130 Years Ago - 1894

The house of John D. Lewis, a short distance west of White Sulphur Springs, was burned to the ground last Friday morning and Mrs. Lewis lost her life in the fire. 

Surrogate’s Court: Will of Henry Glassel, late of the Town of Delaware, admitted to probate. To a son, Andrew Glassel, is given the farm of the deceased, with all of the appurtenances on condition that he pay a legacy of six hundred dollars to a son, John Glassel, and four hundred dollars to a daughter, Catharine Thompson.

Will of Robert Robinson admitted to probate. To a daughter, Martha Layman, is given the sum of $500, to a son, John Robinson, is given $500 and certain tools, furniture, etc. The remainder of the estate is given to Robert Robinson.

Will of Michael Fitzgerald admitted to probate. The property, left to the widow. After her death the estate to be divided among the children and one hundred dollars given to Sarah Donovan, John Schindler and Michael Quinn as executors.

Mrs. Wolf Wilfert of Swiss Hill was hooked in the eye by a cow the other day, receiving a serious injury. The wound is healing slowly.

120 Years Ago - 1904

Phoebe Sander, wife of H.C. Patterson, died Monday at her country residence at Youngsville after an illness of over a year.

Edward V. McDermott, principal of the Jeffersonville School, was on Monday united in marriage to Miss Mamie Scivania of New York.

The results of the election are surprising to both Republicans and Democrats — to the Republicans in that their success is greater than the most sanguine expected: to the Democrats in that they got not even the governor, which seemed most sure.

Eugene Sheridan and bride (Miss Mary Smith) returned last Thursday from a wedding trip of three weeks spent in New York. On the night of their return a reception was given at the Sheridan home on the hill. Dancing was in order to music by Phil Bietz, violin, and Miss Emma Grouten, piano. Jake Knell took the part of floor manager. A feature of the dance was a lively jig by Mrs. Bridget Hopkins, aged 77 years, and Mrs. Sheridan, nearly as old.

Frederick Hembdt, son of Henry Hembdt of Callicoon Depot, has been appointed a patrolman on the New York police force.

One night recently, the gas machine in the Western Hotel, Callicoon Depot, became overheated and the bottom of the generator was blown up.

On Tuesday, Mrs. Will Pfeifle received word of the drowning of her brother, Eli Keesler, in the Delaware River last week. The report says that he was on a load of bridge lumber, which struck a rock in the river and threw him in. He had been employed in the reconstruction of the Milanville bridge. It will be recalled that he drove the Jeffersonville-Callicoon Depot stage for F. Dillemuth a year ago.

A young man, named Murphy of Fallsburg, broke all records for eating at Monticello recently says the Republican. He arrived in town about noon and immediately regaled himself of four good sized sandwiches and four glasses of beer. After this trifling repast he sought the lunch wagon where he proceeded to partake of some twelve slices of bread and a cup of coffee. He left then, saying that he was in a hurry to get back in time for dinner.

110 Years Ago - 1914

Within a year death has again come to darken the home of Mrs. John Abplanalp of Fosterdale, this time taking her eldest son, Howard, aged 18, who died of typhoid fever Sunday night at a Schenectady hospital. Only a year ago, Mrs. Abplanalp, who is a daughter of the late George Hill, once county sheriff, lost her husband, who was an O&W detective stationed at Cadosia, where he died of typhoid fever.

On Monday of this week that part of our Monticello mail route from here to Stephensville was discontinued, as the department found there was not sufficient mail handled to warrant keeping it up.

Mary Whitmore, wife of Vincent Malliccio, died at her home in Youngsville, Friday, aged 25. She was a daughter of Hiram Whitmore and Minnie Palmatier and since very young had made her home with her grandmother, Mrs. Peter W. Beadle of Youngsville.

W.B. Townsend, who owns the Starr farm at Hurd, will sell off his chattels at auction Friday. Mr. Townsend plans on going south for the winter.

It is understood that the insurance companies have a detective in these parts, looking for firebugs.

The appeal from the vote of the people of the Lower Beechwoods school district to build a new schoolhouse on the site of the old one will be argued at Albany tomorrow.

Stephen W. Royce of Liberty, a recruit pitcher of the New York Giants this past season, is now studying law in New York. His baseball plans for the future are unsettled.

100 Years Ago - 1924

The Maple Theater building at the corner of East Main Street and Maple Avenue, operated by Elias Eisenberg, was practically ruined Tuesday afternoon by fire which started from an overheated stovepipe in the rear corner of the theater hall, which seated about four hundred people.

J.B. Maas of Cochecton Center, whose Beagle hound won first prize in the field trials in Ontario, Canada, recently, last week received the prize, a handsome silver coffee set.

Miss Vera Tyler of Narrowsburg is the nurse in charge of Mrs. Gloria L. Morgan Vanderbilt, who has been going through a severe court ordeal during the fight for possession of her child, which Gloria’s aunt, Mrs. Whitney, claims she is unfit to rear.

Edna Geib Foster, wife of George Foster of Valley Stream, died in New York November 11 following an operation. Mrs. Foster was born at Jeffersonville about 43 years ago, a daughter of Philip Geib and Sarah Bernhardt, and spent the great part of her life in the city.

Alex Leschorn of North Branch is putting the finishing touches on a trailer he is to use on his trip to Florida.

90 Years Ago - 1934

Frederick J. Horn, aged 39, of Hempstead, is dead as a result of a charge of No. 6 bird shot which he received in the back while at Kenoza Lake last Saturday.

Sixteen farmers in the locality just west of Jeffersonville have united in an effort to put a stop to the overrunning of their lands by reckless hunters who leave destruction in their wake.

At a very special congregational meeting of the First Lutheran Church on Monday night, the resignation of the pastor, Rev. Bernhard Bohrer, was accepted in order to enable him to work in a greater field. He has accepted a call from St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Scranton, which has an estimated membership of 750.

William Tiemann of Jeffersonville is reported  missing after an explosion on one of the government barges in the State Island Sound at Linden, N.J. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Tiemann of Jeffersonville.

Edward Goebel, aged 69, was stricken by cerebral hemorrhage in his farm yard on Swiss Hill at breakfast time Monday and died Tuesday morning.

Charles Wahl, aged 60, died at the home of his sister, Mrs. George Wood at Youngsville. He is also survived by a brother, John, of Sixteen.

80 Years Ago - 1944

Nathan F. McCoach of Middletown, died November 8, aged 62. He was born at Cochecton Center.

Jacob H. Dreher, who spent his life in Beechwoods, died at his home there October 4, aged 84.

Miss Edith Marian Jacobs, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C.F.  Jacobs of Youngsville, and William Joseph McKenzie of Patterson, were married in the Bronx on November 5.

A white pasteboard box 9x9x4 inches, containing weather recording instruments and known as a “radio meteorograph” was picked up by Charles Hubbert on his farm in Beechwoods one day this week.

Paul Schwatz, a lineman for the New York State Electric and Gas Corp., was presented with a 20-year service pin last week by the company.

The Jeffersonville Trojans have won the Western Sullivan League football championship.

Sgt. Rose Brownstein of the WACS is home from Camp McClellan, Ga., on furlough.

70 Years Ago - 1954

Leonard Inderlied of Youngs-ville is in critical condition at the Monticello hospital as the result of a fall last Saturday while working at the Concord Hotel in Kiamesha Lake.

A gathering of some 400 people overflowed St. Mary’s Church at Obernburg Sunday, November 7. The occasion was a Solemn High Mass in honor of the Centenary of the parish of St. Mary’s of the Immaculate Conception at which His Eminence, Francis Cardinal Spellman, presided.

Mr. and Mrs. August Neumann of Callicoon celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary with a family party last Saturday, November 6.

James Mallacci of Youngsville died at the Liberty-Loomis Hospital last week. Mr. Mallacci had lived in the area for about 45 years and is survived by a daughter.

Mrs. Margaret Lamoreau died at her home in Youngsville last Wednesday, November 3. Mrs. Lamoreau was 82 years old.

Mr. and Mrs. Edward V. McDermott of Jeffersonville were completely surprised last weekend when they arrived at the Antrim Lodge in Roscoe to find their entire family waiting to join in the celebration of their fiftieth wedding anniversary.

Funeral services were held Tuesday in the Reformed Church at Youngsville for Henry Kempf, 94, who died at the Liberty-Loomis Hospital November 6.

It was announced in last week’s Eagle that publication of the paper would be discontinued. The Eagle was started in Jeff four years ago.

Fred Zieres of the Tegeler Real Estate Agency has announced the sale of the  Sophie Freyer property on lower Main St., Jeffersonville to Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Thony of Jeffersonville. 

Mrs. Hannah Jessop passed away at her home in Dundee after an illness of nine years, on Sunday, October 31. She was born in Callicoon and was a former Jeffersonville school teacher.

60 Years Ago - 1964

The drought which hit the Sulivan County farmers so hard this year is now hitting the pocketbooks of the motel and tourist home owners, hotels, grocery and sporting goods stores, owners of bars, grills and restaurants, covering the entire county that counts on the hunters for additional income. Because the woods are a tinder box those scheduled to open to hunters on Monday will remain closed.

Miss Beverly Theis, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Theis, and Charles Coots, son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Coots, both of Bethel, were united in marriage at the First Presbyterian Church in Bethel, November 7.

The Callicoon Center Fire Department celebrated its 50th anniversary with a dinner and dance on Sunday, November 8.

Evgrove Rag/Keg Apple Villa 4988495, an eight-year-old registered Holstein cow owned by Max B. Yasgur, Bethel, has produced a noteworthy record of 18,740 lbs. of milk and 600 lbs. of butter fat in 305 days.

A daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. David McCabe of Callicoon Center on November 10; a son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Foster of Long Eddy on the 11th, both at the Callicoon Hospital.

James J. Gottschalk, Town of Fremont Supervisor, was named chairman of the Sullivan County Aviation Citizens Advisory Committee at the organizational meeting held last Thursday evening. The commmittee was appointed by the Sullivan County Board of Supervisors to study and make recommendations on the development of airport facilities for the County of Sullivan.

50 Years Ago - 1974

Sheriff Joseph Wasser was re-elected to office by a margin of over 10,000 — largest in county history. Also elected in the County was Jean Amatucci as a member of the Assembly.

Mr. and Mrs. Denton Edwards of Callicoon have announced the engagement of their daughter, Patricia Marie, to Jeff Floyd Olver, son of Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Olver of Beach Lake, Pa.

Mr. and Mrs. Jay Stewart of  Narrowsburg announce the engagement of their daughter, Linda Diane, to Patrick M. Adase of Edison, N.J. A December wedding is planned.

Israel Wyde, 75, owner of Wyde Lumber Co. in Monticello, died unexpectedly Friday, November 8, at home.

Lucia Sprague is Queen of the Hill at the Callicoon Lanes. She rolled a 411 series the first round and 485 the second. Ann Lockwood bowled a close second by rolling a 479 the first round and a 409 the second.

Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Orth of Callicoon were guests of honor Sunday, November 3, at a surprise Golden Wedding Anniversary party at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Rudy Noetzel in North Branch.

40 Years Ago - 1984

Democratic incumbent Matthew McHugh and Sullivan County Judge Eugene Hanofee were the only Democrats to survive the Republican sweep in Tuesday’s election. Ronald Reagan was elected president with Vice President George Bush, carrying Sullivan County in their landslide victory. Anthony Kane was elected Sullivan County Family Court Judge; Joe Purcell was elected to his fourth term as Sullivan County Clerk, announcing he would not seek re-election at the end of this term. Richard Coombe was elected Assembyman in the 98th District. William Larkin will begin his fourth term in the 95th Assembly District.

Bertha “Ma” Twiss of Roscoe, former co-owner of the Twiss Funeral Home with her late husband, R.B. Twiss, died November 6. She was 91 years of age.

More than 250 guests attended the 70th birthday celebration held at the Monticello Firehouse Saturday night in honor of Henry “Hank” Stratton, a retired driver for the VanEtten Oil Co.

Andy Karadontes and Team Greek took third place at the NYS Flat Track Championship. He races at the Accord Speedway and is sponsored by HHF Farms in North Branch and Roche’s Garage in Callicoon. “We averaged 69 miles per hour around the 1/4-mile oval and hit upwards of 75 m.p.h. down the straightways,” he said. Andy is looking forward to next year when he will have another shot at the championship.

The new home of the Ferndale post office, located next to the state police barracks, opened on November 9. One innovation of the facility is that all the boxes have keys instead of combinations.

Veterans Day observances were held at the newly dedicated  Sullivan County Veterans Cemetery in Liberty at the County Government Center and in Wurtsboro to honor those who contributed unselfishly and those who made the supreme sacrifice in the defense of their country. Assemblyman Richard J. Coombe was guest speaker. In his remarks, he noted that “Americans have participated in 10 actions and that one million died while there are 24 million veterans still alive. The number of living veterans represents about 11 percent of the entire population of the United States,” he said.

30 Years Ago - 1994

This year marked the 20th anniversary of the first Democrat Big Buck  Contest. John Antosh of  Dumont, N.J., a native of Jeffersonville, was among those to enter the contest but, lo and behold, it was a woman who took the honors of being the first winner. Mrs. Betty Dales of RD 2, Livingston Manor, won the contest with a magnificent 12-pointer which measured 56 3/4 inches.

With Rep. Maurice Hinchey ahead by only 823 votes, he has declared himself the winner of the 26th District Congressional district race against Republican Bob Moppett. There are 6,000 absentee ballots yet to be counted.

Steve Lungen, Sullivan County District Attorney, was honored as the 1994 Outstanding Citizen of the Year by the Council of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Friday night at The Eagle’s Nest in Bloomingburg. 

Chad Meyer, son of Brad and Holly Meyer of Long Eddy, has been given another opportunity to enjoy a promising and fruitful style of life. His family was notified on Friday evening that a liver was located for the young boy. After an eight-hour transplant operation Saturday, Chad was placed in the Intensive Care Unit and the family is optimistic about his recovery.

George Pataki, a former mayor of Peekskill, was named governor of New York State, ending a 12-year reign by Mario Cuomo. Also elected were Senator Charles Cook and Assemblyman Jake Gunther, who easily defeated their opponents. Congressman Ben Gilman breezed to victory as he begins a 12th term in the House of Representatives.

Voters in the Town of Rockland extended the term of their supervisor, effective January 1, 1998, to four years by a scant 12 votes. Voters said “no,” however, to extending the term of two years to four years for the offices of town clerk, tax collector and highway superintendent.

Edward E. Chellis, Jeffersonville businessman and an antique car buff, died November 9, at his home. He was 81 years of age.

The Civil War Detachment, 143rd New York Volunteer Infantry, offered a 21-gun volley as participants at the Veterans Day service at the Hankins Community Hall.

The Delaware Valley Eagles will face Section II champ Rensselaer in the next round of the state football tournament next Saturday at Dietz Stadium in Kingston. They got this far in the competition by defeating Section I champ Pawling, 35-26, played at Dietz Stadium last Saturday, in the Class D state semi-final game.

20 Years Ago - 2004

Up to half an inch of snow covered the region last Tuesday morning, the first significant snowfall of the not-yet-official winter season.

Over $65,000 was raised in one night at the 20th anniversary of the United Way of Sullivan County, held Sunday at the Dodge Inn.

A filled to capacity Granite Associates auditorium Sunday afternoon saw three new Miss Sullivan County Pageant winners crowned for the year 2004. Crowned Miss Sullivan County Young is Katelin Jester, 6, from the Tri-Valley School District. Crowned Miss Sullivan County Pre-Teen is Taylor Paige Fracasse, 12, a student at Liberty Middle School, and Miss Sullivan County Teenager is Bianca Rappaport, 14, who attends Fallsburg Central High School.

George Ardito, volunteer at the Sullivan County Historical Society, was recently honored with the “Award for Excellence” from the Lower Hudson Conference, a service organization that provides technical and advisory assistance to museums, libraries and historical societies in New York. Ardito was awarded for his 30-minute videography project titled “Mahackamack: The Building of the Neversink Reservoir.”

The Class B regional football championship game on Sunday afternoon at Dietz Stadium in Kingston featured one-handed catches, spectacular runs, fumbles and interceptions. After 48 minutes of competition, Rye (11-0) moved onto the state Class B semifinals with a 14-6 win over SW (9-1).

10 Years Ago - 2014

Joanne Gerow, who is one of the primary animal control responders in the county, was invited to Thursday’s Public Safety Committee meeting to inform legislators of her efforts and goals. Legislators ended up painfully aware of how many animal cruelty cases Gerow must deal with, and the connection between such cruelty and child abuse. Gerow’s primary reason for visiting legislators, however, was to ask for better housing for animals and better communication between the various involved agencies. To that end, she’s incorporated a nonprofit, Catskill Animal Rescue, and is working with the Liberty Community Development Corporation on a concept for a centralized animal control facility to serve the entire county. Part of that effort entails gaining support of key officials. Legislators agreed to initially give her a letter of support.

The Allan Milk Post No. 1276 and its Ladies Auxiliary held their annual Veterans Day celebration at the Long Eddy Firehouse.  Post Commander Bruce Pecsi, who served with the Army in Vietnam in 1967-68, spoke about the evolution of Veterans Day.  Navy veteran Frank Geosits of Long Eddy, who serves as the post’s chaplain, gave the invocation and benediction while wife Kathleen of the Auxiliary sang the National Anthem and “God Bless America.” The post’s oldest member, Lt. Col. Bill Brustman of Obernburg, is a member of the NYS Senate Veterans Hall of Fame. Brustman is one of the few living veterans in the nation to have received the Combat Infantry Badge Award three times, serving in WWII, Korea and Vietnam.