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The Surrender of General Burgoyne at Saratoga.
The Revolutionary War Film Festival
Episode four of the Ken Burns documentary, “The American Revolution” is entitled “Conquer by a Drawn Game.” It covers a lot of territory, but quite a bit of the action transpires in upstate … more
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Lucy Ann Lobdell, the female hunter of Long Eddy.
The Female Hunter of Long Eddy
She has been the subject of more books and articles than perhaps any other woman with ties to Sullivan County, and yet she never amassed a fortune, held political office or traveled to far off lands. … more
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Wurtsboro suffragist, Bella R. Montgomery
Bella R. Montgomery
She was born in Wurtsboro in 1865, and although she was a prominent figure in the women’s suffrage movement in New York State, it took weeks of research to find her given name, and years more to … more
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Dr. Rosetta Sherwood Hall with her two children.
A Groundbreaking Missionary
She was born in Liberty on September 19, 1865, grew up on the family farm and attended the Chestnut Ridge School and the Liberty Normal Institute. After receiving her teaching degree from Oswego, she … more
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Daniel Litts' daughter throws a professional wrestler. (Sketch by Francis W. Davis for the Sullivan County Historical Society).
March is Women’s History Month
James Eldridge Quinlan, who wrote the definitive history of Sullivan County in 1873, mentions very few women in his lengthy chronicle, and provides insight into the lives of none. Perhaps, given the … more
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Hamilton Odell
Without Display or Vainglory
On February 21, 1922, noted attorney Hamilton Odell died after having suffered a stroke.   He was 88 years old.   Coincidentally, just a week before, his portrait had been placed in … more
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Isaac Groo was born in Neversink in 1827.
Grant, Gillett, Groo And Nauvoo
On February 21, 1816, Jedediah Grant was born in Windsor, NY, and although the man who would eventually serve as the first mayor of Salt Lake City, UT spent but a short time in Sullivan County, his … more
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A Laidlaw photo of the train destroyed in the still unexplained explosion of February 13, 1907.
A Rough Month for Hurleyville
It doesn’t take long for anyone perusing the history of Hurleyville to discover that February has not always been a particularly good month for the hamlet. For one thing, the most tragic hotel … more
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The HMS Jersey, the notorious prison ship known as Hell, on which Elnathan Sears was confined for 13 months.
Elnathan Sears: Patriot, Philanthropist, Public Servant
On February 2, 1840, just a few days after returning to the town of Mamakating from an exhausting trip to Washington, DC, Elnathan Sears died at his home. He had made the grueling trip to the … more
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Broadway in Monticello looking east from Jefferson Street following the blizzard of 1914.
Another Historic Blizzard
What the National Weather Service has called the worst winter storm in five years not only left Sullivan County digging out from a considerable snowfall this week, but battling an Arctic blast of … more
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General John Sullivan, our county's namesake.
Neither the Charm nor the Luck
Tracys folder 1/23 RETROSPECT Neither the Charm nor the Luck On January 23, 1795, John Sullivan, Revolutionary War general, two term governor, and this county’s namesake, died at his … more
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The original Sullivan County Courthouse in Monticello burns on January 13, 1844. Sketch by Francis W. Davis for the Sullivan County Historical Society.
Before the Ashes Were Cold: The Aftermath of the Fire of 1844
It was windy and bitterly cold in Monticello on January 13, 1844, and Giles M. Benedict, a farmer and merchant in the village, was lighting a fire in the kitchen of his home on the north side of Main … more
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The Semiquincentennial
Although the commemoration has been underway for some time now, many Americans will likely learn a new word in 2026: Semiquincentennial. This year, of course, marks the 250th anniversary of the … more
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An early photo of skiers at Holiday Mountain.
Wintergreen Hill
The ongoing remaking of the Holiday Mountain Ski Area outside Monticello under the visionary guidance of new owner Mike Taylor and his dedicated staff has thrust skiing back into the local spotlight … more
Lily Barrish Levner's second Catskills Capers novel, "Mountain Maitre D' Mystery" tops this year's list of local history books that make great holiday gifts.
Local History Books for the Holidays
With another holiday season upon us, 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 this … more
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Revolutionary War General Daniel Brodhead, two of whose grandsons became Sullivan County Supervisors.
THEY DID THEIR OWN GROWING
Daniel Broadhead was one of the unsung heroes of the Revolutionary War. Born in Ulster County and reared in Pennsylvania, he was commissioned as a Lt. Colonel in the Pennsylvania State Rifle … more
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Stanley W. Finch
Stanley W. Finch
On November 21, 1951 Stanley W. Finch suffered a massive heart attack at his Baltimore home, and died a short while later. Few people outside of his immediate family made note of his passing, despite … more
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“The American Revolution” is a six-part documentary series that begins on Sunday, November 16 on PBS.
The American Revolution
Sullivan County has always had a number of direct connections to the American Revolution. After all, the county was named for General John Sullivan, a major player in the conflict, and one of … more
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Dr. Adajah Behrend
The Farmer, the Soldier, and the President
On November 15, 1865, Bernhard Behrend died in Washington, D.C. He was 72.   Although there wasn’t much of a public reaction at the time of his death, Behrend is remembered today as … more
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Washington Irving
Washington Irving’s Spooky Tale
It is Halloween, and there is no better time to explore some of Sullivan County’s most famous ghost stories. Some—Laura Darling Kahl’s haunting of the Western Hotel in Callicoon, … more
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This columnist, your Sullivan County Historian (in foreground with back to the camera) will once again lead history hikes in Hurleyville tonight, and at the Minisink Battleground tomorrow afternoon.
Halloween History Hikes in Hurleyville and Highland
From the still unsolved murder of Joseph Skinner of Cushetunk to the bizarre killing of George Markert on the stone arch bridge in Kenoza Lake and that of Laura Darling Kahl at the Western Hotel in … more
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The original Administration Building at the Loomis Sanitarium was destroyed by fire on October 14, 1899.
Architectural Gem Destroyed By Fire
Architecturally speaking, there have been few buildings in Sullivan County history as grand as the original Administration Building at the Loomis Memorial Sanitarium for Consumptives in Liberty. … more
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The complex story of Benedict Arnold and his connection to the Cushetunk settlement has become part of the narrative at Fort Delaware Museum of Colonial History in Narrowsburg, which closes for the season on Sunday, October 12.
The End of the Season at Fort Delaware
On October 7, 1780, just five days after his accomplice, British Army Major John Andre had been hanged as a spy, Benedict Arnold released his “Letter to the Inhabitants of America” in … more
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Prominent Monticello attorney Arthur C. Butts is said to have waged a brilliant defense in the trial of Mark Brown. Nevertheless, Brown was convicted of murder and eventually hanged.
Mark Brown and Sylvester Carr
It was Saturday night, the third of October in 1874, and the hamlet of Purvis was in a festive mood.   Sylvester Carr, a popular local bartender was getting married the next day, and his … more
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The O&W’s “abbreviated facility” in Mountaindale constructed in the wake of the 1931 fire. (Photo from “To The Mountains by Rail” by Manville B. Wakefield)
The Great Mountaindale Fire
In the early morning hours of Saturday, September 26, 1931, fire inexplicably broke out in the unoccupied storefront owned by Aaron Anderman on Mountaindale’s Main Street, and rapidly spread to … more
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