140 Years Ago - 1884

A gang of men are engaged in repairing the telegraph line of the Western Union Company between Port Jervis and Monticello. The men are under the direction of Supt. Holmes and are receiving from thirty to thirty-five dollars a month.

A terrific fire was raging through the woods last Saturday several miles north of Youngsville and at about 2 o’clock in the afternoon of that day, the barn of George Roser caught fire and in a very short time was leveled to the ground with all its contents, consisting of a good pair of bob sleighs, two tons of hay, some straw, 3,000 feet of good lumber, fanning mill and in fact a great many valuables; also a pair of 4-year-old oxen.

Twenty dollars a week is offered to any muscular 200 pound seven foot man who will stand at the press room door of the Record office with a 25-pound lignumvita club, from Monday morning until Wednesday evening each week. (Ed. Note: According to Webster, lignum vitae is any of several tropical American trees; a hard, heavy wood. One wonders why the need for such security at the newspaper during that era.)

The people of Livingston Manor and Youngsville are talking of constructing a wagon road from the latter place to Livingston Manor soon, for which Youngsville is to furnish $600 and Livingston Manor $400.

“That which is crooked shall be made straight.” Acting on the preceding maxim, Mr. Joseph Anderson of the Town of Delaware has straightened the line fence between his farm and that of John C. Mall of the Town of Callicoon, thereby adding several rods of land to his own farm.

130 Years Ago - 1894

A fairly good picture of the late Gideon Wales of Kenoza Lake appears in the Sunday World. “One of the immortal nineteen,” he used to laughingly call himself, who voted for women’s suffrage at the Constitutional convention in 1867. Many of his constituents did not share in his beliefs, as the vote taken that “male” be stricken out of the Constitution stood 19 yes to 125 nays.

Casper Neiger, another old pioneer settler and farmer in this neighborhood, passed away at his home in the Beechwoods not far from this village.

Oliver C. Borden, a shoemaker of Roscoe, has invented a pie lifter which can be used without the least trouble in taking pie from an oven without touching the tin with your hands. It is simple and made of simple wire.

Why not organize a Sullivan County Baseball League, to be composed of Monticello, Liberty, Wurtsboro, Livingston Manor, Callicoon, Bloomingburg and Roscoe? Livingston Manor is ready at any time to put a team in the field. Have any of the above teams got the required “Sand” to go into the project with Livingston Manor? From the Ensign. (Editor’s Note from the Record: Don’t need “sand.” What is really required though is “nerve” enough to hire professional players and try to palm them off as “all home men.”)

Frank Lober of Jeffersonville has started a fancy good store in the Morton Building in Liberty and will undoubtedly make a success.

Little Frankie Neuberger is one proud owner of a pair of twin chicks – hatched from an egg supposed to have been a duck egg.

120 Years Ago - 1904

Misses Kate, Martha and Maggie Scheidell and Cella Hofer, after two attempts, took a pleasure ride last Sunday to Liberty and Lake Ophelia. In the first attempt they broke down the wagon. Too big a bunch of loveliness.

Invitations were issued by Mr. and Mrs. Fred Ludwig to their friends and relatives to attend the christening of their son at the Fern, but when the guests assembled they were called upon to celebrate two additional events; the 81st birthday of Grandmother Staib and the 12th wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. P.C. Staib, who were guests at the Fern.

Pasquale Ventrudo, who recently moved to New York after working for a number of years in the Jeffersonville creamery, returned here this week. Pasquale says he “no lika da cit.”

Sunday night a fire started in the store building occupied by Milton VanKeuren of Neversink and the biding and contents were burned. Cross Bros. store, adjoining, was also burned, but the contents were removed. Across the street the Riverside House and Denman’s store had a narrow escape. Heat from the building was so great that the glass broke in the windows and the building was badly scorched.

New arrivals – a son was born to J. Puerschner and wife of Kenoza Lake; a little daughter arrived at the home of H.R. Howland and wife of Jeffersonville; and a daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Kohler of Kenoza Lake.

110 Years Ago - 1914

Mrs. Peter Schultz of Jeffersonville is becoming very anxious as to the whereabouts of her son, Clifford, aged 23, who left his boarding place in New York City about two months ago, and has not been heard from since.

Fourteen candidates took the civil service examination for the position of rural carrier on the new route to be established from Stevensville and through Briscoe and Hurd. Among the candidates was Peter F. Hick of Youngsville, who came up from New York City for the test.

The large boarding house of Harry Kaplan, accommodating from 75 to 100 guests, located on the North Branch road, was destroyed by fire, together with all its contents. The Kaplans saved only the clothes they were wearing.

William Hess of this place has bought of Mrs. Rose Miller of Blossburg, Pa., the John Erdman farm on the North Branch road.

B.F. Green’s Big Sale – Women’s $2.50 shoes and oxfords, latest styles, $1.98; $25 blue serge suits, now $15; 200 boys knickerbocker trousers at $.59 a pair.

The Callicoon town board contracted for the erection of an iron and concrete bridge, 18 feet wide, 30 feet long at Vollerson’s above Youngsville. Mr. Jamieson of Marathon has the iron work for  $370 and Fred Joergle the concrete work for $225.

100 Years Ago - 1924

A charter of incorporation has been issued by the Secretary of State to the Tusten Development Company Inc. of Middletown. It is said that the development will result in the formation of the largest boys camp in New York State at Tusten.

Jeffersonville is again experiencing the nuisance of a newly oiled road. The light covering of fine gravel thrown sparsely over the oil amounts to little and does not prevent the tracking of the oil all over the sidewalks and into the homes. But we must take the bad with the good.

The barn on the farm of Ed Boband of East Hill was burned at noon Saturday, and two cows, hay and farming implements burned with it.

R.D. Ireland resigned as principal of the Callicoon High School and the resignation was immediately accepted. Mrs. W.H. Stengel was placed in charge until another principal can be secured.

Fred C. Dorrer has sold his residence in North Branch to H.M. Vaupel of the Bronx. Mr. Vaupel is the father-in-law of Anthony Deckelman of Obernburg.

The Studebaker car of Herbert Buddenhagen of Callicoon was discovered to be on fire when he was near what is known as Frank Simon’s corner. Mr. Buddenhagen was able to put out the flames which burned up all that was burnable.

90 Years Ago - 1934

The budget for the village of Jeffersonville shows that it will be necessary to raise the tax by about $6,200. The increase is due to the extra expense incurred by the village during the past year, in having to install a new chlorination plant, repair of the reservoir spillway, replacing water mains and tarring the roads.

The Town board recently voted to purchase a Ford ton and a half dump truck at the cost of  $ 1,000 for the use in town highway work.

At the meeting in Kenoza Lake last week, the question of that district joining with Jeffersonville in a rural central school district was discussed, after which the meeting voted quite emphatically against taking part in the project.

Victory Chain Inc. - ADV - Loft’s Mother’s Day Chocolates, 39¢ lb.; Beechnut coffee, 29¢ lb.; cigarettes, $1.19 per carton; Pink Salmon, 2 cans for 25¢; Rib Roast, Chuck and Plate Beef, 17¢ lb.

Rhoderic Lee Lacy, who took the principalship of the Jeffersonville school last fall, tendered his resignation to the board of education to take effect at the end of the term. After long and thoughtful consideration, Mr. Lacy has decided to accept an invitation to return to his home state of Virginia, where he will have the superintendency of the largest county in the state.

80 Years Ago - 1944

Cal Stecker and bride, the former Mrs. Barbara Scolp of North Bergen, N.J., who were married in Jeffersonville on March 4th, were given a serenade by the local firemen last night at their home in Delaware, which has been renovated and remodeled. The bride came home last week after having completed her work in New Jersey.

Lt. Basil Hick of Jeffersonville, who is in England, recently went on a mission to Scotland and who should he meet there but Robert Ruppert of Kenoza Lake, a U.S. Military Police, directing traffic.

From one of our servicemen:

United States Army

Anzio Beachhead, Italy

Just a few lines to let you know I am fine and hope you are all the same. After 535 days away from what we call civilization, what troubles me most is to read “Time” about the continued disunity on the home front. Out here a guy goes through a physical and mental beating that is likely to shake him to his very spiritual foundation — if it wasn’t for the letters from a few important (to me) people, I wouldn’t know just what the hell I’m fighting for.

Cpl. John Mages.

(Editor Note: Dear Johnny: If there is anything wrong on the home front, you can lay it mostly to the politicians whose patriotism is measured by their personal ambitions.)

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Swords who operate a small dress factory at North Branch, are planning to expand their business by opening up in the Masonic Hall in Jeff soon. Machine operators are wanted.

70 Years Ago - 1954

The Jeffersonville Lions made a roaring entrance into the Delaware Valley Baseball League Sunday when they scored seven runs in the second inning to down the Callicoon Indians, 7-4, at the Lions Field in Jeff.

Mrs. Elmer LeRoy suffered a broken hip as a result of a fall near her home in Jeffersonville Thursday evening.

Attending the 6th District of the American Legion Auxiliary dinner in Endicott were Mrs. Marguerite Ripel, Mrs. Estella Seelig, Mrs. Nial Kehrley, Mrs. Margarite Crandall, Mrs. Martha S. Stratton and Miss Katherine H. Scheidell.

Phyllis Levine, a senior at Liberty High School, has been awarded three different scholarships toward the continuance of her education upon graduation in June. She is the daughter of Attorney and Mrs. Hyman Levine of Liberty. Mr. Levine’s law office is on Main Street on Jeff.

Paul W. Hermann of Callicoon was elected Commander of the Sullivan County Council VFW at their election meeting Monday. Others from the area elected to office in the County Council Auxiliary were Gertrude Kohler and Vera Bernhardt of Jeffersonville, and Virginia Dudley as color bearer and Leota Hermann  as secretary, the latter two being from Callicoon.

Mrs. Sophie Leib, widow of William Leib, former publisher of the Record, on Tuesday, May 11, attained the ripe age of 80 years. Congratulations.

A bus load of students left for a trip to Howe Caverns. Roy Williams was the driver for the Jeff students.

60 Years Ago - 1964

On Saturday, May 16, 1964, Miss Helen Grace Olsen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Olsen of Callicoon and Charles Hanslmaier of Jeffersonville, son of Mrs. Gerda Waldas of Swan Lake and the late George Hanslmaier, were married at the First Presbyterian Church of Jeffersonville by the Rev. Rodney Houck. Mrs. Marion Baker, sister of the bride, was matron of honor. Ellis Hanslmaier attend his brother as best man. Ushers were George and Robert Hanslmaier, brothers of the groom.

In a survey being conducted by the Rev. Rodney Houck, minister of the First Presbyterian Church of Jeff, it appears that residents of the area live here because they like it. Although there are few job opportunities, it is evidently a good place to be born in, to group up in, and in which to retire.

A testimonial dinner was held at the Antrim Lodge, Roscoe, on Thursday evening, April 29th, for Supervising Principal Charles E. Lewis, who is retiring from his duties at Delaware Valley Central School, Callicoon. There was 100 percent representation from all the schools of Sullivan County. The senior administrative officer from each school district gave a few lauded remarks regarding Charlie’s services to his school and the schools of the county.

The first public access to the 50 miles of recreation area along the Delaware River in Sullivan County will be developed this fall in Callicoon and will be in operation by the spring of 1965. The land was donated to the N.Y.S. Dept. of Conservation by the Delaware Youth Center and will be developed as the first boat launching site in Sullivan County.

Otto Schlegel, a 61-year-old summer resident of Callicoon, was drowned while fishing on the Delaware River on Sunday afternoon. Mrs. Anna Schuster, a neighbor, saw the body floating down the river and called the fire department to retrieve the body.

50 Years Ago - 1974

William F. Gilbert, 41, formerly of Hortonville, was instantly killed Friday in a head-on collision with Paul Ritter of Swan Lake. Mr. Ritter was severely injured in the crash.

Edward Sykes Jr. bagged a 21 1/2 pound tom turkey and John Klemm bagged an 18 1/2 pound beauty – both taken near Acidalia.

Perfect weather graced the rolling hills of Loch Sheldrake Sunday adding to the enjoyment of hundreds of persons who attended the formal dedication and open house of the new 11-building campus complex of Sullivan County Community College, designed by world-renowned architect Edward Durrel Stone. Appellate Justice Lawrence H. Cooke was the principal speaker at the ceremonies.

At the Liberty-Loomis Hospital, it was a girl, April 26, to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Perrenod of Liberty; a girl April 27, to Mr. and Mrs. John Mentnech of Woodbourne; a girl, April 28, to Mr. and Mrs. Carl Lindsley of Youngsville; a girl, April 30, to Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Roser of Woodbourne; and a baby boy, May 1, to Mr. and Mrs. Richard Edward of Livingston Manor.

A class of 25 new members “graduated” into the Happy Footers Square Dance Club after 3 weeks of lessons.

West Point Cadet Harry M. Knight, son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard M. Knight of Long Eddy, has been named to the Dean’s List at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point. He is a member of the academy’s Class of 1977.

Ronald Stabak of DVCS has been named president of the newly created Sullivan County BOCES Chapter of VICA - Vocational Industrial Clubs of America. Serving with him will be Deborah Barrett, vice president, Jeffersonville-Youngsville School; Cindy Beck, secretary, DVCS;  William Mead, treasurer, Livingston Manor; and Robert Zweck, reporter, Liberty.

40 Years Ago - 1984

At the Community General Hospital in Harris, it was a girl, Candice, to Mr. and Mrs. James Sheerer of Forestburgh, and a son, Herbert Karl, to Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Bryant of Livingston Manor, both on April 21; a girl, Bridget May, to Mr. and Mrs. David Heward of Loch Sheldrake on April 25; a girl, Christina Marie, to Mr. and Mrs. Donald Seeting of Monticello on April 29; and a boy, Jacob Willis, to Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Burns of Parksville, and a son, Danny Jay Jr., to Mr. and Mrs. Danny Sattler of Jeffersonville, both on April 30.

Assemblyman Richard I. Coombe of Grahamsville, who represents the 98th District, said Sunday that he will seek re-election but does not know at this time who his challenger is to be.

Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Neer of Callicoon Center renewed their wedding vows at St. Paul’s Church on the occasion of their 25th wedding anniversary. A reception in their honor was held at Fiddler’s III in Lake Huntington, hosted by all four of their daughters and attended by about 75 family and friends.

A November 1 deadline has been established for residents of the Jeffersonville community’s sewer district to hook up to the public line.

The Town of Cochecton is to consider dropping its system of electing assessors because two of the assessors face a loss of their jobs for not completing state-mandated training courses. Supervisor Jean McCoach said a public hearing is to be held Wednesday at the town hall.

Minnie Bickelhaupt of Damascus, Pa., celebrated her 94th birthday with an open house on Sunday.

The congregation of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Liberty will mark its 90th anniversary on Sunday, May 13. The congregation was organized on May 13 1894 in the old Liberty Music Hall, later known as the Green Building, at Chestnut and Main Streets, with the Rev. Dr. Maximillian E. Wittman as the first pastor. The first church building was realized in the spring of 1896 at the corner of what is now St. Paul’s Place and Lincoln Place, and a parsonage was built in 1901. Both buildings remain today as residential properties. The present brick building of the church was erected in 1909 at a cost of $22,000. The adjacent parsonage was built in 1922 at a cost of $13,000.

30 Years Ago - 1994

School budgets in seven Sullivan County districts passed with good margins in the recent vote, the exception being Monticello where the budget squeaked by with 17 votes.

Representative Ben Gilman (R-20) has announced his bid for election to a unprecedented 12th term in Congress. At this point, he has no Democratic opponent.

A dinner/dance is planned for the observance of the 25th anniversary of the Town of Liberty Volunteer Ambulance Corps, to be held June 4 at the Elks Club in Liberty.

Francis E. Hartman of Sparrowbush, a Cochecton native and a founding member of the Upper Delaware Council, has tended his resignation due to a possible conflict with his position as Deerpark town justice. Hartman received the group’s highest award in March when he was presented with its Distinguished Service Award at the annual banquet. He was UDC chairman in 1989.

Hailstones almost the size of a dime pelted sections of Sullivan County last Friday afternoon.

The 11th annual opening of the permanent exhibit of the Sullivan County Senior Art Show, under the direction of Bob Pointer, at the Government Center in Monticello was held on Friday.

20 Years Ago - 2004

Staff members of the laboratory at Catskill Regional Medical Center assembled and donated special Easter baskets for local children who might not otherwise receive them, picked up and delivered by the United Way.

From the DEC: With spring here, New York’s black bears will soon be emerging from their dens, hungry and looking for food. To avoid attracting bears, residents should eliminate any potential food sources around the home. It is never a good idea to feed bears – and in nearly all cases, it’s against the law.

Three generations of the Yager family – Tim Yager, Andrew Yager and Tom Yager – received  fishing awards at the recent Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs’ banquet and wild game dinner held recently. 

WVOS radio station announcer Mike Sakell is celebrating 20 years on the air.

Last Saturday, a tractor party was held on the 40-acre flats owned by Bob and Thelma Adams near the Kellams Bridge area. Thirteen tractors were on hand to work on plowing the flats and their experienced machinery included two Massey Harris, seven Farmalls, one Oliver and three John Deeres dating from the 1940s through the 1960s. Most of the drivers of the machinery belong to the Big Hickory Tired Iron Club and hail from the Beach Lake and Lookout, Pa. area. Some of the drivers travelled from as far away as Walton and Franklin to help with the project. People who worked on the project included Joel, Toby, Jordan, Allen and Gary Johannes, Nick Vanerweid, Bob Adams, Art Rutledge, Greg Salvitore, Keith Krull, Peter Greeley, George Hess, Tom Hunt, and Mark and Scott Wilber.

10 Years Ago - 2014

 Kutsher’s is coming down, most of it, at least, as the new owner, Veria Lifestyle, aims to retain the main hotel’s steel skeleton but demolish much of the rest. Demolition permits have been issued by the Town of Thompson, and Supervisor Bill Rieber confirmed yesterday that Kutsher Road has been closed to allow workers to safely remove structures, trees, wires and asbestos associated with the historic resort. Highway Supt. Rich Benjamin has given Veria permission to close the town-owned road “as they deem necessary,” affirmed Rieber, who estimated Kutsher Road will remain closed until at least the end of May.

The ParksvilleUSA Music Festival will present the Coyote Anderson Quartet at The Dead End Café in Parksville. The Quartet is a new modern-jazz group that performs primarily the original compositions of guitarist Coyote Anderson, who was born and raised right here in Sullivan County, in Glen Spey. He began playing the guitar at age 12 and within a year was frequenting local blues jams. His first paid gig was playing in the pit orchestra at the Forestburgh Playhouse, which he returns to every summer to do at least one musical.