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Roebling’s Delaware Aqueduct, the oldest wire rope suspension structure in the U.S. (National Park Service Photo).
Celebrating the first crossing
On April 26, 1849, the first boat crossed over the newly built wire rope suspension aqueduct on the Delaware River designed by John A. Roebling for the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company. … more
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Mother Polycarpa.
Mother Superior
Catherine Staigele was born in Brooklyn in 1870, but spent nearly all of her professional life in Sullivan County. She was as accomplished during her lifetime as perhaps any woman in the area, and … more
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An illustration by Robert Sauber from the book, “A Night Sky Lined with Silver.”
The night sky lined with silver
Back in 2005, author Yvonne David set her first children’s book, “Out of the Apple Orchard” in the hamlet of Mountaindale in 1910. The book told the story of a young boy named Adam … more
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Daniel Bennett St. John Roosa.
Dr. Roosa passes away
On March 8, 1908, Daniel Bennett St. John Roosa, one of New York City’s most prominent doctors and a native of Sullivan County, suffered a major heart attack and died. Few men from the … more
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Jean Amatucci Fox in 2020. She was the first woman to represent Sullivan County in the New York State Assembly, the first Registered Nurse elected to the NYS Assembly, and the first woman to give birth while in office in the NYS Legislature.
Sullivan County’s first assemblywoman
The fact that since 1987 the month of March has been celebrated as Women’s History Month in this country provides an interesting perspective on the recent announcement by Assemblywoman Aileen … more
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Sunset Acres
In many ways, Sunset Acres in Parksville was typical of a small 1960s Sullivan County resort, offering guests “beautiful lobbies, filtered swimming pool, a comfortable large dining room, tennis … more
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The 26th U.S.C.T. on parade in 1864.
Henry C. Jackson
Henry Clay Jackson of Wurtsboro lived one of the most eventful lives of any resident of Sullivan County ever, and yet few today are familiar with his name. For one thing, Jackson, an African … more
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William and Fannie Harden.
Harden’s Forestview Lodge
For decades, Fannie Harden worked alongside her husband William to build the Forestview Lodge near Swan Lake into a successful business, carrying on alone after his death. When she passed away, the … more
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Author Michael J. Worden will be in Eldred on Saturday, February 10.
Lynched by a mob
On June 2, 1892, an angry mob of several hundred men dragged Robert Lewis nearly half a mile through the streets and hanged him from a tree. Lewis, also known as Robert Jackson, was an African … more
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A charcoal portrait of New Mexico’s John Sullivan, circa 1871.
The saga of Monticello, New Mexico
Those familiar with Sullivan County history likely know the story well: the brothers Samuel Frisbee Jones and John Patterson Jones, born in Connecticut, came here from Columbia County around 1804 and … more
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Longtime Fallsburg Supervisor Mortimer Michaels was a vocal supporter of moving the county highway facility from Barryville to Monticello.
To move or not to move
The great division of eastern and western Sullivan County has reared its head politically several times over the years, perhaps no more so than in the heated controversy over moving the … more
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Main Street, Jeffersonville circa 1914. The Eagle Hotel is visible just to the right of center. 
An impending centennial
Even before New York Governor Kathy Hochul cleared the way last week for a new village to be formed in Sullivan County—a referendum on January 18 will determine the fate of what is proposed to … more
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The Erie Railroad depot in Narrowsburg.
A Christmas miracle
It was December 14, 1917, and a Christmas miracle-- and the diligent work of local firemen-- prevented a good portion of the hamlet of Narrowsburg’s business district from being incinerated. … more
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“The Catskills: Its History and How it Changed America” is one of the most important books ever written about the history of the region and should be on every local history buff’s bookshelf.
Books about local history always make great gifts
With another holiday season nearly here, it is time for this column’s annual reminder that books about Sullivan County’s rich and colorful history always make great gifts, but especially … more
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The story of the rise and fall of the Columbia Hotel is just one of many to be covered by Sullivan County Historian John Conway when he narrates the 7th Annual Hurleyville History Hike on the west side of the Milk Train Trail at 1 p.m. on Saturday, December 2.
The 7th annual Hurleyville History Hike
Hurleyville businessman John Harms Knapp and his wife, Mary C. Brophy Knapp founded the Columbia Farms Hotel on the summit overlooking the hamlet in 1891. Locals, not convinced the business would … more
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Bart Charlow’s book, “A Catskill Carnival” is now available in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle editions.
“We were carnies…”
In August of 2015, the Liberty Museum and Arts Center’s 14th annual conference on the history of the Catskills was entitled, “Small but Grand Hotels: The Backbone of the Catskills Tourism … more
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For decades, deer hunting has provided a much needed boost to Sullivan County’s off-season economy.
A record low
It was late November in 1959, and Sullivan County officials were lamenting a very slow start to deer hunting season, which had traditionally provided a much needed economic boost to the … more
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This columnist (foreground right), your Sullivan County Historian, will lead another Highland History Hike at the Minisink Battleground Park at 2 p.m. on November 11.
The Highland History hike at the Minisink Battleground
Absent a standing professional Army in 1775, America’s first battles during its War for Independence, at Lexington and Concord, were fought almost entirely by members of the militia. At the … more
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Dr. Ralph S. Breakey
The country doctor
He was born in 1891 in Hurd Settlement in the town of Bethel, and graduated from Monticello High School, New York University, and Bellevue Hospital. He began practicing medicine in 1917, and was … more
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The Black Dog by Stephen Crane.
A night of spectral terror
In October of 1899, Stephen Crane’s short novel, “Active Service” was published to mixed reviews. The book’s tepid reception by both critics and the public was a major … more
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The Flagler Hotel in Fallsburg as it appeared in 1964.
A new marker for old falls
The long defunct Flagler Hotel in Fallsburg had a rich tradition as one of Sullivan County’s premier resorts, and for decades was a trendsetter in the industry. After operating for decades … more
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The suspension bridge at Pond Eddy was destroyed in the Great Pumpkin Flood of October, 1903.
Delaware River Floods
The heavy late September rains that are still falling as this column is being written are a stark reminder of the destruction floods have caused along the Delaware River over the years. For … more
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Francis “Stretch” Hanofee.
Political infighting nothing new
It was late September in 1965, and the Sullivan County Democratic Committee was in complete disarray. As the party prepared for its reorganizational meeting at the Hotel Lenape in Liberty on … more
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The race for the assembly, 1965
For many years, September meant primary day in political circles, and often the campaigns waged in anticipation of those elections were more heated— and sometimes more consequential— than … more
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State Senator Warren M. Anderson came to Sullivan County to speak at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new convention center that was never built.
To benefit the whole country
It was late August of 1968, and the people of Sullivan County were all abuzz about the latest development in a long list of attempts to save the sagging economy here. The county’s Golden … more
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