140 Years Ago - 1883

James Wilson of Egypt purchased 15 sheep at the sale of Ira Clute. On his way home with them, he lost one and on arriving home, the flock to his great surprise contained 27. Now how did that come about?

On Monday last, the eels in the raceway of the mill of B.G. Wales at Pike Pond were so plentiful as to completely shut off the water from the water wheel and the mill shut down that day.

Peter Weissman of Callicoon raised rutabagas, two of which weighed nineteen pounds, thus exceeding those left at the office by Dr. Brand by three pounds.

Frank Laufersweiler will remain in Jeffersonville to look after the soles of the people. He knows how.

130 Years Ago - 1893

The evaporator at North Branch is now in motion. Four ladies and about five men are employed. Last week one hundred bushels of apples were peeled in one day by two boys of North Branch.

A daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. John Miller of Hurd.

Young, Messiter & Co. of Liberty have engaged James Doughty, a young man of Jeffersonville, to fill the position vacated by James Theabold.

Large quantities of apples and potatoes are being loaded and shipped daily from Callicoon Depot. Eickhoff & Wenzel, John Krantz and M.M. Eddy of Williams, N.Y., are the main shippers.

In District No. 1 Bethel, 14 women voted for school commissioner, 12 voted for Twitchell and 2 for Weyant.

Uriah H. Messiter, Republican of Liberty, was elected Assemblyman over Stephen St. John Gardner, Dem. by 725.

George H. Smith was elected county judge over Melvin H. Couch, by 136 majority.

George O. Fraser, Rep., was elected County Clerk over William C. Brand, Dem., by 26 majority. John Z. Twitchell, Rep., was elected school commissioner over George U. Weyant, Dem., by 375 majority. Monroe H. Wright, Rep., was elected county clerk over William D. Scott, Dem., by 27 majority.

The total vote in District 2, Town of Callicoon, was 194, a very light vote of which 7 were Prohibitionists, 7 People Party and 3 Socialists. Eight-six women voted in District 2. Voters cast 123 ballots for Nancy Moore; 57 for Wright and 6 for Scott.

120 Years Ago - 1903

On February 16 last, the horse of McGinnis Lawrence gave him a terrible kick in the face from which, to the surprise of everyone, he recovered. Last Monday night his neck was broken by a fall from his wagon while he was returning from Callicoon Depot, where he had taken a load of apples. The accident occurred Monday night about 8 o’clock, near the four corners above the village reservoir where he was discovered by Melvin and Frank, sons of Joseph Hemmer, who were driving home from the village about 8:30 when they came upon the Lawrence team and lumber wagon standing across the road at a sluice. Lawrence was lying on his back under the left forewheel.

Complete returns from Sullivan County show the election of ten Democrats and five Republicans. The Town of Lumberland elected H. V. Arlington, Republican. This is the first time the Democrats have controlled the board in nine years.

Thomas Tremper of Youngs-ville, who was blown up by a dynamite explosion a couple of years ago, is under treatment by Dr. MacDonald for the recovery of his eyesight.

Mrs. E. Osterhout sold her store property at that place to Edward C. Neiger. This is the old Wales store built many years ago when Pike Pond was a settlement and the tannery was in bloom. It was in the Wales family until the late A. E. Osterhout, formerly of Hortonville, purchased it fifteen years ago.

Arthur J. Osterhout retires from the management of the store and takes over charge of the mill that his father bought with the store.

The gristmill property at Youngs-ville of the late Charles Himmelreich was sold Saturday by his mother, Mrs. Schwab, to Louis Manny for $6,000.

110 Years Ago - 1913

The jubilant citizens of Callicoon Center held a torchlight parade Wednesday night of last week to celebrate the election of their townsmen, Ross Baldwin, Rep., and William H. Knemm, Dem., the former for supervisor and the latter for highway superintendent. As stated in last week’s Record, Mr. Baldwin is the first Republican supervisor elected in his town in 42 years.

Otto Reinshagen of Bethel and Cora M. Welton of the town of Liberty were married by Rev. J.K. Stadelmann at the Presbyterian parsonage in Jeffersonville last night.

Frank J., the second son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Royce, died of intestinal tuberculosis at his home in this village at three o’clock Sunday morning, in  his 30th year.

Another one of the hearty old German settlers on the North Branch Road passed away last Thursday when John Knack died at his home near Hortonville, at the age of 86 years.

Henry I. Maus of New York, formerly a butcher at Callicoon, recently spent a week at Callicoon and returned to the city with a suitcase full of rabbits. When he got off the train in Jersey City, he was arrested for having seven rabbits in his possession before the Jersey season opened. He was fined $100. Maus consulted a lawyer who told him he had a perfect right to have the rabbits. Maus will fight the case. An officer making a game law arrest in Jersey receives one-half of the fine. It is not known just how much the justice gets out of it.

100 Years Ago - 1923

The Kenoza Lake Hotel at Kenoza Lake, owned by Jacob Silberberg, his wife, Rose, and Vasil Svirsk, was burned at midnight last night, together with all the contents, excepting a cigar case and cash register which were saved from the barroom. The fire started in the summer kitchen.

 Guernsey T. Cross of Callicoon was re-elected assemblyman over Richard Hall by 1332 plurality. He carried his home town, Delaware, by 625; Callicoon by 298; Cochecton by 190; Fremont by 279; Highland by 102; Lumberland by 159; Tusten by 168 and Neversink by 50.

The town of Fremont turned a trick by electing Jacob Brustman, Democrat, over Albert Holcomb, the Republican standby. His plurality was nothing to brag of – only 3.

Roy C. Johnson, Dem., was elected county clerk over George D. Pelton by 1213. Johnston carried his home town of Rockland by over 500, and Pelton’s home town, Thompson, by over 50.

The large new barn of C.D. Fortnam of Tyler Hill, Pa., was burned Sunday evening. Mr. and Mrs. Fortnam were away from home at the time.

This is the second time the Fortnams have burned in a year. Last winter, the barns were burned together with several pedigreed cattle. The barns burned last winter were rebuilt last summer. This makes four disastrous fires Mr. Fortnam has had on his premises in twelve years, one of them being the large farmhouse built by David Fortnam, grandfather of the present owner.

Town of Callicoon officers elected last week were as follows: Supervisor Edward Homer; Town Clerk Louis P. Faubel; Superintendent of Highways Edwin Weber; Justices, J.H. Glassel, Philip F. Mauer, John E. Abplanalp (vacancy); Collector Wm. P. Abplanalp; Assessors, Wm. A. Menges, A.A. Neuberger, Martin Sommer; Overseers of the Poor, Jacob Menges, Henry Weyrauch; Constables Frank Eagin, Albert Huth, Louis Bayer; School Director Andrew Von Bergen, all Democrats. 17 Socialist ballots were cast in the Jeffersonville election district.

90 Years Ago - 1933

J. Maxwell Knapp was elected Assemblyman over Ben R. Gerow, Democrat, by 779.

The Sullivan County Board of Supervisors remained Democratic by 11 to 4. 

Fred W. Schadt was elected Supervisor over his Republican opponent, Bernard Brockwehl, by 102. Mabel Stoddard was re-elected town clerk over Clinton Segar by 20. Segar carried his home district by 194 but lost the other two districts to Miss Stoddard by enough to elect his opponent. Fred J. Weiss was elected Collector over his brother-in-law, Charles Danzer. Albert Menges and Andrew Schoonmaker were elected  justices. George Raum was elected Supervisor in the Town of Delaware.

The bank at Hankins, closed since the bank holiday, will not reopen. Guilford Geber of Monticello has been appointed receiver to settle the affairs of the bank.

With Ohio, Pennsylvania and Utah voting in favor of the repeal of the 18th Amendment, the required 36 states have now voted in favor of the repeal and prohibition comes to an end. Only two states, North and South Carolina, so far have voted against repeal.

Owen W. Bohan was elected as Judge of General Session in New York City.

80 Years Ago - 1943

Joseph Willis, principal of the Livingston Manor School, has joined the Navy. He was sworn in as Lieutenant junior grade. On November 15, he must report at Princeton University for a 60-day indoctrination course of training.

Lieut. William G. VonBerg was last week promoted to the rank of captain. He was graduated from Jeffersonville High School in 1936 and from Syracuse University in 1940. He entered the Army in 1942. Before entering the Army, he was employed as an accountant by a Rochester firm. Bill stands 6 ft. 2 in., and makes a commanding appearance.

Joseph Beiling and family moved on Tuesday from their house in Delaware to the Shapiro house on Maple Avenue which Mr. Beiling bought and which the family will occupy until their house in Delaware has been remodeled inside.

Henry G. Paul, physical director at Livingston Manor, becomes acting principal during the absence of Joseph F. Willis, in the service. Mr. Paul is married to the former Edith Gain of Jeffersonville.

Justice Francis Bergan of the Supreme Court at Monticello last week paid a tribute to District Attorney William Deckelman, who is finishing up his criminal calendar before retiring from the office on December 31, after declining to again be a candidate after serving three terms in the office.

Armistice Day will be observed by the American Legion posts by a parade at Monticello at 2 p.m.

70 Years Ago - 1953

Mrs. Edwin Schultz died suddenly at her home in Callicoon on Monday, November 9. She had lived in Callicoon for fifty years, often driving the taxi for her husband. She is survived by her husband, a son, Floyd, a daughter, Mrs. Gertrude Wagner, and three grandsons.

Thomas C. Brown of Jeffersonville, RFD, and Mrs. Cora Ruppert were married Sunday. Mr. Brown is a justice of the peace in the town of Bethel.

When 33 graves in the Cat Hollow Cemetery near Downs-ville were being removed for the Pepacton Reser-voir, it was found that all seemed to have the same surname. It was discovered from records that these were all slaves of one wealthy landowner, most of them buried before 1800.

James Zieler, 89 years old, is believed to be the oldest voter to visit the polls in the Town of Rockland on election day. Mr. Zieler, who lives on Jackson Hill, walked to the polls in District 2, although somewhat crippled by rheumatism.

John and Miss Mary Weyrauch were Sunday dinner guests of Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Soule in Jeffersonville.

Mr. and Mrs. Harold Reinheimer were given a party by their neighbors and friends in honor of their 25th wedding anniversary. They were given an old-fashioned skimmelton.

The big game season in Sullivan County will open Sunday morning. The indications are that the woods are teeming with deer and that it will be a banner year if the weather is right.

The Record wishes to extend congratulations to the Republican Watchman for having completed 127 years of a happy active life. The Watchman seems as young and lively as ever and can be expected to be with us a good many more years.

The Record delights in the knowledge that it is the second child of Sullivan County’s newspapers, but there was quite an interval between the first two children. The third, however, followed the second closely and was named Register and was located in Liberty. The Record and the Register were by the same father, Capt. Wm. T. Morgans, Youngsville boy of exceptional talent. Morgans later became well known in the printing world for his invention of a new type press.

60 Years Ago - 1963

With a slim margin of 14 votes, the Democratic Supervisor of the Town of Callicoon, Oscar Will, was returned to office for a fourth term. His opponent, Edward Mall, received 596 votes to Mr. Will’s 610. The only other Democrat to win in the township was James Dirie, who defeated the Republican Town Clerk Elwood Baim, 628 to 556.

In the town of Delaware, John Eschenberg received 674 votes to elect him Republican supervisor for his third term. His opponent, Gerald F. Robisch, received 502 votes.

Dr. Edmund T. Rumble of Callicoon was elected president of the Sullivan County Medical Society at the annual meeting in Liberty Maimonides Hospital on October 23. He succeeds Dr. Jacob Rubin of Woodbourne.

District No. 2 President Anne Mages, accompanied by department Poppy Chairman Vera M. Bernhardt, attended a dinner honoring Evelyn P. Hitchcock, department president, in Rochester on Saturday, October 19. October 28 they took part in the birthday celebration of the Statue of Liberty. A large delegation attended the ceremonies and it is with great humility one can stand at the foot of this statue and say to himself, “Thank God I am an American.”

The winner of the Golden Bullet 22 Guessing Contest is Billy Diehl. The contest was held at Warren W. Mall’s in Jeffersonville.

John S. Egan, 19, son of Mr. and Mrs. John F. Egan of Route 52, Youngsville, is undergoing 9 weeks training at the Naval Training Center in Great Lakes, Ill.

On Friday evening, November 1, 450 4-H Club members, parents and leaders assembled for the annual 4-H Achievement Night program held at the Jeffersonville Central School Auditorium.

Diane Rosenthal of Bethel, Steven Hillriegel of Callicoon and Steven Kross of Ellenville were recipients of the New York Honor Award Trip to New York City held in December.

50 Years Ago - 1973

An open house will be held at the United Methodist Parsonage in Kenoza Lake on November 11 to honor Rev. Ralph and Isabel Holden Madill on their 40th wedding anniversary.

Kay D. Madison of Livingston Manor became the bride of Kenneth R. Zak of Plainview, L.I., on October 20. A reception was held at King’s Catering House.

Mike Rieger, 15 years of age and a collector of Indian artifacts since he was about 7, was guest speaker to the 7th grade in Liberty. The presentation was televised on Channel 6.

40 Years Ago - 1983

Two happy occasions were celebrated this week at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Marvin A. Newman of Monticello and White Plains with the engagements of their children, Jeff and Lisa. Jeff is engaged to Janine Porpora, daughter of Ben and the late Josephine Porpora of Monticello. An early 1985 wedding is planned. Lisa will become the bride of Jordan Alter, son of Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Alter of Belle Harbor, in June 1984.

Florence and Norman Bauer will celebrate their Golden Wedding Anniversary with an open house at the Delaware Community Center in Callicoon on Sunday, November 13.

Almost 300 people gathered in Greenfield Park Monday to pledge $1.24 million in Israel bonds, during a dinner at the Tamarack Lodge where Lazarus I. Levine was selected for a testimonial. The amount raised was the largest ever in the area campaign dinner spokesmen said.

A check in the amount of $50,000 was presented to the Sullivan County Firefighter’s Burn Fund board members, raised at a marathon last summer. An amount of $2,000 is still outstanding in pledges made.

Sharon Colwell, a floral designer with Hillside Greenhouses in Liberty, was named a finalist in recent contests held in Unionville and Albany. She will compete with other designers from the Northeast at Cherry Hill, N.J., and if successful will go on to compete for $1,000 and an all-expense trip to Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Another Hillside Greenhouses designer, Joseph  Topulski, also won awards at the competitions in Union-ville and Albany.

Timothy and Lisa Hoffmann of Callicoon became the parents of a girl, Julie Grace, at the Wayne Memorial Hospital. She was born October 28 and weighed 7 lbs. 6 oz. Mr. and Mrs. Vilho Makela of Hankins and Mr. and Mrs. Richard Hoffmann of Syracuse are the proud grandparents.

Tony Cellini was Grand Marshal at the recent Columbus Day Parade in Liberty.

Grace Scott, 108, believed to be the oldest Sullivan County resident, was feted at the Walnut Mountain Nursing Home in Liberty in honor of her natal day.

Matthew J. Freda, Callicoon real estate broker, has been named president of the Sullivan County Board of Realtors and was installed at a meeting held October 20 at Bernie’s Holiday Restaurant in Rock Hill.

A public hearing has been set for December 7 on a proposal to build 170 condominiums on the northwest shore of Lake Louise Marie near the Emerald Green housing development.

30 Years Ago - 1993

Government officials and residents of the Liberty area gathered Thursday afternoon to protest the planned closing of the F.W. Woolworth store in Liberty. About 50 people were in attendance.

Sullivan County Chief Assistant District Attorney Tina Minauskas spoke on the topic of prosecuting violent crimes against women at last week’s “Take Back the Night,” in a program sponsored by Safe Passage and RISE.

Nine of 15 incumbent supervisors were returned to office. Re-elected were Bethel Supervisor Allan Scott (D); Callicoon Supervisor Rodney Gaebel (R); Cochecton Supervisor Robert Grund (R); Forestburgh Supervisor Daniel Lamberti (D); Highland Supervisor Andrew Boyar (D); Lumberland Supervisor Thomas Hill (R); Neversink Supervisor Georgianna Lepke (R); Rockland Supervisor Elton Harris (D) and Tusten Supervisor Fred Tegeler (R). Newly elected supervisors are: Eric Nystrom (D), Town of Delaware; Frank Kaplan, (D) Town of Fallsburg; Herman Bolte (D) Town of Fremont; Jack Simons (D), Town of Liberty; Donald Trotti (D), Town of Mamakating; and Tony Cellini (D), Town of Thompson. Sullivan County Sheriff Joseph Wasser, County Treasurer Daniel Briggs, District Attorney Stephen Lungen and Coroner Dr. George Gould were all returned to office. 

Kathryn Bott of Forestburgh celebrated her 100th birthday Wednesday at the Monticello Housing Senior Community Center.

20 years ago - 2003

On Sunday, October 19, Brion Ebert took the day off to help his folks keep the family farm running up on Dyker Road in North Branch. But that day took a horrible turn when he was seriously injured after his shirt got caught in active farm machinery. As word of the extent of Ebert’s injuries spread thoughout the area, people rallied to host a benefit dinner at the North Branch Firehouse on Nov. 22.

Thelma Inez Whitmore Herbert, a lifelong resident of Fremont Center and a longtime historian of the Town of Fremont, died Sunday, November 9, 2003 at the Roscoe Nursing Home. She was 87. She was the daughter of Richard and Mary Hazen Whitmore, and the widow of Francis H. Herbert who died in 1962.

The pipe organ at the Grahamsville Reformed Church is celebrating its 130th birthday, and is in need of restoration. According to church history, the pipe organ was built in the early 1870s by Hall and Lebach and installed at the Clinton Avenue Reformed Church of Newark, N.J. The organ made its way to Grahamsville in 1904. For a church that has existed since the early 1840s, the pipe organ is one of the most significant pieces of church history. A restoration committee has been formed to oversee the project which is estimated to cost about $65,000.

About 27 pounds of chlorine gas was accidentally released due to a valve breaking at a Town of Tusten Water and Sewer wellhouse on Thursday. Town employees quickly called 911 and Narrowsburg Fire Dept., Lava Fire Dept., New York State Police, Tusten Ambulance Corps, the NYS DEC and Sullivan County Fire Bureau responded immediately. Evacuation of the local area was made. The all-clear signal was given roughly three hours later.

10 Years Ago - 2013

Former Cochecton resident Dennis Baker is glad to bring forth his labor of love, “Restless Hearts,” a fictional homage to veterans. It was released last Wednesday and is available on Amazon and through publisher Abbott Press. Baker retired as a commander in the US Navy, in which he served 28 years. The inspiration for the novel has several sources for the graduate of Delaware Valley CS in Callicoon, but one of the most important no doubt was the memory of Army Specialist 4th Class Allan Arlyn Milk of Long Eddy, for whom the local VFW Post 7276 is named. The first soldier from Sullivan County to die in Vietnam, Milk left a vivid impression on Baker, who recalls the upper classman in the DVCS hallways.

Monticello High held its first-ever Hall of Distinction induction ceremony last Sunday. Inductees included 1984 alum Harrison “Slam” Allen, a Blues singer and guitarist; Robert H. Benmosche, a 1962 Monticello graduate and the current President and CEO of insurance giant AIG; the Class of 1987’s Stephanie Blythe, and the late former Chief Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals, the Honorable Justice Lawrence H. Cooke. The rest of the inductees were: Milton K. Berlye: Faculty, 1940–1972; David Kaufman: Class of 1947; Sonia Pressman Fuentes: Class of 1946; Jeff McBride: Class of 1977; Ida Mae Mitchell: Board of Education Member, 1969–1977; and Roland Paramore: Class of 1984.