130 Years Ago - 1895

This town is full of wedding rumors and it makes me feel like I wanted to be married some more times. I think these wedding dinners and suppers agree with me. 

But about the rumor: One is that Gus Schmidt will lead Miss Rose Ebert to the altar on the 27th of this month, and another is that another certain young man of the same name– and I may add that he supplies meat to our people – is liable to do something of the same nature almost any time. The coming marriage of James Doughty of Liberty and Miss Lizzie Brand of Hurd was announced at St. George’s Church last Sunday.

120 Years Ago - 1905

The German Presbyterian Church of Jeffersonville, in connection with the Thanksgiving service this evening, will celebrate the cancellation of the debt on the church property. With the new parsonage and other extensive improvements, the Presbyterians now have one of the best church properties in this section.

A son was born last Thursday night to William E. Luchs and wife of New York. Both of these young people are well known here.

Liberty is to have a garage or automobile repair shop, to be opened January 1 by F.R. Monroe. Liberty has two or three autos now, and Fred expects to be kept busy.

John Durr of Jeffersonville and Miss Elizabeth Frey, daughter of Benjamin Frey of Beach Lake, Pa., were married at the Kenoza Lake parsonage November 20.

The farm house of Otto Bohl, a mile and a half north of Callicoon, was burned with all its contents Wednesday night of last week when the family were all away from home.

110 Years Ago - 1915

An epidemic of chicken pox among the younger students of the Youngsville School caused the Board of Education to close the entire school for a week, and longer if advisable.

Standing beside a bed in a room in the upper part of the home of her parents at Spring Glen, near the Sullivan and Ulster County line, little Rosie Rosenblum, a trifle over three years of age, was struck by a bullet which had passed through an open window in the room, and instantly killed.

Philip Bernhardt of Kenoza Lake, who lives in the shanty on the Lawrence wood lot at Falls Mills, while he is employed there cutting wood for Louis Rose, is minus two pairs of trousers, underwear, two shirts and socks, which were stolen from the shanty while he was away.

A new Buick car from the Rutan Garage, Port Jervis, and driven by Chauffeur Winter, rammed into a pole across the new state road at Fosterdale Tuesday evening. The pole was put up to bar passage on the road which is under construction but there was no light on it. Henry Engert, Howard Darling and Charles Bock of Callicoon, passengers in the car, were shaken up but uninjured.

Stephen  L. Long, for thirty-five years one of the foremost businessmen of Monticello, was killed at 12:15 Friday afternoon on Broadway in Monticello when struck by the automobile of C.H. Schock, the Monticello butcher.

100 Years Ago - 1925

Fire in the three-story frame Millstein building in Roscoe last week completely destroyed the building and caused damage of $10,000 to $15,000, part of which is covered by insurance.

WEDDINGS — Raymond L. Huebsch, son of Mr.and Mrs. Henry Huebsch, and Miss Palmyra Garberino, daughter of Mrs. J. Garberino, both of the Beechwoods, were married November 11th. Fred B. Hartz and Miss Anna Wilcox of Cochecton were married on November 15th.

An eight pound baby girl arrived at the home of Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Wagner of Jeffersonville on November 20th. The little miss will be known as Katherine Shirley. An eight pound daughter, Betty Lois, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Edward Knack of Callicoon on November 17th.

Julius Boehmer, proprietor of the Lake Huntington House at Lake Huntington, was seriously injured last Saturday morning when he was hit by a car driven by Mr. Britton of Narrowsburg, construction superintendent of the Tusten Light & Power Co. It is expected that Mr. Boehmer will fully recover.

90 Years Ago - 1935

Dr. Arch Freer, veterinarian, who occupied the Dr. VanKeuren property on Main Street the past nine years, bought the John H. Wagner house and lot on West End Avenue from Frank Hess.

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Erdman were married fifty-five years ago on November 11. Both of them are in their 80s and quite active. 

A carefully hidden still was raided on Tuesday by the sheriff and state troopers on the Fred McKay farm near Swan Lake. The building was covered with evergreens nailed on it so that it would not be noticed.

Nunzio Monico, aged 24 and married, waived examination when arraigned by federal agents before Commissioner Arthur Connelly at Kingston on Monday and was held in $5,000 bail for the federal court on a charge of having possessed and transported unlicensed alcohol.

Dowe Simon, 45-year-old farmer of Rock Valley, Town of Hancock, died at the Callicoon Hospital Wednesday afternoon from a wound caused by a .38 caliber bullet fired by his brother who mistook him for a deer while hunting in the woods near Fishs Eddy.

While on his way by car from New York to Binghamton last Saturday, former President Herbert Hoover and companion, Ben S.Allen of Palo Alto, Calif., were caught in the snowstorm and were obliged to stop over at the Monticello Inn. Word of Hoover’s presence quickly spread about Monticello and very soon local Republican politicians swarmed in to meet the distinguished guest.

Attorney William Deckelman goes to Albany today to argue the Pfeifle will contest before the Appellate Court for the executor, Oscar  Will. Ellsworth Baker of Monticello appeared for the contestants.

80 Years Ago - 1945

A skeleton believed to be that of Henry Reinheimer, eighty-four of Youngsville, who disappeared from the Sullivan County Welfare Home near Monticello two years ago, was found Monday in a wooded patch of ground less than a mile from the institution. The bones of the skeleton, discovered by George Hinkley, Thompson deer hunter, were scattered over a fifteen foot area according to state troopers who joined Dr. Ralph Breakey, coroner, in the investigation.

A double wedding took place at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Liberty, on Sunday, November 11, when Wesley Smith, adopted son of Mr. and Mrs. John S. Smith of Jeffersonville, and Miss Betty Gozza of Liberty were married right after the marriage of the latter’s brother, Peter Gozza, and Miss Dorothy Foster of Liberty.

Youngsville — Johnny Laverty, 18-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. David Laverty, is dancing in the new musical show, “Art You with It?” which opened at the Century Theatre in New York last week.

70 Years Ago - 1955

A fire that raged for almost twelve hours completely leveled the Roscoe excelsior mill in Roscoe with a loss estimated to exceed $50,000.

John T. Manouse, 21, of Callicoon, was dead on arrival at the Callicoon Hospital after being accidentally shot while hunting on Thanksgiving Day. 

Mr. and Mrs. Fred J. Robertson, the former Katherine Robisch, are the parents of a son, Charles Fred, born at Liberty-Loomis Hospital on November 29th.

The Senior Class of the local school presented a play, “Aunt Cathie’s Cat,” which was enthusiastically received by the large audience at the Jeff auditorium last Wednesday evening.

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Luchs left Sunday for Ft. Pierce, Fla., where they will spend the winter.

A surprise birthday party was given Catherine Ann Segar at the Presbyterian Church parlors on her 16th birthday by about thirty of her classmates and friends.

At their November meeting, the Youngsville PTA honored local youth organizations and their leaders. Mrs. Gerry Gaebel, program chairman, introduced leaders of the 4-H Clubs, Boy and Girl Scout groups and the Youth Athletic Program.

There is still no solution to the situation created in Cochecton where Democrat August Merkenschlager and Republican Henry J. Furk each polled 310 votes for the post of supervisor on Election Day.

60 Years Ago - 1965

Gary Mall, a young Jeffersonville hunter and nephew of Callicoon Supervisor-elect Edward Mall, bagged the second largest black bear in Sullivan County the past several years. The animal, shot near Lava, weighed 396 pounds, dressed. It was taken at 9:30 a.m. Monday.

The body of  Ronald A. Buck, 62, of Yonkers, was found one-half mile east of Beaver Brook, in a wooded area of the Town of Tusten at 6:30 p.m.Monday. Ferndale State Police Tuesday morning reported that Buck had been shot through the stomach apparently accidentally. He appeared to have been hunting alone.

On Wednesday the Frauen Verein of Grace Lutheran Church of North Branch celebrated their 60th anniversary at their annual meeting at the church basement. Twenty members and eleven visitors were present.

For a time Monday night, Liberty firemen reportedly were afraid the whole of the Ferndale Lumber Company buildings along the O&W railbed between old Route 17 and the Expressway at Strongtown would burn. Liberty got the alarm at 7:15 and found flames well advanced in a two-story building 150 feet long which had been utilized for planing lumber. The fire destroyed half of the lumber company’s buildings. However, the office and that section were not damaged.

What triggered the trouble which resulted in the far-reaching blackout in the Northeast Tuesday night was still unknown Wednesday morning. At any event Sullivan County was fortunate the operating superintendent said. He pointed out that Sullivan County gets most of its power from the Binghamton area. That section was not affected.

50 Years Ago - 1975

No. 1 heavyweight contender George Foreman and heavyweight Jodie Ballard will have a ten-round boxing exhibition at the Concord Hotel on Thanksgiving eve. The benefit match will be fought exclusively for Concord guests and all purses and voluntary contributions will be turned over to the Olympic Fund.

Mr.and Mrs. Keith Houghtaling of Damascus, Pa., are the parents of a baby girl born Saturday, November 15.

Rev. and Mrs. Donald Walter of Damascus announce the wedding of their daughter, Elizabeth Maude, to Daniel C. Lettia of Hamilton. The couple are employed by Colgate University.

Cindy Lou Priebe and Denton R. Edwards were married Saturday at the Damascus Methodist Church.

Demolition of the charred remains of the apartment building on Liberty’s South Main Street that adjoined the frame structure that figured in last January’s fatal fire was completed this week. The building was damaged during the conflagration and has been vacant ever since.

40 Years Ago - 1985

The annual 4-H Achievement Night, held in Liberty High School, was attended by the Liberty Supervisor Abraham Kleinman. The Sullivan County Cooperative Extension agents are Colleen Dewey and Patti Zellmer.

Funds raised from the recent Road Rally, sponsored by Robert Green Chevrolet-Oldsmobile, Monticello, were donated to the 1986 Campaign for United Way.

Andy Karadontes of Jeffersonville has earned the coveted #1 plate (his sixth time in eight years) at the Accord Speedway for his efforts in motorbike racing. In the last two consecutive years he won both the 500 and Open. His racing career was born when his father gave him a 70cc motorcycle when he was 12 years of age.

The Town of Fallsburg dedicated the newly expanded and renovated police station in the town building to Chief Samuel Siegel.

Lillian Moran, former vice-president of the First National Bank of Jeffersonville, was killed in a one-car accident when her vehicle hit the bridge on Route 55 in Neversink. She was 70 years of age and a lifetime area resident.

Walt Travis of Liberty, hunting in the Revonah Hill section, shot an 8-point buck with a rack that totaled 57 3/4 points in the Democrat’s contest; a 9-pointer taken by Thomas Walsh of Islip tipped the scale for 162 lbs. to place second in the heaviest weight contest.

30 Years Ago - 1995

Uira Nunes is a 16-year-old exchange student at the Eldred Central School. He expressed that he  missed Brazilian cooking so his host Billie Wilson and Master Chef James Bernhardt of the Eldred Preserve got busy and prepared a dinner to his liking and that of fellow exchange student Orion Vaoslilev from Bulgaria. A November dinner featured ‘canja,’ a hearty chicken soup, hearts of palm salad, an entree of spicy sole, and bomba, an eclair-like dessert.

Stephen DiLauro, part-time resident of Pond Eddy, has just released a CD of family stories recounting fanciful exploits along the Delaware River. Part of the proceeds from the sale will benefit the American Rivers project.

The Delaware Opera Company will present Handel’s “Messiah” in a sing-along at the United Methodist Church in Monticello and again at St. James Episcopal Church in Callicoon.

Mary Scheutzow of Jeffersonville, principal at the Liberty Middle School, has been recognized for her outstanding role in education with a Certificate of Commendation from the NYS Board of Regents and State Education Department.

Michele Gellman Appelbaum of Liberty has published an article on fetal alcohol syndrome in “The Nurse Practitioner: The American Journal of Primary Health Care.” She was the first nurse practitioner to obtain privileges at Community General Hospital in Harris and practices at Sullivan Diagnostic Treatment Center in Harris, working with developmentally disabled and medically frail children and adults.

The Sullivan County Bar Association has established a scholarship award in honor of retired Supreme Court Justice Robert Williams. A total of $2,676.61 was recently given to Jeffersonville-Youngsville Central School from the bar association for the “specific purpose of establishing the Robert C. Williams Citizenship Award.” A graduating senior will receive $250 for “his or her involvement and commitment to school, community and family.” Justice Williams graduated from Jeffersonville High School in 1945. He served 37 years on the bench of which 23 years were served as Supreme Court Justice.

20 Years Ago - 2005

The change from fall to winter became starkly apparent Thanksgiving Day when up to three inches of snow fell on the area, followed by 1-2 inches more over the weekend.

On Sunday, November 20, Jessica Mattingley, and her fiancé, Orlando Maldonado Jr., returned to the U.S. after completing a tour of duty for one year with the U.S. Army in Kuwait. Jessica is the daughter of Jim and Rose Mattingley of Claryville.

Tracy Sprague of Livingston Manor, daughter of Jean Sprague of Jeffersonville and the late Thearn Sprague, became the bride of Bryan Parks of Livingston Manor on September 17, 2005. The bridegroom is the son of Curtis and Linda Parks of White Sulphur Springs.

First elected to a justice/councilman position in the Town of Delaware in 1965, William Schultz put on the black robes  and became the Honorable William Schultz 40 years ago. He has never lost an election.

After years of being on the block, the old Rhulen/Frontier Insurance Building on Broadway in Monticello was recently handed over to Vanguard Investors of Westchester County for $900,000. Their plans for the building have not been announced.

10 Years Ago - 2015

A former hotel/apartment house on Barton Road in Liberty burned, shortly after 1:30 p.m. on Friday. Liberty led a team of departments – including White Sulphur Springs, Swan Lake, Hurleyville, Livingston Manor, Neversink and Loch Sheldrake (with Youngsville on standby) – in fighting the blaze, the billowing smoke of which could be seen for miles around. Thanks to their efforts and the assistance of MobileMedic and the NY State Police, there were no injuries or fatalities. According to Liberty Fire Chief Harold Huggler and Sullivan County Bureau of Fire Investigator Art Hawker, the 65-year-old, 8,000-square-foot, two-story building was unoccupied and boarded-up (with electric service shut off), though some renovations had been attempted. While the building is a total loss, firefighters were able to keep the blaze from spreading to nearby dry brush.

Dennis Finley’s dream is starting to take shape. The Callicoon Center resident and Army veteran was taken aback when he spotted the words “veterans memorial” on the wall of a local store several years ago, with nothing at all about those who’ve served beneath it. That’s when he started lobbying the Town of Callicoon Board to allow him to create a real memorial. The board offered a section of the town park in Callicoon Center, and this month work began in earnest to make Finley’s dream a reality. When complete, the memorial will include massive pieces of bluestone, although the completion date has yet to be set.  A Sullivan Renaissance grant helped the town get the project off the ground, and fliers were sent to every town resident seeking donations.