150 Years Ago -  1873

DeWitt Knapp, proprietor of the Cochecton House at Cochecton, advertised boarding by the day or week. Conveyances furnished.

August Grouten was proprietor of the Pike Pond Hotel and advertised Old Kentucky Bourbon and Rye Whiskies, which will be sold cheap for cash at wholesale or retail. Henry Krenrich claims the empty space in our advertising columns.

Ed Ackerman, our champion baseball player, was in town last week. Ed, regretting that he cannot bring Black Lake along with him, does the next best thing – always brings along a nice mess of fish.

Isaac Jelliff, school commissioner, second commissioner district of Sullivan County, will be at his rooms at the Liberty House on the first and third Saturdays of each month.

140 Years Ago - 1883

Peter Weissmann of Callicoon last week found an Indian tomahawk on his farm, a mile north of this village. The edge was protruding from the soil in a field that had never been plowed.

Young and Benedict took a large drove of cattle to Orange County last week.

Be sure to attend the free singing lesson at the school house Friday.

We learn that the school house at Lake Huntington was set on fire one day last week and completely burned to ashes.

We have learned that John Goebel, the upper leather tanner living between here and Youngsville, died last Monday.

Dr. Brandt brought to this office two rutabaga turnips of the Swedish variety, which weighed 16 pounds. Who can turn up that?

By a wreck on the Erie Railroad last Friday, train one did not get to Callicoon Depot until after five o’clock and Jeffersonville received no mail from New York that day.

The installation service in the Presbyterian church in this village is to be conducted by Rev. Philip Schwartz of Bloomfield, N.J., assisted by Rev. M. Tschudi and Rev. J.M. Husted.

A letter was received here on the 27 inst. from Bird View, Washington Territory, which came through in 12 days.

130 Years Ago - 1893

Seth Meddaugh of Loch Sheldrake was struck by an engine at this place Thursday and instantly killed. Mr. Meddaugh had driven to Hurleyville and at the time of the incident was sitting on the rear of the unloaded wagon. Mr. Meddaugh drove on the crossing just as the northbound train came gliding noiselessly down the grade. The horses had crossed the track but the engine hit the wagon abeam.

The Democracy of the 17th Senatorial District, comprising the counties of Ulster, Schoharie, Sullivan and Greene, have placed in nomination the Hon. Jacob Rice of Kingston as their candidate for senator.

John Ross has a new miller in charge of his grist mill. His name is Russell and he comes from Vermont.

William Lawrence is packing 2,000 bushels of apples in the neighborhood of Jeffersonville for shipment to market. He has a number of men at work.

A large gathering of people assembled at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Nial VanBenschoten at Loch Sheldrake October 25 to witness the marriage of their oldest daughter, Anna, to George W. LaBagh Jr.

The social event of the past week was the marriage in the M.E. Church of Miss Emma Poellman and Harry H. DeMyer.

Kenoza Lake is to have a new store in the near future. It is understood that Wirt Moulthrop is going to embark in the general merchandise business. The foundation is now being prepared for the building which will be situated on the corner lot between the stone bridge and the lake and across the road from Alley’s Hotel.

120 Years Ago - 1903

Andrew Kohler of Kenoza Lake and Miss Lena Eggler of Swiss Hill were married at Bridgeville last Sunday.

Charles B. Starck and Mrs. Emily Halladay, formerly of Callicoon Depot, were quietly married in Jersey City, October 24.

Alexander C. Cairns and Miss Agnes M. Hardie were married October 28 at the home of the bride’s mother, Mrs. Charles Hardie, at Roscoe, by Rev. Hones.

Charles Himmelreich, the Youngsville miller, died suddenly Friday.

Paul Messemer of Fosterdale died October 25 at the age of 92 years.

There is enough gravel of all sizes washed nice and clean, along the Callicoon stream to macadam in fine shape many miles of our main highways. Why not make use of it?

No pleasanter weather could be imagined for an election day than that of Tuesday, and yet in this district there were perhaps more stay-at-homes than ever before. Out of 306 voters registered here, only 232 votes were polled.

Homer R. Howland, a blacksmith in the employ of C.F. Crawford of Liberty for some time, has taken the blacksmith business of Chris F. Leinhaas in the village of Jeffersonville.

The transfer of gates, signs, benches and other articles constituted the Hallowe’en disturbances in Jeffersonville Saturday night. Some of our citizens were laying for the disturbers with guns.

110 Years Ago - 1913

Sullivan County is again Democratic but by reduced majorities, due to the evil influences of Tammany, which has affected the Democratic vote throughout the state. Judge George H. Smith, Dem., is elected to the Assembly by about 300 majority. George L. Coke is re-elected district attorney.

The school bell has been silent since Hallowe’en for the goblins have carried off the clapper.

Miss Nettie A. Ward, aged 49, a former resident and school teacher of Jeffersonville, died at her home in Kingston yesterday.

Wm. V. Hofer, Fred W. Schadt, John Fuhrer, Earl Arlington and Otto Meyer returned Tuesday from a three days’ deer hunt at Glen Spey. They captured four bucks.

Louis J. Layman of Beechwoods and Miss Minnie Conrad, formerly of Brooklyn, were married at the Callicoon parsonage Thursday, October 30 at 2:30 by Rev. George W. Bryant. They were attended by Miss Marion Stewart of North Branch and the groom’s cousin, William Mall.

George Puerschner and W.J. Luckey Jr., who were visiting their parents at Kenoza Lake, have returned to the city.

After a lingering illness, Ferdinand Vogel, aged about 38, died Sunday at the home of his mother, Mrs. George Baim in Jeffersonville.

Eunice Lyon, widow of James Waddell, died suddenly of heart failure at her home at Hurd on October 5, aged nearly 84.

Ross Baldwin, Republican, was elected supervisor of the Town of Callicoon.

100 Years Ago - 1923

George Barche, one of the trio held for the murder of Officer Edward C. Dollard of Monticello recently, and Morris Raner, claimed to be the head of a nation-wide ring of auto thieves, broke out of the county jail at Monticello early Sunday morning, and state police, detectives of New York City and authorities in three states are watching every highway and hangout for them. Raner and Barche made good their escape some time between midnight Saturday and 7 o’clock Sunday morning by sawing and filing away the bars of their two cells and two other gratings. It is believed that Raner, who some time ago instigated an attempted jail delivery in which Deputy Sheriff Robert McNickle, 65, was badly beaten, engineered the escape. His wife, who visited him on Friday, is suspected of having brought hacksaw blades into the jail in her clothing.

Bennett Bros. of Callicoon announce that they sold their branch drug store in Jeffersonville to BA. Haykis, a graduate pharmacist of the City College of New York, who is given immediate possession. The store has been closed for the last few weeks.

Clinton Heinle, son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. F. Heinle of Cochecton Center, and Miss Pearl Krantz, daughter of Edward H. Krantz of Kenoza Lake, were married at the Kenoza Lake parsonage October 27.

The wedding of John Menges of Youngsville and Miss Jean Leonard of New York was solemnized at the St. Francis Church in Youngsville yesterday.

90 Years Ago - 1933

On October 31, Edwin Weber sold the stock and fixtures of “The Shoppe” confectionary store in Jeffersonville, to Wilfred and Minnie Carpenter of Monticello. In addition to conducting the business here, Mr. Carpenter will also do surveying.

The Jeffersonville Garage at the corner of South Main Street and North Branch Road has been closed. George W. Holske of Brooklyn, the owner, is here closing up the affairs. His mechanic, James Holmes, has taken part of the Markowsky Garage for a machine shop and Jim will hold forth there, operating a garage and gas station, with Eddie Wagner assisting.

Dr. Carl Maisel and Eric Schopfer are hunting for bear down in the southern part of the county.

A son, Joseph Francis, was born October 23 to Mr. and Mrs. Frank Steinhauer of Callicoon Center.

The sudden death, without medical attendance, of Gertrude Elizabeth Williams, age 23, wife of William Williams of Callicoon Center, October 23, caused Coroner J.C. Gain to order an autopsy which was performed by Dr. Ralph S. Breakey of Monticello. The doctors determined that death was caused by coronary embolus.

Herbert Gute, Brooklyn artist, well known here, sailed the other day for Syria as a member of the archeological expedition to be gone for a year and a half. He will be the art advisor of the expedition.

Rev. Wilfred VanIderstine, aged 59, pastor of the M.E. Church at Callicoon for over three years, died early Tuesday morning.

The formal dedication of the Hancock Central School took place Friday evening.

A pedestrian is safest when driving.

80 Years Ago - 1943

The election on Tuesday was pretty much all Republican.

The ability of the driver, not the ability of the car, should be the determining factor on how fast one drives.

William Kohler, on account of ill health, has sold his interest in the lumber yard known as William Kohler & Sons, to his son, Percy Kohler, who has been a member of the firm for a number of years.

Irving Robisch has brought his wife and two sons to the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles I. Robisch, in the Beechwoods, where they will remain for the present. Irving, on October 28, entered the U.S. Navy as a lieutenant senior grade.

Miss Barbara Knise, who lived for many years here with her aunt, the late Mrs. L.B. Goodman, has joined the WACs.

John Theadore of North Branch was last week promoted to first lieutenant at Camp Hood, Tex.

Contractor Joe Beiling’s carpenters are at work on alterations in the Maple Theater, which is closed for a couple of months. The new entrance will be on the corner of the building.

Hearty congratulation to Mr. and Mrs. William G. Baumgardt of Ledgewood, N.J., who celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary this week.

On Sunday, October 31, at 10 a.m., Father Bernard Spiegelberg, oldest active pastor of St. George’s, celebrated a solemn mass of thanksgiving on the occasion of the church’s one hundredth anniversary. After mass the clergy were served a splendid dinner at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Charles S. Hick.

70 Years Ago - 1953

Nine hundred were served at the Youngsville Firemen’s Supper and Dance at the Youngsville Inn Saturday night.

The Boy Scout dinner at Grossinger’s last week was one of the best ever held for the Orange-Sullivan Council Camping Fund. Rocky Marciano, heavyweight boxing champion, was guest of the dinner.

Harold Smith of Jeff saw an odd looking deer near Rio. The head of the deer was normal but from the neck back the body was the color of a strawberry roan horse. Harold is president of the Bear Swamp Hunting Club of Youngsville.

Miss Katherine H. Scheidell went to the VA Hospital in Albany Friday for a check up. Miss Scheidell is a World War I nurse.

Eugene Hahn is enlarging his poultry house on his Jeffersonville property. His father-in-law, Lawrence Milk, and Leslie Milk are helping.

Louis Weisman of the U.S. Navy was home on leave over the weekend. He is stationed at Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Va.

The county clerk’s office has been forced to order a third bundle of archery blanks which  proves the popularity of the sport in the county,Arthur Meyers, county clerk, said. The licenses are for big game hunting.

Mrs. Barbara Robisch, Hortonville, celebrated her 81st birthday on the evening of October 26th. There was an informal gathering of relatives and friends to help her celebrate.

A daughter, Jane Ellen, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Kelly of Bethel at the Liberty-Loomis Hospital on Monday, October 25th. 

The American Legion Junior Baseball Team gathered with their parents and a few friends at the firehouse Tuesday night to enjoy a spaghetti dinner prepared by Ferdinand Caldiero with several able assistants.

The Jeffersonville Junior Baseball team was one of a league organized in Sullivan County last season by the American Legion, under the supervision of Peter Saulina of Jeffersonville, who is county chairman of the league.

60 Years Ago - 1963

Youngsville Fire Department served 900 roast beef dinners at the Youngsville Inn for their annual supper.

Mary Gempler and Lillian Krauss of the local faculty attended a dinner of the Alpha Delta Kappa, an international teacher’s sorority, held at the Antrim Lodge in Roscoe Monday evening, October 14.

Hazel Smith and husband, Earl, of Binghamton, joined the Knack family on Sunday and all attended the dedication of the new organ at Fremont Center Methodist Church.

At the Jeff Bowling Alleys Friday night, October 25, Edwin Neuman, bowling in the league, made the big 4-pin-split, that is pins 4-7-6-10.

Mr. and Mrs. Donald Mosher Smith of Watkins Glen, announce the engagement of their daughter, Susan Henderson, to Edward Donald Miller, son of Dr. and Mrs. M. Edward Miller of Jeffersonville. Her fiance is completing his final year at N.Y. Medical College, Flower-Fifth Avenue Hospital. A June wedding is planned.

Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Louis Layman who celebrated their 50th anniversary on October 30. We wish them many more years together.

50 Years Ago - 1973

The Greater Catskill Antique Bottle Club held an exposition and sale last Sunday at the Jeffersonville Firehouse that drew a host of history buffs and collectors. The club is five years old and uses the profit from such sales to improve and increase the club’s library on antique bottles.

There was considerable embarrassment last April 18 when the Town of Callicoon Highway Department reported that its $38,000 pay loader had been stolen – and now that it’s been found there is almost as much discomfiture, since it was discovered Saturday less than a mile from its last known and legal location.

At the Liberty-Loomis Hospital, it was a boy, October 20, to Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Osterhaudt of Grahamsville, named Douglas Clifford Roy; a baby boy, Joseph Cameron, to Mr. and Mrs. David Brewer of Liberty; a girl, Christine Ann, to Mr. and Mrs. Drew Fischer of Swan Lake; and on October 24, a baby girl, Melanie Lyn, to Mr. and Mrs. Gerow Mangan of Liberty.

The engagement of Susie Theyson and Bruce Reichman, both of Callicoon, was recently announced.

40 Years Ago - 1983

The Sullivan County Shrine Club hosted a state parade in Monticello Saturday which had about 250 in the lineup including clowns, bands and motorcyclists. Louis Carlsen is the county club president. A brunch followed the parade at the Chateau Restaurant.

Richard Van Etten, founder and longtime president of Van Etten Oil Company, Inc., died unexpectedly Monday, October 24, 1983, at the Community General Hospital in Harris. He was 88 years of age. With an original bulk tank capacity of 15,000 gallons, the company grew through the years to include 270,000 gallons of capacity at four bulk tank locations, and also added a line of convenience stores at three Sullivan County locations.

St. George’s Roman Catholic Church in Jeffersonville celebrated the 140th anniversary of its founding with a Mass of Thanksgiving on October 30. The first Catholic Mass in Sullivan County was said in 1843 in the house of Joseph Seibert, located about 1 1/4 miles north of Jeffersonville. To accommodate the large crowds that came, Francis Breiner erected a large hall 30 x 42, the foundation of which can still be seen, thus becoming the first Catholic Church in Sullivan County. St. George’s was organized by Father John Raufeisen with 30 members.

Lyman and Kathryn Wood of Liberty celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a party at the Elks Club, hosted by their three sons and families, the Gary Woods of Revonah Hill, the junior Lyman Woods of Wood Avenue and the Thomas Wood family of Mexico Beach, Fla., and Atlanta, Ga.

Gina Bartolotta was chosen as Queen of the Homecoming Day festivities at the Delaware Valley Central School. Members of her court include Laura Kinney, Chris Pietrucha and Doreen Laffey.

Jane Fraser has been appointed postmaster at the Hankins Post Office, to succeed Madeline Forsblom.

Loreen Finnerty of Deposit and Brian Gebelein were married on September 24 at the First Presbyterian Church in Deposit. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. George Gebelein of Mileses.

30 Years Ago - 1993

The historic four-faced clock in the spire of the Liberty Presbyterian Church is under scaffolding cover right now as work proceeds to restore the chiming timepiece to its former glory as a beacon for Village of Liberty residents and visitors.

Nearly 35 youngsters transformed pumpkins into an assortment of ghosts, goblins, witches and other scary things at the “World’s Most Original Pumpkin Carving Contest” at the Jeffersonville Public Library Sunday afternoon. Ten prizes were awarded as follows: Most original, Cindy Pollos; Scariest, 1st, Jackie Parkinson; 2nd, John Tegeler; 3rd, Brandon Unser; Funniest, 1st, Angela Fortin, 2nd, Jamie Hughson, 3rd, Diana Yarzagary; Prettiest, 1st, Lauren Hughson, 2nd, Ariana Sanabria and 3rd, Katie Cappielo.

Harriet Gottlieb, Kristine Walsh, Martin Gottlieb and Laura Gottlieb were among those who just returned from Israel where they participated in the 50th anniversary of the founding of the B’nai B’rith Women’s Children’s Home and the 45th anniversary of the nation of Israel.

The children at the Light and Life Nursery School in Liberty held a Noah’s Ark party for which they all came dressed as their favorite animals.

Nina Pando-Glassel and Mike Verderber were married at the Delaware Community Center last Saturday, followed by a reception at the location. . . Janice Long, daughter of Stephen and Barbara Long of Callicoon, became the bride of Scott Eisenhardt of Middletown in an August 7 ceremony performed at the Callicoon United Methodist Church. A reception was held at The Inn at Woodloch Pines. . . Christine Karadontes, daughter of Thomas and Michele Karadontes, and Todd Williams, son of Eric and Patricia Williams, all of Jeffersonville, were married August 14 at St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church. A reception was held at the Club at Villa Roma.

Sid Bernstein, the man who introduced the Beatles to America 30 years ago, unveiled his plan for the “Bethel ‘94” concert commemorating the Woodstock Festival of 1969. He estimated that 100,000 would attend.

Halloween night got a little spookier across Sullivan County as Mother Nature put on her white costume and dressed up like “Old Man Winter.”

20 years ago - 2003

It looks like this time the saviors are looking for a helping hand. The Salvation Army serves more than 2,000 Sullivan County residents a year. They hand out funds for prescription drugs and procure help for those who can’t heat their homes in the winter. But requests for help are already pouring into the Monticello office at an extraordinary rate, and agency officials are scrambling to find money to meet the need. The agency is looking for volunteers to help fundraise locally.

Dozens of students, parents and teachers had a blast Thursday night inside the Monticello Middle School during the 6th grade FDR Team’s “Team night Halloween” festival. 

The Sullivan County Democrat recently handed out awards for its annual Halloween Coloring Contest. Out of 475 entries received from kids across the area, three grand prize winners were chosen for their talents in three different age categories, and honorable mentions were handed out to some children who excelled at their coloring. The winners were all invited to the Democrat’s Callicoon office to show off their pictures and pick up their prizes, posing for a photo with their works.

Cate Cavanagh of Livingston Manor has written a new book called “Gifts of the Spirit” about spiritual power and non-traditional belief systems. 

A daughter, Cassandra Reese, was born October 30, 2003 to Patricia Ann and Vernon Chaffin McKinney Jr. of Secaucus, N.J. The proud grandparents are Maurice “Reese” and Marion Roche of Callicoon and Shirley McKinney.

10 Years Ago - 2013

Dozens of members of the Liberty High School Class of 1958 turned up at the Liberty Elks Lodge one recent Saturday night to reminisce. One room was dedicated to the mementos and artifacts of their past. Many were provided by the “unofficial class historian” Sam Miller, who has been mining memories from his classmates to create an anthology of stories, experiences and anecdotes. Sam and his siblings – Arnie, Stanley, Linda and Helen – were instilled with a strong work ethic by their parents, Benjamin and Esther. Sam Miller has already published a book about his brother Arnie, “Arnie’s Life – The Story of a Mensch” which gives an insight on what it was like growing up working class and Jewish in postwar Liberty. 

At the request of the Delaware Youth Center’s Craig Stewart, a group of Delaware Valley Job Corps students, under the guidance of Facility Maintenance Instructor Tom Baudendistel, took on the job of powerwashing and applying 20 gallons of paint to the youth center’s Hermann Hall and its adjoining porticos. Special thanks to Job Corps Career Technical Training Manager Mike Rojas, who rearranged student schedules to make this project possible and to Callicoon Supply for expeditiously making available all the paint and tools needed to get the job done.