120 Years Ago - 1906

Charles E. Hughes won the governorship over William R. Hearst by the narrow plurality of 36,000. The New York World, commenting editorially, said, “that this narrow victory... is morally a Republican defeat, a popular repudiation of the corrupt Republican machine and its alliances with corrupt corporations... The narrow defeat of Hearst and the election of Hughes a plain notice both to Wall Street and the Republican politicians. The people want a new deal and a square deal. They want a house-cleaning at Albany, and they want it to be thorough.”

In Sullivan County, Republicans won by substantial majorities. For the Assembly George W. Murphy was elected over George S. Woodsley. For Special County Judge Joseph Rosch was elected over Joel C. Smith, Democrat, although the latter showed his popularity in nearly all of the districts.

Re-elected to Congress was Col. Thomas W. Bradley, Republican, over Victor A. Wilder, Democrat.

In Callicoon Hearst beat Hughes in the first district by 54 votes and by 34 in the second. In Delaware Hughes lost to Hearst in the first district by 71 and in the second by 66.

Hughes beat Hearst in Bethel in both districts, taking the first by 32 and the second by 101. Hughes’ plurality in Cochecton was 13 and 5 in Forestburgh. Hearst won the first district of Fremont by 17 and lost the second by 48. In Highland Hughes was the winner by 32. In Liberty Hearst lost by 217 votes and in Thompson by  259. In Tusten Hearst won by 83.

110 Years Ago - 1916

The Republican National Committee has conceded the election of Woodrow Wilson as president with an electoral vote of 269 and indication of more when complete returns from a couple of Western states are in. New York went for Hughes and Whitman was re-elected governor by a plurality of over 100,000. Calder, Republican, was elected as United States Senator.

Sullivan County went Republican with the exception of the judiciary and the election of Seymour Merritt, Democrat, as Member of Assembly, over William B. Voorhees by 37 votes. Hughes took the county by a majority of 1,659. Ward for Congress got a 1,131 plurality and Stivers was re-elected State Senator by  6,568, both of the latter being a reduction of their votes as against two years ago. For county treasurer, Roger W. Sears lost to Clinton A. Shaw, Republican, by 104.

In Callicoon, Wilson carried the first district by 27 votes and the second by 25. In Delaware, in the sec ond district, Wilson got a majority of 52 and in the first his plurality was 58.

In Cochecton Hughes won by 27 votes. Wilson took Fremont by 6 votes and Tusten by 30.

Jacob Lind, an old time hotelkeeper in Brooklyn, was found dead in bed Wednesday morning at his residence there. He and his brother, John Lind, who died a couple of years ago, were step-brothers of Peter Weber of Jeffersonville and in former years spent much time at the Weber farm here.

A postcard received here indicates that Fred Glassel of the Beechwoods, who was married recently, is on a wedding trip to Texas.

100 Years Ago - 1926

The Democrats of Sullivan County are jubilant over the election of three principal officers in the county.

George L. Cooke was elected County Judge over Eugene  H. Bouton by 1,647. Guernsey T. Cross won as Assemblyman over William A. Williams by 309. Roy C. Johnston was elected County Clerk over W.F. Denniston by 1,259.

The Republican victories came with the election of George G. Darling as Sheriff over Louis A. Gumaier by 2,485 and of Calvin D. Hornbeck as superintendent of the poor over George M. Merritt by 883.

Republicans also took the posts of Congressman, State Senator and Justice of the Supreme Court by large pluralities.

For the state ticket, although Alfred E. Smith was re-elected as Governor, Mills beat him in Sullivan by 1,789. Elected to the United  States Senate from New  York was Robert F. Wagner. In Sullivan County Wagner lost to his Republican opponent, Wadsworth, by 2,165.

Smith took the state by 260,000 and Wagner won by about 100,000. Republicans retained control of the state, but by reduced majorities.

The vote on the referendum was decidedly wet, the drys paying little attention to it.

In this election district, the Democrats won, except for the posts of governor and supreme court justice. Smith lost the district by 3 votes but Wagner took it by 28.

Editorial comment – “The battle is over and the old-time election bonfires are now in order to replace the absent fiery crosses.”

90 Years Ago - 1936

Franklin Roosevelt carried Sullivan County over Landon by 160, against his 1932 plurality of 1,300. Bleakley beat Governor Lehman in the county by 1,055. Congressman Goodwin, Rep., had a 685 plurality in the county and was re-elected in the district. Attorney General Bennett swept into office by a Democratic landslide, carried Sullivan by 611.

Sullivan County’s new assemblyman is Otto Hillig, Democrat, of Liberty. He defeated the heretofore invincible Republican, J. Maxwell Knapp, by 89 votes. Knapp had an unbroken string of five victories in a row before this year.

The Town of Callicoon, which had been an old-time rock-ribbed Democratic stronghold, and has been drifting away from that position in recent years, wound up in the Republican column. Bennett for attorney general was the only Democratic win, receiving a plurality of 44.

In the national election, President Roosevelt received the largest popular vote ever recorded: 26 million against 17 million for Landon. F.D.R. carried 46 states, with 523 electoral votes, while only 2 states, Maine and Vermont, with 8 votes, went for Landon.

In the state Governor Herbert H. Lehman and the entire Democratic ticket were elected, including the congressman at large and a judge of the Court ofAppeals.

The new Congress will be even more overwhelmingly Democratic than the last one.

80 Years Ago - 1946

Assemblyman James G. Lyons emerged last Tuesday as the only victorious county Democratic candidate, defeating his Republican opponent Ronald M. Albee by about 750 votes.

A total of 17,440 voters went to the polls in Sullivan County. Thomas E. Dewey was re-elected as Governor by a Republican landslide that gave James M. Meade his first election defeat in 30 years of public life, carried Irving Ives into the post of United States Senator over Lehman. Dewey’s estimated margin is in excess of 500,000, while ives won by considerably less over former Governor Herbert Lehman.

In Sullivan County alone, Dewey tallied 9,976 votes to Meade’s 5,609 on the Democratic line and 1,468 from the American Labor Party and 397 from the Liberal Party. Dewey’s plurality was 2,502.

In the Town of Callicoon, for congress, Mrs. St. George received 150, 182 and 165 in the three districts as against 124, 129 and 163 for her Democratic opponent, Col. James Welsh.

Announcement was made this week of the engagement of Joseph (Jesse) Abel, son of Mr. and Mrs. Hyman Abel of Jeffersonville, to Esther Roth, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Roth of the Bronx. Jesse, a graduate of JCS and Fordham University, is associated with Jeff Pharmacy but in the summer months he is a partner with T.G. Rittershausen in the Arcadia at Kenoza Lake. Miss Roth is employed by Random House in New York. The wedding will take place January 12, 1947, in New York City.

70 Years Ago - 1956

Dwight David Eisenhower was re-elected president by a plurality of 9 million votes, and carried all districts in Sullivan County. The Republican bandwagon carried all county Republican candidates into office with Eisenhower, with the exception of Judah Altman, who lost to Robert J. Flynn for the position of County Clerk. Jacob K. Javits was elected to the United States Senate. Katherine S. George was re-elected to the United States Congress; Hyman E. Mintz was re-elected to the Assembly. Louis Ratner was re-elected Sheriff and Harold B. Spriggs defeated Fred Schaddt as special county judge, winning by 1,200 votes in the closest county election.

J.C.S. was the scene last Saturday of the largest debate tournament ever held in the school when 29 teams, representing 18 schools, took part in the Tourney sponsored by the Lions Club of Jeffersonville. Jeff took third place in the varsity division.

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Hauschild celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary on November 4th.

Mrs. Jessie Felton, who spent the summer with her daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Cameron Gain, leaves November 10th for her home in California.

Mr. and Mrs. August Schmidt celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary on October 20th.

The four beautiful red maples in front of the Sydney Peters home in North Branch were felled this week.

Four generations gathered at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Doetsch on November 3rd to celebrate the 25th wedding anniversary of Mrs. Doetsch’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Osmer Geib.

Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Keeler and Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Weissman of Callicoon Center attended a football game at West Point on Saturday where they “rubbed elbows” with Princess Grace and the Prince of Monaco.

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cramer, commerce teacher at the Youngsville Central School, was elected president of the Youngsville Teachers Association. This is his third year of teaching at Youngsville.

60 Years Ago - 1966

Miss Susan Kathleen Flynn, daughter of Mrs. Millicent C. Flynn and the late Robert J. Flynn of Roscoe, became the bride of Rodney C. Conrow, son of Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Conrow, Cooks Falls, in a ceremony performed by Rev. Thomas Mullen at St. Peter’s Church in Liberty. A reception followed for 150 guests at the Lenape Hotel, October 15, 1966.

Supervisor Joseph Winkler, of the Town of Fremont, has announced the establishment of a planning board, becoming the 10th township in Sullivan to join in community planning. The newly formed planning group has named George Woolley, chairman. Others on the committee are Marge Hillriegel, Charles Greier, James McManus and Mrs. Betty McCoo.

At a meeting between Drs. Miller, Perkins, Ross, Rumble and Stirna, it was agreed that patients should still be admitted to the Callicoon Hospital. They further agreed to devote time to the hospital by means of a system of rotating daily coverage at the hospital.

Assembly candidate Francis A. “Stretch” Hanofee went on record as favoring the 18-year-old voting bill.

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Edwards Sr. were honored on the occasion of their 25th wedding anniversary with a party at the White Sulphur Springs Firehouse on Saturday, October 22.

On November 8, the voters of the State of New York will decide by their vote whether the education of the children will depend upon chance. Sugar-coated by the promise of increased funds for education, the advocates of a state lottery are promising taxpayers that their school systems will be able to realize added revenues as a result of legalized gambling.

Funeral services were held this week for  Thomas W. Stetka, 47, of White Lake who died October 28; and for Mrs. Veronica Wilke, 83, of Callicoon, who died October 30.

Vicki L. Bennett, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Bennett, former residents of Callicoon, was elected president of her campus residence house for the first semester at Russell Sage College, Troy, where she is majoring in psychology.

The Town of Cochecton Republican Committee contributed $100 to the fund being raised for the erection of a community hospital in the Callicoon area.

50 Years Ago - 1976

The search for the body of Arthur Woodcheke, 21, who was swept away in the storm-engorged Delaware River at Skinners Falls on October 9 and is presumed to be dead, continues in a never ending pattern. Every type of search, proven or otherwise, has been tried in the search for the missing canoeist.

In the local election, Jean Amatucci was returned for a second term as Assemblywoman of the 98th Assembly District. Robert Flynn was elected Sheriff of Sullivan County, defeating his opponent, Jerome Bullock of Loch Sheldrake.

Fred W. Stabbert Jr., publisher of the Sullivan County Democrat and chairman of the Democratic Party in Sullivan County was named by the New York State Democratic Committee to be one of 41 electors for the Democratic party this year. Governor Carey’s name tops the list.

The Tusten Bicentennial Museum in the Kelly Building in Narrowsburg is being renovated to become the Arlington Hotel. It will be operated by Eugene Kellys of Narrowsburg.

The Hartford Industries garment plant in the former Callicoon school building has closed its doors and factory operator Manny Gluck has apparently left the area. Last Thursday thirty employees came to see Delaware Supervisor Bill Dirie with a complaint that their paychecks were as much as two weeks and a day in arrears.

The main building of the Hillside Ranch Resort on Route 97 in Narrowsburg, partially destroyed by fire last March, has been entirely redesigned in a Western motif and rebuilt to house a large dining room, snack bar, cocktail lounge, game room, lobbies and kitchen. Serving dinners on weekends only, it will be known as the Longhorn Steak House.

Mr. and Mrs. Burton L. Bogert were honored on the occasion of their 40th anniversary with a party at the home of their son, Leslie Bogert, in Jeffersonville on October 24.

Shirley Jeanne Knack and Lawrence Paul Dole were married September 18 under the hemlocks on the shore of White Lake, in a double-ring ceremony.

Margaret Ann Reichman of White Sulphur Springs and Dominic H. Muccino of Liberty were married October 16 at the United Methodist Church in Liberty with the bride’s uncle, Rev. William C. Reichman of Arkansas officiating, assisted by Father Patrick Brady and Rev. David Young, both of Liberty.

Robert Paglia has been promoted to Liberty District manager of New York State Electric & Gas Corp.

40 Years Ago - 1986

Jacob Iberger, a familiar and respected personality at the Monticello Raceway, died Monday at Horton Memorial Hospital in Middletown after a long illness. He was 60. He resigned after 10 years experience with the State Police’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation to become director of admissions and security at the Monticello Raceway when it opened in 1958.

Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Spettigue of Narrowsburg were feted on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary with a party at Kuester’s in Beach Lake, Pa., attended by about 100 friends and relatives.

Kathleen VanEtten, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. VanEtten of Monticello, became the bride of Alfred Perna of Mountainside, N.J., on September 20, at St. Peter’s Church in Monticello. A reception followed at the Orchard Inn in Glen Spey... Ruthann Gale Schulman and David Lee Turner were married September 27 at King’s Catering House in Livingston Manor. The groom is employed by Exxon Corp. of Houston, Tex.

A marker has been placed on the Rock Valley schoolhouse marking its 100th year. Commemorated by the basket Historical Society, the building is now used for community events and local voting.

Across the county, ghosts and goblins came out to celebrate Halloween over the weekend. Parades were held in Monticello, Jeffersonville, Fallsburg, Liberty, Monticello and Callicoon to name a few.

For the second consecutive year, April Dawn Klemm, granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Wagner of North Branch, has been awarded the trophy for the best overall in the annual Bogota (N.J.) Fire Prevention Poster Contest.

Ribbon cutting ceremonies were held Friday to welcome the new Wendy’s on Pleasant Street in Monticello. Mr. Strang, owner of the restaurant, donated $256, symbolizing the 256 ways that Wendy’s can make a hamburger, to the Mayor’s fund for the youth of the community.

John and Gertie Eldred of Tyler Hill were honored on their 50th wedding anniversary on September 28 with an open house at the Damascus Volunteer Ambulance Building, hosted by their three children, John C. Eldred, Glenn Eldred and Faye Runkle and their families. More than 240 friends and relatives attended.

For the fourth straight year, the Section 9, Class C Cross Country championship trophies for boys and girls belong to Sullivan County schools. In both cases it was no surprise. Tri-Valley, for the seventh consecutive year, captured the girls’ title while Eldred had an easy time in defendiing their championship in the boys meet. Eldred also captured the Section 9 soccer title.

30 Years Ago - 1996

Under the direction of Mark Seltzer and partners Ike and Joel Gamel, the Grandview Palace, once known as Brown’s Hotel, was unveiled Thursday. They offer renovated condominiums, primarily for second-home buyers, in the newly restored buildings and grounds near Loch Sheldrake.

Insurance executive and entrepreneur Peter Rhulen and his wife Eileen  of Monticello will be honored for their “abiding devotion to the cause of alcoholism and substance abuse treatment” at a dinner given by the Board of Governors of Yeshiva University’s Wurzweiler School of Social Work in New York City.

Red Grammer, one of the most sought-after children’s performers in the nation, will be performing at the Tri-Valley Elementary School in Grahamsville Friday.

The popular Director of Golf at the Concord Resort Hotel, Steve W. Downey Jr., 58, died Saturday night in a car crash in New Jersey where he was attending the retirement party of a longtime golfing friend.

On September 17, the United Reformed Church of Youngsville participated in the Bells Across America project commemorating Constitution Week, celebrated since 1956.

The 12th annual Model Railroad Show was held by the Catskill Society of Modern Engineers in Liberty this past weekend. Approximately 200 people attended the two-day event.

20 Years Ago - 2006

Sullivan County Democrat publisher Fred Stabbert III signed his name to a contract Wednesday completing the purchase of the Towne Crier by Democrat parent company Catskill-Delaware Publications.

Mitchell Grossinger Etess was born into Catskills royalty back in 1958, growing up in one of the houses at Sullivan County’s most famous resort, Grossinger’s. Today, Etess is the president and CEO of one of the country’s most famous and successful casinos, Mohegan Sun, in Uncasville, Conn. He is also the CEO of the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority.

For the second consecutive season, the Sullivan West Bulldogs defeated the Tri-Valley Bears, 48-27, in the Section IX Class C championship game at Dietz Stadium. 

After Chester and Eldred split their two games this season, perhaps it was not too surprising that the outcome of Friday afternoon’s Section IX Class D football championship game at Dietz Stadium [Chester 20, Eldred 14] was in doubt until the final minute.  

10 Years Ago - 2016

Longtime election inspectors Shirley Buddenhagen, Ethel LeClere and Noreen Mudge were honored by the Town of Delaware with a cake prepared by Betty Ringgenberg. Tuesday was their last Election Day as inspectors, as all three are retiring after many years of truly tireless service. We’re not sure, however, if they ended up finding time to eat any cake that day!

The New York State Police continue to investigate the March 1977 homicide of 43 year old Anna Jane Brown of Summitville. 

The Annual Sullivan County Crop Walk on October 16 in Jeffersonville raised over $3,300 to help feed the hungry, with 25 percent of that amount going to help local food pantries. Members of the Roscoe National Honor Society who took part in the walk are group advisor Cindy Hyzer, Mollie Engle, Desmond Lambe, Staros Niforatos, Will Colpoys, Dan Clancy, and group advisor Pam and Tyler Carpenter.

Mid-Hudson Lumber Dealers Association honored Arden Dean of Superior Building Supply in Neversink as 2016 Lumber Person of the Year.