140 Years Ago - 1880

The young man who got married some time last summer to a lady near Jeffersonville, and who was so bashful that he was afraid to let the facts be known, came out with the truth the other day and owned up. The last we saw of him, he was carrying a cradle on his shoulder over the hill “by the sweet silver light of the moon.”

Last reports from the Robertsonville and North Branch Stone quarries show that they are selling all the flagstone that can be profitably taken out.

Mr. David S. Hill of this place was admitted to the practice of law in all the course of this state on Thursday of last week.

Messrs. Henry Thofel Sr. of Callicoon and Henry Thofel Jr., former proprietor of the Eagle Hotel, caught a fine mess of eels and pickerel at Segar's pond last Wednesday.

Warren Coventry and Adam Homer are intending to go to Jefferson County next week where they will engage in bark peeling.

On Wednesday last, a barn belonging to Charles Frazee of the Town of Bethel, caught fire from a burning tallow and was burned to the ground.

Monticello — Work on the new Episcopal Church is progressing slowly… LeGrand Morris sold a bear last week for $10… Arch O'Neill has lately bought the livery stable from Le Grand Morris.

Callicoon — Mrs. Jacob Dietz has been in very poor health in recent weeks, but is recovering under the care of Dr. Brand of Jeffersonville… Martin Weyrauch intends to have a smooth walk in front of his premises. He has ordered a large lot of flagging from the North Branch quarry.

Callicoon Depot — Thermometer was up to 94 degrees on Sunday and Monday …Trout fishing is indulged in by many and some very successful catches are made. Traynor caught 14 pounds of the speckled beauties last week.

Bethel — Mr. Hiram S. Pintler recently sold a pair of eight-year-old oxen to William Bradley for $190… Rev. Mr. Blackford of Croton has been hired to preach in the Presbyterian Church for the coming year.

130 Years Ago - 1890

Bethel — The congregation of the Hurd Settlement M.E. Church have purchased a 700 lb. bell of the West Troy Bell Works and put it into position in the church steeple last week. It rang for the first time last Sunday.

Christopher Wilfert, an es­teemed resident of Jeffersonville, passed away a little after 9 o'clock last Sunday morning. He was born in the village of Maering in Bohemia on March 3, 1819, and came to New York in 1839, working there as a shoemaker for 10 years. While there he was married to Catherine Boltz. In 1847 he visited this section and two years later he moved to Jeffersonville where he has since resided. He was an active member of the German Presbyterian Church and for 35 years was one of its ruling elders. He was a little over 71 years when he died. His wife died in 1886 and his only son, Charles, survives him.

Livingston Manor — Dr. G.H. Lathrop is having a cellar dug under his house …The streams through this section have been well lined with fishermen since May 1st. Some fine catches have been made. The railroad company built a milk station at Mort's flat near his place for the accommodation of the creamery of T. Mills… Blake Scribner, who has been at work in Binghamton the past winter, is home at present.

Callicoon — Arbor Day was observed by the school in District No. 6, A.W. Blumberg, teacher, with interesting and appropriate exercises.

Buck Brook — John Hermann is quite sick with inflammation of the bowels, but is slowly recovering… Charles Huff, who has been at work at Fishes Eddy, has returned home… Most of the farmers in the section have their oats and potatoes planted, and are getting ready for the corn patches.

Now is the season when every newspaper which has the real interest of the people at heart will come out with advice: Don't change your undershirt too soon.

120 Years Ago - 1900

Luther C. Payne of Liberty graduated from the Buffalo Medical College on April 27. He will remain in Buffalo and take the state examination on May 23. Luther also received an appointment in the Erie County Hospital and will take a year's work in that institution, beginning next December.

George D. Pelton, deputy postmaster of Monticello, has passed the examination for a clerkship in the census department in Washington.

The contract for building the new Presbyterian parsonage at Bethel has been let to Bell and Hill of White Lake for the consideration of $1,350. The foundation is being laid by voluntary aid.

Adam Homer of Parksville has leased the bar room in T.W. White's hotel in Livingston Manor.

Mrs. Ada Cochran of Roscoe has moved to Liberty Falls to reside with her sister, Mrs. John Gorton.

Charles Gardner has bought his brother Gilbert's share in his farm at Youngsville for $600.

About 100 guests assembled at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Hubbert on May 2 to witness the marriage of their daughter, Minnie, to Andrew Fries of Sand Pond. The knot was tied hard and fast by Rev. Unglaub of Callicoon, assisted by Rev. Meyer of Jeffersonville.

W.W. Bennett of Youngsville has been appointed aide-de-camp by Department Commander Joseph Kays of the state G.A.R.

William Lieb will leave tomorrow for a couple of weeks' vacation. In the meantime, the Record is left entirely in the care of the devil.

Mrs. Ann Stephenson, widow of the late Alexander Stephenson of Briscoe, who died 20 years ago, was stricken with paralysis and died Saturday morning. She was 70 years old.

G.W. Fritz, a well-known Scranton harness dealer, died Friday at Rockland where he had been on a fishing trip.

A.V. Borden, who occupied the Kropp farm, has moved to Henry Wormuth's house.

110 Years Ago - 1910

Carl Seelig has been engaged as clerk in Meyer's store.

Mrs. Arthur Lawrence opened her ice cream parlor on Saturday for the season.

The Sisters from the Bethany Deaconesses Home in Brooklyn have reopened the M.E. parsonage as a vacation place for the summer.

One of Wm. Bollenbach's valuable team of horses died of blood poisoning Saturday, resulting from an injury to the stifle joint sustained by another horse stepping on it.

Wm. F. Heuser of the Erie Hotel at Cochecton and Postmaster Jacob Rogler of Youngsville have each bought an Overland car of 25 horsepower.

Wm. Kohler, the busy lumber manufacturer, contemplates purchasing an automobile to help him get around to his many appointments. Rudolph Gute is also looking around for another car.

The large summer hotel, Cornucopia, at Kiamesha Lake, was burned by fire of unknown origin, with a loss of $25,000. The hotel was owned by Harry Yohalan of Brooklyn.

John Link has exchanged his hotel property at North Branch with Louis Jacob of New York for the Grasmuck farm at Fremont Center.

Kenoza Lake — Leo Moulthrop of Binghamton is here again to spend the summer with Jesse Moulthrop… Mrs. P.J. Heidt is slightly improved in health… The boarding houses and cottages are nearly prepared for the annual rush of summer guests… Our lake is at its best this year since there is no mill to draw off the water.

Clarence Kurtz was given a surprise party at his home Saturday night in honor of his 20th birthday.

100 Years Ago - 1920

The property of Wm. J. Brown on Swiss Hill has been sold to Joseph Lang of New York who will bring his wife and five children here as soon as possible. The sale was made through Anton Schwartz of Jeffersonville, countryman of Lang who was born in Austria.

A. Roth, who has been conducting a grocery in the C.G. Yager store building on Maple Avenue, has purchased the property of Mr. Yager for $2,600.

William G. Ramp and Miss Bessie Delamater, both of Liberty, were married on April 30 at the Liberty Baptist Church.

William Ziegler and Miss Marie Schaefer of New York spent a few days over Sunday at the home of the latter's father, Henry Schaefer, and announced their engagement.

Walter J. Nieger and Miss Anna M. Metzger of Beechwoods were married at the Lutheran parsonage in Liberty by Pastor Corliss last Saturday at 4 pm. The couple have taken up housekeeping on the Nieger farm where they were serenaded on Sunday night.

Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Fimpel of Brooklyn have announced the marriage of their daughter, Marjorie, to Emory Putnam Mersereau on May 5th.

Andrew S. Bietz and Miss Edna Colyer of New York spent the weekend at the former's home in Jeffersonville.

John Brog of Swiss Hill on Friday brought home a horse which his brother, William, sent up on the boat to Newburgh from New York.

Philip Justin of Seacliff, L.I., is spending a few weeks at his farm in the Beechwoods.

Casper Bossley, formerly of Youngsville and late years of Neversink, left Liberty last week for Mansfield, S. Dakota, where he will live with his son and daughter.

90 Years Ago - 1930

Liberty is to have a special election May 20 to raise a bond issue of $50,000 for the paving of four streets, Champlin Ave., Church St., Columbia St. and Hill St.

The Glenwood Hotel, just off the Loch Sheldrake-Liberty highway, was destroyed by fire Friday afternoon. The house, a 50-room hotel, was leveled within an hour. The loss is estimated at $45,000. It is owned by H. Schwartz of New York City.

Congressman Pratt has recommended the appointment of Robert Mann as postmaster in Jeffersonville. Also recommended for appointment were Mrs. Edith P. Paterson, Youngsville; Chalmers W. Joyner, White Sulphur Springs; and William J. Schonger, North Branch.

Clarence and Richard Hunt and Clyde Fitch were home from the city for the weekend.

At the Black Lake annual school meeting last week, a desire was expressed at the meeting that Miss Frieda Neuberger of Jeffersonville be retained as teacher for the next year.

Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Heinle of Brooklyn weekended here with her folks, Mr. and Mrs. Phil Schmidt.

Mr. and Mrs. Louis J. Dietrich of Jeffersonville have sent out invitations to the wedding of their daughter, Miss Marion Margaret, to William A. Kane of Brooklyn, at the Jeffersonville Presbyterian Church on June 4.

Frances Heenan Browning, better known as “Peaches,” the flapper girl wife of “Daddy” Browning, the New York millionaire sheik, was in town Monday and took dinner at the Lake Jefferson Hotel.

Robert J. Scott, 57, a native of Cochecton Center, died at the Elizabeth, N.J., hospital May 5th following a stroke.

Anna Barbara Fischer, wife of Ferdinand, died at her home in Callicoon Center on May 10th at the age of 51. She was born in Wurtemburg, Germany, coming to this country 25 years ago.

80 Years Ago - 1940

Dorothy Theiss, aged 15, of Fosterdale, a student at the Jeffersonville Central School, won second place in the open event in typewriting in the state final of the New York State Business Education Association held at Syracuse University. Over 100 high schools from throughout the state competed.

The Sullivan County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday offered a reward of $500 for Jack Drucker, dead or alive. Drucker is said to be head of the Brooklyn murder syndicate and is wanted for the murder of Sol Goldstein who was killed and thrown in Loch Sheldrake in 1936. Drucker is well-known in the eastern end of Sullivan County, where the members of gangland play and have their rendezvous. He is under indictment here in connection with two murders.

Miss Evelyn Weber, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Weber of Jeffersonville, and a graduate from the college of home economics at Cornell University this June, will, in the fall, take a position in the department of institution administration, Michigan State College at East Lansing, Mich. She will be an assistant to the food service department of the women's dormitories.

The dedication of the new central school in Jeffersonville will take place Friday night. Principal Erwin L. Baker will be chairman of the program. The principal address will be by Francis E. Griffin, supervisor of rural education of the NYS Education Department. Among other speakers will be Board of Education President Charles M. Peterson, District Superintendent Charles S. Hick and William Lieb, publisher of the Sullivan County Record.

George William, infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Ferdinand Hubbert of Kenoza Lake, was baptized Sunday at the Jeffersonville Presbyterian Church. The sponsors were Mr. and Mrs. Harold Sims of Long Island.

Jacob Levine, father of Attorney Hyman Levine, died at his home in Hurleyville on May 12, in his 62nd year.

70 Years Ago - 1950

Rex's Fireplace Bar and Grill at White Lake was completely gutted by a fire which started at 2 a.m. Monday morning.

Seventeen hundred guests attended the annual Jeffersonian Dinner of the Sullivan County Democratic Committee, held last Monday evening. It was the largest number to attend the affair in recent years. Principal speaker was Lazarus Joseph, New York City comptroller. Other speakers were State Democratic Chairman Paul E. Fitzpatrick, Assemblyman James G. Lyons and Democratic County Committee Chairman William R. Schaefer.

Warren Wohltjen, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Wohltjen, Jeffersonville, and a junior in the school of music at Fredonia State Teachers College, has had several honors recently. He was leader and in charge of the music at the Junior Banquet held April 26 and is general chairman of the Men's Counselor Banquet to be held in May.

Lincoln Chapter, O.E.S., will receive the Grand Officers of the Delaware-Sullivan District, R.W. Aileen Button of Roscoe, District Deputy Grand Matron, and R.W. Leon Husch of Livingston Manor, District Grand Lecturer, tonight.

60 Years Ago - 1960

Birthday congratulations to Mrs. Elizabeth Schuler who will be 90 years old on May 20, and Mrs. Lena Faubel who will celebrate her 90th birthday May 26.

Invitations are out for the wedding of Miss Betty Hinckley and Donald Peters at the Presbyterian Church on June 4th.

Miss Carol Stephenson and Frank Nolde will be married June 11th at the First Lutheran Church in Jeffersonville.

Alex Krongel, prominent resident of Jeff, died early Sunday morning in Maimonides Hospital, Liberty. Born in Russia, he was 71 years old. He is survived by his widow, Bessie; two sons, Irving and Richard of Jeffersonville; and a daughter of California.

Ruth Ann Fulton and Alan Drake reigned as Queen and King May 13th at the J-Y Junior Prom.

Kay Loughery, Karen Bossley, Bethany Fuller, Phyliss Loesch, Marianne Loesch, Peter Hyatt, Eva Goldschmidt, Roberta Schmauss, Thomas Kutschera and Peter Kutschera were confirmed at the Presbyterian Church in Jeffersonville.

50 years ago - 1970

Jacob J. Epstein of Jeffersonville has been admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, in a New York State Bar Association sponsored ad­mission ceremony on May 18.

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Kara­dontes of Jeffersonville are the parents of a girl, Christine Michele, born May 9 at Horton Memorial Hospital in Middletown.

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Whitemore of RD 2, Callicoon, celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary May 17 at a dinner given in their honor by their family at the Autumn Inn.

In a Scholastic Assembly held at DVC on May 15, the local team of Kathy Stabbert, Donna Baer and Donna Ferber were defeated by a team from Scranton Central School. The program was taped and is to be broadcast over WCDL on June 17. Scranton Central goes to Wilkes-Barre to compete against the Damascus High School in the finals.

The trustees of the Halsey Cemetery Assn., Long Eddy, have completed restoration of the interior of the little chapel on the grounds. Built in 1887, the chapel was for a time used for burial services. However, as years went by it was used for storage of cemetery tools.

40 Years Ago - 1980

Congressman Matthew J. McHugh made it official Monday and announced formally that he would be a fourth-term Democratic candidate for re-election in the sprawling 27th Congressional District of New York which embraces an area larger than the State of Connecticut and includes all of Sullivan County.

Sunday evening marked the 135th anniversary of the First Presbyterian Church of Jeffersonville and more than two hundred parishioners, friends, and clergy gathered to celebrate at Menges' in Shandelee. In 1842, forty members established the German Evangelical Lutheran Congregation on the Callicoon in the little settlement, then known as Winkelried. Late in the 1800s, the settlement was renamed Jeffersonville after Thomas Jefferson and the church name too was to change until it became known as the First Presbyterian Church of Jeffersonville. The first church frame was contracted out for $39 and then parishioners, men and women, worked together carrying stone for the foundation. Before the building was finished a severe windstorm leveled the structure and parishioners rolled up their sleeves, cleared the rubble and started once again.

The Catskill Chapter of the Antique Auto Club of America will be putting on another great show May 31 when the old beauties start their engines for a noon parade down Broadway.

The more than $1500 proceeds from the recent Spinks-Sutherland fight, telecast by CBS-TV from the Concord Hotel, was donated to the Monticello Ambulance Corps and the Monticello Volunteer Fire Department.

Kim Lewis of Liberty was named Miss Sullivan County New York Teen of 1980 before a crowd of 500 Sunday night.

Susan Strang, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gustav Strang of Monticello, became the bride of James B. Mahan III of Cornwall, at St. Peter's R.C. Church in Monticello May 4.

A Japanese Yew (taxus cuspidata media) was loaded at the Curtis Nurseries of Callicoon for transplant to the White House grounds in Washington, D.C., when it was found that a tree of its kind was failing. The tree will be delivered Friday.

30 Years Ago - 1990

For heavyweight boxer Lou Savarese, so far the ride has been just fine, thank you. The 24-year-old Greenfield Lake native has followed up a fine amateur career by winning his first nine professional bouts without a loss.

The Eighth Celebration of Imagination for Sullivan County students was held Saturday at the BOCES center in Liberty. Students in Donna Roeder's fourth grade class at J-YCS performed a barnyard fable titled “Pollution Solution” explaining the need for a clean environment.

The Rockland Town Board, putting aside its differences with the Open Space Institute, has agreed to serve as the lead agency to funnel $500,000 in federal grant money to the private foundation. The institute has received an offer from the U.S. Geological Survey to conduct an acid rain study with federal funds on 128 acres it retains from 2,000 acres of land previously owned by the Boy Scouts of America.

Mardi Gras will be the theme of the Community General Hospital Auxiliary's spring luncheon. Esterita Blumberg of Liberty is this year's Auxilian of the Year.

20 Years Ago - 2000

Early Wednesday afternoon an old farmhouse located on Sgt. Andrew Brucher Road in Smallwood was reduced to a fire-gutted shell. No one was home when the fire broke out.

People in the Sullivan County Partnership for Economic Development came away from their meeting with Park Place Entertainment CEO Arthur Goldberg convinced that, if he truly wants a casino in the Catskills, it will happen. When is another question. Said Gene Blabey, the owner of radio station WVOS and a Partnership member, “I'm not at all convinced that Park Place is in this for real ...the timetable he proposed is wildly optimistic, and the figures of what he has already invested are simply not believable.”

At a Court of Honor held Sunday afternoon at the Emma Chase School in Wurtsboro, Chris Ed­wards became the latest member of the brotherhood of Eagle Scouts. The 18-year-old is a member of Troop 92, Wurtsboro. Edwards' service project was to clean up a Town of Mamakating cemetery.

John and Mary Markett of Poughkeepsie have announced the engagement of their daughter, Eileen M. Markett, to Genaro Anthony Lomoriello of Beacon.

A boy, John-Paul Thomas, was born May 3, 2000 to Nancy and Dr. Larry Mauer of Monticello.

A boy, Lee Carl III, was born April 26, 2000 to Denise and Lee Ellmauer Jr. of Youngsville.

The Jeff-Youngsville School's golf team beat Roscoe 233-236 to clinch its second straight Western Sullivan League golf title on the par-36 front nine of Swan Lake Country Club.

10 Years Ago - 2010

Jeffersonville businessman Jim Hughson admits he's building a private transfer station because (a) it's a potentially good business investment and (b) he's no fan of Sullivan County government's solid waste policy. For 16 years he's run Jeff Sanitation and for twice that span of time, his J. Hughson Excavating Company has made a lasting impact across western Sullivan County. He is seeking the necessary approvals to construct a private transfer station on a portion of his property to make it easier to run his trucks since the closure of the Monticello landfill.

The Sullivan County Legislature honored each of the county's 9 valedictorians (representing the 8 in-county public school districts), a yearly tradition. Monticello has two graduates this year, including Jared Weiss, a 13-year old prodigy. Valedictorians included: Uddhava Stowell, Fallsburg; Stephen Rogers, Livingston Manor; Gabriel LaGrutta of Sullivan West; Ruben Rebolledo, Monticello; Christina Watts, Eldred; and Nikolas Beimler, Liberty. Missing from the ceremony were valedictorians Abigail Dusseldorp of Roscoe and Kelly McNamara of Tri-Valley.

The Beaver Brook Rod and Gun Club recently sponsored a day on Lake La Barr with professional fisherman John Malzahn of Sparrowbush, who fishes on the local pro circuit and is sponsored by such companies such as Out Cast Tackle and Omega. Malzahn has appeared at the Bassmaster weekend tournament and been on ESPN. More than 30 kids participated in the day's event. Each of them received special goodie tackle bags from Malzahn and his sponsors.

After a distinguished 38-year career in which he has guided Eldred teams for a total of 110 sports seasons, Coach Frank Kean plans to retire in June. His players made sure Kean, who is a math teacher at Eldred Central School, capped his career with a win. Behind a good pitching performance by senior Bobby Warden and some timely hitting, the Yellowjackets defeated Liberty, 4-2.