130 Years Ago - 1896

Andrew Abplanalp will treat his patrons to another social hop at his hall in Youngsville on Saturday evening, March 14. You and your friends are invited.

Kenoza Lake, March 9 – Quite a number in this place are on the sick list.

North Branch, March 10 – Mrs. C. Bauernfeind moved into her new house today.

Briscoe, March 9 – Joseph Norris has leased his blacksmith shop to Adam Gorr, formerly of Kenoza Lake. Although Mr. Norris gives up horseshoeing, he will continue to work at wagon-making, repairing, etc.

120 Years Ago - 1906

Jeffersonville had another fire scare when the chimney in the three-story Grishaber building burned out on Saturday. It was caused by a strong fire in the stove used in the meat market of Lixfield & Hauschild.

The new bank at Roscoe was organized last week, with the following officers: President W.E. Sprague; Vice-President Thomas Keery; Secretary Jay Davidson; Attorney M.H. Dean; Directors Thomas Keery, George I. Treyz, J.C. Young, A.P. Dubois, Jay Davidson, W.E. Sprague, S.D. Maynard, J.D. Albee and I.R. Watson. It is expected that business will begin in April.

Henry M. Eggler died at the home of his parents, Melchior and Margaret Eggler on Swiss Hill last Saturday in his 31st year.

Louis Boettger Jr. of Beechwoods and Miss Maud Guggolz of Callicoon Depot were married in Brooklyn on February 22.

Elizabeth, daughter of George A. Kinne, was married to Edward G. Doane in New York on February 28th.

Philip Erdman has moved his summer kitchen to near the barn for an ice house and will build a new kitchen to the house.

George Schmidt has built and filled an ice house adjoining his cider mill below this village, for the purpose of engaging in the meat business next summer.

Callicoon, March 6 – Anything unusual is always brought to notice. The other day Peter Weyrauch of Jeff brought to F. Hessinger’s store a hen’s egg measuring 6 1/2x8 inches in circumference and weighing 4 ounces. The egg is now on exhibition at the store. Peter would like to know if anyone in town can beat it.

110 Years Ago - 1916

Louis Vogeney of Jeffersonville, who lives on the Sheridan farm, had the thumb of his left hand sawed off at the lumber mill of Euker & Dorrer at North Branch last Thursday.

The home of Wm. H. Murphy on the state road near Callicoon was looted.  Home talent is suspected.

The deputy grand matron of the Delaware-Sullivan Eastern Star District, Mrs. Mary V. Johnston of Livingston Manor, will make her official visit to St. Tammany Chapter at Callicoon on Friday night.

On Tuesday evening, March 7, a number of friends tendered a surprise party to Mrs. Margaret Ludwig on her 73rd birthday.

Mrs. Isabella E. Moulthrop, widow of Gideon Moulthrop, died at the home of her son, Wilmot L. Moulthrop at Kenoza Lake at noon yesterday at the age of 81.

Edward Bisland of Glen Spey, chairman of the Board of Supervisors, was a guest at the home of Val Scheidell Friday night.

A hayload of girls and teachers of the Callicoon school, fifteen in number, took a sleigh-ride to Jeffersonville Friday night and had supper at Tormey’s lunchroom.

Youngsville, March 8 – Youngsville Grange held its regular meeting on Saturday, March 4. Carl R. Cleason was initiated in the third and fourth degree of the order.

Kenoza Lake, March 7 – Ed Krantz had a wood bee Saturday on the property of Fred Hust.

Callicoon Center, March 5 – A necktied party was held at Miss Elsie Steinhauser’s on Tuesday evening.

100 Years Ago - 1926

Mr. and Mrs. George L. Klinger of this township celebrated their golden wedding anniversary at their home just above North Branch last Saturday evening. An unusual circumstance was that all their nine children, five sons and four daughters, and all their grandchildren were there. The Klingers were married at North Branch by Pastor Andrew of the M.E. Church on March 7, 1876.

On Wednesday night last week, a bunch of gloom killers from Jeffersonville went to Youngsville and surprised Edward F. Manny, the hotel-keeper, it being his fiftieth birthday anniversary. The Mannys formerly lived in Jeff but went to Youngsville last year to take over the Durr’s Hotel, formerly Homer’s Hotel.

John B. Warner of Margaretville, Masonic deputy grand master for the Delaware-Sullivan District, will make his official visit to Callicoon Lodge of Jeffersonville on March 24.

Next Tuesday the village will hold an election for president, a two-year trustee and treasurer. No nomination has been made for any of the offices.

Miss Margaret Lowe, 65, of Jeffersonville, died at Loomis Sanitarium on Monday. Mrs. Rachel Hitt, 72, died on Saturday at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Peter Kohler, near Roscoe.

Kenoza Lake, March 9 – Mrs. George F. Schmidt is very ill of measles.

90 Years Ago - 1936

The Jeffersonville School District voted a $2,000 bond issue at a special meeting last Tuesday night to purchase additional land.

William P. Miller, aged 69, well-known member of the firm of Mathern & Miller, truck body builders of Jeff, was hit while walking home last night by a Plymouth sedan, and died at 6:30 this morning at the Liberty hospital of a fractured skull and internal injuries.

The Callicoon Town Board has reappointed Amback of  Youngsville as Town Welfare Officer for another term of two years.

Oscar Will, as executor of the will of William G. Pfeifle, through his attorney, William Deckelman, has appealed an Appellate Division decision ordering a new trial in the will contest brought by three brothers. Surrogate Cooke set aside a jury verdict finding the testator incompetent. His decision was affirmed but a new trial was ordered.

At the annual meeting of the Sullivan County Cooperative Dairy Association last Saturday, with 34 members present, the following officers were elected: President Fred Miller, Vice President and Treasurer Ralph Myers; Secretary and Plant Manager Carl Stecker; other directors are Andrew von Bergen and Anthony Haidt. The association voted to retain H. Pfanmuller, Honesdale, Pa., as business manager. Starting April 1 all milk will be shipped raw in tank trucks to the city.

Last night a Liberty bowling team beat the local team three straight. Last week’s high scores at the alley were: Charlie Baker, 218, regular pins; Willard Schadt, 118, duck pins.

80 Years Ago - 1946

Ernest Finerty, formerly of Fosterdale and Jeffersonville, now of Monroe, narrowly escaped death when the milk truck he was driving was sliced in half at Stamford by the noon train from New York.

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Mages have sold their house on Upper Maple Avenue to Mr. and Mrs. Bertram of Huntington Station, L.I., through Alfred E. Adler, the Kenoza Lake real estate broker.

Herbert Grishaber, as executor of his father’s estate, has sold the Franklin, an 18-room summer boarding house on Silver Heights, to Moses Salid of New York.

The Philip Gorr farm, known as the Shepherd farm in the Beechwoods, has been sold to Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Meller of Elmhurst, L.I., and the Peter S. Doscher property consisting of a boarding house and 100 acres near Mileses, has been sold to New York people who intend to run a boys’ camp there, through Scheidell-Schmidt.

A son, William Valentine, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Diehl (Ethel Keim) of the Beechwoods on March 1.

Elected as officers of the Presbyterian Ladies Aid were: President Mrs. Leonard Huff; Vice-President Mrs. George Baumgardt; Treasurer Mrs. Ida Kohler and Secretary Mrs. Rose Stadelmann.

August Lott of the Ace Garage went to Albany yesterday and drove in another new 1946 Hudson car, for which he is agent. He sold two of these cars recently, one to Joseph Lang of Swiss Hill and the other to Harold Stecker of Jeffersonville.

A welcome home party for Jesse Abel, who was discharged from the Army recently after service in Europe, was held at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hyman Abel, Sunday afternoon with about 70 guests enjoying the festivities.

70 Years Ago - 1956

The Jeffersonville school district overwhelmingly approved the purchase of the forty acres of land adjacent to the school from Herman Behnken for $13,500.

Falls on the ice last week have hospitalized Mrs. Mary Eisengrein and Mrs. Herbert Levitt. Also in the hospital are Mrs. Winfield Hessinger and Mrs. Harold Stecker.

Automatic Laundry Equipment Company of Jeffersonville, headed by Irving Feigenbaum, has been appointed sole distributor of the Norge line of commercial washers and dryers for Sullivan, Ulster and Orange counties.

A collision between a Sullivan County Highway Department truck and a car on Route 52 and the Swan Lake Road injured Robert Hallock of Eldred and Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Rampe of Liberty.

A visa has been issued under the Refugee Relief Program to bring to this country from Yugoslavia Mr. and Mrs. Mathias Selthafner and daughter, Maria, sponsored by their cousin, Frank N. Bamberger of Jeffersonville. They will arrive on March 10.

Robert C. Williams, graduate of the Jeffersonville Central School, class of 1945, is now associated with the law firm of Levine & Salon in Monticello.

Wedding bells rang for Jean Winglovitz of Cochecton and Richard Johnson of Lake Huntington at the Cochecton Presbyterian Church on March 3... Carol Wyman of Amsterdam and Donald Bowers of Livingston Manor were married at the White Sulphur Springs Methodist Church, March 3... Marjorie Quick of Livingston Manor and Robert Hathaway of Liberty were married at the Livingston Manor Presbyterian Church on March 4.

Roscoe Central School won the Western Sullivan League basketball championship.

Sullivan Surplus Sale has purchased the ten-acre lot of property below Grossinger’s for expansion.

Mr. and Mrs. Harold Kespert of Youngsville were given a surprise housewarming in their new home on the North Road,  Youngsville.

The Youngsville Girl Scout troop camped out overnight Saturday at Lake Muskoday.

60 Years Ago - 1966

Fred Schlicting was honored Sunday evening at the Sullivan County Restaurant Liquor Dealers dinner at the Chateau Restaurant in Monticello. Mr. Schlicting recently sold his place of business in North Branch and he was honored as a pioneer in the association. William Lang, who served as toastmaster, also introduced Walter Kerr who regaled the diners with several humorous anecdotes.

Mrs. Emily Ebert and Postmaster William Bergner, both recent retirees of the Callicoon Post office, were honored by their co-workers at a dinner at the Hortonville Hotel. Both retired in November with a total of more than 85 years of service between them.

A total of more than 20,968 patient days were recorded at the Liberty Maimonides Hospital during 1965, as reported by  Arthur Thomas, administrator of the community non-profit hospital. The report indicates that 2,662 patients were admitted for care during 1965.

Former Assemblyman Hyman E. Mintz and former Fallsburg Police Chief Carl Kaplan are reported to be in a New York City prison hospital with reported coronary insufficiency. The two South Fallsburg residents were found guilty Friday by a New York City Supreme Court trial jury of criminal conspiracy for allegedly attempting to secure grand jury information on the Finger Lakes flat track investigation which allegedly involved a $100,000 bribe attempt.

The fact that human beings have been encouraged to break the habit of smoking cigarettes makes it appear that life in the deep is picking up the habit after the filter of a cigarette was found in the stomach of a perch taken from an area lake last week. Vouching for the story is Town Councilman John Milk of Rock Valley, a sportsman not inclined to make up fish or any other type of story. Mr. Milk and mail carrier Willard F. English were fishing through the ice when they caught the perch.

A legal ad announced the foreclosure sale of Maud’s Summer Ray in North Branch.

50 Years Ago - 1976

Douglas Sommer of North Branch has received the coveted appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. He will report in July.

County Historian William G. Smith of Monticello has been appointed chairman of the Sullivan County Bicentennial Commission to replace Mrs. Barbara Wakefield Purcell who recently resigned.

Debbie Hassis of Jeffersonville, who was chosen Miss Sullivan County last summer, will compete this week in the New York State Miss Universe contest at Lake Grove, Smith Haven Mall, Long Island.

Several buildings of Camp Shane in  Ferndale were destroyed in a fire at the camp last Thursday.

Mrs. Mary Kohler of Jeffersonville celebrated her 99th birthday recently.

40 Years Ago - 1986

Robert S. York, 98, a truly dedicated volunteer worker and a fireman through and through, died March 2. He was a 28-year chief of the Monticello Fire Department and organizer and past president of the Sullivan County Volunteer Firemen’s  Association. He was also a 30-year director of the Hudson Valley Firemen’s Association and a volunteer fireman for more than 80 years.

Food King supermarket in Jeffersonville celebrated its first year anniversary with a half-price sale.

The Roscoe Blue Devils capture the Section 9, Class D title by defeating Sugar Loaf Tuesday night while the Eldred Yellowjackets took home the girls Section 9, Class D crown. They will be competing in the Capitol Conference Tournament... In the next issue of the Democrat it is noted that the Roscoe Blue Devils were defeated by Salem, 88-73.

A good idea, but why us? That’s the reaction of school bus drivers across Sullivan County concerning the new New York State law that mandates all drivers to be fingerprinted by the end of this year.

Marty Pissante, owner of the Villa Roma Country Club in Callicoon, will be guest of honor at a dinner and roast to benefit the United Way of Sullivan County. He was chosen because of the support and contributions to Sullivan County residents, businesses and organizations. The Villa Roma employs over 300 people on a year-round basis.

Kimm Heller of Callicoon, a student at Hope College in Holland, Mich., will be on tour this spring with her school choir. As a member of the 64-voice Chapel Choir, Miss Heller sings in the soprano section.

Peter and Mary Carchedi and son Brian Aldrich were here from Utica for a weekend visit with her parents, Steve and Ethel Ippolito, arriving Friday at the Ippolito home on Aden Road.

Elmer Long of Damascus, Pa., celebrated his 80th birthday on March 4 with a surprise party at the Callicoon Methodist Church Hall.

30 Years Ago - 1996

Carl Grund Jr., 83, of Narrowsburg, a retired dairy farmer and former Town of Cochecton supervisor from 1970 to 1975, died March 5, 1996 at Community General Hospital in Harris.

President and CEO of Community Bank of Sullivan County George E. Dunkel announced that Tracy A. Merklin has been promoted to the position of branch manager at Monticello.

Liberty native Gary Nichols will appear March 6 at Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame.

Robert Hill, a senior at Monticello High School, has been named a finalist in the 1996 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Jean Dinnerstein, 90, of N. Miami Beach, Fla., the original owner of the Stevensville Hotel in Swan Lake, died March 4, 1996 in Miami, Fla.

Miss Erin Luckey of Richland Center, Wisc., a former resident of Jeffersonville and Kenoza Lake, was selected to attend the National Young Leaders Conference from Jan. 30 to Feb. 4 in Washington, D.C.

The Main Street Thrift Shop operated by Interfaith Outreach United (IOU) is making a lateral move into a new building which will more than double its size.

20 Years Ago - 2006

Tickets for the Bethel Woods summer concerts will be on sale “very, very soon” according to Gerry Foundation Executive Director Jonathan Drapkin. “The first year we will test the market with different genres to learn how the market responds.” With the first concert only 120 days away, construction is furiously coming to a close and the New York Philharmonic is getting ready to perform Bethel Woods’ first-ever concert on July 1.

In a rare instance, four generations of the Eschenberg family were together for a recent birthday celebration. Great-grandmother Betty Eschenberg, great-grandfather John Eschenberg, were joined by their son, Steven, and his wife, Nan, their great-granddaughter Jillian Sager (8 months), and their grandchildren, Jeanne Sager and Alex Eschenberg. Betty and John Eschenberg have seven children, 15 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

The Sullivan County South Florida Reunion marked its 25th anniversary in Boynton Beach, Fla. on February 12 at the Westchester Country Club. More than 200 attended. Ben Kaplan was honored with a plaque for his quarter-century  of participation on the reunion committee.

10 Years Ago - 2016

Rose Weiss celebrated her 100th birthday yesterday at a party planned by her friends and fellow residents of the Skilled Nursing Unit of the Catskill Regional Medical Center.

Mark Fenton promised to make listeners squirm in their seats, but he ultimately inspired hundreds of Sullivan Renaissance volunteers to make their communities’ health as much a priority as their aesthetic appeal. Bouncing around the stage with an infectious excitement, Fenton simultaneously disturbed and delighted the audience with rapid-fire facts on walkable downtowns, bicycle paths, economic development and the twin epidemics of obesity and diabetes. Fenton urged not just individuals but whole municipalities to address the problem by creating regulations friendly to walkable/bikeable hamlets, livable downtowns and healthy development. “Do not focus on building communities for visitors,” he urged. “Focus on building them for the people who live here.”