140 Years Ago - 1880

Final election returns show the Board of Supervisors to be made up of 9 Democrats, 5 Republicans and 1 representing the Greenback Party. The Greenback representative is Elias Champlin from Liberty. In this area, the supervisors are: Bethel, J.P. Royce, R.; Callicoon, Frederick Hessinger, D.; Cochecton, DeWitt Knapp, R.; Delaware, Valentine Schmidt, D.; Fremont, Frank Buckley, D.; Rockland, Burr Wilson, R.

Hankins — Our school closes this week. The teacher, H.G. Moot, will reopen his flag quarry near North Branch… Mr. George W. Sipple, our cooper, shipped a carload of firkins and tubs to a party in Hancock on Tuesday.

This week one of the wide awake farmers of North Branch was seen plowing, there being little or no frost in the ground on his farm, a fact not often relatable at this season.

Mr. Morison is starting a quo warranto suit against Mr. Royce contesting the post of supervisor in the town of Bethel, claiming the vote had been a tie.

The first of a number of carloads of flour for the relief of Ireland's starving poor passed through Callicoon Depot Friday morning. The railroads are transporting these cargos free.

The Town of Liberty has just purchased a large fireproof safe. This is a wise step on the part of the officials of the town; they having lost their entire town records, dating back to 1807, by a fire which occurred in that village about three years ago, just because they had neglected to purchase a safe.

130 Years Ago - 1890

Ten horses and mares for sale or exchange, cheap. W.C. Brand.

Don't forget the Grand Ball at the Mansion House Easter Monday. America can take two million more newcomers and find room for all to build and make gardens. We haven't settled one hundredth part of the country yet.

A correspondent tells us that Pike Pond is beginning to boom. Two blacksmith shops are nearly completed and there is strong talk of a narrow gauge railroad.

Ed Stephens brought two hens' eggs to town the other day weighing just seven ounces.

Good Morning, sister Kenoza. It has been officially announced that the name of Pike Pond must vanish as of April 1st, and that Kenoza Lake is the name by which our sister hamlet hereafter is to be known. There is no such place as Pike Pond anymore.

Henry Gorr of Beechwoods recently lost a valuable horse.

Charles Scheidell has been busily at work on his yard this week.

The Callicoon Depot section of the Milk Producers Union has decided to build a milk union creamery at that place to take care of the members of the union.

120 Years Ago - 1900

The Commissioner of Highways, J.D.W.M. Decker of Livingston Manor, was injured seriously by a recent fall. His skull was indented and it is feared there is pressure on the brain.

Mrs. Fannie Roberts, who boards with Mrs. George Portz at Roscoe, fell down the stairs from the attic the other day and is now compelled to use crutches.

E.R. Sprague of Lew Beach has purchased an evaporator and will tap 700 maple trees this spring.

At the M.E. Parsonage at Liberty, March 5, Fred E. Benton and Maud Maffin of White Sulphur Springs were married.

There is a contest in the village election in Monticello this year for the first time in some years. The dispute is over local improvements. For President, D.S. Avery is running against R.S. Pelton.

For the corporation election for the village of Liberty, the following tickets have been placed in nomination: For president, David S. Hill; trustee, Isaac Post; treasurer, R.A. Monroe; collector, A.B. Hector.

Edward Westervelt Sr. died at his home in Mongaup Valley, February 28, aged 80 years. He located at White Lake some years ago and married Jane Ann, the oldest daughter of the late John T. Linson (granddaughter of Senator Linson) in 1842.

Mary Kimball Murdock, widow of the late Nathan Murdock, died at her home in Livingston Manor on March 6. Her parents and ancestors were of the sturdy New England stock that settled this county over one hundred years ago. She was born at Beaverkill 76 years ago and married Mr. Murdock and moved to the farm at Livingston Manor 52 years ago.

Mrs. Elizabeth Shaver, widow of the late Philip Shaver, died at her home at Livingston Manor on March 3, aged 75 years. She was a daughter of William and Sarah Johnston, and was born in Ireland, coming to this country with her parents when 15 years of age.

110 Years Ago - 1910

A daughter was born Tuesday to F. Schwerdifeger and wife.

Veterinary McDowell of Liberty was here Sunday attending a sick horse of Philip Hust which is recovering.

John A. Schadt, a prominent businessman of Scranton, Pa., was here to attend the funeral of his uncle, Charles Scheidell.

Henry Reyman of East Hill has quit as hostler at the Mansion House and expects to go West. His position here is taken by Wm. Menges of Youngsville.

L.P. Faubel left for Scranton Monday to take a vacation. Roland Hauschild is looking after his saloon business here. Louis was accompanied by his brother, Fred.

Bluebirds and robins are said to have ventured here last week.

The funeral of Charles Scheidell at his late home in this village on Saturday was one of the largest seen here in some time. The service was conducted by Rev. Stadelmann of the Presbyterian Church at the house and interment was in the Scheidell plot in the rear of the new Presbyterian Cemetery. Mr. Scheidell was born and lived his 65 years in the house where he died. The youngest of four children of the late Frederick Scheidell Sr., he was born on April 6, 1845. He was the last of the family, the three deceased being Fred Scheidell, our efficient town supervisor for many years, Mrs. Peter Wagner of this place and Mrs. Charles Schadt of Scranton, Pa. Charles remained at home and succeeded to the homestead and its broad acres. Besides a large landowner and farmer, he dealt extensively in cattle, milk, feed, coal, etc. He is survived by his wife, Mary, a daughter of Mrs. Margaret and the late Valentine Schmidt, and the following children: Miss Martha of Deposit, Mrs. Gernett Howland of Callicoon, Floyd, a student at the Oxford high school, William, Charles, Valentine P., Kate, Annie, Emily and Merrell, at home.

100 Years Ago - 1920

After raining all day Friday, nature that evening suddenly turned about and gave us the worst blizzard we have had this winter. While the snow that fell was not so much in quantity as at other times this season, the wind was so strong and driving that throughout Friday night and Saturday, the roads were banked with snow to a much greater extent than we have experienced in some years. Ed Schultz, who made it to Jeffersonville with the mail Friday from Callicoon, couldn't get any farther than our Delaware suburb Saturday and had to turn back. Here the road and surrounding territory were flooded by the Chelius brook. The Liberty mail route was similarly blocked. Charles Wilfert, the government weather observer, has recorded 65 inches of snowfall this winter. This will do us for awhile.

The Callicoon Fish and Game Club of Sullivan County was organized in Jeffersonville last Saturday afternoon at a meeting of about 15 interested men held at the Mansion House. Officers chosen were President Charles Hoessrich of Jeffersonville, Vice President F.J. Starck of Callicoon, Secretary-Treasurer Fred W. Schadt, Jeffersonville. Those officers plus the following makeup the executive committee: Richard A. Schrumpf, Callicoon Center; Jacob Rogler, Youngs­ville: Wilmot L. Moulthrop, Kenoza Lake; Dr. A.H. Schonger, North Branch; John Becker, Jeffersonville. The club will stock the streams and forests with fish and game and encourage conservation of the same for legitimate fishing and hunting purposes.

Conrad Metzger, who recently sold his residence on Main St. to L.A. Winland, will build a bungalow on his two lots on Terrace Avenue, between the Kohler and Diehl residences. It will be wood with stucco finish. J.L. Dietrich is the general contractor and W.J. Grishaber, the plumbing and heating contractor.

A son, Clarence V., was born March 9, 1920, to Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. (Mary “May” Frey) Decker in Bradley.

90 Years Ago - 1930

Announcement has been made of the engagement of Philip Eisenberg of the Maple Theatre, Jeffersonville, and Miss Jean Lampert of Borough Park, Brooklyn. Miss Lampert is the daughter of Nathan Lampert, who some years ago bought the George Mathues farm and boarding house at Youngsville, since sold to other parties.

The regular meeting of the M.E. Ladies Aid Society last week Thursday at the Union Chapel was given over to the celebration of the birthday of Mrs. Mary Ophelia Potts, one of the oldest and most faithful members. She is the widow of Alpheus Potts, one of the county's most prominent attorneys.

Dr. Frederick Cook, the former Hortonville boy who rose to worldwide fame through his explorations and then fell down to infamy in oil stock exploitations, was last Sunday released on parole from Leavenworth, Kansas, federal prison, where he was sentenced five years ago to a 14-year term for using the mail to steal fraudulent oil stocks in Texas.

A record number of 100 attended the PTA meeting at the school Tuesday night.

Martin H. Weyrauch of Free­port, L.I., has been appointed as a member of the NYS Crime Commission by Governor Frank­lin D. Roosevelt. He is the son of Henry M. Weyrauch of Liberty and now publisher of the NY Daily Graphic.

Among those who have ar­ranged to attend the citizen's military training camps this summer are Frank Schaffer, Robert Meyer and Vincent Mullally of Jeff, George Raum Jr. of Kenoza Lake, and John and Robert Brockwehl of Youngs­ville.

Harold Kenneth William, son of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Bernhardt, Callicoon, was baptized by Rev. Charles McClure last Sunday at the home of his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. William Bernhardt of Jeffersonville, who acted as sponsors.

80 Years Ago - 1940

The names of two local men appeared on the Erie Honor Roll for the past month. Frank McGuire, operator at C-O tower, noticed and reported lumber hanging from the side of Erie Car 19445. The train was stopped at Basket Bridge and the load adjusted. Percy J. Page, agent at Skinner's Falls, discovered and reported a brake beam down on a car in train 98 passing his station.

James H. Manion died suddenly of a heart attack at his home in Livingston Manor on March 11, in his 75th year. He was born on a farm in White Sulphur Springs, May 23, 1865, the son of Patrick Manion and Margaret O'Connor, and spent a number of years as a young man in the West, shipping horses to the East. For 25 years he conducted a garage in Livingston Manor, retiring several years ago. His first wife, now deceased, was Elizabeth Stoddard of Stevens­ville, and his second wife was Margaret Clark of Liberty, who survives.

The front room in the L.P. Faubel house, formerly used by Mrs. Faubel as a cigar store, is being fitted up for a beauty parlor for Mrs. John H. Pfeiffle, who will operate it as a branch of her Youngsville parlor.

Margaret Fisher Gabriel, widow of Ruben F. Gabriel, died of heart trouble at her home in Hurd in her 67th year, on March 5. She was born in Switzerland in 1873.

The Youngsville Boy Scouts defeated the Jeff Scouts 20 to 19 in a basketball game played at Jeff Tuesday night.

Miss Lelah Edwards of the town of Colchester, Delaware County, and William A. Hyzer of White Sulphur Springs, were married March 2nd at the Walton Methodist Church.

70 Years Ago - 1950

William H. “Bucky” Baum has announced that he has contracted to sell his bar and grill in Jeffersonville to George, John and Joan Redington of Liberty. Mrs. Redington is the former Joan Weiss of Callicoon Center and was employed in the telephone exchange in Jeff for a few years. Mr. Baum purchased the property in 1935 from the Jeffersonville Grange which had been using the place for meetings and a dance hall for Grange members. Before that the property was owned by William Becker, who operated a drug store on the site until it burned down in the great fire of 1918.

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Kooistra of Jeffersonville announce the birth of a daughter, Katherine Rosalee, 10 lbs. 6 oz. at the Liberty Hospital on March 7.

Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Bernhardt (Pearl Frost) announce the birth of a daughter March 8 at the Callicoon Hospital. The new arrival has been named Ellen Vera and has a sister, Roberta Ann.

Maureen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Hubert of Jeffersonville who was born January 25, 1950, was christened in St. George's R.C. Church on March 5 with Theresa and Ralph Allgeier of New York City as sponsors. A family dinner was held afterward at the home of Mr. and Mrs. August Hubert, grandparents of the baby.

In the last Delaware League fame Tuesday night, the Jeff Lions lost to Hancock by a score of 47 to 46. High scorer for the Lions was Myers with 17 points, followed by Crandall with 15; Walker, 5; Clifford, 4; Ruppert, 3; and Tonjes, 2. Jeff won the girls' game over Youngsville, 18 to 9.

Frederick L. Segar, a lifelong resident of the town of Bethel, died at his home in Kauneonga Lake on February 25. He was born at Briscoe in 1878, the son of the late James D. and Julie Starr Segar.

Christian Bronmann died at the age of 72 on March 5 at Hamilton Avenue Hospital. He was born on the homestead of East Hill in 1877, the son of John and Caroline Zimmerman Bornmann, natives of Germany.

60 Years Ago - 1960

Sullivan County has an opportunity to obtain a sizeable industry and an airport. This was revealed in a statement issued by William E. Pearson and Homer A. Millard, chairman and director, respectively, of the Publicity and Development Committee of the Sullivan County Board of Supervisors.

Monday, April 25, may well be the critical date for education in the Liberty Central School District, for that date has tentatively been fixed by the Board of Education of the district for a vote to acquire a site for construction of a new junior-senior high school.

Seven bids were opened last Friday for standing timber on the Sullivan County Infirmary property at Liberty with the county securing an unexpected windfall of over $3,000.

The J-YCS Board of Education announced at its last meeting Friday, March 4, 1960, that it desired the formation of a school newspaper. Thanks to the fine cooperation of Mr. Robert Cramer, head of the commercial department, the idea of a student newspaper has been fully commissioned and now is in full operation.

Arthur O'Dell, a resident of Livingston Manor, died last Saturday at the Liberty Loomis Hospital. He was 82.

Judith Gute, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lester Gute of Jeffersonville, has been named to the Dean's List for the fall semester. She attends the State University.

50 years ago - 1970

John Bernhardt, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bernhardt of Youngs­ville, has been named J-Y's Youth Delegate for the Governor's Regional Meeting. The confab was held Thursday at the Concord. John was accompanied by Paul Zintel and Erwin L. Baker.

A proposal that the new county office building be constructed near the Sullivan County International Airport was made at the county supervisors meeting on Monday night by Bethel Supervisor George Neuhaus. Most observers see the Neuhaus move as failing. They will, no doubt, argue that the office building should be near the county courthouse in Monticello.

The new bridge across the Callicoon Creek, near the Mill Pond area, was opened for traffic last week.

A second white deer has been killed in the vicinity of Curtis Nurseries (Pa. side). Reports are that several other “white deer” have been seen in the area.

40 Years Ago - 1980

The Sullivan County Board of Supervisors at their regular March meeting, held on Monday of this week, reached a compromise over the need to increase the county's capability to obtain federal and state grants by creating a new post in the County Planning Department — that of Deputy Supervisor. The new post, which will carry a salary of $18,000 a year, was considerably different from the solution which had gained the approval of two committees last week, only to come a cropper when their resolution reached the Finance Committee. Originally it was planned to promote grants specialist William Gordon by increasing his salary from $12,000 to $15,000, and appointing an assistant for him at $12,000, the latter salary to be paid for by federal funding.

Michael Woods, former Liberty High School and Siena College baseball pitcher, has been named to coach the Sullivan County Community College Generals baseball team this season… Ron Bernhardt has been named by Delaware Valley athletic director Andy Ranaudo to coach the Eagles' 1980 varsity baseball squad.

30 Years Ago - 1990

In a heavy voter turnout, Jeffersonville-Youngsville Central School District residents re­soundingly defeated a proposed $13.6 million building and renovation project on Wednesday. “The results were very disappointing,” said Dr. Bart O'Connor, district superintendent, “but at least we got the message out that we need more space. Now, we must match a figure with our needs and what the taxpayers are willing to meet.”

Josephine Giacco, a music teacher from Washingtonville in Orange County, will be guest conductor of the Sullivan County All-County Band at the Liberty Central High School. The program will be taped by WVOS. The group will perform again on March 23 at the South Concourse of the Capitol Building in Albany. Assemblyman Richard I. Coombe (R-98) will present a resolution to the students on behalf of the New York State Assembly.

The first set of triplets to arrive at the new Community General Hospital in Harris arrived Wednesday, March 7. The two girls and a boy were born to Raymond and Robyn Jardine of Liberty and have an older sister, Samantha. Their names and weight are: (1st born), Taylor, 4 lbs. 12 oz., Devan, 5 lbs. 8 oz., and Lindsey, 4 lbs. 10 oz.

In a first for Sullivan County, a Purim Parade of centuries-old kings and their courts was led down Broadway in Monticello on Monday in celebration of the festive Jewish holiday. Organizers say the event will become an annual celebration.

“Our Future is Bright” was the theme of a float depicting a space shuttle during the 19th annual Yulan St. Patrick's Day Parade on Sunday. Dr. Kunwar Nagpal walked with an elephant while carrying a monkey in the parade.

20 Years Ago - 2000

Sullivan County Legislature Chairman Raymond N. Pomeroy II will deliver his fifth State of the County message on Wednesday, March 15, in the Legislative Chambers of the Sullivan County Government Center. In this address, Pomeroy will review legislative activity over the last four years and set an agenda for the year 2000.

Deaths: William H. Shaver, 90, of Liberty, the son of Perry and Marguerite Sturdevant Shaver, died March 10, 2000 in Liberty; Dorothy M. Peake, 91, of Hankins, died March 12, 2000 at her home; Ernest Schleiermacher, 91, of Shandelee, died March 13, 2000 in Harris. He was born May 5, 1908 in Callicoon Center.

Joseph Livingston, the son of Mitchell Livingston of Ferndale and a student at Hamilton College, is going south for spring break to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity in Birmingham, Alabama. Livingston is a sophomore majoring in government at Hamilton and is a graduate of Liberty High School.

Miss Rebekah Lee Hust and Louis Vincent Failla were united in marriage on January 9, 2000, in Colorado. The bride is the daughter of Barbara Hust of Kenoza Lake and the late Philip Hust. The bride was escorted down the aisle by her brother, Dan Hust. Louis is the son of Robert Failla of Liberty and Diane Rice of Colorado Springs, Colo. The couple now resides in Colorado Springs, Colo., where they are completing their education and are employed.

10 Years Ago - 2010

The Monticello boys' alpine ski team was recognized during Monticello Central School Board of Education meeting for winning the 2009-2010 Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association (OCIAA) Division I championship.

A new women's clothing shop, called The Clothes Line, opened in Jeffersonville on Main Street to much fanfare. Women from Hurleyville, Liberty, North Branch, and Callicoon were there minutes after the store opened looking for the latest styles and browse the many racks of clothes.

Family, friends, and fellow Boy Scouts, Boy Scout leaders and special guests watched with pride as Benjamin Vreeland received his Eagle Scout Award during an Eagle Scout Court of Honor at the First Presbyterian Church of Jeffersonville. Vreeland, a Youngsville resident, became a Boy Scout in 2005 and quickly advanced through the ranks earning a total of 26 merit badges and other awards including the French Interpreter Award and the World Conservation Award. For his Eagle project, Vreeland decided to improve children's literacy. He helped about 300 elementary and middle school students receive books of their choosing and inspired other groups to continue collecting and distributing reading materials.