110 Years Ago - 1912

Saturday was a record breaker in Cochecton when city boarders arrived with every train loaded. It is said that nearly 400 people arrived, for different locations.

Robert S. Pelton of Monticello has just received a patent on an automobile brake and differential. It is said by experts to be just the finest appliance in the automobile field. He employs brake levers so that either wheel may be locked when it is desired to prevent it from slipping in the mud. The propulsive effect of the motor being in such cases applied to the other wheel.

 Burglars broke into the hotel of George Buddenhagen in Hortonville Tuesday night and secured the tools with which they pried open the rear doors of the William Gardner store and attempted to blow open the safe. Their efforts were futile and they only secured a couple of watches for their trouble, together with a small amount of change.

The surveyors of the proposed state road which follows the old Honesdale and Equinunk highway passed through Lookout last week.

100 Years Ago - 1922

Shortly after two o’clock Sunday afternoon, a fire that started by spontaneous combustion in a large hay mow swept the farmstead of Paul L. Hartmann of East Cochecton, destroying every building excepting two distant sheds. The burned structures included a large dairy barn, the fine dwelling, hen house, brooder house, pig sty and ice house, together with two spring pigs, 200 yearling hens and 140 pullets. Mr. Hartmann estimated his loss at $12,000, covered by $3,000 insurance.

Ross Baldwin, acknowledged as the champion butter maker of western Sullivan County, has just completed the refitting of his cooler with a 2” pipe. This leads from a mountain spring and circulating water constantly through his cooler keeps the temperature as low as though it were an iced refrigerator. Mr. Baldwin’s daily output at present is 400 pounds.

The citizens of Heirsville protest against changing the name of Cochecton and are ready to sign petitions against the move. There has been talk of renaming the historically named town to Lake Huntington because of the popularity of that summer resort. Cochecton got its name from the Indian name Cushetunk.

William “Bumper” Doetsch is passing around cigars. He is the proud father of a 9-pound son born in Binghamton last Sunday.

Mr. and Mrs. Walter Lillie of Narrowsburg are rejoicing over the birth of an 11-pound girl, in Narrowsburg.

90 Years Ago - 1932

At the annual meeting of Union Free School District No. 1, Town of Delaware, held last evening, about 45 qualified voters were present to re-elect H.C. Persbacker and William H. Nudorf to the Board of Education. The addition to the school, 35’ by 60’, will be erected to the rear of the present structure. It will be a frame building, one story, on a level with the second floor of the school proper and will be used chiefly as a room for physical training exercises, music and athletic events. On the north end a 26’x16’ stage will be built on and two additional rooms, 12’x17’, will be built to be used for locker and shower rooms. Work will be started immediately and should be finished about October 15.

At the Callicoon Hospital, it was a son, Richard Charles, to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Newman of Callicoon Center, August 1.

Nearing and Dirig of Long Eddy have remodeled and redecorated their entire store. They have been in business over 27 years.

The tennis courts of the Delaware A.A. Field have been completed and are ready for play. Included in the rules are: no one allowed on the courts unless wearing shoes with rubber soles and no heels; charge of 25¢ per hour; players limited to use of courts for one hour unless no one is waiting to use them; members of the club have privilege of extending use of courts to members of their immediate family, at a charge of 15¢ per hour, extra. A deposit of $1 will be required for keys to the courts, to be returned upon receipt of the returned keys.

80 Years Ago - 1942

Twenty-five new soldiers will come from the Delaware Valley section in this latest draft call, including Raymond C. Meyer, Francis J. O’Donnell and Frederick J. Meyers of Eldred; Clarence Wearry, Clinton C. Stadler and William Meckle of Narrowsburg; George E. Raum and Clarence Rosener, Kenoza Lake; John F. Wolf, Obernburg; Paul W. Hermann and Donald Krantz, Callicoon; Everett E. Martin and Jos. I. Drake, Cochecton Center; Louis E. Lilholt and Harold Buddenhagen, Beaver Brook; Milton L. Frey and Elmer A. Getz, Glen Spey; Francis E. Mailett, Pond Eddy; Frederick E. Lauerder, Thompsonville; Frank Jirinec Jr., Lake Huntington; John N. Essmann, Fosterdale; Clifford M. Hulse of Barryville and Ralph D. LaPolt, White Lake. Among those in Wayne County are Bernard M. Kamber, Tyler Hill; James A. Baker, Damascus; Louis M. Frey, Narrowsburg; Carl A. Ryder, Seeleyville; Lee Harrison Jr. and George H. Snyder, Equinunk.

Mrs. Barbara Hook celebrated her 98th birthday July 20 at the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. John B. McCullagh in Acidalia.

At least five of a squadron of privately owned airplanes that left Long Island Monday for Livingston Manor were forced down by darkness over various parts of the Orange-Sullivan area Monday night and gave air raid observers the jitters.

Born to Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Haase of Narrowsburg, a son, Frederick John, Saturday a.m.; Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Casse are the parents of a daughter, Carol Grace, born Sunday a.m.; Mr. and Mrs. George Grey Jr. are the parents of a son, born Wednesday; a son was born Thursday to Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Worzel of Barryville.

Mr. and Mrs. Berton Rolson of Hankins announce the birth of a daughter, Boneta Elnora, on July 29.

In respect to the war effort, the Wayne County Agriculture Society voted not to hold the 80th annual fair this season.

A son, John Howard, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Howard A. Stewart of Hunter on July 31. Mr. and Mrs. Stewart are natives of North Branch.

Betty Faith Huff of Hawley, Pa., and Maynard O. Freiermuth of Milanville, Pa., were married August 1, in Hawley, Pa.

Marion E. Vantran of Livingston Manor was married Saturday to Carl William Batkay of New York.

70 Years Ago - 1952

Miss Florrine Bauernfeind became the bride of Herbert Bauernfeind at a ceremony which took place at the North Branch Methodist Church on Sunday afternoon.

Announcement has been made of the engagement of Miss Shirley Brown to Richard VonBergen, both of Jeffersonville.

Mr. and Mrs. Earl Fulton of Kenoza Lake have announced the engagement of their daughter, Margaret, to Allen Sommer of North Branch.

Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Jay of Cochecton Center are the parents of a son, born July 31; it was a son to Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Barnhart of Roscoe on August 3; a son to Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Backlund of Hankins on August 5. Daughters were born to Mr. and Mrs. August Diehl of Damascus, Pa., on August 6, and to Mr. and Mrs. Harry Haas of Eldred on August 4.

None of the eight air observation posts in Sullivan County are being operated on a 24-hour basis and only three of them on a part-time basis, it was disclosed today. Queried as to the lack of men for the posts in Sullivan County, Lieut. Col. Broner declared that not enough people were asking residents of the various communities to participate. He explained that all posts in the state were to go on 24-hour duty July 14.

60 Years Ago - 1962

At the dedication of the new interstate Delaware River bridge at Callicoon, August 1, honored guests included Frederick W.V. Schadt, Special County Judge of Sullivan County; Arthur Wall, Wayne County Representative in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives; William Bright, president of the AAA Motor Club of Northeastern Pennsylvania; William Scott, Pennsylvania State Senator; Joseph Frederick of the New York State Department of Public Works; Valleau C. Curtis, Town of Delaware Historian; Robert Riley, District Engineer of the Pennsylvania State Department of Highways; John Eschenberg, supervisor of the Town of Delaware; Benjamin Newberg, Sullivan County Judge; James Rutherford, County Judge of Wayne County; Stephen J. Lesko of the Binghamton Bridge and Foundation Co.; Clarence Bodie, retired Wayne County Judge; Hon. Justice Sydney F. Foster of the New York State Court of Appeals; and Edward “Slim” Welsh, job superintendent.

Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur A. Simon observed their 25th wedding anniversary at the Ladies Aid Hall in Fremont on July 25.

The 12 bulk feed tanks that the Cochecton-Callicoon G.L.F. Co-op is erecting east of Callicoon are ready to be placed on their supports. Each tank will hold 30 tons of feed.

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Schrumpf of Callicoon Center have announced the engagement of their daughter, Karen, to George H. Labouseur, son of Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Labouseur of Liberty. A fall wedding is planned.

James R. Hahl, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hahl of North Branch, has enlisted in the Marine Corps and is presently undergoing training at Parris Island, S.C.

At the Callicoon Hospital it was a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. John Dicks of Callicoon on Saturday; a son, Monday, to Mr. and Mrs. William Schultz of Callicoon. Mr. and Mrs. William Calkin became parents of a boy at Liberty-Loomis Hospital on July 5. Mrs. Margaret Calkin of Lake Huntington is the proud grandma.

Charles Lockwood, 50, of Lookout, Pa., was killed instantly on August 1 when struck on the head by a falling tree on the land of Milton Klein on Delaware Ave., Callicoon, Pa. side.

50 years ago - 1972

One of the living landmarks of Western Sullivan County, the luxuriate and awesome beard of Sydney Peters of Hortonville, went by the wayside when “Syd” made a bet and lost. He wagered Joey Freda of Callicoon that Peters’ prowess was such that he would rank higher at the end of the 25-mile Amateur Race than Freda would at the end of the 15-mile race in the 5th annual Upper Delaware Canoe Regatta. Freda came in 9th, Syd was 10th. Mrs. Marion Roche performed the operation.

Amy, Anna and Peter Andersen of Long Eddy participated in the 25th Annual Farmers’ Museum Show at Cooperstown, July 24-26.  Amy’s registered Polled Hereford Heifer AMF-CDG Gertrude 3 was selected first place heifer in her class and also Champion heifer of all breeds. She also won Reserve Champion with her heifer AMF Golden Sweetpea. Peter placed third with his Hereford heifer, AMF Gem, and third with his steer. Anna placed fifth and sixth with her heifer and steer.

The Upper Delaware Ambulance Corps received a new emergency vehicle this week which is built on a Pontiac chassis, furnished by Roche’s Garage.

Patti Manzolillo of North Branch was chosen Regatta Queen. Included in the judges were Sheriff Joseph Wasser, New York Knickerbocker Captain Willis Reed, Irwin Brotman, vice president of Ross Industries of Liberty, and Mrs. Selma Field, Monticello publicist.

Mr. and Mrs. Wilmer Sipple of Roscoe have announced the engagement of their daughter, Karen, to George Crane of Willington, England. An August wedding is planned.

Seems to be the season for trout. Pat Musso of Long Eddy had a fine catch ranging from 20 inches to eleven inches in length, caught on wet flies near his home. Timothy Robisch of Tarrytown accounted for six speckled beauties on July 23, the largest measuring 23 inches and the smallest 12 inches in length, all caught in the local area. Mrs. Ruth Brockner of North Branch, fishing off Rhode Island, is exhibiting a 44 pound cod. A considerable amount of luck went into the catch, Ruth says, as she spent most of the day in the cabin with a severe case of seasickness.

40 Years Ago - 1982

Maxwell Chayat, a resident of Forestburgh and an artist of world distinction, died Thursday in Englewood, N.J. He was 74. He was slated to have a showing of his work in the Sullivan County Cultural Center in October.

The new Thunderbolt Watercoaster at Carousel Park in Beach Lake, Pa., is now in operation and attracting a lot of attention.

Arthur Schubert of Monticello is a Civil War Collector and historian. He has produced the follwing information about Pvt. Thomas D. Collins, a Medal of Honor winner: He served with Co. H 143rd New York Volunteer Infantry and was awarded his medal while the 143rd Inf. was with Gen Booker 20th Corps, 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, the Red Star Corps, commanded by Gen. Williams.

Burning of a $250,000 mortgage was celebrated by the Congregation Ahavath Israel Synagogue in Liberty on Sunday.

April Brafman, daughter of Monis and Sylvia Brafman of Monticello, was a third runner-up in the Miss Orange County Fair 1982 contest held recently at the fair.

Final plans have been made for the August 15th French Woods Community Church Homecoming Day.

Rollie Nearing of Lake Huntington caught a 32-inch eel out of the lake recently.

Deer party permits for the 1982 hunting season have been increased 42 percent with an increase of more than 7,000 permits being available in Sullivan County. In Unit 51, 13,180 permits will be available and in Unit 52 there will be 6,640 permits.

30 Years Ago - 1992

The would-be operator of a television station in Sulivan County will make one more attempt to gain the required zoning chnage that could make the station a reality, his lawyer announced this week. Monticello attorney Martin Miller told the Village of Monticello Board that his client, John Mester of White Lake, must set up a transmission tower for Channel 27 in Monticello within the next six months or lose the permit he has been granted by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission). A group of local residents successfully fought the construction of the television tower in 1990.

Now a cultural center and town office building, the old Glen Spey school was celebrated Sunday afternoon for the 125 years of education it has provided for the residents of the town of Lumberland. The event was organized by Lumberland town historian Frank Schwarz, who led the campaign to restore and preserve the Victorian schoolhouse.

20 Years Ago - 2002

Ralph Meyer of Tamarac, Fla., a former longtime resident of Monticello and former Town of Thompson Supervisor with 18 years of service, died Sunday, August 4 in Florida. He was 88.

In June of 2000, when the Monticello Fire Department celebrated their 135th anniversary, they also invited a large group of German firemen to their big parade. These firemen came from towns and cities in Germany where Monticello Fireman Henry “Hank” Good had made friends during his travels with his truck, years earlier. The biggest group of firemen came from the northwestern German port city of Emden, in the part of Germany called Ost Friesland, on the coast of the North Sea. Their intention was to reciprocate and have the Monticello firemen come to visit them, but after the events of September 11, 2001, few were willing to fly to foreign destinations. But Monticello Fireman Hank Good, who had to go to Germany on other personal matters, got permission to take his fireman’s uniform and represent the Monticello Fire Department in Emden. Henry spent 10 days in Emden as the guest of the Emden firemen and their families.

The first-ever Latin-American Festival is moving along at a steady pace. The event is scheduled for Saturday, August 10 at deHoyos Park in Monticello.

The 22nd Rouff Family Reunion was celebrated at the home of Loretta Engelmann in Bethel on July 20. The eldest member present was Dorothy Zane of Roscoe, 86. The youngest was Connor Covart, 18 days, of Salorsburg, Pa. 

For the second consecutive year, the team of Gregg Semenetz and Bill Phillips won the Sullivan County Democrat Golf Tournmant Sunday afternoon at the Villa Roma Country Club. 

10 Years Ago - 2012

After a seven-year absence, the Jeff Jamboree returned to Lions Field on Saturday none the worse for the interruption. An estimated 1,000 visitors and the Jeffersonville area community showed its support for the fest, sponsored by the Jeff Area Chamber of Commerce, with over 60 vendors on hand.

The Town of Cochecton held a ceremony to commemorate the new flagpole at its new town hall in Lake Huntington, and as usual, Robert Beatley came through with the appropriate flag. The resident of nearby Smales Rd., a retired 20-year veteran of the NYC Fire Department, had already donated his father William’s burial flag to the Lake Huntington Fire Company when it opened its new headquarters a stone’s throw away. William had served in both the Army and Navy, and was a WWII vet. Robert, a Navy (1958-62) veteran and crewmember of the USS Intrepid of NYC museum fame, possessed his aunt Florence’s burial flag from her interment at Arlington National Cemetery. She had served in the Navy during WWII. “It was much too big for our residence,” he said of the flag, and told town Supervisor Gary Maas he would donate it for the new town hall.