130 Years Ago - 1895

A purse of $100 will be offered for a free-for-all horse trot at the Rockland Town Fair at Livingston Manor August 29.

Erie train No. 9, one day last week, struck a small piece of iron which had been lain on the tracks just east of the trestle at Callicoon Depot by someone, throwing the forward wheels of the engine off the track. The train went across the bridge before the difficulty was discovered.

120 Years Ago - 1905

Matzinger and Mesler of Liberty have taken a contract to construct a reservoir at the Loomis Sanitarium with a storage capacity of one million gallons.

The Livingston Manor Company is about to begin the work of extending its wires to Roscoe and Rockland, and in a short time will furnish lights to residents of those villages.

Anthony Kimmes of Obernburg was in town yesterday and reports a big crop of rattlesnakes in that section.

The wagon dispensing water from Mrs. Maffett’s sulphur springs at White Sulphur Springs made its first trip through here Friday. The enterprise seems destined to meet with success.

Wm. Bollenbach Jr. fractured his left shoulder blade last evening while scuffling with Arthur Lawrence. Both are employed at Yager Bottling Works.

The bowling alley at Kraack’s Hotel, Lake Huntington, caught fire from burning fat Sunday and was rapidly consumed. Ed Mulligan, who was cooking on the stove, was badly burned about the face and hands in trying to put out the fire.

Lightning struck the blacksmith shop in the quarry of Kinney Bros. on the Geer property in Long Eddy. In the building were a keg of powder and a box of dynamite, which exploded, leaving nothing but splinters where the shop had stood. Previous to the lightning, the men had quit at noon because of the heat. It was lucky for them.

At the annual school meeting the contract for twelve cords of wood was sold to Charles Scheidell at $2.40 a cord. The sum of $600 was voted to be raised for current expenses. The question of a new heating system in the school building from stoves to furnace was discussed and it was resolved not to make any changes at present.

110 Years Ago - 1915

The new Ford car driven by Floyd P. Hust of Jeffersonville was run into head-on by the Ford car driven by Philip Hornung Jr. of Hortonville on the state road below Falls Mills.

Miss Margaret Likel is ill of typhoid fever at her home north of this village. Dr. Gain, who is in attendance, reported the case last week.

As Ed Schultz was driving his state auto into town Sunday, the car of John Portz of Shandelee, in dodging another car, ran too close to Schultz’s car and struck a trunk on the running board, demolishing it and scattering the contents in the muddy road.

A dispatch from Monticello says: There is considerable activity among the women suffragists of Sullivan County. Mrs. R.J. Muller, who is the mistress of Muller Castle, and Mrs. Payne, wife of Dr. L.C. Payne of Liberty, are the local leaders and are supported by Mrs. J.P. Roosa.

Every day in a big city like New York there are people who acquire ready-made children by adoption, but now comes a widow, well on in years, who formally asks the court to sanction her adoption of a son, a 43-year-old youngster with a bristling  mustache and a bald head.

Henry E. Meyer of Minnesota was presented by his wife with a daughter on his birthday, July 23. Mr. Meyer is one of  Jeffersonville’s bright young men, and is now Professor of Music in the Minnesota State Agricultural College at Morris.

100 Years Ago - 1925

The water pressure in the village system has become so low that the houses on high ground are not being supplied with water, except at night when there is little used in the village. The cause of the low pressure is not due to lack of water, but to a leaking away somewhere underground.

At the annual school meeting Tuesday night about two dozen were in attendance. Charles Wilfert and Charles W. Wilfert were re-elected trustees. The budget for the new school year was placed at about $4500. Six hundred dollars was appropriated for transportation for pupils from District No. 8.

Henry M. Weyrauch of Liberty was a successful bidder for the Josiah Smith properties in Liberty, at the auction sale recently. It is reported that Mr. Weyrauch bid the property in the interest of Miss Louise Young.

Fred W. Stabbert of Obernburg and manager of the Democrat printing plant at Callicoon, and Miss Nellie Stephens of Mt. Morris, N.Y., were married at the home of the bride August 5.

Wm. Frank Kerns and Miss Louise Menges of Jeffersonville were married Thursday at St. Joseph’s College at Callicoon, and were serenaded Sunday night at the home of the bride’s parents, where the couple reside.

Sullivan County’s first Ku Klux Klan funeral was held at Livingston Manor Wednesday afternoon when the body of Harold Wolcott was buried there. About forty klansmen formed the escort, six acting as pallbearers. They wore hoods and gowns but were unmasked. During the ritual at the grave a fiery cross was burned.

90 Years Ago - 1935

A daughter, Shirley Margaret, was born at Hamilton Avenue Hospital, Monticello, on July 31, to Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Brown of Jeffersonville rural route.

Surrogate George L. Cooke released his decision on the motion of Attorney William Deckelman to set aside the verdict of the jury which on February 21 last declared the will of the late William G. Pfeifle of Jeffersonville invalid because he was not of sound mind and testimentary capacity when he made his will. The surrogate set aside the jury’s verdict as contrary to evidence and law and directed probate of the will.

The Lake Jefferson Corporation has sold the gas producing machinery at the lake to a Philadelphia concern, and it is now being dismantled and taken away. The machinery, intended to produce power for an electric plant, was never used here. The cement block power house still stands.

Mrs. Esther Roth, age 78 and wife of George Roth, both of Jeffersonville, was mortally injured in a collision of two cars Saturday night in front of Chris Bunger’s place at Strongtown, on the Liberty-Monticello state road.

During the past week village trustees have procured the destruction of two dogs which have been roaming the streets. One of them was Chief, the Erdman dog, which followed the fire trucks around, and the other was an unknown stray dog.

80 Years Ago - 1945

The wedding of Miss Marion Muller, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Muller of Kenoza Lake, and Sgt. Harold G. Puerschner, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Puerschner of Kenoza Lake and New Jersey, will take place at St. Joseph’s Seminary next Saturday at 4 p.m.

Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Feuer, who bought the Isaac Townsend farm at Hurd of Arthur Kreim, have moved there from New York City. Mr. Feuer was in the baking business. They have a daughter, Lee, who is employed in the government purchasing office in New York. Mr. and Mrs. Feuer intend to  live there permanently and take up farming.

The Chris Bunger boarding house and farm, 73 acres on Route 17 below Liberty, has been sold by the widow Bunger to Samuel Tuttle of Swan Lake, who takes possession this fall. This is the former country estate of the late Charles MacDonald, New York contractor and builder, and father of the late Dr. Charles E. MacDonald, at one time physician and surgeon in Jeffersonville.

Another heavy storm hit this section last week, with heavy rains again flooding the streams and causing some road washouts. Lightning killed a cow belonging to Fred Hasenpflue near this village. Damage was done to the Burton Bogart barn at Callicoon Center.

Henry D. Lott, agent, reports the following sales of lake lots. At Lake Briscoe, two adjoining lots in the orchard section to Mr. and Mrs. Percy Kohler of Jeffersonville and Mr. and Mrs. Philip Hill of White Sulphur Springs. Also a lake front lot at Briscoe.

70 Years Ago - 1955

Fire consumed the Scardefield Homestead Sunday morning. The whole town was awakened by the alarm that called firemen to the scene of destruction which was once one of the most beautiful old homes in this section. The home had been in the family since 1919 and valuable books, china and rug collections were destroyed.

The village water supply is critically low. Water users are requested not to use water for watering lawns or gardens or similar uses.

Mr. and Mrs. Jack Waldas of Swan Lake announce the engagement of their daughter, Elvira, to William “Bill” Brey of Kenoza Lake. Miss Waldas is a graduate of Liberty High School. 

The concrete products plant located at 278 Chestnut Street in Liberty has been purchased by Andrew Hanson of Livingston Manor.

Mr. and Mrs. Fred Steinhauser of Callicoon Center were first place winners in the Studebaker Packard Corp. Move Ahead sales contest recently.

Mr. and Mrs. George Winkelstern accompanied Mr. and Mrs. J. Ellis Noble of Damascus, Pa., to Oriskany where, on the last Saturday of every July, the annual Pilgrimage of the O.E.S. to support its home for the aged and infirm is made. Mr. and Mrs. Winkelstern have served on the staff and worked on this project for many years.

60 Years Ago - 1965

Bass fishing in the Delaware has been at its peak the past two weeks. Large catches are being reported on every hand and the fish caught are fat and tasty.

Mr. and Mrs. Edward Klimchok of Hortonville have purchased Jim’s Supply Store in Callicoon as of July 31st and are operating the business. Mr. Klimchok is now licensed as a New York State Real Estate Broker and will use part of the premises to conduct a real estate business. The business name will be E. & J. Supply Store.

Miss Diane Decker, as Miss Rockland, won top honors among beauties at the Roscoe-Rockland Firemen’s Field Day Sunday. Miss Patricia Whalen, Miss Parksville, won second place. She represented the J.C. Young Hose Company of Liberty. The third beauty is Miss Anna Bowers as Miss Roscoe.

The 1 1/2 to 2 inches of rain which fell Sunday night and Monday in Sullivan County saved the corn crop but it came two weeks late to give a normal yield for corn.

A son, Glenn Paul, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Fred Hermann at the Callicoon Hospital on August 4. Grandparents are Mrs. Edna Breiner and Mrs. Walter F. Hermann,  both of Callicoon.

50 Years Ago - 1975

The proposed Tocks Island dam project incurred a severe blow last week when it was recommended by three of the four governors of the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) that the project be dropped. Only Pennsylvania’s Governor Shapp voted for the project. The question asked is whether or not the vote against the Tocks Project kills it. While there are overwhelming votes against Tocks, there are still some strong supporters. 

Carl W. Oestrich, 61, died suddenly early Tuesday, August 5, of a heart attack. He was a prominent businessman in Callicoon for almost 30 years. He founded a tire recapping business in Callicoon and after World War II built a garage and secured a Ford Agency. He also founded cable TV in the Callicoon and Hortonville area and secured a General Electric appliances agency.

The last trestle of the long-gone O&W Railroad left in Sullivan County has been taken down. The site was on the Dahlia Road, near Livingston Manor.

On June 7, Linda Buehl, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Buehl of Hankins, was married to Wayne Lawrence, son of Norman Lawrence and the late Jean Lawrence of Star Route, Honesdale, Pa.

40 Years Ago - 1985

Doris and Elwood Baim of Youngsville celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on July 27 with a party at the firehouse, hosted by their children, for 200 friends and relatives. They were married October 14, 1945, at the White Sulphur Springs Methodist Church and were attended by Burton and Bette Lindsley who were also present at the celebration. They renewed their vows at the Community Reformed Church in Youngsville and then were driven to the firehouse in a horse-drawn buggy with a sign, “Congratulations on your 40th anniversary” on the rear of the buggy.

Former Hortonville Presbyterian Church minister Rev. G. Shubert Frye was among the 47 Americans captured Wednesday by Nicaraguan rebels while traveling by boat up the San Juan River. The 80-year-old man, now a resident of Port Jervis, was among a peace group of 29 activists and 18 reporters that was ordered off the boat over open radio by a group of Contra rebels and taken into custody somewhere in the Nicaraguan jungle.

Norman G. Persbacker, a retired banker in Narrowsburg and Callicoon, died in Mesa, Ariz., on August 4 at the age of 89.

Mr. and Mrs. Thaddeus Nidds of Loch Sheldrake recently attended a meeting of the League of Families of POW/MIAs in Washington, D.C. Their son, Daniel, is among the 2400 unaccounted from the Vietnam War.

Georgia Poley and Brent T. Buckles, both of Monticello, were married June 15 at a ceremony held at King’s Catering House in Livingston Manor. Justice Robert V. Williams officiated.

Town Justice Robert Meyer united in marriage Floyd J. Campfield and Anne Kaczmark, and Steven L. Campfield and Georgia Hansen, at a double ceremony on June 8. A reception was held for the weddings, the graduation of Theresa Campfield, and the retirement of Floyd Campfield Sr., father of the bridegrooms, at The Fiddler’s Three in Lake Huntington.

A check for $700 was presented by the Bingo Committee of the Clarence Hoyt Post No. 9217, VFW, Liberty, bringing their total contributions over the past six years to $5,000.

Dedication of the new Social Security complex on North Street in Monticello is scheduled for August 26. Staff and equipment will set up “housekeeping” on August 12. Thomas Morris is branch manager and Joseph DiRago is office supervisor.

Josie DeSimone-Flynn has been promoted to Assistant Race Secretary at the Monticello Raceway, joining the race secretary at Buffalo Raceway as the only two females to hold a position as such, in any of the seven parimutuel race tracks in New York State. Josie is the wife of John Flynn who also works at the raceway.

30 Years Ago - 1995

DJ Redneck Decker of WVOS in Liberty received the 1995 Tri-State Country Music Association’s DJ of the Year award. WVOS was also voted as the Country Music Radio Station of the Year. The awards were made at the Orange County Fair in  Middletown.

The Dime Bank, with its main office in Honesdale, Pa., has opened a branch office in the village of Damascus, Pa. The new branch will employ nine workers and features the latest in automation equipment to serve its customers.

An intensive collection of memorabilia of the Denman family has been collected over the years by Tom Denman. He was able to share some of the family history at the 200th anniversary of the Denman family settling in the Neversink Valley. The family roots can be traced back to Danish inhabitants of England in the 8th century. About 140 attended the family reunion, held at the Claryville Reformed Church. One of the interesting items on display was a 200-year-old rifle with a paper telling of the history of the firearm up until the 1860s. William Denman was born in Ditchling, England on November  10, 1763 and married Ann Boorman. In search of personal freedom, they set sail for America and landed here July 4, 1795. To commemorate the anniversary, Carol Denman compiled a “Denman Family Cookbook,” which contained a recipe for fork cake, recorded 114 years ago.

A new 8-lane Brunswick bowling alley has been opened at the Villa Roma Country Club in Callicoon. The present wood lanes will most likely be replaced in the spring with new synthetic surfaces.

20 Years Ago - 2005

This year’s Down on the Farm day will be at the Gieger Farm on Likel Road in Jeffersonville, the 25th such day to be held. The event has been held at over 34 farms over the past 24 years, with several farms hosting the event twice. It is designed to help explain modern agriculture, food production and animal care to the consumer public.

The eleventh Annual History of the Catskills Conference will be held at historic Kutsher’s Country Club in Monticello the weekend of August 26-28.

Chief Robert Ross and Walking Bear are sponsoring the second Annual Pow-Wow in Callicoon this Friday through Sunday at the Delaware Youth Center. This year’s activities will include Joseph Firecrow, winner of the 5th Annual Native American Music Awards.

The Knack family recently gathered at the Hortonville Firehouse to celebrate its 54th family reunion, with 28 people attending. The event is held annually by the descendants of John and Eva Guildt Knack. The oldest person present was Vera Nannery, 88, of Roscoe. The youngest was Christine Ronsini, 15, of Roscoe. The person traveling the farthest was Lazell Petty of Broomfield, Colorado, a distance of 2,000 miles.

10 Years Ago - 2015

Town of Fremont residents are split on the proposed expansion of the Delaware River access in Long Eddy. The Delaware Highlands Conservancy (DHC) stepped in – at the state’s request – to purchase the property and eventually sell it at the same price to the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC). That sale is imminent, indicated DHC Executive Director Sue Currier. But the access’ expansion is not, according to DEC spokesperson Sarah Shepard. The project will have to come before the Fremont Planning Board.

DEATHS: “Bob” Curtis, formerly of Callicoon, the retired owner of Curtis Nurseries in Callicoon, died Wednesday, August 5, 2015. He was the son of the late Valleau C. and Florence Simons Curtis... William E. Trivelpiece Sr., a former schoolteacher of 7th and 8th grade English at Delaware Valley Central School, died Wednesday, August 5, 2015 in North Carolina... “Geri” Gaebel of Youngsville, a retired dancer, dance instructor and homemaker, died Tuesday, July 21, 2015... Eleanor (Specht) Johaneman of Willowemoc died August 8, 2015. The widow of Emil Johaneman, she was born in Acidalia.