130 Years Ago - 1896

Fred Hubbert, son of Adam, has purchased the Patrick Fox farm in the Beechwoods.

George H. Neumann has purchased the bowling alley of Charles Thorwelle of Callicoon Depot and moved it to his hotel at Callicoon.

Peter Mathern has bought the Bachman farm in the Beechwoods from Charles Fromm for $2800.

The annual Parksville horse funeral was made possible again last week through the death of a horse owned by J.R. Dutcher. This is the second or third annual misfortune of this kind that has fallen to Mr. Dutcher.

120 Years Ago - 1906

Mrs. Adam Hubbert died suddenly of heart failure at her home in the Beechwoods Saturday morning.

Clarence Wood, youngest son of George Wood of Jeffersonville, and Bertha L. Evert of Hortonville, were married at Callicoon Depot on February 18.

The Dr. Brand house and lot of nine acres on East Main Street has been purchased by Frederick A.  Wasserman of New York from Conrad Metzger.

The 50-acre farm of Mrs. Margaret Gildt in the Beechwoods was sold this week to Jefferson Cohen of New York for $1700.

Cellars are being excavated for the new homes of J.H. Kocher and John Wagner in the village of Jeffersonville.

Last week it looked as if spring were at hand. Zero weather this week has dissipated all such premature hopes.

The Callicoon Cornet Band is appearing to furnish string music as well as brass for all occasions this summer.

Charles Kautz has gone to work at blacksmithing for Fred Schleiermacher. Charlie can’t stay out of the harness.

110 Years Ago - 1916

Rev. Edwin Cornelle, formerly pastor of the Kenoza Lake M.E. Charge, and now pastor of the Methodist Church at Millbrook in Dutchess County, has been bequeathed about $20,000 by the will of Miss Sophie Morrison, late of White Lake.

Louis Hauschild, one of our oldest settlers, died at his home on the Briscoe road at 3 o’clock this morning in his 86th year.

Otto W. Meyer and H.U. Krenrich of the Board of Education went to Albany on Tuesday night to consult with the Department on school matters.

The Presbyterian Ladies Aid had a successful supper and bazaar at the church on Tuesday. Nearly 250 people, a record crowd, were served a supper prepared by the committee under the direction of Mrs. William Lieb, whose too tempting dishes have put more than one liver on the bum. The piece-de-resistance of the supper served for 25 cents was Hungarian goulash.

The Heberlein Hotel at North Branch was sold at public sale to clear title to the property. It was bid in for $4,000 by Jacob Metzger of New York for his daughter, Mrs. Heberlein.

Otida Schwartz, wife of Philip Schmidt of North Branch, died at her home on Sunday after a brief illness.

100 Years Ago - 1926

About forty citizens attended a meeting at the Maple Theatre on Tuesday and formed a civic club, electing William Deckelman as president; Val Scheidell as vice-president; Edward V. McDermott as secretary-treasurer; and Chas. Kaplan, Val Scheidell, Otto W. Meyer, Dr. J.C. Gain, J.W. Murray, W.J. Grishaber and Howard M. Smith as directors.

Louis Dinnerstein, son of Mr. and Mrs. Roy H. Dinnerstein of New York and Jeffersonville, was married to Miss Sara Koblansky of Brooklyn on February 28th.

The telephone company has placed a new and larger switchboard in their new building on Jefferson Avenue, and expect to have the wires transferred from the old office on Main Street in a couple of weeks.

90 Years Ago - 1936

Surrogate Cooke has entered an order authorizing Jacob Feinberg as administrator to sell the Edgemere Hotel at Kenoza Lake.

Mrs. Amelia C. Kohler has been named executrix of the estate of her mother, Mrs. Louisa Bollenbach, who died on November 4th.

The present winter with its severe cold and heavy snows has been a hard one on birds and other wildlife in woods and field. Deer have starved to death from lack of food. Last Sunday about a dozen members here who belong to the Star Ridge Hunting Club took five bales of hay to the hunting grounds at Neweiden in the Town of Tusten and distributed them for the benefit of the deer.

80 Years Ago - 1946

The Peter Wagner house on S. Main St., owned by Fred Eckhard and his daughter, Evelyn, of Mt. Vernon has been sold to the Misses Alice Rempf. Martha Paulus and Vera Alvers, who bought the Sunnyside Farm on the North Branch Road from Roy Hess a few years ago. Scheidell and Schmidt were the brokers.

Mr. and Mrs. Harry Monroe have bought the small farm that once belonged to his father on  East Hill from Roland Hauschild.

George H. Raum has sold his general mercantile stock and store property at Kenoza Lake to Philip Bernhardt his former clerk. Mr. Raum will continue as postmaster.

Muriel M. Hansen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. Hansen of Canterbury, Conn., was married to Edmund J. Ferry, son of Mrs. Charlotte McCole of Youngsville, on February 22nd.

Colonel William A. Hardenburgh, former Youngsville boy, was awarded the Legion of Merit at Washington in a presentation by the Surgeon General of the United States.

Central School was resumed on Monday after having been closed for three days last week on account of snow.

Gilbert Weiss, son of Fred J. Weiss, is on his way home from the South Pacific Islands, where he was in the Army communications department.

70 Years Ago - 1956

Arthur Roth, chairman of the Heart Fund Drive in Jeffersonville, reports that they went over their goal and collected about $800, far better than some larger communities.

In the Bowling Tournament for Our Lady of the Angels School, Edna Edge of Jeffersonville took first place of $25 for the ladies and E. Simons of Jeffersonville was top man with $50.80. The door prize was won by  H. Grishaber and Ralph Fisk won the raffle. Hyman Mintz lost his bid for the states senatorial seat of Arthur Wicks when Dr. Ogden Bush was chosen by GOP chieftains.

A son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Jack Schadt of Jeffersonville on Saturday.

About 75 attended a covered dish luncheon in honor of Edwin Weber on Sunday at the Presbyterian Church. He was presented with a leather traveling bag by Frank Pecsi on behalf of the members of the church.

Laurie Ann, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Hessinger, was baptized on Sunday at the Kenoza Lake Methodist Church. Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Girrbach were sponsors.

Founders Day was celebrated at the Youngsville PTA meeting. Mrs. Agnes Spielmann reported on the highlights of the PTA at Youngsville since it was founded eight years ago and was then honored with a life membership by the group.

On Washington’s Birthday 100 Sullivan County boys and girls attended solemn high mass and a communion breakfast at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Callicoon and then completed in the Annual Foul Shooting Contest sponsored by the CYO.

Miss Winifred Hessinger, employed in USO club work in Petersburg, Va., visited her parents Mr. and Mrs. Winfield Hessinger before going to Phoenix, Ariz., where she has been assigned to a new club. She will be working with an old friend with whom she worked in Germany in 1950 when both were in special service club work for the Army.

60 Years Ago - 1966

Three old-time Liberty area Republicans were honored at the Liberty Lincoln Dinner at the Lenape Hotel. The three were former County Clerk J. Bruce Lindsley, 84, of White Sulphur Springs; former Assemblyman William Chandler, 82, of Liberty; and  Committeeman Nial Sherwood, 81, of Liberty.

New York State Regents Scholarship winners at Delaware Valley Central School were Raymond Rasmussen, Alan Robisch, David Henke and Richard Freyer. Alternates were Glenn Miller, Ines Ilgen (nursing scholarship), Diana Simon, Ronald Stewart, Charles Lahm and Alfred Fuller.

Earl Stratton of South Fallsburg will be the Volunteer Crusade Chairman of Sullivan County’s annual fundraising campaign for the American Cancer Society.

Harold W. Gierie of Freeport, L.I., a part-time resident of Hortonville, has been named by the Sullivan County Board of Supervisors to post of director of the Sullivan County Publicity and Development Committee, to replace Homer Millard of Roscoe, who resigned the post effective January 1st.

50 Years Ago - 1976

Patricia Hearst, heiress, who was captured along with members of the Symbionese Liberation Army, is said to have lived for two months in hiding in a remodeled creamery building in Jeffersonville. Several residents report sighting the allegedly kidnapped Miss Hearst and her companions during the time. The search for Miss Hearst has resulted in one of the greatest man-hunts ever.

In a surprise move two weeks ago, Paul Zintel resigned as head coach of football at Jeffersonville-Youngsville Central School after 18 years of coaching both 8-man and 11-man football teams. He produced many title winning teams during his “reign.”

Historic Fort Delaware was abruptly thrust into the 20th Century when a 71-car Erie-Lackawanna train had 14 cars jump the track near the Colonial restoration. The Binghamton-bound freight plowed up about 300 feet of northbound track and 50 feet on the southern side. There were no injuries.

Livingston Manor area shoppers will have a new supermarket as Peck’s officially opened their doors this week. Peck’s has stores in Narrowsburg and Callicoon. The supermarket will be a duplicate in size of the store in Narrowsburg. Parking will be provided for 120 autos.

Kadous Naturally Naughty, better known as Nellie, a  Gordon setter owned by Mrs. Mary Pinna of Narrowsburg, won second place in the Gordon Setter Club of America on February 8. The show was held at Madison Square Garden. Nellie will compete again in March. Mrs. Pinna has been handling Gordons for six years and is striving to introduce them to this area. Mrs. Pinna and her husband, Paul, operate the Century Hotel in Narrowsburg.

40 Years Ago - 1986

The Jeff-Youngsville PTA sponsored a snow sculpture contest on Saturday at the school.

A 400-year-old oak tree, said to be one of the oldest and largest trees in New York State, stands in the Bloomingburg Rural Cemetery. It is 50 feet tall, has a circumference of 20 feet, 8 inches and a breast high diameter of 76.4 inches. The crown spread north to south is 121 feet and west to east 113 feet. Some hollow spots are appearing in the tree, providing shelter for squirrels and other wildlife.

Liberty sensation Maurice “Mo” Martin, a senior guard at S. Joseph’s in Philadelphia, scored 24 points including 18 in the second half as St. Joseph’s (22-5, 16-2) won the regular season title in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Martin has been named player of the week of the Atlantic 10 several times this season.

For the second straight year the Livingston Manor Wildcats junior varsity basketball team has gone undefeated in Western Sullivan League play. They finished the WSL season with a perfect 14-0 mark to improve their overall mark to 20-0. The team is coached by George Will... In varsity ball, the Roscoe Blue Devils defeated the Manor Wildcats to win their third WSL crown in as many years.

Damien Harder, son of Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Harder of Sparta, N.J., has been chosen one of the top winners in the M.I. Hummel Figurine National Look-Alike Contest. He is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Harder of  Youngsville and Mrs. Leila Lott of Jeffersonville. The contest was sponsored by Goebel of West Germany, in commemoration of the first production of an M.I. Hummel figurine in 1935.

Ed Furchak Sr. and his wife, Pauline, made a hit at the President’s Ball, sponsored by the Monticello Exempt Firemen’s Auxiliary, playing George and Martha Washington.

30 Years Ago - 1996

“Cash for trash” – importing garbage into the Sullivan County Landfill – should come to an end when the current contract expires, Sullivan County Environmental (SCE) is urging the county. The outside garbage importation contract will expire on March 31, according to Acting County Manager Harvey Smith.

The Independence Party movement is sweeping across the nation’s politics and Sullivan County is no exception.

Dairy farmers who supplied regulated milk dealers (handlers) under the New York-New Jersey marketing orders during January 1995 will be paid by handlers on the basis of a uniform price of $13.69 per hundredweight or 29.4 cents per quart. The price for the corresponding month last year was $12.39 per hundredweight.

Bob Davis, proprietor of the Callicoon Inn on Upper Main Street since 1961, will retire at the end of this month. His parents bought the bar and restaurant in 1945.

Michael and Barbara LeRoy of Fremont Center announce the engagement of their daughter, Patricia Ellen, to Aaron Martin LeClere, son of Rene and Ethel LeClere of Hortonville.

YOUNGSVILLE — Newlyweds Michelle Frey, daughter of Albert and Carol Frey, and Dennis Brockner of North Branch, were united in marriage on Saturday at the Free Methodist Church in Liberty.

Air Force Airman Derek B. Flynn has graduated from basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. He is the son of Robert Flynn and Linda Flynn, both of Callicoon.

20 Years Ago - 2006

On Tuesday, February 21, the village of Woodridge board ageed unanimously to bond $7,996,300 to build a new sewer plant.

Catskill Regional Medical Center has broken ground for a childcare center on the campus of its healthcare facility in Harris. The 7,700-square-foot building will be located just behind the main building.

Robert A. Davis, 73, the retired owner of the Callicoon Inn, died February 27, 2006 in Johnson City. 

Members of the Liberty Elks Lodge #1545 held their 31st annual ice fishing contest on Saturday at Hanofee Park. Top youth anglers were Logan Lake (3rd place), Braiden DeGraw (2nd place), and Cody Viele (1st place). The contest was held in memory of the late Keith Hamlin who was a member and past ruler of the lodge.

10 Years Ago - 2016

Brothers Nicholas (43) and Dominic (58) Motta, of Islandia, were sentenced to prison by U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román on Tuesday, February 23, in White Plains federal court for their part in a scheme to obtain insurance proceeds by committing arson at Kilcoin’s Tavern in Swan Lake in 2010. 

The Boy Scouts Annual Delaware District Klondike Derby was held at Hanofee Park in Liberty on February 20. Twenty-one patrols competed, each patrol consisting of four to eight scouts. Sixteen troops and one Venture crew participated, as well as 18 Webelos Cub Scouts. A total of 240 Scouts and adult Scouters attended. Stations, which were in the park around Dixie Lake, included fire building, first aid, lashing, orienteering, ice rescue, shelter building, and a blindfolded rope challenge. There was an ice rescue demonstration by the Sullivan County Dive Team with members from the Youngsville and Highland Lake Fire Departments. The scouts were shown the procedures for ice rescue using the latest equipment, and also learned what they could do before first responders arrive.