130 Years Ago - 1895

The olive branch has been exchanged between the Jeff Creamery and the Jeff Water Co. within the past week, and the latter now has clear sailing in its effort to furnish this village with a system of water works.

The total assessed valuation of the Village of Monticello is $324,676 and the tax this year is $1.05 on each hundred.

The postmaster at Jeffersonville received a letter the other day from the consul of Switzerland, stating that a small inheritance had been left to John, Melchoir and Andrew Nieger and Christian Abersold, who emigrated from that country to Jeffersonville in 1860, and asking information concerning their whereabouts. The first named is now a resident of Warner, S.D., the second and fourth now live in Kenoza Lake, and the third, Andrew, died in Pennsylvania.

There is talk in town of organizing a married men’s baseball team with a view to slaughtering the winners of a series of games now being contested by the Jeffersonville Benedicts. — Callicoon Depot Democrat.

J.C. and A.J. Porr, two Cochecton young men, have purchased the mercantile business of Charles E. Beach and Co. at that place, and have taken possession.

The erection of the soldier’s monument at Monticello, by order of the Board of Supervisors, was begun last week.

Forest fires swept over 1,000 acres of timberland in the Town of Highland week before last, destroying a large amount of young timber.

120 Years Ago - 1905

Fishermen are reporting dead trout in the streams nearby Monticello and investigation had found them to have been dynamited.

State milk inspectors visited the Youngsville creamery last week and as a result two farmers supplying milk there were heavily fined for watering their milk.

Martin Hermann, the lumber manufacturer at Callicoon Depot, has placed a time recorder in his office to register the time of the large force of men employed by him.

The money system of highway labor, on trial in this town this year for the first, seems to be a good thing and improvement over the old system. We hear it said on all sides that the roads were never in as good condition as they are at present.

Gov. Higgins has voted the item of $8,000 in the supply bill for Beaverkill and Delaware River dikes.

John Stanton was arrested at Scranton, June 6, by Detective Doyle of that city. Charged with breaking in an O&W car at Livingston Manor, and stealing a quantity of books.

110 Years Ago - 1915

About the most reckless exhibition of automobile driving ever witnessed in this village was perpetrated last Sunday by a young man from Cochecton Center, who drove his Ford into town at top speed, to the consternation of all who saw it, and crashed into the store of J.C. Abplanalp.

Dr. Schonger of North Branch, health officer of the Town of Callicoon, this week raised the quarantine of D.T. Eastman, near Livingston Manor. Dr. Bourke reported a case of diphtheria a few weeks ago.

White  Sulphur Springs —Sixty friends of May Roth, little and big, from near and far, single, married and newly married, held a party at Roth’s on Thursday evening. The affair was a surprise to May. She was so surprised, in fact, that it took her more than two hours to complete her toilette.

Miss Emily Scheidell of Jeffersonville, and Miss Gladys Hessinger of Callicoon Center, who are to graduate from the Liberty training class this month, have already been offered contracts to teach school this next term — the former at Cochecton Center and the latter in the Quick District, North Branch.

Rev. Samuel Muery, aged 75, of Hortonville, was stricken with apoplexy at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Joseph Alpy, in Jeffersonville. His condition is critical.

Henry Kohler, 30, son of William and Kate Thony Kohler, was crushed to death by machinery while working in the Nixon Nitration Powder Works in Millville, N.J.

100 Years Ago - 1925

Henry J. Lipp, who was arrested by state police Monday night for running a large distillery on an isolated farm near Callicoon Center, was taken to a federal prison for an indefinite term. He was unable to pay the $400 fine.

The wedding of Dr. Floyd P. Hust, county veterinarian, and Miss Florence C. Schaefer of Jeffersonville will take place June 25. The engagement of Miss Hilda Hust, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Hust, and Conrad Kautz Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Conrad Kautz of Beechwoods, has been announced.

Seven cases of typhoid fever have been discovered at Roscoe, according to Dr. F.W. Laidlaw. The source has been traced to infected milk.

Among the graduates — George Miller, son of Mrs. Lillian Miller of this village, and Edwin Scheuer, son of Charles P. Scheuer of the Beechwoods, were graduated from Fordham School of Pharmacy. Merel Scheidell and Winfred H. Schmidt will receive their sheepskins from Syracuse University. Merel will follow up law and Winfred accounting. Theresa Deckelman graduates this evening from the College of St. Elizabeth at Morristown, N.J.

The home of Casper Lorch was burned out one night last week. Mr. Lorch and his wife and daughter were compelled to make their escape by crawling the window ledge of the next building.

A representative of the United States marshal’s office on Monday served papers on Harry Sheely, proprietor of the Manhattan House in Liberty, requiring him to appear before the U.S. Commissioners and show cause why his hotel should not be padlocked for one year. Sullivan County officials, in cooperation with federal authorities have embarked on a campaign to clean up the county under the prohibition law.

90 Years Ago - 1935

On Sunday morning, the Hunts and Dorrers of Callicoon bundled up their new babies with their parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and other relatives and drove to Andes, N.Y. where the Rev. A. Stine baptized Marylyn Audrey Hunt and Janet Dorrer.

County Engineer Arthur Toaspern has a force of men at work the past couple weeks repairing a bad leak in the dam of the village water supply reservoir up Likel Creek.

The marriage of Miss Helen Kohl, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Kohl of Newark, N.J., and Theodore Weiss of Callicoon Center took place June 1st.

Joseph Benz and mother of Swiss Hill nearly came to grief Saturday evening as Mr. Benz was driving toward this village. It was raining and he was unable to see through the windshield and the lights of the cars blinded him. As he attempted to lower the window to look out, his car swerved to the right and struck L.V. Boyd’s milk stand, went through the pasture fence and ran a distance of about 50 feet before it could be stopped. Mr. Behr and mother, although shocked, were uninjured.

80 Years Ago - 1945

William Rosenberger, garageman of Hortonville, has been awarded the contract to carry the mail on the star route from Callicoon to Liberty. Leslie Milk of Callicoon has been carrying the route for the past year. This star route also takes in the post offices of Kenoza Lake, Jeffersonville and White Sulphur  Springs in addition to the terminals.

Mac Toboroff, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Toboroff of Jeff, has returned to this country from overseas, where he was in the air ground force, and will be united in marriage next Sunday in Washington with Miss Estelle Garfinkle, whose parents formerly owned the David Meyer farm in Youngsville.

A daughter was born June 10 to S/Sgt. and Mrs. Earl Kohler of Dayton, Ohio.

Beginning July 1, the Jeffersonville Post Office will be up in the Second Class, with an increase of salary, and an extra clerk. Mrs. Elizabeth Marshall, who has helped out in emergencies, will be the steady clerk. Robert Mann is acting postmaster while Willard Schadt is in the Army serving overseas. Mrs. Ann Schadt is assistant postmaster.

William L. Huff, who bought the Frank Laufersweiler house on Maple Ave., in 1931, and made it into two apartments, has sold the property to Leonard J. Hess, a young carpenter, who with his wife and two children are at present living in rooms with his parents.

A capacity crowd from everywhere attended the re-opening of Bucky’s Inn last night, under the management of Mrs. Grace Baum, whose husband, William H., went in the Army.

70 Years Ago - 1955

New national figures on the number of television sets in households will be provided through supplementary questions to be asked in the June current Population Survey, according to Jerome Litzky, Supervisor of the Census Bureau’s district office at N.Y., which will participate in the survey.

A uniform price of $3.44 per hundredweight will be received by dairy farmers in the N.Y. Metropolitan milk marketing area, according to the announcement by Dr. C.J. Blanford, the market administrator.

Freddy Conklin, a fireman on the U.S.S. Iowa, is now on a membership tour, with some of the graduates of Annapolis Naval Academy, en route to Spain and England.

The Sullivan County Cancer Detection Centers have concluded another period of service to county residents. These detection centers have been instituted and sponsored by the Sullivan County Medical Society for the past two years, as a service to the residents of the county. Our centers are operated under the direction and with the approval of the N.Y. State Department of Health. Clinic sessions are held twice a month and are alternately rotated between the three non-profit voluntary hospitals in the county – Liberty-Loomis, Liberty Maimonides and the Monticello Hospital.

60 Years Ago - 1965

The Hortonville Fire Department’s new building is progressing nicely with the roof just being put on.

Miss Ida Weiss of Roscoe was honored at a tea given in her honor by the Roscoe Teachers Association. Miss Weiss is retiring after thirty-three years of teaching.

Beaver Lake Lodge, near Livingston Manor, was completely destroyed by fire. The roof of the three-story building was falling in when Manor firemen arrived.

Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr. is a scheduled speaker at the  Sullivan County Democratic Party Jeffersonian Day Dinner, to be held at Grossinger’s.

50 Years Ago - 1975

Sullivan County was honored last Sunday by the visit of Terrence Cardinal Cooke to St Peter’s in Monticello, in an impressive ceremony. His Eminence installed Rev. Msgr. John N. Brooks of that church as new pastor and episcopal vicar in Sullivan County.

The rain-swollen Delaware claimed yet another victim this past Sunday as Matt W. Karhu, 22, of Elmont, L.I., became the fourth fatality of the year at the Skinner’s Falls area of the river.

Carolyn Hof, daughter of Karl and Liselotte Hof of Barryville, was awarded the Baker’s Award and the Sullivan County Liquor Dealer’s Association Memorial Scholarship, in memory of Richard Schwartz, at the recent Sullivan County Community College’s Awards Presentation Program.

Mr. and Mrs. George Brustman of Jeffersonville were honored at a 30th wedding anniversary party given by their children at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Sykes in North Branch.

Mr. and Mrs. Howard “Bud” Jacobs were honored by a 25th wedding anniversary party given by their daughters, Linda, Debbie and Cindy at the Youngsville Fire Hall May 31.

40 Years Ago - 1985

Miss Martha Scheidell, who recently retired after 27 years of service to the Sullivan County Council of Churches, was honored on June 3 for holding the office of treasurer for the longest time anyone has ever served on the council.

Joseph Brustman of Liberty was given a surprise party on May 17 by members of the Steinberg family and his fellow co-workers, citing 25 years of outstanding service with the South End Auto Parts, Inc, of Liberty.

A datascope, used for blood pressure readings and costing over $3,000, has been donated by the Auxiliary to the Grover Hermann Hospital in Callicoon.

30 Years Ago - 1995

The New York Fire Chiefs have signed a contract with the Concord Hotel in Kiamesha whereby they will continue to hold their annual convention at the hotel until 2002. There were threats that the convention would be moving to the Syracuse area.

Zeke Boyle and Joe DiPane carefully restored the copper steeple and have put it back in place on top of the Ten Mile River Baptist Church. The church was built in 1856. They were assisted by Herman Bilick, a retired NYC tinsmith and Steve Smith, a carpenter.

Tom Green has been installed as Master of Liberty Lodge #521. He succeeds John Wells.

Sandra Sipple has been appointed manager of the Loch Sheldrake branch of the First National Bank of Jeffersonville.

After spending four months in the Lehigh and Horton Medical Center, recovering from burns suffered when her home caught on fire last December, Ida Banuat of Obernburg has returned home. She was seen shopping in Peck’s Market in Callicoon on Wednesday where many stopped to greet her and wish her well.

Christine Tsai has achieved a perfect 4.0 average during her four years of high school at Monticello (as did her sister, Julie, in 1990, and her brother, Michael, in 1992). She has also been awarded the $4,000 Dorothy and Blake Washington Scholarship and is co-valedictorian of the Class of 1995.

Nu-Designs Furniture Store bore the brunt of damage to three stores in a fire on Broadway in Monticello Sunday night. Firemen fought the blaze for five hours into early Monday morning before bringing it under control. Off Limits Boutique and Brenner’s Income Tax Center were also involved in the blaze. The Monticello Bakery, Davos and Triple Check Tax Service suffered smoke damage and were temporarily closed. Seven other local fire companies assisted. The fire is under investigation.

20 Years Ago - 2005

The American Revolution was just around the corner and a short step back in time for 50-some kids from Livingston Manor School. On Thursday, a team of teachers from the local school joined forces with a couple of Revolutionary War re-enactors to recreate slices of life from Fort Ticonderoga at the Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum along the banks of the Willowemoc Creek. The living history event was organized by James Krupp, now in his 34th year of teaching 7th-8th grade social studies at Manor. History teachers and re-enactors Jeff Tew of the Youngsville School and Tim Potts of the Monticello Middle School donned period uniform costumes and put youngsters through military drills similar to those of the period.

On Sunday, Temple Sholom celebrated its 50th anniversary with a brunch at Bernie’s in Rock Hill.

History was added to a building in Barryville with already enough history to fill its tiny rooms. The Barryville Court House recently received over 10 court benches from 100 Center Street in New York City. Judge Anthony LaRuffa was instrumental in getting the benches to Barryville along with Court Clerk Kathy Sweeny and Judge Alan Hochhauser, who stated that the benches are over 100 years old.

On Sunday, June 19, the congregation of St. George’s Church in Jeffersonville – some 220 strong – attended the 11 a.m. Mass to say “Thank you” to Marge and Cliff Daley of Jeffersonville for their long-time commitment to the parish.

10 Years Ago - 2015

Senator John J. Bonacic (R/C/I-Mt. Hope) recently honored high school valedictorians, salutatorians and honored students from 23 high schools in the 42nd Senate District at his annual “Excellence in Education” event in Albany. The special occasion honors students who not only have excelled academically, but have also made positive contributions to their community. Among the honored were Livingston Manor CS Valedictorian Angelo Piscitelli, Honored Student Ariel Galvez, and Salutatorian Dillon Taggart.

Local officials and residents gathered at what will be the site of the Z Living/Veria Nature Cure and Ayurvedic Wellness Center, a 260,000-square foot hotel and resort along the northwestern shore of Bailey’s Lake, to unveil a monument to the Veria wellness resort now being built. The wellness center was originally envisioned for the now mostly demolished Kutsher’s hotel site, but was scaled down and moved a mile away to the lakeside. The $90 million project comprises a seven-story, 130-room hotel surrounded by landscaped grounds and offering spa, massage, yoga, acupuncture and other services, plus a restaurant and museum.