Log in Subscribe
Down the Decades

May 2, 2023 Edition

Compiled by Lee Hermann, Muse, & Ruth Huggler
Posted 5/2/23

150 Years Ago - 1873

The new charter of the village of Port Jervis passed both houses of the legislature.

Our neighbor, Mr. Scheidell of Jeffersonville, has completed a new fence on the border …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in
Down the Decades

May 2, 2023 Edition

Posted

150 Years Ago - 1873

The new charter of the village of Port Jervis passed both houses of the legislature.

Our neighbor, Mr. Scheidell of Jeffersonville, has completed a new fence on the border of his farm which faces the iron mine.

The Thumansville band has died to the sound of its own music. Our worthy neighbors did not have brass enough to keep up the band.

We are informed on the best authority that iron ore of at least 56 percernum is to be seen on the surface of the ground on a farm in Youngs-ville. This deposit has not been worked because of its limited quantity.

Supervisor Wenzel has purchased a flock of 24 English sparrows very recently imported.

Mr. Heidt of Swiss Hill recently sold his farm and has decided to locate in a house near beer-brewer Valentine Schmidt.

Prosper P. Davis of Bethel, an admirer of Brigham Young and a fondness for High Priest’s connubial system recently sold his estate and obtained the consent of the two mothers of his children preparatory for the long journey to the City of Mormon Saints. Mr. Davis’s two wives are said to be preparing to leave Sullivan County in his company. Whether they will continue their present relationship after reaching Salt Lake City is a question depending on Young who de-pends upon the oracle as to whether to seal or unseal him.

The streams leading into Neversink and Fallsburg are reported to be lined with pigeons and wild ducks.

140 Years Ago - 1883

The charter for a post to the GAR to be located in this village and to be number 362 has been received and Comrade Joel C. Fisk of Liberty will muster the members on the afternoon of Saturday, May 12, 1883, at two o’clock p.m. All who were soldiers in the war of the Rebellion and were honorably discharged may become members. Be on hand on time.

On Monday morning two market wagons left our village. L.P. Meyers started on his trip and Theo Darling on his second one.

130 Years Ago - 1893

August Neuberger and Simon Diehl of this place are building a summer residence at Hurd for Police Captain Donald Grant of New York City.

The National Bank of Sullivan County was organized at Liberty with a capital stock of $50,000. H.J. Sarles was elected chairman and George H. Carpenter, secretary. Nine directors were elected: H.J. Sarles, J.C. Young, Arnold J.D. Wedemeyer of Liberty; B.W. Gregory and Alvin P. Dubois of Livingston Manor; W.E. Sprague of Roscoe; S.N. Smith of Eureka; Conrad Metzger of Jeffersonville; and Van B. Pruyn of Oneonta. At a directors meeting, J.D. Wedemeyer was elected president; Jas. C. Young vice-president, and George H. Carpenter, attorney for the bank. The cashier will no doubt be Mr. Van B. Pruyn of Oneonta.

There is no more smallpox in this vicinity. The three patients in the Hermann family have fully recovered. It is safe to say that smallpox has become extinct in these parts for the present.

120 Years Ago - 1903

Fred Ludwig and wife of Jeff are moving to their new home at Kenoza Lake and expect to open up the hotel to the public tomorrow. This hotel, which  has been known as the Mansion House, will be under the new management and will be called The Fern. The hotel was built several years ago by W.P. Coventry and has a prominent location on Kenoza Lake.

Daniel S. Kays has exchanged his hotel and cider mill property at Youngsville for a grist mill property at Wyoming in the northern part of the state. S.M. Hicks is the new owner of the Kays property.

The Jeffersonville Fair will be held next Monday. Prizes for stock exhibited are posted.

The Mountain Echo Band and Manny Brothers Orchestra have been engaged to play at the Eagle Hotel.

Val Scheidell was at Grahamsville this week looking after his interest in the creamery and knife works there. The latter is now in operation and it is expected that 30 men will be employed.

Martin Eagin died of pneumonia at his home at Youngsville in his 40th year. He was married to Mary Ann Lawless who survives him with two small sons.

John Huggler on last Thursday sold his hotel at Kenoza Lake to Philip Behman, a New York City groceryman. John bought the place of Curtis Alley some years ago, giving his farm and $1,000. Since then he has made many improvements.

110 Years Ago - 1913

On Monday, April 28, the 60th wedding anniversary of Louis and Bertha Hauschild was celebrated at their home on the Briscoe Road. Mr. and Mrs. Hauschild are natives of Germany, were married in Jeffersonville, and are of the few remaining early settlers here. Mr. Hauschild will be 83 in June and Mrs. Hauschild 80 next August.

The usual Spring Fair will be held in Jeffersonville by the business people on Monday, May 5. Prizes will be offered for the best cattle and best horses. Two contests will be added. One catching a greased pig, the other climbing a greased pole. Each carries a $2.50 prize.

The Board of Education in Jeffersonville has engaged John M. Paris of Amsterdam as school principal.

Edward F. Homer, owner of the Erff lot, has added to the depth of the lot by purchasing a 45 ft. wide strip, 145 ft. deep, taken from the land Mr. Schmidt bought from the Scheidell flat.

Rudolph Gute is having the barn torn down to be used for a bowling alley building at the corner of Main and Center Streets. John L. Schmidt, the carpenter, will leave the building of Mr. Gute and put in four bowling alleys, arrangements for which have been made with the Brunswick Balke people.

Albert and Arthur Mitchell, sons of the late Elias Mitchell, who was a pioneer raftsman on the Delaware, ran what will probably be the last raft down the Delaware River about two weeks ago. The raft was 210 feet long, 54 ft. wide and worth $1,000. Wm. Skinner of Milan-ville, a descendant of Daniel Skinner, who ran the first raft in 1764, was the steersman.

100 Years Ago - 1923

A surprise shower was given “Baby” better known as Verna Rogler, at the home of her fiance in Brooklyn.

The wedding of James M. Holmes and Miss Minnie Holmes took place at the home of the bride’s sister, Mrs. Marvey Martin at 1 p.m. Saturday. Rev. Edwin Garrity of St. George’s R.C. Church officiated.

Little Howard VanKueren, the 5-year-old son of Dr. and Mrs. VanKueren of Jeffersonville, was badly hurt Sunday afternoon while visiting with his parents at the home of Gus Lang at Rockland. Howard was riding his “kiddie kar” in the yard playing with the Lang children. He chose to ride down the cellar door which collapsed with him landing on the concrete six feet below with the door coming down on top of him.

Gertrude L. Banuat was united in marriage with Philip P. Schaefer of Beechwoods on Sunday, April 29, at the home of the bride, by Rev. John E. Straub.

Miss Barbara Rosenberger was united in marriage with Daniel H. Ryan of New York City by Rev. John E. Straub.

Lulu E. Townsend of Bethel and Henry C. Rubner of Monticello were married at the Monticello Manse by Rev. Hugh Russell Fraser.

The White Laced Wyandottes of Shandelee went to the home of Mrs. Philip Whitendale and surprised her. A nice supper was served. Those present were Mrs. Conrad Tempel, Mrs. Mark Murray, Mrs. Louise Rose, Mrs. Joe Wehner, Mrs. Louise Wehner, Mrs. Tom Smith, Mrs. Al Menges, Mrs. Fred Fries, Mrs. George Manny and Mrs. Anthony Westfall.

90 Years Ago - 1933

The U.S. Treasury Department has notified Conrad Metzger that the First National Bank of Jeffersonville is to resume its banking activities as they were carried on before March 4, 1933.

Miss Ruth Fitch of Jeffersonville, a graduate of the local high school, will receive a bachelor of science degree from the College of St. Vincent on June 8. Miss Fitch is a sister of Mrs. Deckelman.

Dr. Cyrenus G. Darling, aged 77, a native of the Town of Bethel, died at his home in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Friday, April 21, where he had practiced medicine for many years. He served on the faculty of the medical school of the University of Michigan. For a while he was associated with Dr. Wm. Breakey, the son of a Bethel farmer. He is survived by a sister, Mrs. John W. Miller; a niece, Dr. Margaret Miller; a niece, Bertha Miller and a nephew, Walter Miller.

On Saturday night a surprise party was given to Miss Katherine Schadt on the occasion of her 18th birthday. The evening was spent in playing cards, dancing and games. Lunch was served at midnight. Those present were Adelaide Townsend, Winifred Luchs, Rita Hick, Helen Krum, Marie Dedling, Lillian Hoffman, Sadie Eggler, Vincent Mullally, Bert Mullally, Eddie Mall, Alger Royce, Willard Schadt, Leonard Hess, Eddie Chellis, Stanley Mrozek and Doug Gage.

Mrs. Sophia Belling Menges, aged 69, wife of Jacob Menges Sr., died at her home Tuesday morning. She had been seriously ill of diabetes for seven weeks. Ten children were born to her, seven of whom survived. Mr. and Mrs. Menges had planned their golden anniversary in June.

80 Years Ago - 1943

David Wehner of Shandelee has purchased the farm belonging to the estate of the late Philip Whitendale and has in turn sold the house and two acres of ground to Mr. and Mrs. Harold Coffin of West Norwood, N.J., who will use it as a summer home.

A daughter was born April 28 to Mr. and Mrs. Henry Umnick of Cochecton Center. The mother is the former Ethel Heinle; a daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Box-berger of Callicoon Center at Liberty Hospital on April 22.

The engagement of Marion Hawerkamp to F. 2nd Class Thomas C. McNutt was announced by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Hawerkamp of North Branch at a dinner party in her honor after graduation from St. Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing.

Sgt. Murray Roth died in an Army hospital as a result of poison resulting from an insect bite. He was the second eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Abe Roth of Jeffersonville.

The Delaware Valley Central School Board of Education has advertised a special meeting to vote on a school site of 38.12 acres at Hortonville at a cost of not more than $6,500.

70 Years Ago - 1953

Mrs. August Lott entered the Liberty-Loomis Hospital on Sunday and on Monday underwent a major operation. She is making a good recovery much to the relief of her Jeffersonville friends.

The George Ellmauer family got a good scare during the thundershower Sunday night when the lightning struck while the men were in the barn doing chores.

The Ladies Aid Society of the Reformed Church at Youngsville tendered a surprise shower last Friday night to Jean Flaccus at the church parlors.

Dr. Charles C. Schloemer, aged 71, who was born at Kenoza Lake and had a summer home at Obernburg, died at Jersey City last Saturday. His mother was Mary Haiss. Both the Schloemer and Haiss families were prominent pioneer families.

Reports released last week state that Schaefer Bros. of Jeffersonville have signed a contract to reconstruct a highway in the Town of Rockland at DeBruce from the State Fish Hatchery, a distance of 3.15 miles. The road is to be built under the Erwin plan.

60 Years Ago - 1963

Mr. and Mrs. Fred Coe of Tyler Hill will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on the 30th.

Mr. and Mrs. Albert Meyer of Callicoon are the parents of an 11 lb. 7 oz. boy at the Callicoon Hospital. Also at the Callicoon Hospital, a baby girl, Lisa, arrived on the birthday of her mother, Mrs. Vilho Makela of Hankins. She gave her mommy and daddy an extra surprise by being born with two teeth.

Also at the Callicoon Hospital, it was a son, Thursday, to Mr. and Mrs. Berton Roloson of Hankins; a son, Monday, to Mr. and Mrs. Donald Wood, RD Callicoon; a son, Tuesday, to Mr. and Mrs. Edward Purcell of Barryville.

 District residents voted overwhelmingly to retain the elementary school located in their part of the Jeffersonville-Youngsville Central School District, last Friday. The vote was 123-4.

Attorney Louis B. Scheinman of Woodbourne, has been named to the State Bar Association committee to cooperate with other bar associations and federations.

Woodridge Fire Chief Dave Proyect had 10 stitches taken in his right hand when he cut it on a window Friday night at a fire in the Saperstein rooming house of Woodridge. The rooming house was badly damaged. The three-story structure was unoccupied at the time of the blaze.

50 Years Ago -  1973

Work is progressing nicely on the permanent building which will house the Sparrow Bush branch of the United National Bank of Callicoon. Bank officials are shooting for an opening date of July 15.

Thieves have been going at it in a big way in western Sullivan these days. First they rifled the United National Bank in Callicoon; then they made off with the Town of Callicoon’s 15-ton bucket loader; and on Monday morning they stole 600 feet of telephone cable in the Barryville area, leaving over 1100 families without service. The bucket loader on tracks was taken from a construction site on Klinger Road between Callicoon Center and Roscoe. The machine was brand new with less than 30 hours work on it. The theft occurred last Wednesday night. Just how the monstrous machine was moved without arousing suspicion or being seen is a mystery to all. Valued at $38,000, the machine is insured.

Meta Anne Rood and Alfred M. Sorge were married April 7 at the Grace Lutheran Church in North Branch.

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Mills are going to England on a trip he won in a Chevrolet dealers contest. They will leave May 2 for a week.

Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Kelly of Narrowsburg have purchased the building owned by Mr. and Mrs. George Oellrich.

Miss Romona M. Eutermarks of Beacon became the bride of John J. Hubert of Hankins April 14 at St. Mary’s R.C. Church in Obernburg.

Mr. and Mrs. Reginald Hillriegel are parents of a son born April 21 at the Wayne Memorial Hospital in Honesdale, Pa. He has been named Jeffrey John.

Debra Ann Welton and Dwayne A. LaBagh were married at St. Francis R.C. Church on April 7.

40 Years Ago - 1983

A daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Harold Rutledge, RD 1, Equinunk, Pa., on April 11 at the Honesdale, Pa. hospital. . . At the Community General Hospital in Harris, it was a son, Michael Raymond, to Mr. and Mrs. Paul Beach of Hurleyville on April 5; a son, Justin Allen, to Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Gray of Monticello on April 15.

Flood water of the East Branch of the Callicoon Creek at Jeffersonville on Saturday forced fifteen families to evacuate and eroded the embankment adjacent to  the Victory Market. Tons of huge boulders dumped into the creek by the village diverted the surging water and lessened the damage. Fifteen feet more would have had the water reach the foundation of the Victory building.

Old-Timers Night was celebrated at the Jeffersonville Fire Department Protection Hose Co. No. 1 on Saturday night. Honored, and their number of years of service, were: Richard Lott, George Brustman and Art Hassis, 25 years each; Mel Soule, 40 years.

A rock slide of 100 tons of rock and dirt on March 28, has caused the Hawk’s Nest near Port Jervis to be closed for the removal of overhanging rocks from the cliff face above the road.

Heidi Ferber, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Ferber of Hortonville, has been named Sullivan County Dairy Princess for 1983.

30 Years Ago - 1993

The drowning death of 9-year-old Kevin Wormuth in a swimming pool has been declared as accidental. Missing since Friday, divers found his body still positioned on his bicycle in the deep end of an algae-covered pool, less than 50 feet from the family home, Tuesday morning.

Korean entrepreneur Soung Kiy Min has embarked on what promises to be a long and expensive road to build up the Grossinger’s Hotel and Country Club to its former glory, starting with the golf course. In a press conference Wednesday, it was reported that the golf course will open to the public on May 1 and that 42 rooms in the hotel, that has sat empty for over six years, will be renovated with 100 rooms ready for occupancy by the year’s end.

Alex Cabrero and Brian Silverstrem, members of Boy Scout Troop 101 in Rock Hill, were honored for having completed the requirements to be named Eagle Scouts in ceremonies held April 18 in the Monticello Middle School. Fewer than two percent of all boy scouts achieved this rank.

Two canoeists enjoyed an afternoon of paddling on the Delaware River in Callicoon on Tuesday. Although the air temperature was a comfortable 70 degrees, the temperature of the water was only 40 degrees, which authorities say would certainly cause hypothermia within a short period of time.

Nearly 47 years after its first publication, Highlights for Children, based in Honesdale, Pa., will put out their 500th issue in May of 1993. With 2.6 million subscribers and an estimated readership of 15 million youngsters, the magazine has the largest circulation of any children’s magazine in the country.

Michael C. Wiener, a former Liberty resident, is now serving as a state senator for the state of Nevada. He represents 40,000 residents from his district.

20 years ago - 2003

Sunday’s annual Men Who Cook fundraiser for Catskill Regional Medical Center’s Auxiliary was held at Sullivan County Community College in Loch Sheldrake.

Town of Bethel Supervisor Allan Scott has decided not to seek re-election come November.

 Florence Krusa, born Florence Heinze on April 28, 1903, moved to Liberty as a teenager, and she’s never left. She eventually married Henry B. Krusa, pastor of St. Paul’s for 25 years, and was enveloped by his huge family. Although she never had any children of her own, Krusa boasts a number of step-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. A party was held Sunday morning, a major celebration for her 100th birthday, in the basement of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Liberty.

On Saturday in Liberty, scores of people bought tickets or signed up at the door to participate in the Second Annual Poker Walk. They raised $4,400 for Safe Passage and Liberty ALIVE.

Betty L. Smith, daughter of the late Cecil and Ollie Smith, and Richard J. Knack, son of the late Raymond and Julia Schaefer Knack, were married March 2, 1953 at the bride’s home in Salina, Kansas. A 50th anniversary party was held recently hosted by their children at the WSS Firehouse.

Andrew Yager of Grahamsville was named the 2002 Junior Sportsman of the Year at Saturday’s Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs of Sullivan County Wild Game Dinner. He is the son of Tim Yager, and the grandson of Tom Yager.

Rain forced race promoters David and Joanne Rocket to throw in the towel and cancel Saturday evening’s season opening event at Kauneonga Speedway.

10 Years Ago - 2013

Sullivan Renaissance announced over $114,000 in funding to support 41 community endeavors during its annual Spring Forum on April 25 at the CVI Building in Liberty. The program kicks off a four-month beautification contest to improve communities and win additional grants.

Gregory Nicholas Van Lowe was born on April 2, 2013, weighing 6 lbs. 14 oz. and measuring 19.5 inches long. Proud parents are Chris and Denise Van Lowe of Liberty. Big Brothers Christopher, 4, and Vincent, 22 months, and Big Sister Michelle, 3, are all very excited to welcome their baby brother to the family!

While the Catskills casino focus has been on Monticello and Ellenville, the former Grossinger’s resort in Liberty may be a player as well. A Wall Street Journal article hinted at a casino plan by Muss Development, a family corporation which has owned 500 acres adjacent to the old hotel for the past three decades. But Westchester developer Louis Cappelli owns the actual hotel site and the still-active Big G Golf Course, and he’s got plans of his own.

Legislators in principle on Wednesday approved the county’s proposed new ethics law, clearing the way for a May 16 hearing where the public will have a chance to speak before the official Legislature vote.

Popular village eatery Yanni’s Gyro Express was dealt about a $15-$20,000 blow Wednesday evening when a customer backed through a wall of the Pleasant Street business in Monticello.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here