140 Years Ago - 1884

B.P. Davis, formerly of Jeffersonville and now of Canesto where he is employed by Baker and Vandelinder, manufacturers of farm and spring wagons, came to the village last week with a car load of 17 farm wagons which he has disposed of in this vicinity in one week.

Callicoon: Fred Staib has gone to Buffalo to accept a position in a wallpaper manufacturing concern. Fred has a good prospect before him.

Buck Brook: Phillip Smith, Henry and George Mesler, all of this place, left for Oil City, Pa., on Wednesday.

DeBruce and the vicinity: Stewart Hammond has the best male calf in this section of the country and Calvin Cobb has the poorest. They talk of taking them to the Fair at Livingston Manor this fall.

The erection of the new bridge in Jeffersonville is being rapidly pushed along. The timbers, six pieces, two of which are 68 and four 3/4 feet in length, are lying close by the old red bridge, and the sounds of the implements of engineer Hofer can be heard from early morning until late in the evening. The work is under good headway, and the genial manager of the construction, will build a better looking and firmer bridge than any that ever rested on the Island Foundation.

130 Years Ago - 1894

The largest crowd ever in Liberty was on coaching day, Thursday of last week. The sidewalks on Main Street were crowded with people as was Broadway in New York at the Columbian celebration, and on each side of the street was a line of vehicles so thick that barely enough space was left in the middle of the procession for the gorgeously decorated coaches to pass through.

A very pleasant time was had last Tuesday at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. A.K. Osterhout of Kenoza Lake, where a jolly party was assembled to celebrate the first anniversary of the marriage of their daughter, Mrs. F.W. Binzen of New York.

Monticello expects to put in an electric light system.

Obernburg beer is a mighty powerful article, and several kegs of it came near getting away from the delivery man while en route to this place Monday. In coming up the steep hill by Young’s, the beer proved too much for the horses, which, with wagon, beer and all, started back down the hill, finally piling up in a heap in the ditch. The driver, after putting the horses and wagon on their feet, took a fall out of each of the kegs and proceeded triumphantly on his way. No damage.

Sullivan County would forge ahead at a wonderful rate if Monticello, White Lake, Jeffersonville and Neversink were connected with the O&W by electric railroads. It is surprising what heavy grades these cars can be run on, and the usual sized car, such as in use in Middletown, could with ease haul a big load of freight. They could stop in front of any farmhouse for passengers or freight. There is enough water power going to waste to operate a complete network of these roads all over Sullivan County. — Rusticus.

120 Years Ago - 1904

The large boarding house of Eugene Cross at Neversink caught fire from the flue, and was burned with the contents on August 29. There was but a small amount of insurance on the building and contents. Last spring, Mr. Cross’ store was burned.

John N. Kohler won the silk biscuit quilt recently raffled at Lake Huntington for the church there. John is great on winning quilts. He gets about everyone he takes a chance on.

Thomas F. McDonough, connected with the Scranton post office, is spending a few days in this vicinity. Mr. McDonough was reared in this section, his father having been a tanner here at Kenoza Lake and Youngsville. They left here forty years ago.

Kenoza Lake: A.J. Osterhout has a new mill dam built. Contractor George Schmidt and carpenters did the work.

North Branch: Mrs. E. Allspach of Long Island City has removed to North Branch where she will make her future home with her father, Charles Knise. Mrs. Allspach leaves many friends in Long Island City who regret losing her companionship and neighborly affections.

Callicoon: A birthday surprise was given to Fred Gehrung at John Bohl’s last Thursday night. The surprise began with a serenade by the Callicoon band. Progressive pinochle followed with intermissions for liquid refreshments. The prizes were won by Mrs. Meschendorf, Miss Kate Wolf, John T. and Val Hessinger; the boobies by Mrs. E. Knise and Fran Sauer. An elaborate supper was served which was followed by singing and dancing. The house was nicely decorated.

110 Years Ago - 1914

On Tuesday morning, August 25, a party consisting of Lilly Radloff, Carrier C. Huff, Edward C . Miller, Philip H. Miller, John P. Huff, John H. Huff and Leonard A. Huff, started at 3 o’clock for Toronto Lake, near Bethel, to try their luck at fishing. The result was forty-five pickerel, six bullheads and seven perch. It was a very enjoyable trip.

The city guests are returning to their homes in great numbers daily, and next week will find few of them with us. The season, from the viewpoint of the boarding housekeepers has been a successful one. Though the season was somewhat shorter than last year, there were probably more city people here this year than last; which is but natural, as the vacation habit, now deemed a physical necessity, is bound to increase, however hard the times.

Drs. Gain and LaValley, the local physicians, are kept extra busy just now vaccinating school children to comply with the school health regulations.

Louis Winand of New York, formerly of Beechwoods, has taken possession of the Fuhrer meat market which he bought. Mr. Winand will have the assistance of his wife in the business besides L.B. Goldman, who was with Mr. Fuhrer.

Upper Beechwoods: On Wednesday, August 26, Mary Etta, the young daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Fischer, celebrated her sixth birthday by entertaining a number of her young friends at her home. Mrs. Fischer served refreshments to the young folks at 4:30 o’clock.

Youngsville: The Himmelreich property, which was sold here recently to Mr. Wm. Menges, was bought from Herman Wahn of New York. Mr. Wahn is the manager of moving picture houses, and whether he acquired the property here for movies or for a summer home is not known.

100 Years Ago - 1924

The Jeffersonville school opened Tuesday and the registration of students will be as large or larger than last year. It looks as if more seating room will soon have to be provided. The out of town teachers are Miss Katherine Prickett of Valley Falls and Miss Edna M. Colby of Hookset, N.H., who are boarding at the Goodan cottage, and Miss Alice O’Brien of Fort Chester and Mrs. Lena Buddenhagen of Callicoon, who are at the Schaefer house. The other members of the faculty are Principal E.V. McDermott, Miss Mary Wilfert, Miss Eleanor Glassel, Miss Mary Brown, and Mrs. Ada VanKeuren, all of whom reside here.

The Newburgh Vikings came to Jeff Sunday afternoon and like the pirates of old tried to get away with something that didn’t belong to them. But fortunately the home crew were aroused from their slumbers after four runs had been pilfered in the second inning, and by successful counterattacks, finally beat off Captain Billy Caufield’s Buccaneers in the tenth inning 6 to 5.

Mrs. Florence Sonenburg returned to New York yesterday after spending a few weeks with the Liebs.

One of Ed A. Brand’s pet dogs was taken from Keilsch’s dance hall Thursday night by a stranger and Ed is offering a reward for information leading to its recovery.

Miss Dorothy Scheidell and Edith Gain will leave next week to attend Bernard College in New York City.

Miss Florence Veydovec of Bayonne, N.J., who spent the summer here with her sister, Mrs. Fred Seibert, will remain here for the winter and attend high school.

90 Years Ago - 1934

The village trustees are calling a special election for September 30 to vote on the proposition to expend from nine to ten thousand dollars on a new reservoir on the former Seibert land farther up the valley on the Likel land. Mayor Huff thinks there is a good opportunity to meet the urgent need of the village for a better water supply. It is expected that the money for the project can be obtained from the federal government.

Miss Edith Helen Curtis, daughter of Charles G. Curtis of Callicoon, is on a trip to England and the British Isles, with friends from New Jersey. This is the second European trip for Miss Curtis, the first one covering other countries in Europe.

North Branch: Mr. and Mrs. Harry Gorr were given a skimmelton at the Sinclair Hotel on Saturday night.

The fifteenth annual reunion of the Currey family was held Saturday at the Grahamsville fairgrounds. The Curreys are descendants of Stephen and Anna Vail Currey, who moved to Grahamsville from Westchester County in 1795.

Col. Ed Lawrence, retired butcher, has again taken up the cleaver and is chopping meat in Oscar Will’s market.

There was quite a frost here about last night, followed by heavy fog that morning. Feels like there are icebergs coming up in Callicoon Creek.

Miss Annie Beiling returned last night from a ten day vacation in the city.

 Dr. Fred Foerster has returned from his vacation and will resume regular service in the Lutheran Church next Sunday morning.

80 Years Ago - 1944

A welcome and housewarming party was given last Saturday night for Mr. and Mrs. William Kluckas of Belrose, L.I., who bought the Harvey Martin property on Terrace Avenue and have taken up their permanent home there. About twenty attended the party at the invitation of the Henry Kleins, friends of the newcomers and a few friends from the city and Walden dropped in for the happy evening. Mr. Kluckas is a retired New York City policeman. There are three children who will attend school here. 

White Sulphur Springs: About twenty-four attended the reception and shower given the Rev. William Robbins and bride in the church hall here. Previous to the shower an impromptu serenade was given the newlyweds by the young ladies of the church on various kitchen utensils, led by Edward Everett. The decorations were pink and white. The gifts had blankets, linens, Pyrex, china and money. After the gifts were opened a covered dish luncheon was served by the ladies. After this there was community singing led by J.B. Lindsley. Mr. and Mrs. George Grunland of the city, parents of the bride, were present for the reception.

Fred H. Starck has sold the 8 track bowling alleys he built just across the viaduct at Callicoon three years ago to Mr. and Mrs. Henry Gerken, who came from the city a couple of years ago and bought a small farm in Pennsylvania, near Callicoon. Possession will be given in September.

Roy Mall has gone in for raising pole beans on a long scale. He brought one to the Record Office this week which measured 23 inches long. When cooked you take one end in your mouth and chew until you get to the other end – that is one meal.

Louis Bulss, 82, of Ithaca, called his relatives in town this past week during a sojourn at the home of his sister, Mrs. George Bernhardt, near Kenoza Lake. When a young man, Louis, who was born in Brooklyn and then lived in Lake Huntington, came here and spent three years with his uncle, the late William F. Grishaber, learning the tinsmith trade. Since leaving here, he has been in different parts, working 27 years as a metal worker for the Lehigh Railroad at Sayre, Pa., and then nine years in  West Virginia, retiring to Ithaca. Louis is still looking well and credits his long and never ill life to the fact that he always carried a wad of tobacco in his mouth, which killed any germ that might attack him.

70 Years Ago - 1954

A miscellaneous shower was given by Thelma Luboff and Jean Schuebel for Donna Graham in St. Francis Church, Youngsville. Miss Graham will marry Sonny Bose in the fall.

James M. Klingman received his Bachelor of Science degree from Rider College, Trenton, N.J. He is a grandson of the late Mary and Karl Klingman of Youngsville.

Sam Yasgur, 12, of Bethel, has been named to represent Sullivan County in the New York State Holstein 4-H Club project achievement for boys. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Max Yasgur.

Jeffersonville’s parochial school on Briscoe Road will open on September 7 and will conform as close as possible with the Jeffersonville Central school calendar. The school has been named Our Lady of the Angels. Two of the four sisters of St. Francis from Alleghany have arrived. They are Mother Cecelia Marie, OSF, and Sister Mary Joanita, OSP.

The Marcus Hemmer property in North Branch has been sold to Helen Cooper of Baltimore, Md., according to Alfred E. Adler, real estate broker of Jeff.

Six new teachers have been added to the teacher staff at Jeff Central School. They are Miss Mary May, Stephen A. Zary, Miss Ann Morton, Vincent Perilli, Michael O’Donnell, Wallace Baines and Francis Bagnardi. At Youngsville, Robert Cramer will teach commercial subjects and Clements S. Burke will teach social studies and Spanish.

Practically all of Jeffersonville turned out for the fifth annual dinner of the Jeffersonville Synagogue which was held at the Commodore in Swan Lake, with 219 in attendance — the largest crowd ever.

60 Years Ago - 1964

On Friday and Saturday, August 21 and 22, the Sullivan County Youth Fair was held in conjunction with the Grahamsville Fair. The Jackson Perkins award of a gold loving cup was presented to Cheryl Luckey of Kenoza Lake for her prize rose entry.

Miss Eileen Joyce Gloor, daughter of Mrs. Mabel E. Gloor of North Branch, and Warren Albert Brey, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Brey of Kenoza Lake, were united in marriage on Sunday, August 23, at the Kenoza Lake Methodist Church.

Miss Barbara Segar, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Allen Segar, became the bride of Francis Kerrey, son of Mrs. Louis Kerrey of Binghamton, on Saturday in Binghamton.

Master Sgt. William Forsbach of Jeffersonville has been ordered to a fifteen day tour of active duty with the 99th Bomb Wing of the Strategic Air Command at Westover Air Base. He is an Air Force supervisor and instructor in the 9112th Air Force Reserve Squadron at Albany Airport and in civilian life, a correction officer at Woodbourne prison.

After 63 years in the printing and publishing business, Harrison Krum, editor and publisher of the Liberty Adviser and the Sullivan County Press, announces his retirement.

50 Years Ago - 1974

Heinle’s won the tug-of-war at the Hortonville Firemen’s Field Day last Sunday. The 10-man team tipped the scale at 2,725 pounds.

The primary campaign of Justice Lawrence H. Cooke of Monticello, who is seeking the Democratic candidacy for Associate Judge of the Court of Appeals, has received considerable impetus in recent weeks – first, because of reforms he has proposed in the conduct of rape cases, and secondly through the coveted and highly valued endorsements of former Mayor of New York Robert F. Wagner and former Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals Charles S. Desmond of Buffalo.

The Wayne County Association for Retarded Citizens has donated $3,000 raised from the Bike-Hike to the Human Resource Council for Sheltered Workshop project.

Diane Them, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Them of Callicoon, became the bride of Keith Houghtaling, son of Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Houghtaling, Long Eddy, at a ceremony performed in the rose garden of her aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Lester Hillriegel, on Saturday.

Linda Sue Gavitt became the bride of Lawrence Casterline at a ceremony performed at the Lake Huntington Presbyterian Church on August 10.

Mr. and Mrs. Earl Stratton of South Fallsburg celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary while on a tour of Canada. Both are extremely active in community service.

40 Years Ago - 1984

A float, indicating the formation of the White Lake Presbyterian Church in 1805, and the oldest in the town of Bethel, was used in the 175th anniversary of the Town of Bethel this weekend.

The Karolinka Polka Dancers from Pine Island performed Saturday at the first Liberty International Festival and Exposition.

Dr. Sandra Propst-Proctor, orthopedic surgeon, has joined the staff of Wayne Surgical Associates in Honesdale. She is the daughter of Dr. Harry Propst and will serve on the active medical staff of the Wayne Memorial Hospital as well. She is married to Dr. Michael Proctor.

Donna Williams and Scott Stewart, both of Ferndale, were married August 18 at the Max Eronimous Memorial Hall in Swan Lake. The Rev. Charles Cheeseman of White Sulphur Springs performed the ceremony. . . Robin Teed and Edward Sostak, both of White Sulphur Springs, were married July 7 at the White Sulphur Springs Methodist Church with Rev. Charles Cheeseman officiating. . . Rebecca Ihlefeldt and Andee R. Kraft were married July 21, at the Grace Baptist Church in Callicoon. Rev. Thomas C. Fuller officiated.

Audley Dorrer of Callicoon received the award for the Oldest Man in Line of March at Sunday’s Hortonville Fire Department’s Annual Parade and Field Day. Mr. Dorrer is a member of the Callicoon Fire Department. William Rosenberger, oldest member of the host company, was also in the parade.

An estimated loss of $250-$300,000 has been placed on the recent fire which occurred at the Dhonin’s Sport Center in Woodridge. The mid-day blaze destroyed several businesses, including a laundromat, a garage, several unoccupied apartments, a rummage shop and a liquor store. Fireman Richard Johnson was overcome by smoke, was treated and returned to the scene of the fire. More than 50 members of the Woodridge Fire Company were assisted by units from Mountaindale, Fallsburg and Woodbourne. Rock Hill was on standby at Woodridge.

30 Years Ago - 1994

Sheridan Robertson of Eldred, Lisa Lorino of Mountaindale and Nathan Raymond of Hurleyville were part of a group traveling to Japan Monday afternoon as part of a cultural exchange program coordinated by Sullivan County BOCES.

Bloomingburg hosted the 66th Sullivan County Volunteer Firefighters Association parade on Saturday for the first time ever. What does it take to do such a feat? Try 10,000 hot dogs together with troughs of soda cans, tanker trucks of beer and acres of parkland to roam for the 69 fire units, their families and their supporters —  now that’s a picnic!

In its latest newsletter, the Frederick A. Cook Society, headquartered in Hurleyville, says letters found among Peary’s personal papers in 1989 by a Seattle historian prove that Peary’s top advisor paid $5,000 – a handsome sum at the turn of the century – to discredit Cook’s claim that he was the first man to scale Mount McKinley – at 20,320 feet, the highest peak in North America – in a concerted attempt to discredit all of Cook’s accomplishments, including his trek to the North Pole. Among those papers given by Peary’s heirs to the Library of Congress was Cook’s own diary of the McKinley ascent in 1906. That diary indicates that Cook and a companion, Ed Barrill, traveled around the base of the huge mountain in 1903 looking for the best way to reach the summit and actually did so three years later in April 1906. Richard Peary’s backer reportedly paid Barrill the $5,000 to say that it never happened in an attempt to consolidate Peary’s own claim that he, not Cook, reached the North Pole in April 1908. In a secret letter to Gen. Thomas Hubbard, Peary urged his wealthy backers to conduct the matter of discrediting Cook “in a presidential campaign manner.”

On Saturday, September 3, ground will be broken for the erection of the old Cochecton railroad station, located on Route 97 north of Cochecton. The Gothic design building was dismantled with each piece of wood numbered so that it would be reconstructed in its original design.

Rep. Benjamin Gilman has obtained House approval, by voice vote, for his legislation designating September 16, 1994, as “National POW/MIA Recognition Day.”

After two years of correspondence and planning, 10 fellow servicemen met at a barbecue at the home of Danny O’Neill in Pleasant Mount, 50 years to the day they were sworn into the U.S. Navy. Ed Tyler and Warren Rush of Lyndhurst, N.J., did the groundwork and were able to contact former members of the USS Tucson to which they had been assigned. The newly commissioned ship set sail with 800 personnel aboard, twice the normal assignment, from San Francisco for war in the South Pacific. The ship patrolled the South China Sea as part of the Third Fleet Task Force 38 under the command of Admiral William “Bull” Halsey and was 250 miles off the Japanese coast when bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The crew later patrolled in the port city of Yokosama before returning to the U.S. Mr. O’Neill had been inducted with the others but was sent to signal school in Virginia after basic training. Of the 12 that were finally in contact, 10 made the August 18 reunion and there was certainly a lot to reminisce about.

20 Years Ago - 2004

Accomplished Monticello natives Sunna Rasch and David Kaufman were dubbed as village queen and king, respectively, on Friday evening at the Schmidt Family Concert on the Sullivan County Courthouse lawn. Kaufman also won the beard growing contest. The event was part of the celebration of Monticello’s bicentennial held last Thursday through Sunday. The key organizer, Les Kristt, was presented with a clock and plaque by David Kaufman and members of the bicentennial committee. The events were well-received and blessed with good weather.

The heart of Obernburg, St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, celebrated 150 years of spreading the Word of God on Sunday with a visit from Cardinal Edward Egan, archbishop of the New York Archdiocese. 

Tammy and Frank Gibson of White Sulphur Springs, announce the engagement of their daughter, Kira Gibson of White Sulphur Springs to Eric Wolcott of Livingston Manor, the son of Brenda and Bob Wolcott of Livingston Manor.

Stephan and Jillann Skies of Beach Lake, Pa. announce the birth of a son, Edward Andrew, born May 18, 2004. He is the grandson of Doreen Stephenson of Beach Lake, Pa., Charles Stephenson of Athens, Ga., and Mary Jane Skies of Blakely, Pa. Eddie has many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends to welcome him into the world.

A son, Adam Christopher, was born to Christopher and Valerie Baum Lingeman on July 20, 2004. He joins a big brother, Anton, at home in Arlington, Va. The maternal grandparents are Major and Mrs. Arnold Baum of Callicoon and the paternal grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Sylvester Lingeman of Fremont, Mich.

10 Years Ago - 2014

The SUNY Sullivan Foundation named the Women Who Make a Difference for 2014 as Glorianne Ellison, Kara Passante, Roberta Byron-Lockwood, Cheryl Crumley, Hon. Josephine V. Finn, Dr. Katherine Seibert and Lisa Lindquist.

The United Methodist Church in Mongaup Valley has a new Pastor, John Brandon of New York City.

Hurleyville has become a second home to the Harris-based Center for Discovery. Stonewall Preserve Farm and its Michael Ritchie Big Barn Center for Health and Environmental Education arrived along Mitteer Road in the past decade, followed more recently by the Development Office and the Wild Turkey Bakery and Market, both on Main Street. Since that time, the Center has bought the majority of vacant/foreclosed properties along what little remained of the downtown business corridor. Thanks to a joint effort amongst the Center, its donors, the Open Space Institute, Catskill Mountainkeeper, SUNY Sullivan, the Town of Fallsburg and the county, the hamlet’s fortunes may be on the verge of reversing. Some of the nearly a dozen parcels acquired this year may come off the tax rolls, since the Center is nonprofit. But, say Development Officer John Conway and Assistant Vice President for Development and Environmental Policy Tom Burnham, the ones that house businesses will remain taxable.

Simone Evans, a home-schooled student from Wurtsboro, was recently honored as one of the brightest young students in the nation at a regional awards ceremony for academically advanced children sponsored by The Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth (CTY).  Simone has been a member of American MENSA since she was five.