110 Years Ago - 1911

H.B. Mingle of the firm of Mingle & Ward, attorneys of 165 Broadway, New York representing the estate of Archer Brown, who in his lifetime financed the Liberty and Jeffersonville railroad project, was in Liberty Monday looking at the advisability of building the road. He finds it will cost from $150,000 to $200,000 to build and equip the road, but that it will probably not exceed the $150,000. During the past few weeks, civil engineers have gone over the route and Mr. Mingle has employed experts in railroad construction to ascertain the probable amount of business the railroad would handle.— Liberty Gazette.

Louis King, a retired businessman of New York City, and a relative of E.F. King, postmaster at Acidalia, has for some years spent his summers at that place, and he is now arranging to build a large summer resort at Acidalia. It will be a miniature of the palace of the old kings of the Hawaii Islands of Honolulu. His father, Capt. King of the U.S. Navy, spent some years in Hono­lulu before it became a part of the United States, in the days when kings and queens held court in the old palace at Hono­lulu. — Watchman.

The new National Bank of Liberty opened its doors for business at nine o’clock yesterday morning.

Philip Gottschalk of Hankins now wears a broad smile. It’s a boy and has come to stay.

On Saturday, Harry Hill purchased the interest of his partner, Louis Marold, in the Western House Livery and will hereafter conduct the same alone.

Considerable agitation is being aroused along the Delaware River by the pollution of that stream by the creameries which are engaged in the manufacture of casein and empty the refuse into the river, causing the fish to be poisoned and either killing them or making them unfit for eating. In the manufacture of casein about one pint of nitric or muratic acid is used in every 1,000 pounds of milk to produce the curd. This is carried off into the refuse and causes all the trouble.

Gould Lumber Co. of Long Eddy has disposed of most of their stock of store goods to H.W. McKoon.

A surprise wedding took place in Cochecton on Monday evening, July 10, when Mr. Clayton Gaffit, former baggage master here, but now stationed at Hickory Grove, was united in marriage to Miss Carrie Reilly of this place. After receiving the congratulations of the family, they drove to Callicoon and took No. 3 for Susquehanna and from thence to Hickory Grove. We wish them much joy and a prosperous journey through life.

On Thursday morning of last week, the stork paid Mr. and Mrs. Edward Manny of Jeffersonville a visit and left a baby girl.

John Lauferswiler, a former Jeffersonville boy and son of shoemaker Laufersweiler, met with the misfortune of losing his home by fire last week in Monticello. It was reported there was no insurance.

100 Years Ago - 1921

Mrs. R. Schwinke caught a 6 1/2 lb. bass in Hust’s pond the other day. She will have it mounted. — Kenoza Lake Corresp.

The body of Wm. Brinkman arrived here from France Thursday and immediate preparations were made for a military funeral. Mr. Stalker, our RFD carrier, who was a member of the American Expeditionary Forces and saw service in France, took up the matter with the American Legion Post at Liberty. Sunday afternoon, 32 of its members arrived and were joined by local veterans. After the funeral, the Legionnaires marched to Miller’s restaurant, stacked their arms and ate supper served by Mr. Rasmussen. Leslie Pethick, who suffered wounds on the Argonne offensive and died October 13, 1918, in a hospital in France, will be buried in the M.E. Cemetery at Damascus on July 28. The body arrived from overseas on Thursday.

Theo. Weber of Hankins, who has been in the Deerpark Sanitarium at Port Jervis since late April when he was taken there for treatment for a crushed leg and ankle, underwent an operation last week. Two inches of bone were removed from his right ankle which was crushed by a falling stone derrick.

State troopers have confiscated a moonshine outfit that is reported to have been doing a flourishing business about Long Eddy. The tip was given by a woman. Under surveillance for several months, the place was vacated when the troops swooped down upon the place, and as yet the operators have not been located.

The Presbyterian Church Fair at Monticello netted $490. A bedspread over 100 years old brought $52.

At a special meeting of the Callicoon Co-Operative Dairy Association Saturday to vote on joining the Dairymen’s League pool, no decision was attained.

90 Years Ago - 1931

Mrs. Wm. Kinne of Cooks Falls and her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Charlotte Kinne of Delhi left for New York last week for a trip to Europe. While there they will visit the grave of Lieut. Fred N. Kinne who was killed in action during World War I. The younger Mrs. Kinne will continue on a trip to England and Dublin, Ireland, to visit friends before returning home. The elder Mrs. Kinne will return home with a group of Gold Star Mothers with whom they sailed.

George Westerveld of Kenoza Lake had the misfortune to lose his barn twice this year. In May, a bolt of lightning ignited the first barn and it was burned to the ground. It is thought that an explosion occurred from the spontaneous combustion of improperly cured hay.

Charles Waldron had an auto accident on the top of Carr’s hill at the Basket Wednesday. No one was injured but both cars involved were badly damaged.

Otto Hillig has sold his trans-Atlantic plane “Liberty” to Mrs. Umberto Loffredo of Buffalo. She intends making a non-stop flight to Rome, Italy, with the craft in the near future. Otto will receive $24,000 for the ship.

David Barnes of Narrowsburg has succeeded in collecting one of the finest and most interesting collections of Indian relics ever seen outside of a museum and practically every item was found in the Delaware Valley. Mr. Barnes himself has found many specimens and has secured others from his friends. One of the valuable pieces was found while digging on the Barnes’ lawn. When the house was being remodeled, some digging had been done and about 4 or 5 feet under the surface of the grounds, a perfect specimen of a stone knife was found. The site of the Barnes’ home was where the first house in Narrowsburg was built and perhaps some of the early residents may have been responsible for it being at this particular place. The collection is made up of nearly 300 pieces and consists of corn grinders, spear heads, tomahawks, ornaments, fragments of pottery and net sinkers as well as many other items.

The Callicoon Center Volunteer Fire Department is the proud possessor of a new Ward LaFrance fire truck with a 350 gallon pumper. Chief Schuler has them trained to make a hook-up and shoot water in 55 seconds.

Plans are being completed for the first of the buildings to be erected under the seven year program adopted by the Legislature last year for the development of the state-owned spa at Saratoga Springs. An $800,000 Hall of Springs, a $400,000 research laboratory and $100,000 for remodeling the Washington Baths have just been approved by the Saratoga Springs Commission.

Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Jones and son of Binghamton spent a night last week at the home of E. Oestrich in Fernwood. En route home they killed a rattlesnake 4 feet in length. The snake was killed between the schoolhouse and Fernwood. D. Crowley of Long Eddy killed a large rattlesnake last week near his home, a very short distance from the place where he killed a large snake a week ago Sunday.

80 Years Ago - 1941

At the Callicoon Hospital, it was a baby girl, July 25, to Mr. and Mrs. Edward Mullen of Narrowsburg; a baby girl, July 26, to Mr. and Mrs. Orvis Whitmore of Callicoon; a baby girl, July 25, to Mr. and Mrs. George Kellam of Tyler Hill.

In a letter from George Brustman, he informs the editor that he is stationed in a field bakery at Fort Dix and is baking bread for the 44th Division which is on maneuvers down in Virginia. He says he could write a book when he leaves the Army.

Warren McClure has completed his schooling at the Ground School for Aviation at Elmira and he is spending a vacation at the home of his parents, Rev. and Mrs. C.W. McClure, before going to work in an airplane factory.

Callicoon hit one of its high spots when honor was brought it by having it mentioned over the Breakfast Club in Chicago Saturday morning. Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Maurer got front seats and Don McNeil announced them over the radio and gave Callicoon as their home town. The Maurers are on their honeymoon.

George DeLap, former hotel owner in Kenoza Lake, died July 28 at the Grasslands Hospital.

The equivalent of three barrels of scrap aluminum was generously given by the community of Cochecton at the scrap depot at Chas. Dermody’s garage and in turn passed over to Steve Wormuth of Lake Huntington, local chairman for four towns. Many thanks from your Uncle Sam.

Mrs. Harold Rutledge of Rutledgedale is spending a few days in New York having gone to attend the wedding of her brother, James Flynn, and Eleanor Whitleigh, both of New York City. The ceremony took place July 28.

The Board of Education in Narrowsburg has hired William B. Brophy of Oneonta and Walter Daniels of Sag Harbor to replace two teachers who have been drafted. They will replace James C. Vanderpoel and Edward J. Hulihan.

In June, L. Gardner Haggert, 27, music supervisor at the Jeffersonville Central School, died in a Syracuse hospital after an appendicitis operation. He is survived by his widow and two infant children. Mrs. Haggert has been appointed to fill the position vacated by her husband’s death.

70 Years Ago - 1951

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Manouse of Callicoon announce the engagement of their daughter, Helen Irene, to Allan S. Robbins of White Plains. No date has been set for the wedding.

Miss Gladys Victoria Mitterwager, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Mitterwager, Callicoon, became the bride of Verne Thomas Houghtaling of Pine Mill in a ceremony performed July 21 at the Callicoon Methodist Parsonage.

At the Callicoon Hospital, it was a son to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Teeple of Lookout, PA. July 19; a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Boyle of Callicoon and a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Barnes of Roscoe, on July 23.

Miss Frances McNeely was given a party on the hospital lawn last evening to celebrate her 20th anniversary as owner and operator of Hamilton Avenue Hospital in Monticello. Thirty-five attended.

Lieut. John Swords of the Marine Corps and Sgt. Richard Anderson of the Army, both recently returned from Korea, were guests of the Callicoon Kiwanis Club at their Tuesday night meeting at the Olympia Hotel.

Mrs. Betty Cohn, Brooklyn’s swimming grandmother who will have a try at swimming the English Channel, spent some time last year at a White Lake hotel at which time she declared her pleasure on swimming in the lake. She left Wednesday for London and will probably try the Channel swim next month.

Work is progressing on the new hospital at Loomis Village. Opening of the institution has been postponed from the first to the 15th of August. A corporation of doctors has been formed to operate the hospital, headed by Dr. Luther Grant and will include doctors Aquilla and Louis Denman, of Livingston Manor, Joseph Grund of Liberty and Elizabeth Vournos of Liberty. The new hospital will have approximately 60 beds.

The annual Bauernfeind reunion was held at the home of Joseph Bauernfeind near Hortonville on Sunday with 55 people present.

It is expected that contracts will be let this fall for a four-lane by-pass of Liberty, leaving the present Route 17 near Gerow’s service station at Ferndale and follow the course of the O&W tracks about Young’s Gap and connected with the Parksville bypass now under construction. The new road will be 6 1/2 miles long and will probably not be completed until the summer or fall of 1953.

60 Years Ago - 1961

County Judge Lawrence H. Cooke cut the ribbon officially opening the new roller skating rink at Fun Fare in Harris on Saturday night.

The Callicoon post office will move into the Kelly Building the weekend of August 5th. The building now housing the post office will be torn down to make room for the new interstate bridge which is being built, work to begin in early August.

Miss Shirley Milk, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lester Milk of Goulds, has been promoted to head nurse in Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

Herbert Hughes of Goulds received a shaking up during the electrical storm Monday morning when lightning struck nearby as he was working in the garage. The family feels that the lightning rods on the building prevented severe damage.

The 2nd annual horse show of the Kiwanis Club will be held at the Delaware Youth Center Field in Callicoon on Sunday.

A son was born Monday to Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Yates of Tyler Hill, PA., at the Callicoon Hospital.

The contract for the Livingston Manor bypass may be let in late summer or early fall, according to one authority.

Mrs. Sara Curry Bonnell, one of Sullivan County’s oldest residents, died July 20 at the Sullivan County Infirmary, at the age of 101.

50 years ago - 1971

Sydney Peters Jr. and Leo Rosenberger Jr. made a fine showing as they placed 4th in the 25-mile race for standard canoes from Hancock to Callicoon in the 4th annual Upper Delaware Canoe Regatta on July 25. They were sponsored by Autumn Inn of Callicoon.

The Pea Brook School Kids reunion, held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence C. Zurn Jr. on July 20, was a success. The one traveling farthest was Mrs. Helena McCarty Callahan from Arizona. The oldest one attending was Silas Tompkins, 91.

Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Runkle of Damascus, PA., are the parents of a baby boy born July 24 at Wayne Memorial Hospital in Honesdale.

Miss Jan Lewis was chosen Queen of the Upper Delaware Canoe Regatta Friday night, July 23. Runners-up were Miss Patricia Glassel, also of Callicoon, and Miss Joan Rider of Roscoe. Portions of the canoe regatta were seen on the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. news on Channel 2 that evening. Arrangements for this were made by Ben Kaplan of the county Publicity and Tourism Bureau.

On July 21, members and friends were honored at a picnic supper with Arthur Philip Knack as the guest of honor. He had just completed 50 years of service with the Curtis Nurseries, Inc. Elton Hughes was also honored for 20 years of service to the company. He has just recently returned from working in Connecticut for several years.

Harold Diamond of Wurtsboro has been elected to his third one-year term as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Sullivan County Community College.

At the Liberty-Loomis Hospital it was a boy to Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Bowers of Roscoe, July 16; a boy to Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Jersey of Livingston Manor on July 19; a girl to Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Morrs of Livingston Manor, July 19; a girl to Mr. and Mrs. Michael DeJesus of Liberty, July 20; and a girl, June 22, to Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Nober of Cochecton.

40 Years Ago - 1981

Brian Ingber, the chairman of the Sullivan County Board of Supervisors, said Monday that he would support plans for Community General Hospital to operate a skilled nursing home in place of an expanded county-operated infirmary. The hospital is waiting for completion of a feasibility study concerning a nursing home in Harris. A hospital spokesman said that study should be completed shortly. (Mr. Ingber and his wife, Linda, became parents of their second son, Noah Benjamin, on July 26.)

Rock Hill Fire Department celebrated the 25th anniversary of the founding of the company, July 1, 1956, with more than 1,000 participating in a parade and other activities to commemorate the occasion. The Monticello Fire Department won the Blue Ribbon trophy.

Mr. and Mrs. Winfred Kinch of Monticello celebrated their golden anniversary a bit early. They are in Florida by the time the actual date comes around.

Diane C. Reinshagen and “Red” Edwards were married at the home of the bride’s parents in Liberty on May 2... Jo Flax and John Bernhardt were married on June 27 at King’s Catering House in Livingston Manor.

30 Years Ago - 1991

Bob, Gary and Jimmy Slater, owners, and Dave Weiner, an employee, are pleased with the mural being painted on their garage in Woodridge. A rendition of an old Ontario and Western railway locomotive steaming into town is one of many murals with an historic flavor planned for the village.

Severe storms hit Sullivan County Tuesday leaving power lines down and roads blocked for hours before work crews could restore power and clear roadways of debris. Two pine trees on Katrina Falls Road in Rock Hill, which took the brunt of the storm, blocked traffic for about two hours. The storm left about 8,100 customers without electricity, much of which was restored by midnight. According to County Agriculture Agent Alan White, rainfall in Sullivan County is down 38 percent from average since January and 80 percent during June and July.

Local officials and residents met to break ground for the new senior citizen center in Bethel which is scheduled to open in the fall.

20 Years Ago - 2001

After ten days and 2,300 miles of racing, Sarah Highhouse of Callicoon drove Messiah College’s solar-powered car across the finish line of the American Solar Challenge on Wednesday. Highhouse, who was among the group of engineers responsible for the car’s design and construction, piloted her team to a 13th place finish out of 30 qualified competitors. Though “Team Genesis” may not have taken home the victory, they did manage to earn top technical honors. Race officials reported that Genesis’ solar array was the most powerful of any in the race, operating at an efficiency rate eleven percent higher than the average competitor. This, along with the team’s radical new lithium-ion polymer battery, was enough to earn them the “Technical Innovation Award.”

Dedication ceremonies were held July 14 at the Beatrice Brender Memorial Woodland Wildings Garden at Community General Hospital in Harris. Two new sections of the garden were opened, the Butterfly Garden and the Mildred Cooper Memorial Garden, as well as trees, shrubs and flowers planted in memory of loved ones.

Dale and Rebecca Hess became parents of a baby girl, Emma Rose, at Wayne Memorial Hospital in Honesdale, PA. recently. Verna and Roger Hess are the proud grandparents. — Callicoon Corresp.

10 Years Ago - 2011

The Liberty Middle School Seventh-Eighth Grade Band and Jazz Ensemble recently traveled to Albany to perform in the Empire State Plaza’s South Concourse Lobby as part of “Music in our Schools Month” which is sponsored by the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA). After the concert, the students and chaperones toured the New York State Capitol and New York State Museum.

Seventeen year-old Tri-Valley Central School Junior Ariana Kaminski not only recently won the Teen division of the 2011 finals of the International Prince and Princess Pageant at Stamford, CT, but earlier this month at SUNY Cobleskill she was nominated and elected to serve a one-year term as Secretary of the New York State FFA (formerly Future Farmers of America).

Liberty Central School senior Jessica Dunnigan won the girls’ 100-meter dash and 200-meter run to lead a host of Sullivan County athletes who had outstanding performances at the 2011 Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association (OCIAA) Track and Field championships.

In a pointed press release to the Town of Bethel, Bethel property owner Jeryl Abramson announced that she and husband Roy have “canceled everything” in regards to their planned events and camping permits.