130 Years Ago - 1895

While John Wortzell, an Erie track walker and a resident of Shohola, was screwing up a loose joint in the track at a point called “Red Rocks,” between Shohola and Lackawaxen, he heard a scream that caused him to cease operations and jump to one side just in time to miss the spring of a wildcat. Wortzell dealt the animal a stunning blow on the head with his wrench; an approaching train whistle frightened the animal away.

On Tuesday evening of last week, Segar’s dam at Briscoe was taken out by high water. Had this occurred a day sooner, when the water was highest here, there would no doubt have been much more damage done in town by logs and ice.

The following persons were confirmed in the Presbyterian Church Sunday morning by Rev. Kamm: Henry Welch, Andrew Kohler, Egbert Eggler, Peter Eggler, Valentine Keim, Emma Luchs, Carrie Welch, Margaret Baumgardt and Tillie Kohler.

Two more carloads of cows and oxen were taken from this place by a Connecticut drive on Tuesday.

The Board of Education at Monticello High School has added botany and chemistry to the list of studies to be pursued at that school.

The steel cells for the county jail at Monticello have arrived and will be placed in position as soon as possible.

120 Years Ago - 1905

The Callicoon Water Company, which is putting in a gravity system at Callicoon Depot, recently organized with the following officers: President Martin Hermann, Vice President F.S. Anderson, Secretary-Treasurer Charles A. Thorwelle, Directors Val Scheidell, Wm. Gardner, Wm. Halladay and Peter Hermann.

The Roscoe Review says: “The Kohler family will long remember this past winter. Conrad had typhoid fever early  in the winter, and now he is in the Newark Hospital suffering a relapse. His mother is just convalescing from the same disease, and his sister, Millie, is now stricken with it. Many in the area are being stricken with the disease.”

John Holpe has sold the lot between his house and A.M. Kohler’s residence on Delaware Avenue to Wm. Kohler and Jacob Wilfert, who have divided it and will at some time in the future put buildings on the lots. The price paid was about $300.

A state law has been passed providing for the payment for cattle killed by order of the state authorities on account of disease. Heretofore, the state inspector could go into a herd of suspected cattle and slaughter the whole lot, whether diseased or not, and the owner had no recourse.

Alfred Hulse and Margaret Graebner of Hortonville were married at that place April 16 by Rev. S. Muery. Witnesses were Conrad Graebner and Elisa Rosenberger.

110 Years Ago - 1915

Joseph Alpy is building a 35-horsepower motor truck at his garage and machine shop in this village (Jeffersonville) and expects to have it ready to run before long.

Martha Schmidt, Amelia Bollenbach, Matilda Gempler, Matilda Rosenzweig and Oswald Goodman, pupils of the Jeffersonville School, are good penmen if the Palmer  company is any judge, for each has been awarded a “Palmer Method” button by that company, after specimens of each candidate’s writing had been examined by one of their experts.

Fred Schwartz, who a few years ago bought Valentine Maus’ farm of 25 or 30 acres in Beechwoods, has sold the farm land to his neighbor, Rudolph Krantz. Mr. Schwartz retains the buildings and enough land for garden purposes. He will devote most of his time to carpentering.

Jeffersonville Tent No. 849, Knights of the Maccabees, enjoyed the most auspicious time in its history last Thursday night, when forty-five new members were given the final degree at one time, and a banquet was served to about 150 Sir Knights.

William Short, a former Jeffersonville boy who has been employed at Liberty for several years, will sail from New York on Saturday for a pleasure trip to California, going through the Panama Canal.

Last Sunday, Charles, the 8-year-old son of Edward Homer, was knocked down on the street by a bicycle and Charlie’s right shoulder was dislocated.

100 Years Ago - 1925

A son, Robert Harold, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Harold A. Simon of Philadelphia on April 23. Mrs. Simon was the former Miss Mildred Kocher of Jeffersonville.

One of the most dramatic scenes in the  Sullivan County Court of Monticello in some time occurred there Tuesday morning when Judge Smith gave suspended sentences to Arthur Runnel and Harold Marshall, youthful Summitville pair, who on Saturday night, January 17, in true wild west style held up and robbed five men in the John Opell store in Phillipsport.

With the death of Capt. Thomas Reilly, a change has been made in the firm of W.T. Reilly’s Sons of Cochecton. Guy F. Reilly, the remaining partner, has taken as a partner Clarence D. Fortnam of Tyler Hill, Pa., and after May 1 the two will run the business under the name of Cochecton Mills.

The stone crushing machinery, used for furnishing crushed stones for the state roads in Sullivan County, was moved yesterday from the Bunger farm near Ferndale to the Gedney farm between Kenoza Lake and Fosterdale, where it will be set up at the quarry.

Capt. William Hones of the U.S. Army at Governor’s Island, will be at the Jeffersonville school hall next Tuesday to explain the operations of the Citizen’s Military Training Camps.

Louis Behr of Birch Ridge has bought the house and lot of John B. Mercer at the corner of Liberty and Monticello roads in White Lake and will erect an auto supply station there.

90 Years Ago - 1935

George H. Raum, recently appointed postmaster at Kenoza Lake, moved the office on Monday to his store building, where it now occupies the part of the building formerly used as a storehouse. Mr. Raum, who was serving the last year of his second two-year term as Supervisor of the Town of Delaware, sent his resignation to the town board on Saturday.

The  Jeff high school athletic association had a big crowd out for their fair and carnival Friday night. The free acts were the cycle race by Sam Cohen and Kenneth Lippel, boxing boys; by Sam Friedman, Billy Grishaber, Allen Holmes, Charlie Emerson Jr., Warren and Howard Myers, Gilbert Weiss and Jackie Schadt. The side show freaks were midget Pep Alpy; giant, Billie VanBerg; fat lady, Jean VanKuren; Siamese twins, Thony sisters; bearded lady, Gil Weiss; tattooed man, Jack  Schadt.

At the special district meeting in Youngsville, the propositions to appropriate $30,000 for an addition to the school building for an auditorium and gymnasium was carried by the vote of 75 to 48.

Supervisor Fred W. Schadt and other county road officials were in Binghamton Tuesday consulting the district state highway office regarding road work here this year. Our supervisor is trying to get some work on the Briscoe and Sixteen roads scheduled for early improvement.

The O&W railroad shops at Middletown closed down recently, throwing 400 men out of work for an indefinite period, at least for 90 days. Both locomotive and car repair shops are included. Competition from motor trucks are contributing factors to the company’s decline in business.

Singers, dancers and musicians, radio men, electricians, carpenters, journalists, geologists and auto mechanics are wanted for the spring CCC encampments, according to Mrs. Suzanna Potsch, county welfare officer. The quota this time is thirty.

80 Years Ago - 1945

The consummation of the merger of the Lake Huntington and Cochecton Presbyterian churches is but a matter of days. The Presbytery of Hudson, in an adjourned meeting to be held Thursday night in the Lake Huntington Church, will hear and review the petition of the two churches and doubtless will sanction the union of the two bodies.

Elmer C. Knack, the Callicoon Center contractor, is doing quite some concreting in and about the Public Service Garage of Si Sattinger here. Si hopes that he is laying the floors for the last time now. Unsettled foundations caused former floors to cave in.

Considerable commotion was caused on South Main Street Saturday when the street was crowded with cars and a coupe driven by William Fulton of Kenoza  Lake crashed against the cars of George Baumgardt of Briscoe Road and Sam Zieres of North Branch, doing considerable damage to all three cars.

Michael Antosh of Jeff, manager of the Victory Store at Narrowsburg since September, has resigned the position. Edward Steffens, manager of the Jeffersonville store, is in charge of the Narrowsburg store until a new manager is found.

Miss Jean Maltby, R.N., daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Maltby of Hurd, has joined the Navy Nurse Corps.

Ralph Bernhardt, 34, arrived at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Bernhardt, Kenoza Lake, on Monday of this week after being in a German prison camp from September to January 11 when he was liberated by the Russians.

70 Years Ago - 1955

Robert E. Knack, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Knack of Jeffersonville has been chosen for his high scholastic standing to be Valedictorian of his class, June 9, 1955 at Albany Pharmacy College.

Arthur Moller, son of Victor Moller of Jeffersonville, has completed his basic training at Fort Dix, N.J., and returned home for a two week leave. Upon his return to camp, he is scheduled to report for further training with the Military Police in Georgia.

Miss June Alice Hubbert became the bride of John  F. Ellmauer April 17 at the Fremont Center Methodist Church.

Miss Helen Gnan and Steven Siama were married on April 16 at St. George’s Roman Catholic Church in Jeffersonville.

An interesting article by Mrs. Victor Hofer on a device for teaching Social Studies is in the May issue of The Instructor, a professional magazine. Mrs. Hofer is a member of the Jeffersonville Central School faculty.

60 Years Ago - 1965

Barbara Stewart, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Stewart of Callicoon, became the bride of Kenneth L. Barton on April 11 in Lemon Grove, Calif.

On Saturday, April 24, a retirement party at the Columbia Farms, Hurleyville, honored three Callicoon telephone operators on their recent retirement: Mrs. Gertrude Gettle with 38 years of service, Mrs. Mildred Fisher, 39 years and Mrs. Emma Lutz with 21 years of service.

Holly Huber of Mountaindale and Robert Charles Fink of Callicoon were married April 25 at St. Mary’s and St. Andrew’s Church in Ellenville.

50 Years Ago - 1975

Linda Reeves, daughter of Mrs. Marie Reeves, a student at State University of Fredonia, is the first music major to be awarded a scholarship in memory of Dr. Robert W. Marvel at a ceremony dedicating a theatre in his name. She studies under Fred Orman at the college and is presently working towards the Performers Certificate and Concerto Auditions. Linda served this year as principal clarinet of the college symphony and solo clarinet with the symphonic band.

James Yonchik, son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Yonchik of Hortonville, has been awarded a music scholarship to Chapman College in Orange, Calif., to further his education in music.

Sal Melita of the Jeffersonville-Youngsville Central School faculty has received 65 hours of instruction and is now certified to instruct a motorcycle course, the first of its kind in Sullivan County, which he has instituted in JYCS. Two motorcycles have been supplied by Kawasaki Quickway  Sports of Parksville, who gave two 100 CC Kawasaki motorcycles, instructive films and a great amount of indispensable educational supplies to promote the program.

40 Years Ago - 1985

Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Turner of  Divine Corners celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on March 28. They were guests of honor at a party given March 31 at their home.The Turners are the parents of four children, thirteen grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Kelly Ann Pitt, daughter of Walt and Maureen Pitt of Parksville, has enlisted in the Air Force. She will be attending basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Tex., and then a Defense Language Institute in Monterey, Calif.

Luis de Hoyos Jr., former Monticello mayor, died Saturday at the Westchester Medical Center at the age of 64.

Announcement of the engagement of Joseph B. White, son of Mary White of Callicoon and Thomas White of Equinunk, Pa., has been announced by the parents of the bride-elect, Laurie Mayers, Mr. and Mrs. Larry Mayers of Fort Wayne, Ind. Miss Mayers is a reporter for the Evening Standard and Mr. White is a reporter for the St. Petersburg Times, both in St. Petersburg, Fla. A June wedding is planned.

Marie Egusquiza became Miss Sullivan County Teenager 1985 Sunday at the Raleigh Hotel in Fallsburg.

Nellie Stabbert Persbacker and her granddaughter, Kathy Stabbert Werner, were named as winning columnists at the recent New York State Press Association. Their columns, While the Kettle Boils and Lifelines, respectively, appear weekly in the Sullivan County Democrat.

Longtime Monticello High School sports coach Robert “Bucky” Roche will be honored upon his retirement from the school system with a dinner at King’s Catering House in Livingston Manor  on May 17.

30 Years Ago - 1995

Five school budgets in the county were approved at the recent vote. Liberty, Eldred and Narrowsburg voters rejected the budget as presented. Vandalism to sample ballots and voting machines were reported at the Liberty voting place.

Jim Erickson, a Callicoon native, is among the survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing April 19. “I had no official reason to be there. I just wanted to use the telephone and meet my new staff,” he said. Erickson was recently appointed Highway Division Administrator for the state of Oklahoma. He and his wife were on a house-hunting trip when he decided to go into the office. He was supposed to report for his new job on June 11. The Ericksons had been in Georgia to attend the funeral of her brother who was killed in an automobile accident. Fortunately the Federal Highway Administration office was located in the southwest corner of the building away from the devastating destruction, although the windows blew out. Jim said he had a faceful and a headful of debris from the explosion.

The Cochecton Volunteer Ambulance Corps marked its 25th anniversary with a dinner at The Recreation Farm in Fosterdale on May 6. T

The Town of Liberty Volunteer Ambulance Corps celebrated its 10th anniversary.

The WalkAmerica benefit for the March of Dimes attracted a record number of walkers in its second year under the sponsorship of the Concord Resort Hotel in Kiamesha Lake.

The Annual Senior Art Show at the  Sullivan County Government Center in Monticello opened with 675 works on display. Becky Brenner, 1995 Senior Artist of the Year, was among those who had art on display.

The Town of Rockland declared May 6-12 as Irving Berlin Week in honor of the Lew Beach resident and famous composer (1888-1989). A special 8 by 11 pictorial cancellation will be issued by the Livingston Manor Post Office, thanks to the efforts of Postmaster Clarence Decker. Throughout the week, Water Wheel Junction and the Rockland Town Hall will display Irving Berlin exhibits.

Pizza Hut has opened a restaurant in Monticello. Pizza Hut has been named “America’s Favorite Pizza” for the ninth time in the past 10 years.

20 Years Ago - 2005

The Sullivan County Soil & Water Conservation District gave the Conservation Farmer of the Year award for 2004 to the Peter and Alice Diehl family, who operate the original family homestead in the Town of Delaware. The site was originally chosen by Diehl’s great-great-grandfather, Johann Simon Diehl, who emigrated from Bavaria in 1842. The Diehls have been active in many local conservation efforts.

Eileen Casey was named the Sullivan County Child Care Council’s Child Advocate of the Year for 2005 in a recent ceremony held at Fibber’s Restaurant.

Russell and Annette Bern-hardt of Cochecton announce the engagement of their daughter, Cheryl Bernhardt, to Kenneth Darling, son of Glenn and Sally Darling of Cochecton. 

Julia Voelkers, 83, a retired policewoman with over 22 years of service for the Village of Monticello, died Monday, May 2, 2005 in Liberty. She was the daughter of Stephen and Jennie Felter Murran and was born in Monticello. She was the widow of both Orlando Fero and Karl Voelkers.

Liberty Eagle Scouts Paul Sims and David Olson, members of Boy Scout Troop 95, were honored at a Court of Honor held on April 30 at the Liberty United Methodist Church.

Tim Kautz of Jeffersonville shot a 22 lb. 14 oz. turkey on May 4 in the Town of Callicoon.

10 Years Ago - 2015

Ron Lusker bought the old Fleet Bank building in Liberty two years ago with every intent to reopen it as an art gallery. He died, however, before that vision crystallized. So it seems only fitting that this Friday, “The Left Bank” – the new name of 59 North Main Street – will open the doors to a spacious former bank lobby filled to the brim with the DeBruce inventor, artist and conservator’s many and varied works of art. His wife Marilyn affirmed during a sneak preview Thursday that proceeds will benefit local veterans, though she has yet to choose which group or charity will get those funds. 

The nearly century-old Frankel Hardware building on South Main Street in Liberty may soon be coming down, as legislators have agreed to seek proposals for its demolition. The property has been owned by the county since 2012.

As part of an ongoing training effort, the Long Eddy Volunteer Fire Department gathered May 4 at the former Douglas City Deli along Route 97 in Long Eddy for a medevac drill. Led by LifeNet Flight Paramedic (and drill instructor) Jim Voulo and Long Eddy Fire Chief Aaron Polomcean, the training session included the actual landing and takeoff of a LifeNet helicopter. The chopper and crew based at Catskill Regional Medical Center in Harris were unavailable due to an actual emergency call, so the crew based out of upstate Sidney flew down. Despite efforts to wet down the sandy lot, the copter’s landing created an impressive dust storm – which didn’t stop firefighters from meeting and learning much from  Pilot/Flight Paramedic Kathi Hinrichsen, Pilot Nikia Payne and Flight Nurse Lindsey Stone. Firefighters put one lesson to use immediately: wetting down the rest of the dirt lot before the helicopter took off for home.