130 Years Ago - 1894

Those elected in Sullivan County are: Assembly, Henry Krenrich,  Rep.; Sheriff John M. Watson, Dem.; and Supt. of Poor, Ezra F. Calkins, Rep.

Married: Elmer Krum of Youngs-ville and Miss Belle Luckey of Briscoe were married at Kenoza Lake, November 7. At Briscoe, on November 7, George Taylor and Miss Mary Townsend, both of Briscoe, were united in marriage.

Note About Town: More snow on Thursday — now it’s mud.

Lost, strayed or stolen — the Democratic party in this district.

The rain on Friday night swelled the streams the highest they have been for a long time.

Fred Bietz is now slinging out wet goods in his mother’s saloon. Fred looks good behind the bar.

Mrs. E.C. Doughty has moved to Liberty where she has rented rooms and will reside in the future.

We understand that Philip Bietz, who bought John Leonard’s property at Mongaup Valley, was offered $200 and expenses for his bargain the other day. Phil said nixey.

John Neiger of Brooklyn has purchased his mother’s farm in Beechwoods and moved there with his family last week. He had lived in Brooklyn for the past twenty years. His mother will remain on the place with him.

John Schmidt, son of Butcher Schmidt of Jeffersonville, has purchased the butcher business of Fred Bietz and will take charge in about a week. John is no greenhorn in that business as he has been engaged in that line in New York for a couple years past.

Tuesday morning, some of the surrounding hills were white-capped with snow.

Miss Maggie Schaefer, who has been spending the past six months with her sister, Mrs. Rev. Hansman, returned to her home at Poughkeepsie Wednesday, greatly recuperated in health.

When in Liberty come in and look at our men’s satinette suits at $3.50, worth $5.00. Young, Messiter & Co., Liberty. — ADV.

120 Years Ago - 1904

A week ago Sunday, some hunters from Jeffersonville, disregarding no trespass signs in the upper end of Hunter Pond, near Kenoza Lake, shot some of Howard Lyman’s chickens, mistaking them for partridges, which speaks volumes for the sportsmanship of these imperialistic hunters from Jeffersonville. Some of this same gang, last year, shot a tame gray squirrel from the top of a man’s barn.

Leon, the 9-year-old-son of Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Hofer, after an illness of a couple weeks from diphtheria, died of heart failure suddenly last Saturday night.

MARRIED: Frank Keegan Jr. of Beechwoods and Miss Mary Theysohn of North Branch will be married at St. Joseph’s Church at Callicoon Depot by Father Buch on November 3.

Adolph Schumacher and Miss Mary Deuner of Beechwoods were married at that place October 23 by Rev. Samuel Muery. Philip Gorr was best man and Mary Faubel was bridesmaid.

Mrs. Josephine Sarr, a former resident of Liberty, died at the Port Jervis hospital Wednesday, the result of injuries she sustained in a collision of a trolley car and an O&W train in that place October 17.

The barn of W.F. Heinle at Cochecton Center was burned with its contents last Friday. It was insured for $250, which covers about half the loss.

Frank J. Mason and wife have moved from Stamford, Conn., to New York, he having been transferred to the New York branch of the Schlitz Brewing Co.

A horse belonging to Edward Homer of Youngsville and driven by Postmaster M.L. Calkins of that place, dropped dead in the Eagle Hotel stable in Jeffersonville Saturday night.

School in Jeff is still closed on account of diphtheria. After thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting the building, school will resume next week.

H. LaMoot of Kingston gave a one-man show to a small crowd at the Eagle Hotel in Jeff Saturday night. Some of the boys on the outside stole a chicken from Charles Homer’s roost and threw it through a window and otherwise annoyed the showman.

Walter J. Neiger of Beechwoods on Tuesday shot a hawk which measured five feet from tip to tip of wings. J.C. Beck will mount the bird.

110 Years Ago - 1914

Mrs. Caroline Molusky, aged 57, and her daughter, Bertha, age 12, are dead from inhaling smoke from a mysterious fire which destroyed their home on the state road about two miles this side of Hortonville Friday night.

Arthur Recker, 22-year-old of Brooklyn, was found dead in a chair in the rooms of the Hurricane Athletic Club in Brooklyn on Sunday, having been asphyxiated by illuminating gas. Mr. Recker was a nephew of Mrs. Louisa E. Grishaber of Jeffersonville.

The annual town board meeting of Callicoon saw the appointment of Charles Kautz of Callicoon Center as tax collector to fill the vacancy created by the death of George Hartman of North Branch.

The stork has certainly been a busy bird this week. On Monday he left a son at the home of Willliam Abplanalp in Youngsville; Tuesday morning, James Malacci of Youngsville was like rewarded, and on Tuesday afternoon, the old bird left a daughter at John Stephenson’s at Birch Ridge.

The two-story unoccupied cottage of Mrs. Mary McIntosh on the state road a mile and a half below Jeffersonville was destroyed early Sunday morning by a fire that was clearly the work of a fire bug.

The new Catholic church now under construction in Jeff is to have a 100-pound bell which will arrive shortly.

One of the novelties of the art exhibition and sale for the benefit of the Red Cross European war fund held in New York is a sculptured bust of Macajah Weiss, who was the oldest soldier on the United States pension list. Mr. Weiss, until he died several weeks ago, lived in Beaver Brook, near Narrowsburg.

100 Years Ago - 1924

Miss Emily Untereiner, aged 21, a Monticello waitress, was shot in the breast and killed Saturday by Smith Loomis, aged 26, a garage mechanic at Monticello.

George Hahn, 64, of North Branch was killed last Thursday when he fell from a ladder on which he was picking apples at the home of his brother-in-law, George Wenner at Buck Brook. As he fell his chin struck the ladder in such a way that his neck was broken.

Mortimer Fisher, caretaker of the Iroquois Club Preserve at Toronto in the Town of Bethel, was patrolling the lines of the preserve on Monday when he was felled by a bullet that went through the fleshy part of his leg near the thigh and then went through a tree.

Monday afternoon Ernest Fimpel and son, Ernest, received word here that Mrs. Fimpel Sr. had fallen down stairs in their Brooklyn home and sustained a broken ankle, a broken arm and cuts on the face.

Thus far two bucks have been captured by the Jeffersonville hunters. Elmer VanKeuren brought one down on the Cherokee Preserve and Fred W. Schadt one from the Iroquois tract in the town of Bethel.

Albert R. Blatchley, aged 59, for many years engaged in the lumber business in Liberty, died at his winter home in St. Petersburg, Fla., on October 24.

Henry Kaempfer, who was born in Hanover, Germany, 92 years ago, and who for the last 35 years conducted a greenhouse in Liberty, died at his home there Thursday.

Harriet Irene Steele, wife of William Steele, died at her home near White Sulphur Springs, October 29, aged 33 years. She was the daughter of the late James H. Benton.

90 Years Ago - 1934

Earl, the 10-year-old son of Wilfred and Viola Townsend Layman of the Silver Lake section of the Town of Bethel, died at the Hamilton Avenue Hospital in Monticello, Wednesday night, October 24, from injuries sustained in a hunting accident that afternoon.

The deer hunting season in Sullivan County opens today for fifteen days.

Under the guise of Halloween pranks some of our town hoodlums last night destroyed the concrete steps just made at the entrance to the Yunger store building, being put in readiness for Amber & Amber.

A daughter was born October 30 to mail carrier and Mrs. Percy Cross of Hortonville. Mrs. Cross was Miss Mabel Wilfert of Jeffersonville.

Barbara Schubert, wife of John VonBergen, died at her home in this village, October 30, after a long illness following a stroke 6 years ago. 

Mr. and Mrs. Albert Felske (Katherine Schadt) who were married at Deposit on Sunday, October 28, will take up housekeeping in the August Schmidt house on Maple Avenue on December 1. Mr. Felske is employed in the A&P Store.

80 Years Ago - 1944

Mrs. Elizabeth Lowe, aged 70, widow of George W. Lowe who ran a garage here for several years, died at her home in Brooklyn on Thursday.

Last Thursday, about 4 p.m., Andrew Fisher, who lives next to Willard Westervelt at Fosterdale, went in the cellar and started a fire in a pot stove. He took his two-year-old grandson, Russell Gloor, in the cellar with him and then went out leaving the child there. Shortly after, the cellar was found to be afire and Mr. Fisher risked his life to go in the cellar and rescue his grandchild, unharmed. The fire was put out by firemen from Lake Huntington and Jeffersonville.

Charles Huber of Sand Pond, while blasting a rock near his home on Saturday, was hit on the head by a 2-lb. stone, falling from a height of about 50 feet. His head and face were badly cut.

70 Years Ago - 1954

Francis Cardinal Spellman, Archbishop of New York, will come to Jeffersonville on Saturday, November 6, to dedicate the new parochial school on Briscoe Road.

The First Lutheran Church was the setting last Sunday afternoon for the quiet marriage ceremony of Mrs. Margaret Lauer Berghauser of Callicoon to Frank Leroy of Youngsville.

Alfred E. Adler, real estate broker of Jeffersonville, pleasantly surprised all with his marriage to Goldie Schuster, nee Mansfield, formerly of White Lake, last Friday morning.

Mr. and Mrs. Conrad Forsbach left Tuesday from Idlewild Airport, Long Island, for a visit with relatives in Germany.

Harold Spencer, former barn inspector for the Sullivan County Co-op Dairy, well known and well-liked in this area, his wife and 23-year-old daughter were dead as the result of a crash of an airplane against a rocky hilltop four miles northeast of New Milford, Pa. The Spencers were on their way to their home in Homer, N.Y., from Atlantic City, where Mr. Spencer had attended a milk dealers convention. Consensus among investigators is that the plane with even four feet more altitude, would have cleared the hilltop.

Strange things were happening along Main Street last Saturday evening. All sorts of unusual and alien beings paraded behind masked faces. It was Halloween and about 175 school children and adults entered the festivities sponsored by the Lions Club.

A daughter was born October 28 to Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Baines. He is a sixth grade teacher in the central school in Jeff.

Mrs. Clara L. Casselman of Belvidere, N.J., a Youngsville native, died in Warren Hospital, Phillipsburg, N.J., at the age of 76.

Arthur Moller and Joseph Geiger of Jeffersonville left for service November 3.

John Palmer died Tuesday, November 2, at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Merel Scheidell in Goshen, at the age of 78.

Peter and Billy Diehl, aged 9 and 7 respectively, planted and watched their pumpkin seed grow until last week when their father took the 65 pounder to the house by wheelbarrow. Peter and Billy are the sons of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Diehl of Beechwoods.

60 Years Ago - 1964

Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Krum celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary with a dinner at the Village Inn in Hortonville.

Republican Hyman Mintz was returned to office with a  majority of over 5,000 and Senator Ogden Bush received a majority vote of 850. Republican coroners Breakey, Tompkins and Rumble and Democratic candidate Grund were elected.

Edwin Ferber, Callicoon, was chosen to serve a second term as a delegate for the Mutual Federation of Independent Co-operatives at the annual meeting of the national Milk Producers Federation in Las Vegas, Nev., from December 6 to 11.

Mrs. Ethel Poley, president of Alpha Kappa Sorority, welcomed Mrs. Edith Paul of Livingston Manor and Mrs. Edna Clark of Jeffersonville as new members at an initiation and pinning held October 22.

The change of location of the Callicoon Post Office to the new building on River Road Friday night, October 30, brought a flurry of activity Saturday with patrons learning their new combinations. According to Postmaster William Bergner, parking facilities are working out satisfactorily and patrons are pleased with the new building.

On Sunday evening, November 1, Mr. and Mrs. William Trivelpiece were given a housewarming at their new home which they recently purchased from Mrs. Agnes Bernitt of Academy St. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Klimchok, who recently purchased the former McClure home on Fremont Street, were also tendered a housewarming recently by friends.

50 Years Ago - 1974

Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Egner of Hortonville celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on October 20.

Workmen are rapidly enclosing the new Peck’s store in Narrowsburg, being erected at the junction of Route 97 and Kirk Rd.

Mr. and Mrs. Tillson Cade of Callicoon are enjoying a cruise to Bermuda aboard the Amerikanis.

Mrs. Hiram H. Frank, newly elected director of the Northeast Poultry Producers Co-op, is the first woman elected to the Board of Directors of any poultry trade association in the United States. She is co-owner with her husband and an active participant in H.H.F. Farms in North Branch.

40 Years Ago - 1984

Joe DeFalco, sportswriter and television personality who hosts a yearly benefit show, “The Outdoorsman” and donates the proceeds to a needy cause, this year chose the Hortonville Fire Department because of their efforts in locating 2 1/2-year-old Erica Ferber who had wandered away from her home in early September. He recently bought a home in the Callicoon area and plans to retire here with his family. “The money will probably be used to buy new turn-out gear for the firemen and toward equipment for the new fire truck,” said Hortonville FD Chief Danny Buddenhagen as he accepted the $2,500 check from Mr. DeFalco. Mr. DeFalco also presented a $1000 savings bond to Erica.

The Eldred girls soccer team took the Section 9 Class D championship after defeating Seward 2-0 last Thursday. The Eldred team has been successful in winning the sectional crown five out of the past seven years.

Liberty Supervisor Abraham Kleinman said Wednesday that the town’s new senior citizen center is to open November 15 with an official visit by county officials on November 16. Located on North Main Street, the facility was built with a $58,000 Department of Housing and Urban Development grant and another $10,000 contributed by the town.

Sam Beytin and Harold Gold were honored at the annual Israel Bond Dinner at the Tamarack Lodge in Greenfield Park for their work on Jewish organizations. In the counties of Sullivan and Ulster $1 million was raised in the bond drive. Guest speaker Jerome Glockel, a prominent businessman and an authority on the Middle East, said of the 36-year-oldstate, “Israel raises more fruit than any other country, is 10 years ahead of the world in treating cancer” and stressed that “the biggest war is for our economic survival.”

30 Years Ago - 1994

The Jeffersonville Chamber of Commerce has welcomed 17 new businesses this year. A “Ribbon Cutting Mixer” was held last Wednesday at the Jeffersonville Inn.

The Liberty Elks Lodge sponsored a very successful pig roast, the profits of which benefitted the Sullivan County Diagnostic Center.

Dr. Jules Flax, dentist of Jeffersonville, was guest of honor at a testimonial luncheon at the Jeffersonville Inn, in recognition of his 54 years of dedicated service to the community. (Editor’s Note: Ten years later, Dr. Flax has announced his retirement.)

The Delaware Valley Eagles will go for their fourth Section 9 - Class D title when they meet the Tri-Valley football team at Kingston’s Dietz Stadium.

A special two-week art show is on display on the walls of the County Government Center in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of World War II. Also on display are 50 framed posters obtained from the National Archives through the efforts of VFW Post 9217 in Liberty.

Melanie Grace Karkkainen, daughter of Francis and Helen Karkkainen of Long Eddy, became the bride of Aaron Polomcean at the Hankins Assembly of God Church on October 8.

Delaware Valley edged Tri-Valley in overtime to capture their fourth straight Section 9 Class D football title.

The SCCC ladies volleyball team toppled Nassau for the Region XV championship in a game played at Selden on Saturday.

20 Years Ago - 2004

The Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce is seeking a replacement for the group’s former longtime president, Jacquie Leventoff, who has resigned in order to accept a position at Kohl’s Distribution Center in Wurtsboro. According to Board Chair Arden Dean, there were already a number of applications in-house in order to find a replacement for Chamber Vice President Jim Law, who is moving out of the area. A search committee has been created to review applications and interview applicants.

The television crews that have kept the village of Jeffersonville abuzz for more than a month are gone now, headed to South Carolina. Episodes were filmed for The Learning Channel’s newest series “Town Haul.”

“Faces of Hospice,” a photo exhibit by Ken Karlewicz, will be on display at the Sullivan County Museum in Hurleyville for the month of November. The exhibit documents hospice patients, families, and hospice staff and volunteers.

K.L. Rutherford Elementary School students in Monticello recently participated in a Mock Election in their school.

10 Years Ago - 2014

A trash hauling  tractor trailer, headed westbound on Route 17/I-86 between Livingston Manor and Roscoe, overturned, spilling close to half its load of refuse into the Willowemoc Creek and surrounding areas at approximately 11 p.m. Sunday night. Amazingly, although the  trailer portion was nearly sheared in half, an axle torn off and nearly 50 feet of the guardrail was demolished, the driver was unhurt. Much like a can of tuna, the trailer portion of the tractor trailer was literally sheared in half, with the steel back door of the trailer ending up down below on the banks of the Willowemoc.

Author and Neversink Town Historian Carol Smythe will give an illustrated talk on her new book “Around Neversink: From the Rondout Reservoir to the Neversink Reservoir”  published by Arcadia Publishing Company. The book is full of rare photos taken throughout both the Town of Denning and the Town of Neversink, many from private collections and never before published. Smythe’s enlightening and entertaining writing breathes life into these rare photos with amusing anecdotes and interesting historical information.  

Cub Scouts from Pack 717, chartered by the White Sulphur Springs United Methodist Church, held their annual Scouting for Food Drive last month at ShopRite in Liberty. The Cub Scouts asked  customers to make a donation to help those in need in the Liberty area. Donations were then given to the Interfaith Food Pantry in Liberty and the White Sulphur Springs United Methodist Church food pantry.