130 Years Ago - 1895

While digging in the cellar of the court house at Monticello a few days ago, one of the workmen found an old Spanish coin, dated 1779, for which he has been offered sixteen dollars.

Theodore Cook will erect a large tank with a glass top in the roof of his cider mill building into which cider will be pumped, where sun will shine on it and quickly turn it to vinegar.

Thirty-nine men are now employed in the factory of the Livingston Manor Manufacturing Company, not including the fifteen or twenty men employed outside.

It is rumored about that Frederick Hessinger of Callicoon is negotiating for the purchase of the Krantz shoe manufacturing business at Honesdale for his son, who has been in New York for some time.

George Yager will erect a new factory this spring for the manufacture of his carbonated beverages, providing he can purchase a suitable site.

The Erie Company will put in a switch, in the new future, about two miles east of Callicoon Depot for Reilly Bros. to load their lumber, which they will turn out in course of construction on the Cook plant.

120 Years Ago - 1905

 Mary Matilda, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Philip Bietz of Jeff, died at her home yesterday, aged 16 years.

Sidney Kastner of Callicoon left last week for California to join his brothers, Frank and Chris, who have been there for some time.

North Branch residents area talking of installing a gas lighting plant in that village, and are considering the buying of a gasoline machine like the one installed in Jeffersonville last summer, and seems to be giving satisfaction.

During the year 1905 upwards of 36,000 miles of highways in the State of New York will be cared for under the money system by the town boards passing resolutions directing the highway commissioner how and where to spend the town and state money. These 36,000 miles of road will have expended upon them about $1,500,000 raised by the respective towns, to which the state will add about $500,000 as state aid for adopting the money system of caring for the highways.

Personals: Miss Jennie LeRoy of Roscoe resumed charge of the school in Delaware district below Jeff on Monday after recuperating for several weeks at her home. Edward DeWitt of Stevensville, who filled her place during her absence, has returned home.

Kenoza Lake: The men and women of Kenoza Lake turned out Wednesday and helped Rev. W. A. Rodney move into the cottage of Mrs. Loretta J. Wales, after the burning of the parsonage.

Miss Rose Welch, who is visiting in the city, was given a surprise party by a few friends at the home of her sister, Mrs. A.G. Hahn.

110 Years Ago - 1915

Mrs. Anna N. Turner, proprietor of Kenoza Lake’s most popular boarding house, the Thornwood, died at her home yesterday morning, after a few days illness.

John M. Paris of Amsterdam, who is serving his second year as principal of Jeffersonville Union School, has this week declined a re-engagement here, he having contracted to take the principalship of the Livingston Manor School next year.

The post office department has turned down the petition of the residents of Swiss Hill and East Hill for a rural route to cover their sections from the Jeffersonville post office.

Youngsville will have an important school meeting tonight, on account of an order of the Education Department consolidating five school districts there into one central high school district. The progressives are largely in the majority at Youngsville.

John Schurer and Frank Reimenschneider of East Hill, who came here from South Dakota a few months ago, left again Monday for that state.

Louise Bernhardt, wife of Jacob Bauer Sr., died at her home two miles east of Kenoza Lake Sunday. She was 84 years of age.

A daughter was born March 19 to Mr. and Mrs. William M. Millen of Stevensville. Mrs. Millen was Miss Carrie Weltsch of Swiss Hill, and this is their first born.

100 Years Ago - 1925

The Methodists dedicated their new church in Jeffersonville on Friday. From a financial standpoint the meetings were eminently successful and gifts and subscriptions amounting to $900 were received during the day.

The village Board of Trustees at its regular meeting Monday night adopted a set of ordinances for the safety and welfare of the village.

A son, Howard Paul, was born to Mr. and Mrs. John H. Behnken of Brooklyn on March 14. Mrs. Behnken was formerly Miss Anna Scheidell of Jeff and this is their  second child.

While Chas. Stecker in Delaware was driving a circular wood saw with his automobile engine at his property one day recently, the cast iron flywheel on the saw broke. No one was injured but a piece of the wheel flew through the air a distance of several hundred feet, and came down through the top of the garage of L.J. Dietrich smashing through the top of John Bosley’s car.

Elizabeth Damm, widow of Louis Mall, passed away at her home on the North Branch Road Sunday, aged 81 years.

William F. Gorr, aged 53 and a lifelong resident of North Branch, died suddenly at the home of John Ebert in North Branch March 12.

The Jeffersonville Athletic Club is looking for good umpires to officiate at their games here this summer and would like to hear from anyone who feels competent to handle the job. The local club prefers outside men for umpires, as home umpires always create more or less of an impression of favoritism for the home team, and the club wants all visiting teams to be given a square deal.

90 Years Ago - 1935

William L. Huff was elected mayor of the incorporated village of Jeffersonville Tuesday night and Howard Smith was elected trustee.

Dr. Luther Conklin Payne, 57, a prominent physician of Liberty, died at his home Saturday after five days illness.

Claude R. Simon, born in the town of Fremont, died of a compound fracture of the skull in the New Brunswick, N.J., hospital on March 6, after being hit by a bus.

Conrad L. Schloemer, aged 79, of New York and Obernburg, died at Deland, Fla., after a long illness.

Rudolph B. Heinle, aged 74 and a former well-known resident of Cochecton Center, died March 12 in the Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, following an operation the week before.

Augusta J. Reiner, wife of Robert B. Whittaker, died at her home in Liberty Saturday, March 16, aged 78 years.

John Tempel, aged 2, died at his daughter’s home in Obernburg on March 15. She was Mrs. Margaret Black.

A 7 pound 10 ounce daughter, Faith, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Wilkinson of Valley Stream on February 26. The mother is the former Muriel Rapp of Jeff.

William Haegle of Elizabeth, N.J., has sold his poultry farm at Callicoon Center to Frederick and Caroline Schuler of Callicoon Center and immediate possession is given. The farm is part of the old Ballard farm which was purchased several years ago by Richard Wolpert.

Youngsville — A special school meeting is called here for April 16 to vote on the proposition to raise $10,000 by tax in ten installments for the building of a 36 x 72 ft. addition to the schoolhouse for an auditorium and gymnasium.

Those tall stories that John Darling, the Baron Munchausen of San Pond, used to tell to the cracker box committees in the stores here more than fifty years ago, are being brought out in print again by writers who know of Darling only by hearsay or history, which generally is not reliable information.

80 Years Ago - 1945

Jay Dreher of the Jay Dreher  Supply Co. died suddenly following a heart attack in his store in Roscoe March 14. His father was the late John C. Dreher who was born in Jeffersonville.

A daughter was born last week at the Liberty Hospital to Mr. and Mrs. Philip Taboroff of Jeff.

Mrs. Cornelia Hones, wife of Edward W. Hones, former publisher of the Sullivan County Review at Roscoe, has been inducted into the WAC in Binghamton and will go to Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., for basic training.

Mr. and Mrs. Fred Bernhardt of Kenoza Lake announce the engagement of their daughter, Marjorie Sylvia, to Staff Sgt. Edward C. Reinshagen of Bethel.

The birthday anniversary of Mrs. Sophie Zeh, who lives on Glacier Mountain in the winter and Silver Heights in the summer, was informally celebrated on the weekend by a group of friends.

The ladies bowling club had a dinner at Sim’s Halfway Hotel Monday night. In the party were Mesdames Jennie Flax, Katherine Cuccia, Elsie Mall, Betty Schadt, Helen Bogert, Helene Scardefield, Ethel Van Schoick and Elsie Werner.

A15 gas ration coupon will become valid March 22. And A14 coupons will be invalid after March 21.

70 Years Ago - 1955

A daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Walter Haney of Jeff March 22 at the Loomis Hospital. They have five other girls.

Libby Manzolillo, boxing under the name of Libby Manzo, is scheduled to fight Paddy DeMarco in a 10-round main event bout at St. Nicholas Arena on Monday night. The fight will be on TV.

Kenoza Lake — Walter Hessinger was pleasantly surprised Friday by a visit from his cousin, Clyde Howard of Walton. This was the first time they had met since they joined the service over three years ago. Mrs. Howard has been in Oklahoma recently.

Alfred E. Adler, real estate broker of Jeff, reports the sale of the Joseph Esch property in Fremont Center to Eddy Lohr Jr., also of Fremont. The property consists of a six-room house, a three room cottage, a barn and about two acres of land. This was an all cash sale.

Callicoon Center — Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Krantz entertained the student minister, John DeVrees and an exchange minister, Eric Rudolph of Germany, both attending New Brunswick Seminary, on Sunday.

Herbert Hass of Jeff is one of eight students receiving the highest honor point ratio possible on the Dean’s List for the fall term at Potsdam. He is a sophomore in the civil engineering program.

60 Years Ago - 1965

The church of San Ignacio in Moron, Spain, was the scene of the Friday, March 19, wedding of Senorita Maria delos Desamparodos Herrera of Moron, Frontierá, Spain, and James F. Buddenhagen of Margarita, Canal Zone. The ceremony was performed by Padre Manuel Sanchez. James is the son of Mr. and Mrs. George Buddenhagen of Hortonville.

Edwin Ferber of Callicoon was elected vice president of the newly organized Northeast Dairy Cooperative Federation at a meeting of the board of directors in Syracuse on April 2.

Jesse Fogg, 43, who worked with the GLF in Callicoon in the late 1950s, died suddenly on Monday, April 5, in Liberty. He had worked as a salesman out of Liberty for the past four years.

Eugene M. Hanofee was unanimously elected 2nd vice president of the New York State Association of Clerks of Boards of Supervisors. His election took place at the spring conference of the County Officers Association which was held at Grossinger’s last week.

Liberty, March 30 — David E. Panebaker of Liberty has been selected by the Sullivan County Bar Association for a Liberty Bell award for outstanding citizenship, it was announced by Harold Sussman, president.

50 Years Ago - 1975

Liberty’s newly elected Mayor Ida “Skippy” Frankel presided over her first village board meeting on Monday, which was unusually well attended. She is the lone Democrat on the board.

With the first canoe fatality only less than a week old, 16 New Jersey youths in eight canoes wound up in the Delaware this past Friday, April 4, but all made it to shore. The river was swollen with melting snow and spring rain with abnormally low temperatures.

Ray and Carol Herbert will enjoy a trip to Calypso Land for work performed in his department. Joe  Gombita and his wife, Mary Lou, will enjoy a trip to Mexico, earned by Joe’s selling a high percentage of Dodges. The prizes were given by Chrysler Co. Division for excellent work in their respective specialties.

Rudolf Ocenasek of LivingstonManor has had his own painting, “Conversation,” accepted and it received an award in the 1975 juried exhibition to be shown at the Bergen Community Museum of Arts and Science in Paramus, N.J. April 2 through the 27th. Mr. Ocenasek is director of exhibitions for the Catskill Art Society at their gallery in Hurleyville.

40 Years Ago - 1985

The Woodridge  Village Board Monday night announced that the Orange County Egg Processing Co. has agreed to a payment schedule to remit back water and sewage taxes owed the village for several years. Trustee David Paige told the board that he met with representatives from the egg processing company and negotiated the payment of $10,500 of back water and sewage taxes. Under the agreement, Orange Egg will pay the village $500 a week for the next 21 weeks.

The new Monticello office of the Salvation Army will be closed this week to allow what field representative Tom Hubers called a “breather” to recuperate from the overwhelming influx of itinerant workers seeking help there over the past holiday weekend.

The Liberty branch of the United National bank will soon have a new home. Construction is almost complete on the bank’s new building located on Route 52, across the road from the bank’s current location in the Jamesway Mall parking lot.

Maurice Martin, former Liberty High School basketball standout, was recently named by the  Sporting News as an honorable mention in the All-American Selection. He plays for St. Joseph’s Hawks.

As a wild rainbow trout fishery, the Delaware River has no eastern rivals. What makes this fact so dramatic is that rainbow trout are not native to the eastern United States. They are, in fact, a California fish. But as long as anyone can remember, rainbows have flourished in the Delaware and now the Catskill Fly Fishing Center will be celebrating their original stocking, recreating the dramatic circumstances surrounding their arrival in the Delaware one hundred years ago. On April 14, a small consignment of rainbow trout will arrive at Callicoon Creek below the Erie railroad trestle in the Town of Callicoon, supplied by Shaver’s Hatchery at Turnwood.

30 Years Ago - 1995

Five months ago, three year-old Brandon Rains of Swan Lake was diagnosed with leukemia. On March 26, the local community turned out in force to attend a benefit buffet breakfast conducted by the Kauneonga Lake Fire Department, at which more than 600 hungry patrons were served. This Tuesday, the Rains family was presented a $5,500 check by the local fire company.

Construction of the Dime Bank’s new branch office in Damascus, Pa., is well underway. It is scheduled to open in September or October of this year.

Sandra Flynn, State President of the Department of New York, Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, received a VIP President award for reaching 85 percent of membership by December 31 at the Mid-Winter Conference held in Arlington, Va. For the “night on the town,” 51 VIP presidents were treated to dinner and a performance at the Kennedy Art Center in Washington, D.C.

A sign, designed by Jay Brooks, has been erected on Route 97 to mark the location of the soon-to-be reassembled railroad station in Cochecton.

Demetra “May” Grosseto of Damascus, Pa., has been named Pennsylvania Tree Farmer of 1994. She received a walnut plaque as her award from the State Tree Farm Committee.

20 Years Ago - 2005

Just over a week since heavy rains left behind at least $22.1 million in damages to roads, bridges, businesses and homes throughout Sullivan County, it’s up to the president to determine whether the county is part of a national disaster. Public Safety Commissioner for Sullivan County, Dick Martinkovic said all paperwork has been filed on the county level to ensure that towns and individuals who might be eligible for federal assistance are accounted for.

Since Don Hauschild joined the Jeffersonville Volunteer Fire Department in June 1955, he’s always been at the ready when the fire whistle sounded, and even after practice or at chicken barbecue dinners, he’s been there helping out. He was honored with a 50-year pin on Saturday at the company’s awards dinner. 

Citing the need for a Sheriff’s Department that will be prepared for Sullivan County’s future growth, Michael Schiff is seeking the Republican nomination for Sullivan County Sheriff. Schiff retired from the New York State Police in March to seek the nomination.

Sullivan West junior forward April Ackermann was the Lady Bulldogs’ leading scorer and rebounder this past season, averaging 12 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Second leading scorer is junior guard Kate Fanning averaging 11 points, and freshman forward Sarah Lander, who averaged 8.3 points per game.

10 Years Ago - 2015

Aidan Ferris is only 10, but ever since he could walk he’s known that he wants to be a veterinarian. Now he’s a little bit closer to making that dream a reality. Aidan took second place in the “Success Kids Business Idea Competition” last week, winning a check for $800. Aidan is an honor student at Benjamin Cosor Elementary School in Fallsburg. He hopes to one day start his own mobile medic business for animals.  He envisions Aidan’s Animal Aid providing general treatment and emergency care to pet owners and local farms throughout the Hudson Valley.

County Clerk Dan Briggs on Thursday reiterated the plea he first made five years ago – and he got the same answer. “There is a dearth of available space out there, and it has to be addressed,” he told legislators. In 2010, he warned officials that the County Clerk’s Office – which is responsible for maintaining and storing records dating back to 1827 – was running out of room. What can’t be stored in his offices has piled up in various buildings, from the Government Center in Monticello to a DPW facility in Liberty. Briggs’ crew has even utilized the County Courthouse’s dome, a pole barn and rolloff containers. Promises to find new space have remained just that.