120 Years Ago - 1900

Blake G. Wales died of heart disease at his home at Kenoza Lake on Sunday morning after an illness of some length. He was born at Liberty in 1844, a son of Gideon Wales. When a boy, he removed to Kenoza Lake, then Pike Pond, with his father, who had an interest in the tannery and grist mill there. Blake succeeded his father in the mercantile business, which he conducted for many years, until he sold out to A.K. Osterhout of Hortonville. He served for a number of years as postmaster. He married Loretta, a daughter of Capt. and Mrs. E.H. Pinney of Jeffersonville and six children were born to them. Mr. Wales was a Knight Templar in the Masonic order, belonging to the Commandery at Binghamton.

Mrs. Mary A. LaRue died at Livingston Manor January 27, aged 67 years. She was born at Rockland and was a daughter of Caleb Cook. She married Clark LaRue who died in 1871 at Kenoza Lake, after which she moved to Liberty and 10 years ago to Livingston Manor.

Mrs. Josephine Meyer, widow of the late David Meyer, died yesterday at the home of her stepson, David, near Youngsville. Mrs. Meyer's first husband was the late Andrew Neiger of Kenoza Lake.

Mrs. Mary P., wife of Henry Eberlin, died of heart disease at Roscoe, January 27, aged 60 years. Her father's name was Ephraim Pratt. She leaves a husband and nine children.

George Baer died at Callicoon Depot January 26, aged 77 years. He came to Callicoon Depot in 1851.

A son was born to John Holpp and wife of Tennanah Lake on February 1.

John Mootz, not John Will, was appointed inspector of election by the Town Board in place of Henry Gardner Jr., who failed to qualify.

Frank Hermann of North Branch and Miss Rosie Zorn were married at St. Paul's R.C. Church in New York on January 28. John Feigenbutz of Obernburg, cousin of the bride, was best man.

110 Years Ago - 1910

Mrs. Fred Bietz entertained quite a number of friends Tuesday night at a rag bee.

Mass was held at St. George's Church by Father Dominic yesterday, celebrating Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.

The Willing Workers of the Presbyterian Church enjoyed a sleigh ride to Kenoza Lake one night last week and bowled at DeLap's Alleys.

Fred Kurtz is getting out lumber and making other preparations for building a house on his father's farm, on the upper side of the road.

Mr. Richard Schrumpf and son, Albert of Hortonville, were among the visitors in town yesterday. Mr. Schrumpf had the misfortune recently to break his arm.

The Masonic Ball will be held at Eagle Hall next Monday night, February 14, under the management of John L. Schmidt, V.P. Scheidell and Wm. A. Lixfield, committee.

The memorial window placed in the Presbyterian Church by the children of the late John P. and Elizabeth Schaefer of Beechwoods in memory of their parents was unveiled and dedicated with appropriate services by Pastor Stadelman last Sunday morning.

The postponed races at Tennanah Lake were run off Saturday. Charles Quick of North Branch won the free-for-all and John Dreher of Roscoe took first money in the green race.

On Saturday morning next, Lincoln's birthday, another horse race feat will be held on the ice at Kenoza Lake, and $80 will be divided in prizes for two races.

Races were held on Shandelee Lake Tuesday after postponement from the week before. Charles Quick took first in the big race and J.W. Davis of Livingston Manor, second in the green race; Harry Segar of Briscoe won first and Will Lawrence of Jeffersonville, second.

100 Years Ago - 1920

Two prominent Jeffersonville village properties have changed ownership within the past week or so. Conrad Metzger has sold his residence on Main Street, next to the post office, to Louis A. Winand, the butcher, for $5,500 which is considered a low price at present values. Mr. Metzger will move to rooms in the Maple Grove House on Maple Avenue until he can build a bungalow on the lots he has on Terrace Avenue between the Diehl and Kocher homes. The Metzger property was originally owned by John Lieb, a locksmith, the father of the late Ferdinand Lieb. Later it came into possession of the Von Arx family who conducted a candy factory and store there for a number of years, when the late Conrad Metzger acquired the place, the old building was removed and the present house erected.

Harry Mathern has bought of Chris Weiss of Callicoon, the property at the corner of the Beechwoods road in Delaware which he and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Philip Mathern have been occupying for a couple of years. His place was formerly known as The Oak and the buildings were erected on a lot bought from the Chelius property by John G. Staib, who ran a cafe there until he sold it to Mr. Weiss, the Callicoon barber.

George Ellmauer, eldest son of Anthony Ellmauer of Youngsville, and Miss Louise Kuspert, daughter of William Kuspert of Youngsville, were married at the Little Church Around the Corner in New York City on January 30.

Henry Kohler, who recently sold his farm at Bullville, Orange County, is at present with his brother, Ralph, at the old homestead here.

The Swiss Hill Social Club, ten strong, met with Mrs. Weiss Friday and enjoyed dainty refreshments served by the hostess.

Rev. Warren J. Conrad has resigned the pastorate of the Liberty Presbyterian Church and has accepted a call to Williamsport, Pa., where the church boasts a congregation of 700.

90 Years Ago - 1930

The reappointment of four postmasters in Sullivan County has been recommended by Howard J. Beecher, the county Republican chairman and Congressman Harcourt Pratt of this district. The recommendations were: Kenoza Lake, Wirt N. Moulthrup, 3rd class, salary $1,800; Roscoe, William B. Voorhees, 2nd class, salary $2,400; Swan Lake, John H. Stoddard, 3rd class, salary $2,000; Woodridge, August Abt, 2nd class, salary $2,400. The salaries of the offices is determined by the postal receipts.

Twelve to 15 degrees below zero this morning. Four inches more snow fell on Tuesday, covering the roads which had just become bare since the previous fall.

Frank J. Royce, janitor of the bank, is laid up at his home by rheumatism of the feet.

Miss Henrietta Scheidell and Ethel Gain were home from college in New York over the weekend and the examination period.

Joseph Lang, who bought the Wm. L. Brown farm on Swiss Hill several years ago, had a leg badly smashed Tuesday by a sleighload of stone falling on him. He was engaged in hauling stone from the field and throwing them down a 15-foot embankment in the woods.

The 9th annual supper and dance of the Jeffersonville Firemen at the Lake Jefferson Hotel last Thursday night brought out a big crowd with 484 suppers being served by the firemen's committee. The Misses Martha and Marion Scheidell had charge of the dining rooms and a dozen or more of our prettiest girls served as waitresses.

Claiming that it is a charitable and benevolent corporation, Loomis Sanitarium has filed an application for a refund of taxes amounting to $8,696.76.

80 Years Ago - 1940

The annual meeting of the Sullivan County Cooperative Dairy Association was held at the Hotel Jefferson on January 27th with 27 milk producers in attendance. Carl Stecker, association secretary and manager, read a report showing an increase of 41 dairies during the year, and an increase of 3,400,000 pounds of milk received. Fred Miller was re-elected a director. After the meeting, the directors met and elected Mr. Miller, president; Anthony Heidt, vice president; Ralph Myers, treasurer; and Carl Stecker, secretary. A new 52-horsepower steam boiler with a coal stoker is being installed in the creamery plant.

Abraham Friedman, who formerly operated a 5 and 10 store in Jeffersonville, is now a licensed real estate broker in Liberty.

Rev. Joseph E. Howard, for three years pastor of the Roscoe Presbyterian Church, has resigned and accepted a call to the vacant Presbyterian Church in Livingston Manor. He will be installed at the Manor on February 23.

Herbert J. Gute of Jeffersonville and New Haven, Conn., was one of four in the United States to receive an award for water color painting presented by the American Water Color Club at the combined exhibition being held in the city today. The exhibit includes 397 water colors done by 298 artists. Mr. Gute, who is a teacher of art at Yale University, has been awarded the William Church Osborn prize of $150 for his watercolor landscape, “Church at Jeffersonville.” The scene was painted from the school hill back of St. George's Catholic Church and cemetery, which occupy the foreground and overlooking South main Street to the opposite mountain known as Silver Hill. The painting was made when Mr. Gute was on vacation here last summer.

Callicoon Lodge of Free Masons will meet tomorrow night to receive the official visit of the District Deputy Grand Master Jay O. Newkirk, a Liberty native and practicing optometrist there.

70 Years Ago - 1950

Vincent James Verdi died last week at Kingsbridge Veterans Hospital in New York. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Verdi, residents of Cochecton RD.

Miss Marie Knack, of Marie's Beauty Shop, will attend the Beautician's Convention at the Hotel Commodore in New York from February 27 to March 4.

The 3rd Annual Dinner of the Democratic Executive Committee of the Town of Delaware was held at the Callicoon Inn on January 28. Attorney Irving Bershader was toastmaster and Assemblyman James G. Lyons was the speaker of the evening. An engraved wrist watch was presented to Fred A. Hust of Kenoza Lake, who had been a town justice of the peace for 30 years, a lifelong Democrat and a former member of the committee.

The officers of the Town of Callicoon Democratic Club will be installed tonight at Bucky's Inn.

Mrs. William Rose of Livingston Manor has announced the engagement of her daughter, Shirley F. Hansen, to Warren Werlau of Hortonville.

John Tainter Foote, owner of a summer estate on the Beaverkill River, author, playwright and screen producer, died on January 28 at his home in Los Angeles, Calif.

Mrs. Mabel Carroll, who some years ago, with her husband, conducted a turkey farm near Youngs­ville, died in New York City on Monday.

Libby Manzolillo is scheduled to box in Kingston tonight in a five-round bout against Carl Romanelli of Freeland, Pa.

Arthur L. Huebsch, 56, son of the late Lawrence and Elizabeth Bietz Huebsch, died December 10 in New York. He was a World War I veteran.

Krum Bros. store at Grahams­ville, perhaps the most widely known store in Sullivan County, has been sold to Raymond Krum. The partnership was started in 1907.

60 Years Ago - 1960

The surest sign of spring took place at exactly 1 p.m. this Thursday when the smiling face of Warren Mall's Santa Claus descended from the wire that has suspended him high in the air in the middle of Main Street since the Christmas holidays.

TV has definitely improved in Jeff village since a new line was brought down the hill, and even better reception is expected as new branch lines are installed. Now we hope village water will soon match the progress of TV. It's been pretty bad lately, but we have faith in the village fathers.

Marcia Hoffman of Fremont Center and Peter Diehl of Kenoza Lake have been selected to represent Sullivan County at Capitol Day in Albany on February 29 and March 1.

Bud Bauernfeind and Peter Moran are on a truck hauling trip to California that will take several weeks.

Miss Ann Rosenberger, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Leo Rosenberger, Callicoon, will begin an eight-week assignment as a student teacher in Dunmore Senior High School, Dunmore, Pa., on Monday, February 8.

The ground hog's days are numbered. This furry little weather forecaster is due for a long stretch of technological unemployment, say scientists in the State College of Agriculture at Cornell.

As spring approaches, its advance holidays are Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays which are upon us, as is the annual Callicoon Center Fire Department dinner. In this little hamlet the activity is feverish as the bowling tournament opens for Our Lady of Angels School.

50 years ago - 1970

The Boy Scouts of America celebrated their 60th birthday on February 8.

U.S. Air Force Sergeant Gary W. Tempel, son of Mr. and Mrs. William H. Tempel, Livingston Manor, is serving with the 35th Security Police Squadron at Phan Rang AB, Vietnam.

The grist mill and water wheel to be featured at the 1970 International Camping and Sport Show at the New York Coliseum is being fabricated at Arnel Homes in Monticello. It will be taken to New York in sections to be assembled there as the Sullivan County exhibit.

At the Liberty-Loomis Hospital, it was a girl, Marilyn Marie, February 2, to Mr. and Mrs. Harry Marshall of Livingston Manor; a boy, the same day, to Mr. and Mrs. Enreque Serrano of Liberty. On February 3, it was a girl for Mr. and Mrs. Alfredo Sanchez of Jeffersonville and a boy to Mr. and Mrs. Pearl Bright of Roscoe.

Neither rain, nor snow, nor sub-zero temperatures have been able to stop the men working on the new section of Route 17B known as the “Dugway.” A relatively small amount of excavating remains to be done as the job is progressing through the winter months.

Donna M. Ferber has been named Delaware Valley Central's 1970 Betty Crocker Homemaker of Tomorrow.

40 Years Ago - 1980

Mr. and Mrs. Joel Wagner, nee Leila Lasser, celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary today - St. Valentine's Day. Employed in New Jersey for many years, the Wagners returned to Callicoon about 15 years ago and built a new home on the site of the homestead of Mrs. Lasser.

State Parks Commissioner Orin Lehman announced last Monday that an 18-acre section of Grahamsville, and its five buildings, have been included in the National Historical Register. It contains an old village store, a Dutch Reformed Church, three residences and a non-denominational cemetery.

Prof. Earl “Bud” Wertheim, Sullivan County Community College commercial art faculty member, has several pieces of gold and diamond jewelry designs on exhibit at the Rocks, Minerals, Gems and Fine Jewelry Exhibition which opened February 7 at the Hartwick College Yager Museum in Oneonta. Besides Wertheim's works, there will be diamonds, contributed by Lazar Kaplan and Sons, rubies and emeralds from an IBM executive's collection, and precious and semi-precious historic jewelry and mineral displays.

Grover Wheeler, retired building contractor and well-known top area bowler of Swan Lake, marked his 95th birthday on January 8 with a party at the home of his daughter, Jennie, and her husband, Clifford Daley, at their home in Swan Lake.

The engagement of Miss Karen Sausmikat, daughter of Mrs. Janet Sausmikat of Callicoon and the late Warren Sausmikat, to Kurt Hahn, son of Dr. and Mrs. George Hahn of Jeffersonville, has been announced. Wedding plans are incomplete.… Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Froelich of Kenoza Lake have announced the engagement of their daughter, Amy, to David Erlwein, son of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Erlwein of Jeffersonville. Wedding plans are incomplete.

30 Years Ago - 1990

Jeffersonville — Local broadcast history will be made here Monday when at 6 a.m. the first official signal from public radio station WJFF hits the airwaves. As the power goes on at the Radio Catskill WJFF studio in Jeffersonville, the news, via National Public Radio's acclaimed Morning Edition, will be juiced by the nation's first hydroelectrically powered radio station. Malcolm Brown and his wife, Anne Larsen, founded the station.

Five commissioners and officers of the Callicoon Volunteer Fire Department Tuesday afternoon officially accepted delivery of the department's new 1,000 gallon Sutphen Corporation pumper. The pumper, which is capable of delivering a total of 1,500 gallons of water per minute at the scene of a fire, cost $160,000, including several pieces of additional equipment financed through fundraisers given by the firemen themselves.

Ray and Ruth Pomeroy of Roscoe were guests of honor at a party commemorating their 50th wedding anniversary held at the Rockland House on January 21. More than 150 guests paid their respects.

Sixty-three members and guests braved the winter weather on February 3 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Cochecton Volunteer Ambulance Corps at a gathering held at the Villa Roma Country Club in Callicoon.

A blaze Friday morning destroyed Bernitt's General Store in Hankins leaving four people homeless. A traditional meeting spot in the town for more than 140 years, the blaze is believed to have started in the second floor wood stove.

20 Years Ago - 2000

The Town of Thompson became home to a new supermarket Sunday when the new ShopRite opened its doors for business at 7 a.m. - and closed the doors at its former location on Broadway in the village of Monticello.

The Bethel Planning Board is now considering an application from Alan Gerry and one of his companies, GF Entertainment, LLC, to make his Day In The Garden (D.I.G.) site on Hurd Road in Bethel a permanent fixture in the town.

The Silver Lake Dam in Woodridge needs to be repaired and officials are hoping to complete the work by the end of the year.

The Stone Age met the new millenium Monday in the Liberty High School cafeteria. About 130 families from around the Liberty area gathered inside the school to test out the newest gizmo in throw-away dishes: Dixie's Rinse and ReUse Disposable Stoneware. The new stone plates are supposed to be able to stand up to 20 cycles in a dishwasher and 250°F. in a microwave.

Doug and Kathleen Abram of Hankins have announced the engagement of their daughter, Melinda, to Jeffrey Horn, son of Larry and Jeanne Horn of Vestal. A June 2001 wedding is planned.

Martha and Murray Gershon of Woodbourne announce the birth of a great-granddaughter, Aubrie Taylor Gershon, Feb. 5 in Clovis, New Mexico. The baby's parents are Lisa and Joel Gershon of Portales, New Mexico.

10 Years Ago - 2010

Rusty Palmer's new location in Honesdale, PA is officially open for business. The 120,000 square feet dealership has a couple of levels to it showcasing brand new ATVs, motorcycles, snowmobiles and more while the second floor displays all the used machines for sale.

Chris Gordon, Fallsburg HS graduate and sale and marketing manager of Finger Lakes Business Services, was honored as one of the “40 Under 40 in Central New York.” The award is presented annually by the Central New York Business Journal and recognizes 40 Central New Yorkers under the age of 40 who have made significant contributions to the workplace and the community.

A full house packed the Delaware Youth Center in Callicoon to hear Mayor Calvin Tillman of Texas talk about his town's experiences with gas drilling. Former Callicoon Supervisor Linda Babicz was the moderator. Tillman commented, “We didn't do it right from the beginning, and the noise and odors got worse. There are no trees left near the site. What I'm saying is, learn from us and drill smarter.”