130 Years Ago - 1896

It is reported, says the Callicoon Depot Democrat, that George Schmidt has sold his house and lot in the village to Chris Weiss, and that Mr. Schmidt will move to the Town of Fremont April 1st.

Mrs. H. Himmelreich of Youngs­ville is staying with her daughter, Mrs. Will Lieb.

Frank Kahl intends going on the road in the spring, selling groceries and other merchandise for J.M. Schmidt & Sons of North Branch.

Stones are being procured to build a docking at the rear of the premises of Mrs. Grouten and Louis Faubel. The high waters of the Callicoon stream have been washing away the banks at these points considerably every year.

Kenoza Lake – We can now boast of four public officers, while formerly we had only one. They are W.G. Wilson, justice; Ed. C. Nieger, town clerk; W.P. Coventry and B.G. Wales, notaries public. It is more convenient now for anyone who wants to swear – I mean to be sworn, in case of necessity.

North Branch – Henry Kratz and Herman Bauernfeind have been busily engaged filling their ice house for the past week.

120 Years Ago - 1906

The grist mill at Parksville was carried off by the recent high waters.

A movement is on foot to reorganize a cooperative store at Roscoe.

W.J. Thomson, a pioneer of the summer boarding business at Roscoe, is trying to lease of the Orange County Trust Co., the large summer hotel Bon Air at Roscoe.

Philip P. Justin of the Beechwoods has bought a building lot of Charles Scheidell on Westlawn and will build a home here as soon as he can dispose of his farm and boarding house.

Ferdinand Yager last week sold his house and lot on the corner of Delaware Avenue and West End Avenue to Charles Schmidt of the Jeffersonville Supply Co. for $3,000.

Frank Neuberger has begun work on the cellar of Rudolph Gute’s new house on Lakeside Heights.

John H. Glassel’s large new boarding house overlooking the lake is nearing completion and presents a commanding figure.

Wm. Kohler, the contractor and builder, has bought a lot of wood working machinery and a ten  horse power gasoline engine for his manufacturing establishment just erected on Delaware Avenue.

Callicoon – It is understood that the Italian woodchoppers will leave soon. There are about 25 of them.

Edward Norris, who sold his farm at Briscoe to the Baim Brothers, has bought a half interest in the butcher business of John Spielmann at Youngsville and will engage in that business shortly.

110 Years Ago - 1916

For the third time in three years an attempt was made to fire the old store building of John Beck in the center of the village of Jeffersonville. The attempt on Sunday night did not progress far.

A movement is on foot to organize a hive of the Ladies of the Maccabees in Jeffersonville.

Charles Mages has a 2-year-old sow which on Tuesday gave birth to no less than eighteen pigs, four of which were born dead. This is a very unusual number, the average running from ten to twelve pigs in a litter.

The roof of the large dance hall of J.C. Wragge’s casino in Lake Huntington caved in under the weight of the snow this morning after midnight.

This morning at 5 o’clock the shed roof on the house barn of Paul L. Hartman, near Cochecton, slid off under the weight of the snow, tearing off siding with it.

F. S. Bohamka of the New York service station of the Chevrolet Motor Company was around in this section last week, with the local dealer,  Henry Steinhauser of Callicoon Center, tuning up the Chevrolet cars here and also adding to them the late 1916 improvements.

Alex B. Davis of Newburgh, deputy great commander of the Maccabees, visited Jeffersonville Tent on Friday night.

There will be no service in the Jeffersonville M.E. Church next  Sunday on account of the snowstorm and difficult traveling.

100 Years Ago - 1926

The second annual village election was held at the firehouse Tuesday and brought out only 51 votes. Charles Schmidt was elected president to succeed William Lieb, who is retiring and refused to serve any longer.

A daughter was born March 17 to Mr. and Mrs. Otto Hogencamp of White Sulphur Springs. Mrs. Hogencamp was Marie Gilber of Callicoon Center and at one time was employed in Jeffersonville.

The Sullivan Telephone Company has nearly completed the installation of a new and larger switchboard in its new building on Jefferson Avenue. Among the new operators will be Millicent Schadt, Ruth Ritch, Alice Metzger and Marie Lawrence. And the Misses Lillian Bietz and Mildred Wahl, experienced operators, now in the city, will be back here again for the summer.

Bertha L. Bischoff, wife of Edward Bischoff, died at the age of 49 at her home in Callicoon on Friday, March 12, of nephritis.

Mrs. Alida Louise Barriger, aged 80, died of apoplexy at her home in Youngsville March 21.

White Sulphur Springs – Osmer Grant lost a valuable heifer one day last week. The animal while lying down got her foot into the stanchion with her neck. The stanchion was so narrow at this part, the cow was choked to death.

Youngsville – Rev. and Vogel have installed a new radio in the office of their garage.

About twenty-five people attended the sleigh riding party at John Kehrley’s Saturday night.

Fosterdale – Everett Theiss of Kenoza Lake recently wired the house of George Edelman for electric lights.

90 Years Ago - 1936

The sap season is off to the earliest start in years. Warm days and cold nights make the juice run copiously.

The 57th wedding anniversary on March 5 of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob J. Duttweiler was quietly celebrated with a family dinner Sunday at the home of their son-in-law, August A. Newberger, where the old folks have been living since last July.

The annual village election will be held next Tuesday at the fire house. A trustee is to be elected for two years in place of William Knell, whose term expires. No one is seeking the job.

No less than 150 attended the Parent-Teacher Association meeting at the schoolhouse in Jeffersonville on Tuesday night.

On Friday night, March 27, Mr. Strawbridge will present members of his Latin classes in a Roman drama, written by himself, and dealing with the founding of Rome. Costumes of the period are being made by the ladies of the P.T.A. which is sponsoring the production.

Fred A.  Hoos, aged 56, prominent baker and president of the Board of Education at Livingston Manor, died Monday night, March 9th.

Edward Banuat, aged 65, died at his home in Obernburg March 11.

The Jeffersonville and Livingston Manor basketball teams will play off a tie for the league championship at the Liberty School gym tonight. The Jeff varsity lost to Callicoon last Friday, 21 to 16, but the J.V. won 34-15. In wrestling Jeff defeated Callicoon 3  matches to 1.

80 Years Ago - 1946

John S. Smith has sold the Maple Grove House on Maple Avenue to Jack P. Harmon of Brooklyn, through Alfred E. Adler, real estate broker of Kenoza Lake.

Robert H. and Alice Metzger have sold their bungalow on Terrace Avenue to Cornelius J. Dunham, manager of the new Tri-State Poultry & Egg Co., Inc., at Callicoon Center through the Tegeler Agency.

Yesterday the house built years ago by the late Conrad Metzger Sr., was sold by Dr. H.C. VanKeuren of Narrowsburg to August Lott, proprietor of the Ace Garage in Delaware, who will turn it into a two-family house later on.

It is reported that the owner of the Concord Hotel at Kiamesha Lake has purchased acreage on Chestnut Ridge Lake near Bethel and will build a large summer hotel and bungalows there.

The office of the Callicoon Agricultural Mutual Fire Relief Association of Sullivan County was moved from the home of its secretary, Edwin Weber, to an office in the Hessinger building on Main Street on Friday, March 8th.

The committee on nominations for village officers have named Samuel Baer and Lester Gute as trustees for two years and Martin H. Fick as trustee for one year.

Among the forty-five aliens admitted to citizenship in the Supreme Court at Monticello last week was Fortunato Caldiero, Jeffersonville shoemaker, who was known to all as “Schick.”

Maurice A. Borden, 79, died on March 7th. He was born on a farm north of Jeffersonville January 31, 1867. He is survived by six sons and one daughter. One of the sons is Harry, sheriff at Monticello.

70 Years Ago - 1956

Janet Rosenberger, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Rosenberger of Hortonville, sang with the Ithaca College Chorus of 165 mixed voices when it recently presented a public program of contemporary choral music.

Voting in Liberty and Monticello resulted in decisive victories for centralization of both school districts.

The Jeffersonville debating teams captured two first places and one second at Union College on March 10th.

The H. Russell Kenyon Post VFW will mark its tenth anniversary Saturday, March 17.

Father Edward McGuire of St. George’s Church is in St. Claire’s Hospital, New York City, with a virus condition.

Miss Ethel M. Dorrer, formerly of North Branch, died March 9th at Spring Lake Heights, N.J.

Mrs. Fred Hessinger and Mrs. Clarence Krantz, both of Callicoon Center, were honored at the annual 4-H Local Leaders Banquet held at the extension meeting room in Liberty, for 17 years of service to 4-H Club.

John Frederick Stoesser died in Acidalia at the age of 89.

Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Kulakosky (Betty Long) became parents of a son on March 10th.

Bertha Percival, 78, died at the Callicoon Hospital on March 12th.

60 Years Ago - 1966

Thirteen girls of the Delaware Valley Central School went to Liberty on Monday for a volleyball play day and came home with the championship. Seven seniors, Candy Baker, Linda Hubert, Nancy Meyer, Sue Poley, Diana Simon, Linda Streever and Karen Theadore; five juniors, Cheryl Hulse, Kathy Long, Linda Popolillo, Kathy Ried and Nancy Theadore; and one sophomore, Karen Reynolds, under the leadership of Coach Paciga, won over the four other schools represented.

Technical Sergeant  Charles E. Kraus, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kraus of Narrowsburg, has been awarded the US Air Force Commendation Medal at Stewart AFB.

New York hunters recorded the third highest deer harvest, including a record buck take, during the regular 1965 big game season. Sullivan County’s total of deer taken was 4610.

50 Years Ago - 1976

One of the last babies to be born at Liberty Loomis Hospital, George Kinne Jr. arrived on March 19. His proud parents are George and Debra Kinne of Roscoe. [Editor’s note: A bicentennial baby, George Kinne Jr. is now the president and CEO of Jeff Bank.]

Johanna Klein of Delaware Ave., Callicoon, celebrated her 90th birthday with an open house on Sunday, March 7.

Airman Diane M. Herrmann, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Rudolph J. Herrmann of Grahamsville, has been selected for technical training in the U.S. Air Force avionics systems field at Keesler AFB, Miss.

Six volunteer fire companies worked together to control a fire in the Wood building in the center of the village of Roscoe from a fire believed to have started in a deep-fat fryer located in a restaurant located in the building. Twelve people were left homeless and several stores were gutted in the blaze which created a smoke beacon visible for many miles around.

Merlin Hendrickson Jr. of White Lake hauled in a 24-inch pickerel from Toronto Reservoir during the fishing contest of the Bethel Lions.

40 Years Ago - 1986

Erin Kilker, a junior at Narrowsburg Central School and the daughter of superintendent of the school, Joe Kilker, won a $2,000 award for her entry of “What A Class Ring Means to Me,” sponsored by the Art Carved Class Rings. The essay was offered as an assignment by teacher Debra Rovitz as part of the English course of study.

Anne McNitt and Clayton Bunt were married December 28 at the First Congregational Church in Norwich. He is the son of Fred and Shirley Bunt of Fosterdale. Dr. Bunt is presently clinical director at the Poplar Indian Health Service Clinic on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Poplar, Mont. The couple will make their home in Poplar.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Claryville Fire Department The company hopes to open the doors to a new firehouse in  April. There are 25 members in the department.

Residents found it hard to believe their eyes as they viewed a 99.9¢ a gallon price on gasoline at the mini-mart in Liberty. The world oil glut has resulted in drastic price reductions in gasoline prices at the pump – even in Sullivan County.

Earl Tunick, Goshen Historic Track official photographer, has been elected to serve on the Board of Directors and becomes the first member of a media organization to receive that honor. Also elected to the Board of Directors is Keith Ingber, horse owner and lawyer from Monticello. Mr. Tunick is a past president and present treasurer of the Monticello Goshen Chapter of the U.S. Harness Writer’s Association.

30 Years Ago - 1996

Approximately 8-12 inches of snow fell in the region as a reminder that Old Man Winter is not quite done for the season.

The Division of Economic Development, Promotion and Planning has unveiled Sullivan County’s Internet site on the World Wide Web.

Work has been suspended at the Cortese Landfill Superfund site in Narrowsburg until mid-April according to David Moreira, project manager for Waste Management, Inc. Moreira’s firm is in charge of overseeing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s mandated cleanup efforts at the Tusten property.

Michael J. Roosa of Wurtsboro has just been granted a patent for his development of a fire siren activation system. The device has been named the Vedette.

Al Roddis, a postal clerk at the Liberty Post Office, recently retired with 29 years of federal service.

The Community United Methodist Church of Kauneonga Lake will celebrate the 100th year of its founding this month.

Milton Gaebel, 65, of Youngs­ville, the owner of Milton Gaebel Inc. Bus Company, died March 5, 1996 at his home. 

The Generals basketball team of SCCC downed Gloucester County Community 74-63 at Delhi Tech Saturday night in the National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association Division III national championship.  First-year coach Mike Kelley, 26, took over for the controversial dynasty builder Dave Possinger five days before the season opened in November.

20 Years Ago - 2006

Leota S. “Lee” Hermann, a resident of Callicoon since 1944, died Monday, March 6, 2006 at Wayne Memorial Hospital in Honesdale, Pa. She was 78 years of age. The daughter of the late Harold E. and Mary A. Cargin Deighton, she was born in Stalker, Pa. (Cooley Woods). She was married to Paul W. Hermann. An employee of the Sullivan County Democrat since 1972, she was principally responsible for the local correspondents’ columns, updating the popular Down the Decades column, social events and the obituaries, of which she always said, “I’m going to write my own so they don’t miss anything.”

A deer taken in the Town of Neversink may be the largest buck taken with a bow in New York State last year. And, it may even rank as the largest 8-pointer shot in New York ever – gun or bow. Domenick Demaria of Woodbourne recently had his massive 8-pointer scored by the Pope & Young Club, and the whitetail netted 169 7/8. The old 8-point record was 165.

Responding to many requests for an entry level tying course, The Catskill Fly Tying Guild has designated a four session fly tying course to bring tying techniques to serious beginners. The instructors are recognized experts in tying the Catskill style fly.

10 Years Ago - 2016

Wayne Bank, headquartered in Honesdale, Pa. will soon be coming to a Sullivan County community near you. In a merger agreement announced last Thursday, March 10, the holding company for Wayne Bank – Norwood Financial – announced that it would be purchasing  Delaware Bancshares, the holding company for NBDC, for $15.4 million. The combined company will have more than $1 billion in assets and 27 offices throughout six counties, including  Wayne, Lackawanna, Pike and Monroe in Northeastern Pennsylvania and Sullivan and Delaware counties in New York.

On March 7th Liberty Central School students, teachers and administrators had their heads shaved for a St. Baldrick’s Foundation fundraiser hosted by the L.H.S. Class of 2019. The event raised  $3,023 to promote awareness of childhood cancer. Those who sacrificed their locks were of all shapes, sizes and ages. The youngest, Caleb De Mayo, 3, sat quietly on his mother Kate De Mayo’s lap as his head was shaved to match hers. 

As part of the ramp-up to the casino that will open just a few miles away in 2018, The Sullivan in Rock Hill has been rebranded as part of the Ramada chain. The Resnick family continues to own and operate the Rock Hill Drive hotel, and more permanent signage is expected to be installed later this year. A Dunkin’ Donuts has also opened just a few doors down, inside Cardinal Square, next to the Rock Hill Healthmart Pharmacy.