140 Years Ago - 1884

A current report that Messrs. E.A. Clark & Company intend to purchase the bark, owned by Wales of Pike Pond. If this could be effected, our tannery will hold out for the coming ten years at least.

The Hortonville Paper Factory is making financial headway and ploughing along its way very bravely under its clear-headed management.

Hemlock timber is now quoted at from $6 to $8 per thousand in the log, rafted for market. Sawed hemlock brings $17 per thousand at Equinunk: $11 at Mongaup and is offered at $10 in Monticello.

130 Years Ago - 1894

Lawrence Huebsch and Fred Huebsch and wife of New York and Mrs. Chris  Seibert of Addison, N.Y., were here for the funeral of F.N. Ward on Friday.

Henry Armbrust and his brother, John, were suddenly called to the city a few days ago by the extreme critical condition of their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Armbrust, formerly of Kenoza Lake.

Saturday morning last was the coldest period thus far this winter in Jeffersonville.

The Kenoza Lake stage tried to get through with the mail Friday and Saturday, but did not complete the trip until Monday on account of the numerous snowdrifts.

Dr. Richard Platt, our new physician, arrived in Jeffersonville from New York Tuesday.

Louis Voegtli left Sunday to take charge of the machinery in a molasses house at Philadelphia. He will be gone until spring.

John Durr is temporary hostler at the Mansion House.

The fire engine is still knee-deep in ice, but at least it has a covering – of snow.

L.F. Poley of Liberty has sold his harness making business in Jeffersonville to R.J. Farquhar, who has been conducting it since it was purchased of A. Hahn a few months ago.

120 Years Ago - 1904

The new store building of Andrew M. Kohler was consumed together with the entire stock of general merchandise last Thursday night by flames which originated at the coal stove on the main floor.

Fred Lieb returned home Friday from a couple month’s sojourn with relatives in and near Scranton. Mrs. Lieb is stopping over for a couple of days with her daughter at Roscoe.

The oil famine was broken in Jeffersonville last Thursday by the arrival of the oil wagon.

Silas Lasser of Callicoon Depot was in town Tuesday, distributing his Black Pair Cough Syrup, which is becoming a popular house remedy.

David Minckler, an old resident of Fremont Center, was in town Saturday. Mr. Minckler lived at Fremont when people got their mail once a month from Liberty. Now he has his mail brought to his door daily.

A ten-inch water motor has just been installed in the Record printing plant to operate the three printing presses by water pressure from the village water system. The little wheel does the trick nicely under a water pressure of about ninety pounds and with a stream of water not as large as a lead pencil.

A clay pigeon shooting match for $15 was shot on Scheidell’s flat between Fred Ranft, the barber and Ernst Fink, a guest at the Jeffersonville House. Fink won.

Miss Mabel Grouten, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Grouten, formerly a resident of Jeffersonville, now residing in New York, was graduated with honors from Public School No. 168.

E.V. Hoos, the Liberty baker, was in town Saturday, looking into the matter of establishing a depot here for the sale of his goods. The time is not far off when a bakery will be started in Jeffersonville by someone. There is a demand for it.

A horse, belonging to David & Lawrence, butchers of Liberty, and driven by Ed Lawrence, ran away down Main Street last week, and jumping off the bridge at Lake Street broke its neck. Lawrence jumped from the sleigh without injury.

While visiting her sister, Mrs. Ludwig at The Fern, Kenoza Lake, Miss Olga Hessinger, Callicoon Center, caught a carrier pigeon which flew through the open window into her room.

110 Years Ago - 1914

Jacob Menges and wife of Youngsville, who were stopping at Charles Hick’s a few days, started for home Sunday and were driven back by the snowstorm that day.

A volunteer fire company with thirty-one members was organized at Hortonville last week and the fire fighting apparatus will be purchased.

The most severe snowstorm in many years struck this section on last Sunday and the two feet of snow that fell, with the wind following, completely tied up all traffic and business until Tuesday when a few rigs forced their way through the badly drifted highways.

The people of Jeffersonville were shocked last evening by the news of the death of John Yaeger, the popular young lawyer of this place. He had been taken to the hospital to undergo an operation for appendicitis.

The annual ball of the Sullivan County Social Club at Palm Garden, 58th Street New York, was a grand success.

The informal “at home” given by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wohltjen was somewhat marred last Sunday by the inclement weather. They entertained the Misses Lillian Durr, Minnie Wilfert and Rose Hubert of Jeffersonville, and Herman Meyer, Herbert Thein and Harrison Waterman of New York. The guests enjoyed the evening immensely.

The trial of the action over the Knapp bank notes at Binghamton has ended and there is now a gleam of hope that the depositors in the Callicoon and Deposit banks may get a second dividend on their claims.

Drs. Miller and Allaben of Roscoe intend to open a suite of rooms fitted up for operations, especially for cases of rupture and appendicitis. They expect to be ready to receive patients about May 1.

100 Years Ago - 1924

Protection Hose Co. of this place has received from the people of Kenoza Lake a letter of thanks and a fund of $66 as an appreciation of the services of the firemen who, last fall, saved the central part of that village from destruction when the Kenoza Lake Hotel burned.

Mr. and Mrs. Henry Kratz announce the engagement of their daughter, Mabel Ida, to Eugene Tremper, also of White Sulphur Springs.

The greatest fall of snow thus far this winter came Tuesday night when three inches fell, followed by sleet, rain and then more snow. Fred Duttweiler, on the Liberty stage route, had to shovel his cars through the snow. He used horses from Loomis Annex on.

The people of Hankins and vicinity have made application for the chartering of a national bank at that place which is located in the Town of Fremont, on the Erie Railroad. The Hankins station is the next station above Callicoon.

Edna Fries, the 6-year-old daughter of William Fries of Brooklyn, formerly of Shandelee, is a musical prodigy, according to the city newspapers.

Anna Weiss, the 9-year-old daughter of the proprietor of the Nutshell at Lake Huntington, sustained a fracture of the right thigh Sunday morning when the bar in the cafe on which she was leaning fell over on her.

Tuesday morning of last week, when J. Silverman and his son were driving across Stevensville Lake on the ice, they unknowingly drove on a place where the ice had recently been cut and removed, covered only with a thin layer of new ice and snow. The men scrambled to safety but the horses were soon drowned in the icy waters.

Radio is a wonderful invention, but it ain’t got nothin’ on the old reliable party line phone.

90 Years Ago - 1934

A number of young men here have formed a boxing club to promote the “manly art of self-defense” or the propagation of cauliflower ears and will hold meetings in the Grange Hall.

Mr. and Mrs. William Kohler and daughter, Evelyn, who are spending a few weeks in Florida, write that they have rented a bungalow at Hollywood, about seventeen miles north of Miami.

County Court will be continued next week when District Attorney Deckelman says he will call up for trial the assault charges against Lofar, the New Rochelle chauffeur, who assaulted John Eggler of Jeffersonville.

Damage caused by stray dogs to cattle in the county during the year amounted to $749.75.

Sullivan County has forty-two liquor licenses, divided as follows: Hotels, 16; Stores, 10; Restaurants, 16.

Kenoza Lake presented a lively and happy sight last Sunday with skating, automobile and bicycle riding on the ice, which is thick enough to hold a  herd of elephants.

80 Years Ago - 1944

Emil Motl, county director of Civilian Protection, announces that he had received notice from the state director that Sullivan County will have a practice blackout air drill on Sunday.

Mrs. Anna Ranft, widow of Charles Ranft, and all her years a resident of this community, is 94 years old today, and the anniversary will be celebrated by a few friends and relatives at the Jeffersonville Nursing Home.

In Kenoza Lake, a movement is on foot to have the abandoned school building there turned over to the village firemen and Sunday School for a meeting place for the two organizations.

The Maple Theatre in Jeffersonville has been under repair and expects to reopen April 1.

Nial Eggler is home from the Army camp at Fort Knox for a few days. He is the son of Oscar Eggler and has won several medals for his superior marksmanship in camp.

Bernard Erlwein, Callicoon Center, is having difficulty in making the hill with his car. On the ice last week he wrenched his back and has been confined to his home, and under the doctor’s care. Harry Schuler is driving his school bus for him.

William C. Dillmuth has purchased of C.L. Tegeler the property at Milanville consisting of the large store building with apartment in the second story; also the house that was built for the Brandt Chemical Co. and the surrounding, and John De-Korte of Franklin Lake, N.J., has bought the Brandt house with the adjoining land of Mr. Dillmuth. He will begin at once the building of a creamery.

70 Years Ago - 1954

Mrs. Alden J. Woodworth of Mt. Vernon announces the engagement of her daughter, Edna, to Robert A. Clark, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lester Clark of Swan Lake. Miss Woodworth is the English teacher at the Jeffersonville Central School.

An Eldred High School senior made good his threat to take his own life after an argument with a 16-year-old girl Thursday. Jackson Myers, son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Myers, died in the ambulance from a revolver wound which state police said was self-inflicted.

Catherine Ann Segar spent the weekend in Liberty with Mr. and Mrs. D.R. Bonnell.

Mrs. Kathleen Tonjes and daughter Mary spent a few days in Chester visiting her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. V. Cullen.

John R. Baldwin, former proprietor of the Baldwin House in Livingston Manor, suffered a severe fracture of the right leg when he fell on the ice at his farm at Lenape Lake February 14.

Mrs. Bud Rasmussen had a luncheon yesterday attended by Mrs. Arthur Brey, Mrs. Ida Drum, Mrs. Walter Hauser and Mrs. John Sander. — Youngsville Corresp.

The local firemen were called out about 1:15 Saturday afternoon to put out a grass fire at the Richard Krongel property in the Delaware section.

Mrs. Florence Antosh, Mrs. Ann Antosh and Mrs. Anne Kohler attended the card parties in Narrowsburg this week.

60 Years Ago - 1964

Mr. and Mrs. Howard Schmidt of North Branch announce the engagement of their daughter, Marilyn Carol, to Edwin Ernest Chellis, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Chellis of Jeffersonville. Mr. Chellis is a biology major at SUNY Buffalo and will be graduated February 22.

Sympathy is extended to the family of John Theadore who passed away last week.

Mrs. Barbara Ann Bailey shot and killed her husband, James Virgil Bailey, 48, on Sunday, at their home in Claryville. Mrs. Bailey told Ellenville State Police that she shot her husband in the head when he threatened to beat her following an argument over who let the fire in the stove go out.

Eleven  50-year members of the Volunteer Firemen’s Association were honored last Tuesday at the bi-monthly meeting in Callicoon Center. Among those honored were Charles Schmidt and Harry Steffens, both of North Branch, who had been members since 1910, and Winfield Hessinger of Callicoon Center who joined the association in 1914.

The State Education Department announced the winners of Regents College Scholarships for the 1964 series: Ruth M. Sanftleben, June MacFarlane and Barbara L. Krongel of Jeffersonville-Youngsville Central School; Gary Mauer of the Delaware Valley Central School; Patricia Preis and Alexis Dailey of Narrowsburg; Wm. R. Knipscher and Gary Fontana of Roscoe. Patricia Haney of J-YCS was among those listed for a nursing scholarship.

50 Years Ago - 1974

At an open house of the Jeffersonville Volunteer First Aid Corps, Inc., more than 200 residents were able to look over the new 1974 Cadillac ambulance recently purchased by the corps. The corps was celebrating their 10th anniversary.

The New York State Police have opened a sub-station in Narrowsburg.

All of the Christmas tree farms in western Sullivan County have reported infestation by the gypsy moth, and there is great concern over this extreme danger to the thriving local industry. 

At a regular meeting of the Delaware Valley School Board, it was agreed to go ahead with the exploration of costs for the adding of four new classrooms. In Narrowsburg, a committee advocates building a new high school.

40 Years Ago - 1984

Diane M. Gilbert, daughter of Mr and Mrs. Maurice Gilbert of Lake Huntington, and Thomas Meyer, son of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Meyer of Cochecton were married October 1.

Holiday Mt. Ski Area will celebrate its 11th Winter Carnival with a five-day festival that will extend over two weeks, February 25 and 26, and March 2nd to the 4th.

The late Dr. Frederick A. Cook, a native of Hortonville, will be honored with the presentation of a resolution in his honor on February 26 at the Sullivan County Cultural Center and Museum in Hurleyville. Dr. Cook, whose claim to the discovery of the North Pole was discredited by the scientific community in the early 20th century, was honored by the recent passage of the resolution by both the New York State Assembly and Senate in recognition of his many scientific achievements as a polar explorer. [Ed. Note:  In the December 2, 1909, issue of the Democrat, an article relates that “Walter Lonsdale, secretary to Dr. Frederick A. Cook, sailed for Copenhagen on Thursday on the steamship United States of the Scandinavian line, taking with him Dr. Cook’s 30,000 word report to be submitted to the University of Copenhagen in proof of the explorer’s claim that he reached the North Pole on April 21, 1908. Mr. Lonsdale said, “I don’t think the general public understands the work we have been doing. It has been said that we were preparing the records. Such a statement is inaccurate. The original records go to the university just as they were made by Dr. Cook in the arctic regions. What we have been preparing is the report to accompany them. This report contains about 30,000 words.”]

The Heart-a-Thon exceeded its goal by raising $24,165 over a period of 12 hours which began Friday morning and was aired over WSUL.

30 Years Ago - 1994

Iris Soodak-Sandow submitted her resignation, effective March 18, so the county would not have to decide where she would fit in the new structure of the Department of Economic Development, Planning and Publicity. She was head of the Public Information Office for 20 months. Soodak-Sandow would have been a deputy director of publicity in such a reorganization had she chosen to stay. She is not a candidate for the director’s position.

Two Middletown teenagers have been accused of a homicide and arson that was discovered at a vacant home on Yankee Lake Road in the Town of Mamakating last weekend. After murdering a man of Middletown and allegedly stealing his automobile, they returned to the scene several hours later and intentionally set the house on fire. They were arraigned without bail.

More than 50 dog teams from up and down the East Coast (from South Carolina to Maine) took part in the first two-day race held at the Mongaup State Park near DeBruce this past weekend. Canceled in the first three attempts, bright sunny skies and temperatures of 60° greeted the participants. The previous attempts at holding the race were canceled twice because of a lack of snow and then last year because of icy conditions, which makes traction non-existent and can cut the paws of the dogs.

The 1994 Heart-a-Thon raised more than $40,000. A Jump-a-Thon at the Tri-Valley Elementary School on February 26 will involve more than 100 students and The Monticello High School Key Club will sponsor a “Volleyball for Heart” event on March 4, both raising money for the “Hang Your Heart” project.

20 years ago - 2004

Dr. Emmett Bassett of Grahamsville was presented with a Life Achievement Award during Black History Month celebrations at SCCC in Loch Sheldrake on Saturday. Dr. Bassett worked with world-famous inventor and scientist George Washington Carver at Tuskegee University, graduating in 1942 with a degree in Agricultural Studies. He completed his master’s in dairy science at the University of Massachusetts, and earned his doctorate in dairy technology at Ohio State. He taught for 18 years at the New Jersey College of Medicine and Dentistry.

About 150 people packed Christopher’s Restaurant in Loch Sheldrake Saturday to support the families of the men and women serving in the armed forces in Iraq through the Armed Services Support Group created by Dolores Delgado of Jeffersonville.

The home of Ethel Gross of Hortonville was fully involved when the Hortonville Volunteer Fire Department arrived on Monday to battle the blaze. No one was at home and no one was injured.

The Town of Fallsburg’s first annual Winterfest was held Sunday at Morningside Park in Hurleyville and was described as a huge success. About 300 people attended despite freezing temperatures.

Sullivan West boys’ basketball team held off a determined group of James I. O’Neill’s Raiders to capture the OCIAA Division IV title on Saturday night in a 65-61 contest. Joe Meyer of the Bulldogs scored a rare four-point play when the junior guard was fouled while shooting a three-point shot, which went in, and then made the subsequent free throw to put the Bulldogs up 15-12 in the first quarter.

10 Years Ago - 2014

Erik Smestad of Long Eddy sent a picture of robins and a bluebird late in January and wrote: “My neighbor Corky Karkkainen mentioned to me that you were interested in the pictures of the robins that have been hanging around our yard for the last week or so... We do not have any feeders so I don’t know what attracts them. Everyone I tell this story to says robins need worms to survive, but they must have found something else to keep them going.” 

The former Frankel Hardware Building in Liberty is one of two structures the County Legislature is seeking to have an expert review for environmental and structural conditions, including the possible presence of asbestos. Foreclosed upon by the county but unsuccessfully offered for sale at last year’s tax auction, the downtown fixture sits next to the former Liberty Theater and other storefronts, all closed due to state concerns over asbestos. 

It was the end of an era Wednesday night in Monticello as Karen Atack coached her last home game after 34 years at the helm of various Panther teams. Through the 34 years, Atack has coached volleyball, girls  basketball, softball and track. In 1992, she became the first female in the region to ever coach a boys’ varsity basketball team.