140 Years Ago 1886

The picnic of the St. George’s R.C. Church, which was held on the 24th, was a grand success.

Dr. P.M. Gedney, dentist, will remain at the Mansion House in Jeffersonville until September.

130 Years Ago - 1896

A few boarders can be accommodated at L.M. Young’s, Jeffersonville.

Stanley H. Sprague of Livingston Manor had two cows struck and killed by lightning during the heavy storm of August 16th.

Ellen, relict of the late Daniel Sullivan, formerly of Bethel, died at Long Eddy on July 8, after a short illness, aged 85 years. The interment was at Jeffersonville, July 10.

Callicoon, Aug. 22 – The annual prize tournament of the Callicoon Schuetzen Verein took place last Wednesday. First prize of $5 was won by Adam Neumann; second of $4 by William Gilbert; third of $3 by Jacob Neumann; fourth of $2 by George Weyrauch.

It is estimated that 8,000 people attended the clambake at Livingston Manor on August 19th. The bake consisted of 40,000 clams, 1,500 pounds of blue fish, 1,500 pounds of chicken, 3,000 ears of corn and 9 barrels of sweet potatoes. To serve with the bake were ten barrels of bread and 500 watermelons. 4,500 to 4,800 were fed.

Fred Ranft is getting a Dianah bicycle. There is talk of organizing a cycling club here.

William Bollenbach is having extensive repairs and improvements at his grist mill and will have it in first-class trim by September 1st.

Beechwoods will have a fair next spring. It will be held at Kohler’s Grove and prizes will be given for cattle only. Beechwoods used to have fairs in former years.

The latest novelty out is an x-ray machine, by the aid of which a person can see through iron, wood or anything that can be placed in the “machine.” Of course, it is an illusion. Fred Lieb has one of them and is puzzling everyone with it who is not in on it.

School will open September 14.

120 Years Ago - 1906

That pickerel are still very numerous at Swan Lake, Stevensville, was again shown by a fishing party Saturday from the Franklin, composed of August F. Hahne, Mr. Weaver, Philip Betz, Henry School, Frank Neuberger and Franklin H. Neuberger. The catch numbered 102 of which 20 or more weighed at least two pounds each.

Alfred Brueckner, aged 17, of Brooklyn was baptized by Rev. H. Blaschke Sunday at the home of the young man’s sister, Mrs. A.M. Kohler.

Otto W. Meyer has begun excavating for a residence on a lot next to Charles W. Wilfert’s house – a very pleasant site.

Frank T. Scheidell and wife of New York are guests of Val Scheidell.

Miss Kate Huff, daughter of Philip Huff, died of heart dropsy at the home of her parents at Buck Brook, August 13, aged 49 years. Burial took place at North Branch Friday, under the direction of Undertaker Brand with Rev. Muery, the officiating clergyman.

The Delaware Town Board met at the office of the Clerk Fred Schmidt, in this village, Monday to transact town business.

Miss Katherine C. Scheidell is spending the week with Miss Mathilda Medwood of Livingston Manor.

L.A. Huebsch of New York was with his family at Fred Bietz’s over the weekend.

Mrs. Mary Schnitzler, formerly Mrs. Oswald Schleeker of Jeffersonville, died at St. Barnabas Hospital, Newark, July 26, after an illness of two days.

Mrs. Adam Pintler of White Lake died recently, aged 63 years. Her husband and six children survive.

Fred Kitz has sold the Halfway House at Mongaup Valley which was formerly owned by his son-in-law Charles M. Heidt, to Mrs. Dorothy Bayer of New York for $3,700.

110 Years Ago - 1916

The annual school meeting adjourned to last Monday night was again adjourned for another week on account of the yearly budget not being ready for submission.

A terrific rain and wind storm struck the valley of the Callicoon Creek below Jeffersonville yesterday afternoon about 3 o’clock. The great force of the storm centered on the properties of George Wagner and Joseph Welch at the turn of the state road near Kenoza Lake, where gales from the south and east seemed to join in a powerful hurricane of destruction that swept nearly everything before it. Large trees 2 feet in diameter were broken off like pipestems. The Wagner and Welch orchards were almost totally wrecked. Buildings were shattered and roofs blown off. Many apple trees were torn out by the roots.

During the storm, the barn of William Graby Jr. of Hortonville was burned with a pair of  horses, hay and other contents. Electric lights and telephone wires in Jeffersonville and Youngsville went out of business.

A Jeffersonville team composed of C.A. Royce, Andrew Bietz, J. Hoffman, Jerry Schillo and Alan Lieb went to North Branch Monday night and defeated a team there consisting of A. and F. Schmidt, Beck, Hanson and Gottschalk at the Hess Alleys, two games out of three.

Youngsville – Butcher William Wagner lost one of his horses by heat prostration today.

Callicoon Center – Miss Mary A. Weyrauch of New York is spending her vacation with her father, George Weyrauch.

The Schuetzen Verein’s annual public prize shooting and ball held at Steinhauser’s last Wednesday was a great success.

Beechwoods – Mr. and Mrs. Robert Gumbel of Brooklyn are spending two weeks with their grandparents, Henry Gabel and wife.

100 Years Ago - 1926

At the special house meeting held at the schoolhouse last Thursday evening the proposition to raise $4,000 by a bond issue to provide increased school accommodations was carried by a vote of 31 to 11. The new building will be erected as soon as possible. It will be a one-story two-room wooden structure on the site of the old schoolhouse to accommodate the first and third grade pupils.

The will of the late William J. Harding of Callicoon Center was admitted to probate last Thursday by Surrogate Smith. William Deckelman is attorney for the administrator with the will annexed, Harold Harding. Appraisers appointed are Val Hessinger of Callicoon Center and Charles Schmidt of Jeffersonville. The estate amounts to about $250,000, mostly in municipal bonds.

The following members of the Fish and Game Club have posted their lands for the purpose of protecting game and also their farm fences: Arthur Krantz, Charles Reum, M. Lauer, Carl Scott, Frank Fulton, George Brey, Garry Marshall, Fred Long, Bert Long, John Allgeier, Walter Scardefield. The lands are all in the vicinity of Kenoza Lake and Falls Mills.

The Sullivan County Fair will be held at Monticello next week.

The leading item of news today is that the sun is shining.

Attorney Eugene H. Bouton of Livingston Manor has been named by the vacancy committee to run for county judge on the Republican ticket in place of Attorney William G. Birmingham of Liberty, who declined to run.

90 Years Ago - 1936

Nine parents of ten pupils now attending high school at Jeffersonville have protested to the State Commissioner of Education any contract by William Kabat, sole trustee of the Fosterdale District, to transport high school pupils of the Fosterdale District to Narrowsburg. They want these pupils to go to Jeffersonville.

To promote the interest of Kenoza Lake as a summer resort and business center, Wilmot Moulthrop, William C. Fuhrer, Jonas Hescheles, Joseph Kantrowitz, Edna Rosner and Joseph Tonyon have filed incorporation papers for the Kenoza Lake Board of Trade.

The W.P.A. started work last Monday on the new Jeffersonville reservoir, with nine men employed under Jacob T. Menges of Youngsville foreman. Only two local men are employed – William Archibald and Frank Klinger. The force is to be increased next week.

Invitations have been received to the golden wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Victor C. Staib of Brooklyn on September 12 at Ozone Park.

Fred Duttweiler was not seriously injured the other night when a Dahlia car bumped into his bus while he was returning from Liberty. The two young fellows in the other car were injured considerably

Robert H. Metzger, who accompanied a party of friends to Germany, sent postcards from the Bavarian Alps and says that he is enjoying a trip there and thinks it is the nicest spot he has seen  yet in Germany.

The new home of Mr. and Mrs. Vinal Phillips is nearing completion, and makes an attractive addition to that part of the village.

Kenoza Lake – George Raum Jr. has returned from a summer course at Columbia University, and will take his first teaching assignment in the Youngsville School next month.

Youngsville – Mr. and Mrs. John H. Pfeifle are moving from the Segar cottage to one of the apartments over the Ropke store.

80 Years Ago - 1946

Incorporation of more than 60 area farmers as the Sullivan Farmer’s Cooperative Marketing Service, Inc., and their subsequent, purchase of the large John Smith barn and property on Center Street has aroused the interest of Jeffersonville residents. This growing community’s newest enterprise will be a wholesale and retail auction mart, providing a regional outlet for vegetables and livestock produced in the area and at the same time offering consumers an opportunity to purchase  homegrown goods without paying the increased cost normally charged when goods are shipped by regional farmers to distant markets and then reshipped here through middlemen.

The first annual meeting will be held on October 12. The temporary officers are: Merle Schoonmaker of Youngsville, president; William Nestel of Jeffersonville, vice-president; H.E. Burlingame of Jeffersonville, secretary; Raymond Knack of Hortonville, treasurer; Walter Bestenheider of Roscoe; Oscar Grant of Liberty and Henry Schmidt of Jeffersonville, directors.

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur G. Buddenhagen of Fairfield, Conn., formerly of Jeffersonville, have announced the engagement of their daughter, Jeanne Mildred, to Frank L. Bromley Jr. of Bridgeport.

A son, Raymond Michael, was born in New York City on August 10 to Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Stadmuller, the former Alice Ulrich of White Sulphur Springs.

A moral political victory for the still-potent political machine of ex-Congressman Hamilton Fish was chalked up when Katherine St. George defeated August W. Bennett by almost 2,000 votes for the Congressional Republican nomination from the 29th district.

The Jeffersonville Central School will open September 3rd, the day following Labor Day, according to an announcement from Principal E.L. Baker. This year Jeff will have a kindergarten for the first time.

70 Years Ago - 1956

In an automobile accident on Route 52, near Ellenville, Mr. John Sickmiller, his son, Daniel, and Paul Robert Wolfe of Freeport, L.I., who is working on the Sickmiller farm for the summer, were injured and are in Liberty-Loomis Hospital. Fred Vail of Jeffersonville, a passenger in the Sickmiller car, died of a cerebral hemorrhage and shock.

Dr. Jules Flax, dentist, and Hyman C. Levine, attorney moved their offices into the Jeffersonville Pharmacy Building this week.

County Judge Lawrence H. Cooke has been named chairman of a fundraising drive by the Rev. John V. McGavick of St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church in Monticello to raise money for a new convent for the nuns who teach in St. Peter’s School.

Mary Louise VonDeben, daughter of Rev. and Mrs. W.F. VonDeben, pastor of the First Lutheran Church, was married on August 18 to Lester E. Borden, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lester Borden of Liberty. The marriage ceremony was performed by the bride’s father.

In a bad accident on Route 52 near Mathern’s and the Jeff Garage, a car driven by Gail Panza of Riverdale skidded and smashed into the parked cars of Philip Erdman and Arthur Robisch. The Panza car was smashed beyond repair and the Erdman car was wrecked after being thrown 50 feet. A passenger in the car needed 60 stitches to close a gash in her head.

Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Bowen (Shirley Cooper) of Youngsville are the parents of a son, Richard William, and the Rev. and Mrs. Warren Martens of Callicoon, center are also the parents of a boy, Robert Warren, as are Mr. and Mrs Walter Lare (Arlene Elbereth) of Youngsville. Mr. and Mrs. Harold Kespert (Florence Ryan) are parents of a daughter.

Mrs. Katie Danzeisen, a Jeffersonville resident for about 45 years, died at Liberty-Loomis Hospital Saturday at the age of 77.

The Jeffersonville Boosters Baseball team ended their season with six wins and nine losses, defeating the Callicoon Indians on Sunday 5 to 3.

Mrs. Sara M. Gully has been appointed Home Demonstration Agent for Sullivan County. Before coming to Sullivan County two years ago, she helped organize the Home Demonstration Department in Westchester County.

60 Years Ago - 1966

Twin daughters were born July 20 to Mr. and Mrs. Walter Hubert Jr. of Ellenville. Mr. and Mrs. Walter Hubert Sr. of Hankins are the proud paternal grandparents. Mrs. Thomas Schick of Fremont Center is the great-grandmother.

The old Mansion House at Jeffersonville is being torn down. It is over a century old. According to Edgar Potts, Jeffersonville, the Mansion House was converted into a hostelry in 1859.

Jon Flem, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gene Reynolds of Cochecton, has completed 10 weeks of basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C. After a 14-day furlough with his wife, Martha, and his parents, he will return to Fort Jackson for advanced training

Winds of hurricane force whipped through parts of Sullivan County Thursday night causing considerable damage but no personal injury.

From the obituaries: Mrs. Lydia E. Forsblom, 70, of Mileses, died Sunday, August 15, 1966, at the home of her sister in Port Jervis; Caroline Dietz, 79, of Liberty, died Monday, August 15, 1966, in Liberty Maimonides Hospital after a short illness. She was born in the Beechwoods.

A 19-year-old Roscoe girl, who plans to become an airline hostess, hadn’t planned on entering the contest she won at the Roscoe-Rockland Field Day, so said Miss Karen Kingsley on Monday after being named the beauty Queen at that event.

Volunteer Ambulance Corps and First Aid Squads from all over New York State will convene at the Waldemere Hotel in Livingston Manor on September 8 for the four-day, 11th annual convention of that organization.

50 Years Ago - 1976

Jo-An Bowers, 15, of Divine Corners was killed in an automobile accident on Sunday, August 15, when the car she was a passenger in overturned. The driver, Julius Ketz, was charged with driving while intoxicated.

Robert Denman, a native of Livingston Manor, who rose through the ranks of the New York State Police to the second highest post in that law enforcement body, died Sunday, August 15, at the summer home he maintained at Denman Mountain, near his native village. He was 65.

Miss Gertrude Graner, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ludwig Graner of North Branch, and Richard Ashley Burns of New York City, were married in a double-ring ceremony on June 26, in the library of St. Ann’s in Jeffersonville. Father Richard Stevens officiated at the ceremony. The bride is a nuclear medicine consultant at the Memorial-Sloan Kettering Hospital Institute in New York City.

Verne and Gladys Houghtaling were honored on the occasion of their 25th wedding anniversary on July 17. The surprise party was given by their children.

Ginger’s in Long Eddy has a liquor store added to the many other departments which now include a restaurant, country store and a toyland.

40 Years Ago - 1986

Cadet Willow Baum, daughter of Ret. Major Arnold R. and Patricia A. Baum of Callicoon has completed a US Airforce ROTC field training encampment at Plattsburgh Air Force Base. She is a student at Syracuse University where she is a dual major, studying political science and communications management.

After two years of waiting, construction is expected to begin in the next week on a water improvement project for low- and moderate-income families which will include a new underground well and piping that will provide better distribution of water in the village of Jeffersonville. Some 30 homes throughout the village will benefit from the HUD approved improvement. The 107th Little World’s Fair will open in Grahamsville. That is, until 1986 when insurance and vandalism nearly washed away a century old tradition. In January a letter was received from the insurance company saying that the policy might not be renewed. The society found a company that would offer them insurance but at a price. The cost of premiums jumped 104 percent and the increase had to be passed on to fairgoers with an admission now of $3.50 for adults. Children under 12 are admitted free. The charge to concessions was also increased and “the fair will go on.”

It won’t happen until  next year but the State  Department of Transportation announced plans for rebuilding the deteriorated Route 17 Quickway from Parksville to Livingston Manor.

The  Youngsville Kitchens in Youngsville has built a new storage warehouse and garage. They will celebrate their 10th year in business in October.

Carol Denman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Denman, became the bride of Dale Van Denberg, son of Maryon and Don Van Denberg, all of Liberty, at a ceremony performed June 29 at the Liberty Methodist Church.

30 Years Ago - 1996

Early Friday afternoon rains dampened the attendance figures but not the spirit of the opening day of the 117th annual Little World’s Fair.

Sullivan County may have a performing arts center on Sackett Lake someday, but it’s not likely that developer Charles Samberg and impresario Elliott Rosoff will build it.

Details were revealed at a press conference by District Attorney Stephen Lungen regarding what led to the discovery of six decomposing bodies inside the Woodbourne funeral home owned and operated by Lynn D. Sullivan, a licensed funeral home director.

Motorists in the Galilee area were stopped by Pennsylvania State Police Monday in an effort to gather information concerning the shooting death of Charles Gregg, a resident of the hamlet.

Tyler Hill — Leroy Eldred, son of Glenn and Joyce Eldred, is engaged to be married to Crystal Meeks, daughter of Bill and Margaret Meeks of Southaven, Miss.

A man referred to in his community as “Mr. Narrowsburg,” C. Fred Tegeler, former Town of Tusten supervisor, died Thursday, August 15, 1996 at Wayne Memorial Hospital, Honesdale, Pa. He was 73 years of age. The son of C.L. and Mary Vail Tegeler, he was born in Damascus, Pa.

The Catskill Cougars swept four games from the host Welland Aqua Ducks to take over the second and last playoff spot in the North Atlantic Baseball League.

Callicoon native and 1959 graduate of JYCS Don Tegeler can be heard on “Sports Corner,” which originates in the Hollywood studios of the Cable Radio Network. Tegeler has hosted the show since 1991.

20 Years Ago - 2006

Sullivan County Democrat Publisher Fred Stabbert III is pleased to welcome a familiar face back to the pages and hallways of the 115-year-old newspaper. Frank Rizzo, sports editor of the Democrat from 1991 to 2001, has returned to helm the paper as editor, said Stabbert.

Allison and Jose Morales of White Sulphur Springs are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Madison Natalia, born June 4, 2006.

Paul and Peggy LeRoy of Liberty announce the birth of their first grandchild, Jon Patrick Fenton of Charlotte, N.C. He was born June 29, 3006.

Cathleen Myrick and Robert Nellums of Liberty announce the birth of a daughter, Jasmine Tiara Myrick, born July 27, 2006.

With construction of the new addition to the Wayne County Historical Society’s museum, the 13,600-pound block of coal which has been on display at the site since the days of the gravity railroad had to be moved. The coal came from the Marvine Mine of the Hudson Coal Co. Mined in 1882 by William Jenkins, it came to Honesdale on the D&H Gravity Railroad on a flat bottom car and was placed outside the Delaware & Hudson Canal Co. office. When the D&H building became the Wayne County Historical Society’s museum, the coal remained. It was moved indoors in 1996 to prevent further deterioration. The latest move was carefully planned by WCHS Buildings and Grounds Chair and Project Manager Harry “Skip” Hillier and a team from Grimm Construction. The coal was finally dropped into its slot at 3 p.m., having started its journey at 6:30 a.m. on August 8.

10 Years Ago - 2016

Dean, an abused Rottweiler, came to the full Legislature meeting to watch his law adopted into existence. Now adopted himself into a caring family, Dean was welcomed inside the Government Center in Monticello, where he enthusiastically greeted affectionate fans. The Legislature enacted a registry that would disallow convicted animal abusers of owning or buying another pet.

Grammy Award nominee Gavin DeGraw, born and raised in South Fallsburg, will be coming home to play Bethel Woods. DeGraw is kicking off a national tour to support his new album, Something Worth Saving. Andy Grammer of Chester will open the show. (Editor’s note: Andy Grammer’s musical roots stem from his father: “Red” Grammer had a solo career writing and performing children’s songs, and he also sang tenor with the Limeliters.)

Emily Nebzydoski, MD, board-eligible pediatrician, has joined the staff of providers at the Highland Physicians Family Health Center in Honesdale. A native of Jeffersonville, with family ties in Pleasant Mount, Pa., Nebzydoski received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Scranton, thus becoming the 15th member of her family to become an alumnus of the local school.