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Down the Decades

May 23, 2023 Edition

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

150 Years Ago - 1873

The Birch Ridge Sunday School picnic takes place today. A pretty banner has been made for the occasion.

A shoe peg factory will soon be added to the industries of the …

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Down the Decades

May 23, 2023 Edition

Posted

150 Years Ago - 1873

The Birch Ridge Sunday School picnic takes place today. A pretty banner has been made for the occasion.

A shoe peg factory will soon be added to the industries of the village of Liberty.

On Monday next our confectioner, John Manny, will have an almost inexhaustible supply of ice cream.

A dance will be held at the hotel of Peter Rogart in Briscoe on Thursday evening.

Five men about 11 o’clock on Wednesday went to the premises of George McIntire near Briscoe and drove away 2 suckling colts, 2 cows, 2 sheep and a bull with the intention of driving them into the state of Pennsylvania. They were discovered by Mr. McIntire’s neighbors who gave the alarm. Two of them, Wm. Ervain and Conklyn got away in Pennsylvania. Joiner, Sam Mafit and Charles Mayo, the other three, were caught. James B. Joiner was committed. The other two were released on bonds.

140 Years Ago - 1883

It is henceforth unlawful for boys to go around shooting each other with a toy pistol. The governor has signed a bill restricting its use.

Ten GAR posts are now in this county.

Moses B. Hill, Sullivan’s oldest teacher, is teaching the school at Livingston Manor this summer.

There are three milliners in Jeffersonville.

J.D. Leg of Long Eddy has gone to New York to apply to one of the employees of the Worth Museum, who has been bitten by a snake, the medicine compounded by Mr. Geer, the rattlesnake catcher of Long Eddy. The medicine is compounded of blue vitriol and salt moistened with sweet milk and Mr. Geer says it is a sure cure if liberally applied.

B.E. Calkins, proprietor of the Basket Chemical Works, has discovered the method to obtain liquor for tanning purposes. He puts hemlock into the reports used in his acid works and applies heat. The liquor coming from the condensing pipes contains the tanning now obtained by grinding and leeching the bark.

A petition for a daily mail between Jeffersonville and Liberty is at the Post Office in this village and every person ought to sign it.

130 Years Ago - 1893

Charles Scheidell is considering conducting the Jeffersonville Creamery on a different plan. Instead of collecting the cream as is done at present, the farmers would bring their milk to the creamery where the cream will be separated from the milk by means of a machine for that purpose. It is claimed that the machine can take more cream from the milk than the farmer by skimming and the latter will have the skim milk returned to him for use on the farm.

W. and F.B. Van Wert of White Lake will run a tally-ho stage line between White Lake and Liberty this summer.

Prof. J. Josef Stuchlers’ Musical Institute of Jeffersonville will reopen from June 1 to November 1. Thorough instruction on piano or organ and in singing. Only a limited number of scholars accepted. Applications, therefore, early.

About 15 or 20 men and boys of Callicoon Depot want to hire a “grain line” car for a month and go in it to the World’s Fair, taking their provisions along and using the car as a stopping place while there.

Station Agent Post, with his assistants, moved into the new depot at Liberty this week.

Mrs. Gideon Wales, the widowed mother of Blake G. Wales, died at the residence of her son at Kenoza Lake on Wednesday. She was aged about 80 years.

120 Years Ago - 1903

Dr. Frederick A. Cook of Brooklyn will soon leave for Alaska where he will do considerable surveying, fixing boundary lines. The new arctic sleds have been ordered by him of his brother, T.A. Cook of Hortonville.

A new post office has been established at Hazel in the Town of Rockland.

Gus Neuberger is putting a photograph studio across the road from his house in Jeffersonville.

Will Lawrence started this week on the construction of a new telephone line between here and Callicoon Depot, beginning at the Depot. He will put up new poles all the way taking in Hortonville and North Branch.

Oscar Schminke on May 19 received the degree of D.D.S. from the New York School of Dentistry. Three years in succession he received the school medal for the highest rating in the examinations. The first two were solid silver; the third solid gold, and was presented to him by Prof. J. Bethune Stein, M.D.

George W. Reinheimer, butcher of Maplewood, near Monticello, disappeared Saturday night, May 9. He has a wife and four children. His wife was the former Augusta Kemp. A posse was organized to search for him. It was feared he met with foul play. Evidently he had considerable money with him. An examination of his records show that he has recently collected many of the bills owed him.

The Youngsville spring fair last Monday was a success.

110 Years Ago - 1913

The creamery of Theodore A. Cook at Hortonville was closed yesterday. A notice at the creamery building yesterday states, “Closed by the order of the Board of Health.” Cook has been shipping milk to his brother, William, in Brooklyn, where it was sold.

John Beck Sr., one of Jeffersonville’s oldest residents, has bought a home in Brooklyn and expects to spend the remainder of his days there.

The burying ground on the lands of George G. DeWitt, long known as the Union Cemetery, was acquired 60 or more years ago from Mr. DeWitt by a provision in his will. Until now the church has never exercised any jurisdiction over it. Hereafter permission must be obtained before burial can be made in it.

The governor has signed a bill extending the school year from 32 weeks to 36.

100 Years Ago - 1923

Clyde N. Joyner of White Sulphur Springs and Martha Eltz were married last evening at the latter’s home on Maple Avenue in Jeffersonville.

Marian Joyner of Liberty and Seeley Davenport of Suffern were married at the Methodist parsonage in Liberty last Sunday evening.

Theodore Cook, a native and resident of Hortonville, died at his home of pneumonia on Sunday. He contracted his illness while making repairs to Otto Hornung’s refrigerator last Thursday.

Fire last week destroyed the old covered bridge crossing the Neversink about a mile north of Neversink on the road to Liberty. The fire was believed to have been of incendiary origin. When it was discovered the whole structure seemed to have been saturated with kerosene. The bridge has been unsafe for a long time and there was a general demand for a new structure. The bridge was a landmark.

90 Years Ago - 1933

A son was born May 23 to Mr. and Mrs. Harold Kellam of Fremont Center. He will be named after his father. (Happy birthday, Harold!)

Edward V. McDermott, the principal of the high school, who has qualified for retirement at the end of the school year, will retire. He has been principal in Jeffersonville for the past 14 years. His place will be taken by Rhoderic K. Lacey of Virginia who has been doing his graduate study for his doctor’s degree at Columbia University. Stanley J. Hoffman will take the place of Mrs. Dorothy F. Schaefer. The new contracts carry a ten percent reduction in salary.

The names of the members of the school orchestra that played at the Middletown school festival last Friday are: Violins, Casper Eggler, Arthur Roth, Milton Erdman, Harry Williams, Alexander Roth, Helen Gabel, Gilbert Weiss, Catherine Schwartz, Basil Hick, Candace Roth, Mary Taberoff; Trumpets, Martin Albert, Meta Klinger, Charles Duttweiler, Irving Shapiro; Saxophones, Joseph Weiss, Rosanna Brey, and Murray Roth; Clarinets, George Ginsberg, Rita Hick, and Lester Hust; Trombones, Edith Sch-wartz and Emil Barnas; Bass Horn, Alger Royce.

The cornerstone of the new Dutch Reformed Church at North Branch was laid Monday afternoon at a simple ceremony.

Louis Henry Short died in New Haven in his 90th year. He was born in 1843 and as a young boy with his parents, natives of Germany, from Stamford, Conn., where he was born, moved to the farm now owned by Albert Huth. He served in the 143rd Regiment of Volunteers. He was wounded in the leg at Lookout Mountain and after recuperating at home re-enlisted and served until the end of the Civil War.

80 Years Ago - 1943

Adam Sander, an early resident of this town, died in a private sanitarium in New Jersey on May 26. He was 97 years of age. He was born in Germany and at the age of two came here with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Sanders Sr., who settled on the farm on Sixteen now occupied by Jacob Yager, a great-grandson. At the age of 18 he went to New York where he learned the tinsmith business with his uncle, Christian Sander Sr. Many years ago he bought the Adam Killian place at Youngsville where he spent the summers. A couple of years ago he sold his property to Paul Gabel.

The local VFW, organized in Jeffersonville in 1946 and has since been meeting in the American Legion home, on April 30th voted to move its home to Callicoon.

Edward Lare of Youngsville hooked a prize trout in Lake Jefferson last week. It was 21 inches long and weighed three and one-half pounds.

The Martin Hermann Lumber Co., contractors of Callicoon, were low bidders on the Monticello school job, under which alterations will be made to the grade school, and were awarded the contract at the Board meeting last week.

Western Sullivan Music Festival was held at the Delaware Valley Central School May 15. There were 265 students from Callicoon, Jeffersonville, Livingston Manor, Roscoe, Eldred, Grahamsville, Youngsville and Narrowsburg. Three groups participated — an all-girls chorus of 80 students; a mixed choir of boys and girls of about 100; and a band of about 90 pieces.

70 Years Ago - 1953

How do you put a new rope through the pulleys of a steel flag pole that stretches 65 feet up in the air? That was the question that perplexed Principal William Jones of the Roscoe Central School since the old rope snapped and parted company. The problem was solved by Floyd Darbee and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Harold Wood Post No. 5911, who volunteered to take on the job. Floyd and the boys came up with the brilliant idea and proceeded to go about the business of restringing the pulley. Quite a crowd gathered to watch the performance as Joe Clifford, assisted by the VFW boys, started up the ladder. Twice on the way up, he stopped to more securely tie the ladder to the pole, until he reached the 40 foot mark. Held by a safety belt, he leaned away from the ladder and maneuvered the pole into position to grasp the old strand of rope that was secured in the pulley. He almost succeeded several times but it wasn’t until about the third time that the hook went through the loop and the rope was secured.

The wedding of Myrtle E. Pattin of Lodi, N.J., and Arthur Huebsch of New Milford, N.J., took place on April 25. Mr. Huebsch is a former resident of Beechwoods.

A son was born Thursday to Mr. and Mrs. Edmund Werner of Lord-ville.

Mary Louise Napiolillo was judged winner in Class 1, Arlene Sattler in Class 2, and Josephine Rocco in Class 3 of the poppy contest recently held by the American Legion Auxiliary in Jeffersonville.

Arthur Ferber, Class of ‘39, and Gary Weiss, Class of ‘46, have been promoted to Lieutenants, and Lt. Valleau Edward Curtis, Class of ‘47, has received the Air Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross. Congratulations from the DVCS Hi-News Staff.

60 Years Ago - 1963

First Lieutenant Richard R. Freda of Callicoon is a member of the specially-trained Air Force search and rescue crew which is now on station ready to provide recovery assistance to Major Leroy Gordon Cooper when the astronaut makes his 22-orbit flight in spacecraft Faith 7 this month. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Francis J. Freda of Callicoon.

Carol Duttweiler and Daniel Fisher of Jeffersonville were married May 11 at the Jeffersonville Presbyterian Church.

At the Callicoon Hospital: a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Gott of Long Eddy, on Thursday; a daughter, Sunday, to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Armbrust of Kenoza Lake; a daughter, Wednesday, to Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Menges of Jeffersonville.

Mr. and Mrs. Frank J. Schick of Obernburg announced the engagement of their daughter, Anita Marie, to Douglas D. Robertson Jr. of White Plains and Roscoe. An October wedding is planned.

Mr. and Mrs. Louis Hoffman of Fremont Center have announced the engagement of their daughter, Marcia Grace, to Leonard G. Bauer of Hankins. No date has been set for the wedding.

On May 18 the Recreation Farm Society, Inc., will mark its 50th anniversary at Fosterdale.

The Delaware Valley Central School PTA received an award at the District PTA Conference held at Grossinger’s May 9, for increasing local membership by 268 percent.

Linda Bury and William Korth of Callicoon Center were crowned King and Queen of the Junior Prom at Jeffersonville-Youngsville Central School on May 10.

Miss Barbara Benedict and Gary Fontana have been chosen to attend Empire Girls’ State at State Teachers College, Cortland, and Empire Boys’ State at Colgate University. Both are juniors at Roscoe Central School and will be sponsored by the American Legion Post and Auxiliary of Roscoe.

Mrs. Helen Venner of Rio received congratulatory 100th birthday greeting from President John F. Kennedy.

50 Years Ago - 1973

Lloyd Hepburn, a son-in-law of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Whalen, head of the department of science of a Maryland school, identified the picture in last week’s Democrat as a boa constrictor. The snake supposedly hitched a ride north on the car of William Moran as he and his family returned from a vacation in Florida.

Funeral services were held Saturday for Town of Callicoon Supervisor Sam Baer of Jeffersonville, who collapsed and died May 9 during a business visit to the county seat of Monticello.

Annie E. Shannon was presented with a certificate of honor from the Societe Culinaire Philantropique following a competition in culinary arts held in New York recently. She is a student of the Hotel Technology Department in Sullivan County Community College.

Mr. and Mrs. Harold Roeder have returned from a week’s business trip to London and Rome.

Mr. and Mrs. George Simmons of Gulf Road, Roscoe, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Sunday at their home.

40 Years Ago - 1983

Congressman Ben Gilman attended the Eagle Court of Honor in Wurtsboro Saturday evening and presented the Award of Merit to Eagle Scouts Joseph A. Bryan and Steven E. Borko.

Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Olsen of Hortonville have announced the engagement of their daughter, Georgia, to Robert Lyons, son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Lyons of Monticello. A fall wedding is planned. . . Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Hyzer of Livingston Manor have announced the engagement of their daughter, Lori, to Jay Schulman, son of Richard Schulman of Cochecton and Beverly Schulman of Jeffersonville. An August wedding is planned.

Bob Price of Monticello won the Democrat’s Opening Month Trout Contest in the Brook Trout Division with an 11 pound 8 ounce native trout.

Repaving of Monticello’s Broadway will begin on May 19. The work is scheduled to be completed by May 26...  Abraham Kleinman, supervisor of the Town of Liberty, said Friday that the town has had some great news in the form of “good bids” for its new Briscoe Road sewer district. Work is expected to begin in several months.

Leon “Lee” and Marge Siegel of Livingston Manor were recipients of the first annual Distinguished Citizens Award by the Livingston Manor Chamber of Commerce. Mack Weiner, former president of the Livingston Manor Chamber of Commerce, was master of ceremonies and delighted the audience with his anecdotes about the Siegels. Among the notables who attended the affair at the Concord Hotel in Kiamesha Lake were 40th District State Senator Charles D. Cook and 98th District Assemblyman Richard I. Coombe.

30 years ago - 1993

The Liberty Faculty Association has decided to give up $124,000 in salary  increases for the 1993-1994 school year in exchange for a two-year moratorium on layoffs.

The Delaware Valley Central School team of Callicoon, with 664 points, edged out Fallsburg (612), Jeffersonville--Youngsville (590), Tri-Valley (589) and Monticello (556) in the fifth and final round of the Sullivan County Interacademic Leagues’s (SCIL) 1992-1993 season.

A spring craft fair at the Delaware Youth Center attracted more than 30 vendors and hundreds of shoppers. Proceeds from a raffle, the sale of refreshments and sale of table space benefitted the youth center.

Corey Foster of the Livingston Manor Central School band, has been selected to play with the John Philip Sousa National High School Band on May 8 in Washington, D.C. He has been playing first trumpet for the past seven years and is one of about 100 students from the United States who will be playing in a special concert at George Washington University with the United States Marine Band. 

Woodbourne Fire Company #1 recently observed its 75th anniversary.

Various well-known persons from all walks of life in Sullivan County banded together in a Celebrity Waiters Luncheon get-together for the benefit of the Leukemia Society Upstate New York Chapter. Held at the Villa Roma Country Club in Callicoon, $6,020 was raised at the 6th annual event.

20 Years Ago - 2003

New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer dropped by Fibber’s Restaurant in Monticello for a question-and-answer session sponsored by the Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce. Nearly 100 people came out to have lunch with the Attorney General.

The Eschenberg family of River Road in Callicoon awoke to a yearling black bear perched in a tree beside their driveway, chased up the tree by their dog, Bingo. The ursine creature remained aloft until later that night, after the family’s dog had been safely sheltered indoors for a few hours, and the bear decided it was safe to climb down.

On Saturday, the 39th annual Commencement Ceremony was held at Sullivan County Community College at the Paul Gerry Fieldhouse in Loch Sheldrake. 

Sullivan County Supreme Court Judge Nicholas Clemente has ordered a hearing to determine whether the Legislature needs to restore funding to the Board of Elections. Two deputy clerk positions in the Board of Elections were eliminated late last year in an effort to cut the budget, but Election Commissioners Fran Thalmann and Timothy Hill have asked the lawmakers not to make the cuts. Their reasoning centered on the busy year coming up with redistricting  and Legislature elections, among many other races. 

10 Years Ago - 2013

Blaming “substantial reductions” in federal and state funding, plus revenue losses from healthcare reform and reduced patient volume, the parent of Catskill Regional Medical Center (CRMC) announced yesterday that it is laying off staff. The equivalent of 60 full-time positions – including top management like CEO Fred Kuriger and the director of nursing – are being cut immediately, according to the Greater Hudson Valley Health System (GHVHS), which oversees both CRMC and Orange Regional (ORMC). ORMC is losing the equivalent of 80 full-time positions. Combined, the cuts affect about five percent of the hospitals’ workforce.

As it does every year, the Sullivan County Legislature on Thursday lauded the valedictorians from the eight in-county school districts. Honored at the Legislature’s meeting were Sullivan West valedictorian Amanda Hulse, Monticello valedictorian Brittany Rupp, Eldred valedictorian Mikaela Balsano, Fallsburg valedictorian Arjun Malhotra, Liberty valedictorian Eugene Doyle III, Livingston Manor valedictorian Samantha Scott, Tri-Valley valedictorian Victoria Tingley. Unable to attend was Roscoe valedictorian Zachory Park.

Gillinder Glass is celebrating 100 years in Port Jervis this year. To commemorate this historic milestone, Gillinder Glass produced a “100 Year in Port Jervis” sun catcher as a way to give back to the community which has supported it, pledging to donate 10 percent of the sales of this sun catcher during the month of March to a local charity or organization and asked for public input.  The majority of those asked suggested the Port Jervis/Deerpark Humane Society. 

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