130 Years Ago - 1890

Livingston Manor, April 28 — Ezra B. Hodges has been confined to the house for some time on account of poor health.… D.M. Scriber has several shade trees planted around his large boarding house, making a marked improvement.… P.J. Woolsey had a long-needed walk laid in front of his place …The carpenters have nearly finished the A.Ray's new house… The Livingston Manor Manufacturing Co. has purchased a large tract of land on the D.S. Morss estate. The land is well timbered with hardwood.

Roscoe, April 30 — The law protecting trout from greedy anglers will be off tomorrow, and for the last several days no less than twenty rods, by as many men and boys, were put in readiness for a grand “first of the season fish.” It will be needless to say that frying pans will be in good demand tomorrow noon… Two very large and ugly looking wildcats are said to be roaming along the highway up the gulf and were twice seen in one day by travelers. What's the matter with organizing a grand hunt?

On Thursday afternoon, April 24, after an illness of less than a week, Lena, wife of Joseph Seibert of near Jeffersonville, departed this earth, leaving her husband and a little daughter 7 weeks of age, to mourn for her. She was the daughter of Henry Luchs of Jeffersonville, only a little over 19 years old, and was married to Mr. Seibert in Scranton, Pa., April 10, 1889.

Little Lizzie, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wilfert of Jeffersonville, died of pneumonia last Friday, aged 7 years and 3 months.

Jacob and John Fries of Shanley Pond were in to see us the other day.

Fred Hust, who recently conducted a grocery store in New York, has sold out and is now at home.

George B. Gebelein of Miles­ville is erecting a new blacksmith shop at that place.

It is whispered that a new Presbyterian Church will be erected in Liberty. One man proposes to give $500 toward the new structure, which is to be a model of modern architecture.

120 Years Ago - 1900

B.E. Misner has been appointed Liberty's town clerk in place of James Theobald who died.

Valentine Schmidt and wife returned from Scranton, Pa., last week where they spent the winter with relatives.

A wagon house belonging to James Gillet of Divine Corners, was struck by lightning and burned last week.

Editor Arthur Bird of the Sidney Record, formerly of Jeffersonville, will sail on June 6 for several weeks to visit England and France. He accompanies a Binghamton party as guide and interpreter.

Rev. August Block of the Presbyterian Church has been compelled to give up his English services on account of poor health. He continues the German service in the morning.

Prof. A. Caille and Dr. A. Zeh of New York caught a nice mess of trout in the Youngsville stream Saturday.

Tennanah Lake — John Maus has bought one of the Anderson farms of 160 acres here for $1650 and took possession May 1… A son was born to John Maulick and wife, April 28.

Hortonville — Miss Emma Fromis is taking music lessons from Millie Wagner… Miss Flora Frey returned home Saturday after spending the winter with Mrs. Cook at the creamery.

110 Years Ago - 1910

Dr. Richard A. Dekay, a prominent physician of Livingston Manor, was found dead on the couch of his office about 4:30 Tuesday afternoon by neighbors. He had been dead for some hours. Acute bronchitis was given as the cause of death. Dr. Dekay was born at White Lake 46 years ago and began the practice of medicine at Manor 20 years ago, developing an extensive practice in that section.

Here is a Jeffersonville boy, who shows good stuff in his mental and physical makeup, and gives promises of meeting with success in life - Floyd Scheidell, who is taking his third year at the Oxford Academy, working nights to help meet his school expenses. Floyd is captain and manager of the baseball team there.

Jacob Knell and wife go to Fremont Center this week to take charge of and conduct the Gerhardt Hotel for the owner, Philip Orth, of the Erie Hotel, Callicoon.

Herman Huggler, a baker of Liberty, has leased part of the Pfeiffle house of W.H. Lawrence and will start a bakery there very soon.

Mother's Day will be observed at the Presbyterian Church on May 8. All are welcome. Kindly wear a white flower, a carnation if possible, in honor of our mothers.

A son was born April 23 to George Hamel and wife of Callicoon.

Martin Hermann has fitted up his garage at Callicoon with the necessary machine shop equipment for repairing and overhauling cars and has engaged the services of Alphonse Emele, an expert automobile machinist.

Fred Schadt took Val Scheidell's rebuilt car for a spin up the state road Sunday and midway to Youngsville the crankshaft broke. After exhausting his vocabulary of expletives and getting no place, being an experienced man, he knew just what to do — get someone to tow him home.

100 Years Ago - 1920

Fred Glassel, who has been engaged in the past winter as superintendent in a mine in Nevada, came to his home in Beechwoods last week to help on the farm, owing to the disability of his father, Andrew Glassel, who sprained his knee some time ago.

The Jeffersonville Transportation Co. has put on a new closed motor bus on its Liberty stage line. Fred H. Duttweiler, the hustling president and manager of the company, surely keeps up to date. The bus is equipped with electric lights and signal buttons inside. It is built for 15 passengers, but there is ample room for straphangers.

William Lieb is attending the annual communications of the Grand Lodge of Masons in New York this week. Other lodge masters from Sullivan County in attendance are George N. Homer of Callicoon, Wilbur J. Wagner of Livingston Manor, H. Leslie Sarles of Liberty and John S. Mearns of Monticello.

The other day Ed Schultz, the Callicoon stage and truck man, was coming up from the city with a load of furniture, when three miles this side of Middletown, while coming downgrade at 3 a.m., the engine of his Bethlehem truck fell out of the frame. The crippled truck was taken back to Middletown where he got another truck to bring the furniture to its destination.

90 Years Ago - 1930

The Henry Graff farm on the Beechwoods road was sold under foreclosure proceedings last Friday and was bid by Mr. Graff, whose interests and costs amounted to about $4400. Jacob Maslow and W.J. Grishaber, who handled the farm as agents, also had an interest in the place.

Gabaeff Bros., who operate the Youngsville Creamery, were fined $100 by Justice John Seibel of Youngsville for allowing waste from the cheese vats in the creamery to run into and pollute the stream there. The complaint was made by Game Warden Roy Steenrod of Liberty who, with Game Warden George Hembdt of Monticello, had made a test of water taken from the creek. Fish placed in the water died in a few minutes.

According to the Federal census the village of Jeffersonville shows a gain in population of 14. A part of the village, outside the corporation and over the Delaware town line, has about 100 more population than the census indicates. Liberty village has increased 350 to 425; Wurtsboro dropped from 479 to 421; Lumberland decreased 16 and Forestburgh has increased 63.

The Moran brothers, Elliott and Raymond, have bought the ice business here of Chas. Scheidell. The storage house is on Lake Jeffersonville.

Misses Martha and Marion Scheidell entertained at a bridge and luncheon at their home on Maple Ave. Saturday afternoon in honor of Miss Marion Dietrich who is to become a June bride and leave Jeffersonville for Long Island.

The Presbyterian Church people are planning to celebrate their 85th anniversary with a series of religious and social festivities on August 3-6.

Philip Schmidt has been ap­pointed census enumerator for the third district.

Two residents of Youngsville are approaching the century mark: Frederick Cape is 94 and his sister, Mrs. Henry Spielmann Sr. is 97.

80 Years Ago - 1940

On the request of District Attorney William Deckelman for assistance in the trial of the indictments against city gangsters, charged with committing murder in Sullivan County, because of the great amount of detail and research involved, Judge George L. Cooke has designated Attorney Albert T. Decker of Liberty to assist in the prosecution.

Bitter feeling characterized the annual school meeting at North Branch last night when 92 voted in the contest for control. The principal fight was on the question of sending high school pupils to Callicoon or Jeffersonville. The Callicoon contingent won by a vote of 57 to 34. Walter Neumann was elected trustee in place of James Ellersick; George Grazadio was re-elected collector.

Mr. and Mrs. Roy Hess will return to their farm home on the hill next week after spending the winter at the Sander cottage in town which they bought and improved. Mrs. Gertrude Steinhauser will again run the Sander cottage this summer.

Dr. Frederick Albert Cook, born at Callicoon nearly 75 years ago, is critically ill and is lying unconscious in the United Hospital at Portchester, after a cerebral hemorrhage suffered on May 3 at the home of a friend in Larchmont. Ralph Shainwald von Ahlefedt, who in 1909, accompanied Dr. Cook in an attempt to reach the summit of Mt. McKinley (20,300 ft.) in Alaska, the highest mountain in North America.

At the Callicoon Hospital, a girl to Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Hust, Callicoon, on Sunday.

70 Years Ago - 1950

Leonard Hess and Otto Bollenbach have been engaged in the remodernization of the interior of the premises of Mr. Theodore “Doc” Ritterhausen's drugstore in Jeffersonville. They have also installed new plate glass frontage.

Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Batchler of Callicoon announced the engagement of their daughter, Margaret Edna, to Kenneth Cron, son of Peter Cron of Lakeville, Pa.

Goulds, May 16 — The community joined together on Sunday in greeting Mrs. Amelia Milk on reaching her 90th birthday. Mr. and Mrs. Milton Smith entertained at open house in her honor.

Leota Hermann of Callicoon has been elected president of the H. Russell Kenyon Post Auxiliary, VFW, at a meeting held last Thursday night at the Legion home. To serve with her are: Gertrude Kohler, senior vice president; Conductress Alice Hess, Chaplain Elizabeth Schadt, Secretary Ludmilla Raum, Treasurer Vera Bernhardt and Press Agent Winifred Mullally.

The Jeff Fish and Game Club stocked surrounding waters with 500 brown trout, legal size, Wednesday afternoon. Those aiding in the distribution were Messrs, Ernie Fimpel, Al Segar, Doc Flax, Ralph Bernhardt and the club's secretary.

Jeff Central School's baseball team won its first three games, defeating Narrowsburg, 7 to 2, Youngsville 7-0, and Livingston Manor, 7-1. Arnie Sims has pitched 14 innings, rolling up 26 strikeouts. Al Sommer has pitched 4 innings, striking out 6, walking 1 and giving up but one hit.

Mr. and Mrs. William M. Hudson of Briscoe have announced the engagement of their daughter, Della Agnes, to Harold A. Menges, son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Menges of Youngsville.

60 Years Ago - 1960

Of considerable interest is the new one-mile stretch, starting on the Jeff-North Branch road just below Hess and Osterhout and above the NYS Electric and gas station, and cutting diagonally across the fields to come out next to the Chellis Jeff Garage on Rt. 52 in Kohlertown. It eliminates the most hazardous part of the school hill.

There were 700 in the line of march of the Loyalty Day parade on Sunday at Monticello.

Miss Judith Ann Sherman of Kauneonga Lake became the bride of Ludwig Dosch of Jeffersonville at a ceremony performed at St. Peter's R.C. Church in Monticello May 7.

The Hortonville Presbyterian Church has become incorporated through a certificate filed May 9 at the county clerk's office. Trustees until the first annual meeting are Edwin Ferber and William Werlau; until the second annual meeting, Henry Hermann and Leonard Reichmann. Rev. Alfred O. Siegel is pastor of the church.

Rita Gabriel, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Gabriel of Bethel, became the bride of George Wagner, son of Mr. and Mrs. Otto Wagner, Delhi, at a ceremony performed in the Bethel Presbyterian Church on May 1. Mr. and Mrs. John Vannatta of Milanville, Pa., were honor attendants.

Miss Patricia Highhouse was guest of honor at a bridal shower on May 5, given by Mrs. Caroline Mildner of Jeff, Mrs. Gladys Kinney and Miss Virginia Cavalero. Pat will be married to George Haesche, Sunday, June 5, at the Hortonville Presbyterian Church.

The dedication of the new organ in the Lake Huntington Presbyterian Church in memory of the late Jacob Kraack will be held Sunday afternoon.

Mrs. Lena Buddenhagen, who will retire after 30 years of teaching, was honored by the Dela­ware Valley PTA on Tuesday evening with the presentation of a life membership. The occasion also marked Teacher Recognition Day. A chicken salad supper was served. Mrs. William Voight of Yulan, Director of the Central Hudson District, PTA, installed Mrs. Jacqueline Werlau as president; Robert Sturdevant, vice president; Leota Hermann, Secretary; and Marion Mills, treasurer.

50 years ago - 1970

First Communion participants May 10 at St. George's R.C. Church, Jeffersonville, were Beth Ann Bowdren, Robin Smith, Barbara Selthafner, Eric Gully, Paul Schwartz, Scott Brown, Mary Margaret Clifford, Albert Egan, Frank Koester, Autumn Boyle, Margaret Newhouse, Timothy Fredenberg, Craig Boyd, Catherine Davidson, Edward Fisher, William Fisher, Patrick Clifford, John Armbrust, and Pat Bowdren.

Miss Rhonda Gail Lohr became the bride of Peter Dnistrian on Saturday, April 25, at the Holy Cross Church in a ceremony performed by Father Alvin Matthews.

Miss Eileen J. Valentine, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Valentine, Hankins, became the bride of Richard Hall of Flushing on May 2nd at Sacred Heart Church, Hankins.

Miss Dian Korth of Callicoon Center became the bride of Leslie B. Bogert of Youngsville, May 2, at a ceremony performed in the Youngsville Community Church.

Creighton Miller, son of Mr. and Mrs. Warren K. Miller, Hortonville, has been promoted to captain in the U.S. Air Force at Kelly AFB, Texas.

Denis P. Chicola, a senior at St. Joseph's Franciscan Seminary, Callicoon, has won a third place, $1200 scholarship in the statewide Knights of Columbus Oratorical Contest.

Mrs. Helen Steinhauser, owner of Steinhauser's Sales and Service, Callicoon Center, has announced the sale of the business to William Haynes of Commack, L.I. Mr. and Mrs. Haynes have purchased the Steve Wormuth home in Lake Huntington where they will take up residence with their five children on May 16.

40 Years Ago - 1980

The Presbyterian Church of Jeffersonville is celebrating the 135th anniversary of its founding during this month. The building was begun in 1845, and barely begun, was leveled by a windstorm. The tower with bell was added in 1861. Thirty-five ministers have served the congregation since its organization in 1842.

The former Royalton House, abandoned for several years, burned recently on Waverly Avenue in Monticello in a fire that is believed to have been set and is under investigation. At one time a major hotel of the area, the main building burned about 10 years ago.

Michael Federov of Mileses will hold an art show of his landscapes at the Cafe Figaro at the corner of Bleecker and McDougal Streets in New York City's famed Greenwich Village from June 2 through the 30th.

Billy Eisenbach, 14, of Callicoon, took a 16-inch brown trout in the Callicoon Creek at a spot just above Roches' Garage.

Tonis Mon, a 2-year-old trotting colt by Newport Dream, set a national seasonal record for his gait May 6 at Monticello Raceway. Owned, trained and driven by Jack Rossi Jr., Tonis Mon won the morning qualifying race at 2:08. Rossi, science teacher at Maine-Endwell High School in Endwell, makes training horses a profitable hobby.

Possibly one of the best stories to come from an unfortunate injury is the one being told by Tom Masterson, Sullivan County Coroner. Fishing near Livingston Manor a week or so ago, he slipped and fractured his leg in two or three places. Unable to move, he summoned help of a small boy, maybe six or seven years old. This is the conversation as Tom recounts the incident:

Tom: “Hey, fella, can you call help for me. I'm hurt.”

Boy: “I'm going fishing!”

Tom: “I need help, kid, my leg is broke.”

Boy: “Don't know.”

Tom: “I've got a can of worms I'll give you if you get me help.”

Boy: “Let's see the worms.”

Tom produced the worms, handed them over to the boy, who then ran for help from the Livingston Manor Ambulance Corps.

Mr. and Mrs. Henry Neunzig of Narrowsburg have announced the engagement of their daughter, Winifred, to Daniel M. Loeb of Menlo Park, Calif. An August wedding is planned.

30 Years Ago - 1990

Some of the world's greatest cyclists passed through Southeast Sullivan County Thursday, braving the rains during the tenth of the 13 stages which make up the Tour de Trump bicycle race.The tenth stage, which covered 120.3 miles, went from Stroudsburg, Pa., to New Paltz. Arriving in Wurtsboro, about three minutes ahead of the pack, were Michael Zanolo of Holland (Coors Light Team), Ron Kiefel of the United States (7-Eleven), Marc Van Orsouw of Holland (PDM) and Pete DeClerq of Belgium (Lotto-Superclub).

Nineteen Japanese businessmen returned to Japan May 4 after spending the last three days seeing what Sullivan County is all about. They returned to the town of Kosugi in the Japanese prefecture of Yoyami near Tokyo which had established a working relationship with Sullivan County through Sullivan County Community College. The college now has its own campus in Japan.

Mrs. Nora Townsend celebrated her 90th birthday at her home in Liberty, hosted by her son and daughter-in-law, Ed and Shirley Townsend.

The Jeffersonville Volunteer First Aid Corps celebrated their 25th anniversary with an open house on May 6 at the Jeffersonville Firehouse.

Eileen Gayle Bogursky, daughter of Jerry and Lorraine of Glen Wild, will graduate from Mt. Sinai School of Medicine on May 18. She will do her residency at Mt. Sinai.

Three generations of the Allan family serve in the Fallsburg Fire Department. They include Fire Police Chief Darlene Allan, her father, Charles “Chick” Allan, and her daughter, Stacey Shaddock and Darlene's son, Junior Fireman Richard “Beau” Shaddock. Also in the fire department are Darlene's brother, First Assistant Chief Steve Allan, and Steve's wife, Lisa.

The Rock Hill Fire Department is offering a $500 reward for the return of an ATV which was to be a prize in their current raffle and which was stolen from the firehouse sometime this past Saturday night. The raffle is to help defray expenses in hosting the September 15 Sullivan County Volunteer Firemen's parade.

Steve Katz is coordinating a townwide “adopt-a-road” program designed to keep the roadsides of the Town of Bethel's most “dirty dozen” roads trash-free.

20 Years Ago - 2000

Just before 1 a.m. Wednesday, the Jeffersonville Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to a fully involved barn fire on County Route 164 not far from its intersection with Route 52 in Kohlertown. Firefighters found the barn, owned by Dick Krongel, totally engulfed in flames, and fought to protect the Krongel residence, 150 feet away, and a 275-gallon gas storage tank just 30 feet away, from the flames. Youngsville, Kenoza Lake, Callicoon Center, Hortonville and North Branch companies all assisted. It's speculated that a bolt of lightning during Tuesday night's severe storm caused the blaze.

Jennifer Elaine Carrier, daughter of Nancy and Randall Joe Carrier of Virginia Beach, Va., and Lt. Peter John Glantzis of the U.S. Army, son of George and Kaytee Glantzis of Roscoe, were married in Fort Monroe, Va., on Saturday, October 23, 1999.

Members of the Fallsburg SCIL team won the final SCIL round Friday, and also claimed the 1999-2000 season title, beating out nearly a dozen other teams from all of Sullivan County's public schools.

Anti-MTBE activist Diane Atkins of Liberty recently spearheaded efforts to conduct a voluntary survey of Village of Liberty residents in an attempt to gather information related to medical problems/complaints potentially related to MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether) exposure.

The construction of a new meditation center is planned in the near future in the Town of Lumberland, which will be built on Sweeney Road in Glen Spey. The proposed Kadampa Meditation Center is expected to attract interest from tourists year-round and from individuals seeking to learn meditation.

10 Years Ago - 2010

The brand new Liberty Commons, featuring 24 senior citizen apartments and 48 duplex rental townhomes, held it's official ribbon cutting with dozens of residents, politicians and community supporters attending.

The Monticello Business Association teamed up with Community Unity and the Village of Monticello DPW to hold a litter pluck throughout the Village of Monticello. Residents, business owners and other volunteers met at various locations and was seen in their fluorescent green “I Volunteer” shirts donated by Community Unity.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has appointed Stephani W. Humrickhouse as the new United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina. Born Stephani Wilson in Monticello, she graduated from Fallsburg High School in 1974. Her English teacher there was her uncle and now renowned author Andrew Neiderman.

Billy “Zeke” Parker Jr. joins the elite 10,000-win club. On Monday, May 17, Zeke joined eight other harness drivers who have won 10,000 or more races in their career when he guided Race-2 Win Stable's Deliver Val to a 2:00 triumph at Monticello Raceway.