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What happened in Sullivan County after the big hotels (like the Concord, pictured here) closed down? The program “After the Fall” attempts to answer the question.
After the fall
When the weekly newspaper column known as Retrospect made its debut in July of 1987, it was a much different column than it is today. Although there was an occasional foray into formal local history, … more
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Mystery (partially) solved! Gary Schmidt of Monticello called the Democrat about the ‘mystery men’ photos we printed last Tuesday. He pointed out the pins on the men’s shirts that designated them as Brothers of the Brush, which was a contest sponsored by the Monticello Bulletin-Sentinel beginning in April 1954, for men to grow beards for the Sesquicentennial Celebration to be held that September in Monticello. Our thanks to Edward N. Snyder of the state of Florida, who stopped by our Callicoon office later. He was up north for a family member’s funeral, and his wife spotted the photo in the Democrat, saying to him, “That’s your father!” A conversation with Snyder’s sister (who lives locally) confirmed that the man with the cap is Nelson E. Snyder who worked as a meter reader for NYSEG and lived in Briscoe at one time. A little research in our archives revealed that the first prize winner of the beard contest was Harold (Tate) Frey, 40, a Monticello carpenter. Thanks also to Fred Fries of the Sullivan County Historical Society and the Town of Thompson historian Judy Wolkoff for bringing these photos to our attention. We still don’t know the identity of the other man, but we like how seredipidity works to help us learn about people and places from our county’s past.
October 4, 2022 Edition
110 Years Ago - 1912 Walter Bury, assistant cashier of the First National Bank of Roscoe, was united in marriage Tuesday to Miss Margaret Muesgeier, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Godrey Muesgeier, … more
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The Haunted History Tour will be held this year at Fort Delaware on Saturday, October 8 from 6-9 p.m.
The Haunted History Lantern Tour
It is a legend in this region that during the 17th century, the valleys framed by the Delaware, Mongaup and Neversink Rivers were rich and verdant, and unthreatened by development. Much of this lush … more
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Mystery men – who are they?: Among a batch of photos at the Sullivan County Historical Society’s archives in Hurleyville are these two images, men captured on film during their daily routine. From other items in the series of photos, it’s been determined that some of them were taken on the street in front of Washington’s liquor store, across from the county courthouse in Monticello. The time period is a guess, maybe the late 1940s or ‘50s, but why their photos were recorded is another mystery. If you recognize these men, please email Ruth at obits@sc-democrat.com or call the Democrat’s main office at (845) 887-5200.
Sept. 27, 2022 Edition
110 Years Ago - 1912 It is reported that the Lorillards of Tuxedo, the tobacco kings, are buying up portions of real estate in the towns of Forestburgh and Thompson for a park or preserve. The … more
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Another Hurleyville history hike
Prior to the arrival of the New York & Oswego Midland Railroad in the 1870s, there wasn’t much to Hurleyville, save for a few scattered houses and a place name on some maps.  In … more
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Vintage view from C. Spielmann Rd.: This photo of Youngsville predates the building of the old firehouse and St. Francis R.C. Church. The German Reformed Church (now the United Reformed Church) can be seen by its spire near the center-right of the photo. The now non-existent corner store (where the Youngsville Fire Department’s electronic sign now gives the time), is the long, tall building on the left, situated on the corner of North road (Shandelee Road) and the state route that bisects the hamlet. It appears here that Panther Rock Brook once traveled the way of what is now Tremper Lane. The photographer unfortunately is unknown.
Sept. 20, 2022 Edition
110 Years Ago - 1912 G.H. Treyz & Co. is the name of a new firm which last week purchased of Corbett & Stewart, their acid factory in Livingston Manor. The plant consists of a ten-pair … more
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An Iron Lung was used to help polio patients breathe, in many cases keeping them alive.
Polio peak in Sullivan County
The recent news that the polio virus has been discovered in wastewater in Sullivan County has raised concerns here that the disease, long thought to be eradicated, might make a resurgence. … more
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Sept. 13, 2022 Edition
110 Years Ago - 1912 The second annual clam bake and Firemen’s Day held under the auspices of the Liberty Hose and Truck Company No. 2 was a huge success with about 550 visiting firemen. … more
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18th century botanist John Bartram
Splendid and miraculously at Fort Delaware
From their earliest visits here, the Lenape, who constructed their sweat lodges among the wil- low trees on the banks of the Delaware, revered this area because of what they recognized as its … more
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Polio’s painful past: The polio virus can destroy motor neurons that control the muscles for swallowing, breathing, and limb movement. Before vaccinations to prevent polio were available, it infected thousands of people in the 1940s and 1950s. Recovery and rehabilitation of polio patients was a long and arduous process. The earliest treatment was to apply braces to weakened limbs and torso. Later it was learned that in water, it was easier to stretch, massage and exercise the muscles, with the water assisting the patient’s buoyancy. In this contributed photo, a patient is being lowered into a pool for a therapy treatment.
Sept. 6, 2022 Edition
110 Years Ago - 1912 Born to Mr. and Mrs. Peter Wahl of Callicoon, a daughter, on Wednesday. Gus Neumann has installed new gas lights in the shoe department of B.E. Dycker and Co. store, the … more
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Farming in Jeffersonville: This is a rough photo (the sky is marked by someone’s thumb, caused by developing fluid), but St. George’s R.C. Church in Jeff is one recognizable feature. The present church was constructed in 1914, according to the late historian Charles S. Hick (Sullivan County Record, 1943). St. George’s rises on the hill at upper right, with the cemetery behind it. We don’t know the farmer pictured in the foreground, but his is a vintage two horsepower vehicle. Note the handkerchiefs protecting the animals’ ears from flying pests. The photo was contributed by Brian LaBarr, whose ancestors include the Bollenbachs of Jeffersonville, early settlers and one-time operators of the mill at the island.
August 30, 2022 Edition
110 Years Ago - 1912 Percy Hadsell, 17, of Galilee, Pa., while fishing on Bush’s Pond with his cousin, Walter Hadsell of Jersey City, was thrown into the water when the boat overturned. He … more
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Harry “Pittsburg Phil” Strauss.
The Honeymoon Murder
It was about nine o’clock on a muggy Saturday evening in August of 1936, and two young honeymooners were dressing for a night out when they were interrupted by the ringing of the telephone … more
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