed by the Public Service Corp. of N.J.

William Knell has transferred the lower front porch of the Mansion House by removing the long wooden steps and erecting concrete steps at either end, with a porch railing between.

Frank Laufersweiler, our 84-year-old cobbler, is turning to acrobatics in his leisure time. Last week he was burning some tree worms while balancing himself on top of a high stepladder. The ladder collapsed and he somersaulted, landing on his head on a stone walk. A new stone will have to be placed in the walk.

90 Years Ago - 1935

The Jeff Board of Education has engaged Frank Cuccia of Bedford Hills, Westchester County, to teach the eighth grade here next year.

George Hauschild, employed in Bollenbach’s grist mill, made the mouths of the fishhawks in town water on Tuesday when he caught a 4 pound, 22-inch German brown trout of the pool just below the mill. And he didn’t use a snare.

The Jeffersonville High School commencement will take place June 23 with an expected class of twenty. Louise Hust will be Salutatorian and Evelyn Weber, Valedictorian. Wilbur Meyers will give the class will and Louis Markowsky the class prophecy.

Miss Mildred Mary Shea, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Seelig of New York City, formerly of Fosterdale, will receive her degree from the College of New Rochelle on Monday, June 3.

The Jeffersonville Rifle and Pistol Club has been granted a charter by the National Rifle Association. The officers of the new club are: Elmer VanKeuren, president; Robert Mann, vice president; Vinal Phillips, secretary; Harry Williams Jr., treasurer; and Alpheus Townsend, executive officer.

The Methodist congregation of Jeffersonville will tender a reception and welcome to their new pastor, Rev. F.H. Venable.

As the Record is being issued from the press this morning, the American Legion Post and auxiliary, the Jeffersonville and Youngsville schools and firemen, the P.T.A. and other organizations are gathering at the schoolhouse to form a procession that will pass through Main Street to our Delaware suburb.

George Fain is able to be around again after having his ankle cracked a couple weeks ago when his team of horses shied at the town roller and threw him off the lumber wagon.

80 Years Ago - 1945

The wedding of Miss Dorothy Louise Theiss, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Preston E. Theiss of Fosterdale, and Millard P. Gerhardt of Fremont Center took place at the First Presbyterian Church of Binghamton on June 3.

Sgt. Robert Flynn of the state police is in the Liberty-Loomis hospital under treatment for a serious heart ailment which it is feared will lay him up for a long time.

Members of the Dorrer-Schuler families gathered at the Tumble Inn in Callicoon Center on May 20 to celebrate the 75th birthday of Mrs. Elizabeth Dorrer Schuler.

Adolph Doeinck has sold his bottling works at Liberty to Louise Kaufman of N.Y. and Gussie Goldman of South Fallsburg, who took immediate possession.

Frank Cubr, who came from the city and bought the Henry Reinheimer farm on Sixteen in 1938, has sold it to Louis Kaplan, local cattle dealer.

Mrs. Marie Covart of near Kenoza Lake has received word from the War Department that her son, Leland Bernhardt, reported missing nearly two years ago, has been liberated from a German prison.

Sgt. Earl Kohler recently returned to his duties as chief airplane mechanic at Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, after being in Italy for five months on what was designated a “secret mission.” Earl specializes in building jet propelled planes.

70 Years Ago - 1955

Miss Shirley Ann Geib became the bride of Eugene Lowell Doetsch at the First Presbyterian Church on Sunday, June 5. The afternoon ceremony was performed by Rev. Leroy Hertzog, pastor of the church.

Principal Robert G. Edwards announced this week the students with highest scholastic honors in the Class of 1955 who will give the valedictorian and salutatorian addresses at the Youngsville Central School graduation on Saturday evening, June 25, at 8 o’clock. Gail Tremper has been chosen Valedictorian and Harold Menges as Salutatorian. Patricia Wright will read the class will and Alice Ellmauer the class prophecy.

Dennis Elbert, 6-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Elbert of Youngsville, was treated at the Callicoon Hospital Saturday evening after being hit by a car near the Tumble Inn in Callicoon Center.

60 Years Ago - 1965

More than 150 persons attended the Cook Centenary celebration in Hortonville. A roadside marker was placed near Dr. Cook’s birthplace, the present Lawrence Mauer home. Russell Gibbons of the Dr. Frederick A. Cook Society presented a picture of Dr. Cook to Bert S. Feldman, president of the Sullivan County Historical Society, and Col. Burton Lemon of the Society.

On Sunday, the fifty-fourth annual reunion of the John H. Bauernfeind family was held at the Delaware Youth Center in Callicoon with 82 family members and 11 guests present.

Mrs. Louise Buddenhagen of Hortonville was honored by her family Sunday in celebration of her 85th birthday.

Piers are rapidly going up for the 434-foot-long bridge over the Willowemoc River bridge below Livingston Manor. The bridge will have five spans with the center span over the river 130 feet long.

Serious property damage was prevented by the timely arrival of the Hankins Vol. Fire Co. when fire, started by a westbound freight train, swept through a field where new farm equipment was stored.

Edmund Taylor Rumble III was graduated from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis.

50 Years Ago - 1975

Scott Makela, son of Mr. and Mrs. Vilho Makela, Hankins, has been tapped by the Houston Astros in the National League college baseball draft. On Monday, Scout Cy Williams visited Makela at his home and obtained his signature on a contract to start his playing career for the Astro’s farm team in Covington, Va., a member of the Appalachian League.

Amy Roth has been named valedictorian and Leslie A. Loeffel, salutatorian at the Jeff-Youngsville School.

Patricia Thompson of Liberty was married to Gino Rizzo in New York City on May 9, 1975.

Deborah Ardizzone of Jeffersonville received a $1,000 scholarship from the Physician’s Memorial Scholarship Fund. She will begin her nursing education at SUNY Albany this fall.

Announcement has been made of the engagement of Miss Lori Whitmore and James Long, both of Callicoon. A September wedding is planned.

Debbie Mears of Livingston Manor is engaged to John A. Miller of Youngsville. No date has been set for the wedding.

40 Years Ago - 1985

Lorrie Christon of Narrowsburg and Sarah Wolf of Yulan met with Senator Charles D. Cook in Albany where the students were attending the State Senate’s Student Policy Forum.

Kathy Adams, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Adams of Lookout, Pa., was recently named Wayne County Dairy Princess.

Harris Gordon, 43, of Monticello died unexpectedly Sunday when the twin-engine plane he was piloting crashed into a stand of trees on the Stony Ford Golf Course near Montgomery in Orange County. His co-pilot, John Gregg, was pronounced dead at the scene after the charred wreckage was found by grounds-keepers at the golf course Sunday morning. The crash occurred at approximately 2:30 a.m. as the plane was en route to the Orange County Airport from the Teterboro,N.J. airport.

White Sulphur Springs firemen dedicated their newly renovated firehouse Sunday, attended by many visiting county firemen.

The David Fitch family farm, located on Swiss Hill out of Jeffersonville, has been designated a Farm of Distinction. Originating over 125 years ago when Caspar and Margaret Fuhrer came from Switzerland and settled in Swiss Hill, the Fitch Farm has remained in the family for four generations.

Monticello’s Mike Castillo became the first male athlete in Sullivan County to ever place first in a state outdoor track and field championship. He ran the 800 meter run in a time of 1:54:26. He also placed sixth in the 1600 meter run. In 1983, Delaware Valley’s Mike Stauch won a silver medal in the walk, although Syracuse papers claimed he won the race due to a disqualification by the winner.

Charles Kratz, grandson of Irving and Mae Kratz of Callicoon, is recovering from second and third degree burns on 35 percent of his body following a construction accident while working for the Thomas Roofing and Guttering Co. of Grafton, Va. A 35-foot extension ladder fell against a powerline, sending 34,000 volts through the bodies of three workmen. The other workmen died. Charlie will probably be hospitalized at least another month.

30 Years Ago- 1995

Gloria DeHaven was in Callicoon on Tuesday, to attend a film tribute to D.W. Griffith and the silent movie era at the Western Hotel. DeHaven has recently starred in several TV shows, “Ryan’s Hope,” “Murder She Wrote,” and “Matlock.”

The Grahamsville Post Office had 1200 of the new Marilyn Monroe stamps on hand while the Roscoe Post Office had 4,000 of the stamps commemorating Monroe’s 69th birthday.

The Sullivan County Head Start plans to celebrate its 30th anniversary with a picnic  on June 14.

James Steinberg Jr., son of Jim and Laurie Steinberg of Forestburgh was granted his Eagle Scout rank in Troop 101. A Court of Honor was held June 4, attended by about 85 friends and relatives. His community project was to paint the outside buildings of the Forestburgh Firehouse.

The Delaware House in Callicoon is being renovated to its original look through the efforts of Jay Hennig of Hennig Construction. R&H Gorr helped with drilling holes in the sidewalk so extra supports could be added to the porch.

About 150 years ago, George Milk donated a cast iron bell to the Goulds Methodist Church, where it called worshippers to services for many years. When the building was sold, the bell was given to the Delhi Historical Society. Now the 800-pound bell is being returned to the area to be displayed outside the meeting hall of the Upper Basket Historical Society in Long Eddy.

20 Years Ago - 2005

George Abplanalp caught a 19 1/2 lb. 36-inch lake trout on May 17 in the Rondout Reservoir, reportedly one of the largest fish to be caught there in recent years. “It took me half an hour to reel it in,” said Abplanalp, who used an 18 lb. test line to catch the huge fish.

Ashley Luckey of Kenoza Lake was crowned the ‘05-’06 Sullivan County Dairy Princess at the Rockland House in Roscoe on Saturday. Dairy ambassadors are April Drake, Samantha Franklin, Markie Hubert, Nicole Terwilliger and McKenzie Wilbur. Luckey is the daughter of Craig and Robin Luckey.

10 Years Ago - 2015

A memorial bench in honor of Callicoon residents and businesspeople Carol and Frank Kay will be dedicated in front of the Callicoon Flea Market on Lower Main Street, Callicoon. The Kays died one year ago in a tragic propane explosion after returning home following a dinner with friends to celebrate Frank’s birthday. Their home was located across the Delaware River from Callicoon in Damascus.

An alert truck driver may have saved the life of an American Bald Eagle Tuesday morning. Mario Giorbano was driving for Balford Farms when, because of his high vantage point in the vehicle, he spotted an eagle sitting in the ditch along State Route 17 in the Town of Rockland. He stopped his truck and attempted to assist the bird. Realizing the bird was injured, he contacted Sullivan County 911 and the New York State Police. Troopers from the Roscoe and Liberty barracks stayed with the bird of prey until licensed wildlife rehabilitator Kathy Michell of Narrowsburg and George Banta of Beach Lake, Pa., arrived on the scene. After being rescued, the eagle was brought to the Delaware Valley Raptor Center in Milford, Pa., where it had blood taken for lead tests, followed by an x-ray at the Milford Veterinary Hospital. X-rays showed that there was nothing broken but Michell said, “There’s a good chance it was weakened by lead.” While the blood results have not yet confirmed Michell’s theory, lead poisoning is more common in birds, especially if the bird was feeding on a dead carcass. “It doesn’t take much lead to harm the birds,” Michell explained.