140 Years Ago - 1886

Casper Abbeal has taken the milk mule, formerly run by Rudolph VonArx.

Lahm’s Saloon has been beautified by the addition of green shutters.

Casper Abbeal sold the Liberty stage route to Charles Mathern for $400. Mathern commenced running Wednesday. Abbeal will go carting cream.

Lewis Meyer of Youngsville tips the beam at 227 pounds, and Capt. E.H. Pinney at 232. Not much difference in their weights.

130 Years Ago - 1896

John Doat, a resident of Sullivan County for over forty years, died at his home at Fosterdale Saturday night, aged about 70 years. Interment took place in the cemetery on the Barrens Tuesday and Rev. William Meyer of Jeffersonville preached the sermon.

Fred Stephenson died of pneumonia at his home at Hurd, August 27, aged about 34 years. Interment took place at Bethel Saturday.

Charles, only son of Peter Werlau of Hortonville died August 22, aged 16, 10 months and 12 days.

Monticello celebrated its third annual coaching day August 28 and it was one of the biggest days Monticello ever saw. The parade was at least one and one half miles in length.

Ex Supervisor Jay Davidson of the Town of Rockland is said to be among the many aspirants for the Republican nomination for county clerk.

A special school meeting was held in School District No. 4 of the Town of Delaware, adjoining this village, on Monday evening of last week for the purchase of a piece of land adjoining the school house for a playground. Gus Schmidt offered the land 100x150 feet for $25, which is dirt cheap. The proposition was voted down 9 to 8.

Luther Potts returned to New Paltz Normal School on Tuesday.

Valentine Scheidell has taken the agency for a number of standard fire insurance companies.

Charles Scheidell is building another silo on his barn.

The new school bell arrived last weekend and is now in place. The people are well pleased with its tone.

Trustees Hofer, Huff and Glassel are putting a new hardwood floor in the primary department of our school building.

120 Years Ago - 1906

 Carl Pauli met with an accident while riding his bicycle down the hill at John W. Pley’s near North Branch Friday afternoon. The handle of his wheel broke off and he was thrown forcibly to the ground, striking his head.

Philip Gunglach, 65 years old, living on a farm near Vestal, was struck by lightning while standing in the door of his barn during the storm about 7 p.m. Tuesday of last week. Mr. Gunglach is a native of the Town of Callicoon and a brother of Mrs. John Ludwig and Mrs. George J. Yaeger of Jeffersonville.

The semi-annual fair was held at Youngsville last Monday. Due to a thunder shower, the horse race wind-up of the outdoor events had to be pulled off through mud. Will Lawrence took first money in the race and Will Durr second, the latter driving H.Y. Kenrich’s mare.

During the storm Tuesday of last week, the barn of George A. Eller, a mile west of Hortonville, was struck by lightning and burned with all its contents, including hay, grain, farm implements, a new reaper, etc. The loss is from $1,000 to $1,500 and is partly covered by insurance in the  Callicoon Mutual Association.

Neuberger and Son, concrete block manufacturers of this place, have bought about eight acres of land at Callicoon, known as Butternut Island, of W. Tyler and will locate their machinery there next spring for the manufacture of building blocks.

John Geib, son of Philip Geib of Jeffersonville, and Matilda Marie, daughter of Peter Wahl of the Beechwoods, were united in marriage at the home of the bride’s parents last evening in the presence of many guests. The couple will reside in New York where the groom has been employed for some years.

The fair next Monday will wind up the session of outdoor events in Jeffersonville this year.

110 Years Ago - 1916

Henry C. Wagner has exchanged his property at the lower end of this village, in Delaware, with William Kohler for the Dillmuth property on Center Street in Jeff.

Before you return to the city, order the Record sent to your city home.

Clarence A. Royce will leave on Sunday for Ithaca, where he will go in rehearsal with a lyceum quintet to go on a 25-week concert tour. Mr. Royce will act as manager and reader. He is a graduate of the Ithaca School of Elocution. 

Because of the epidemic of infantile paralysis in the state, although there is none in Jeffersonville, the opening of school has been postponed until September 18.

Fred Bischoff of Cochecton Center and Miss Kathryn Goetz of Brooklyn were married August 20 at St. Joseph’s College, Callicoon, by Father Clements.

Rev. George J.V. Schorling was installed pastor of the Jeffersonville Reformed Church last Sunday.

100 Years Ago - 1926

The roof of the residence of Charles P. Durr, in the Delaware section of Jeff, together with the contents of the attic, was destroyed by fire during the noon hour on Monday. Damage will amount to a couple of thousand dollars and is covered by insurance through the agency of Scheidell & Schmidt.

Miss Marguerite Behnken is home from the city on vacation.

Mrs. William Deckelman and daughter Jean and sister, Ruth Fitch, are visiting relatives and taking in the fair in Walton this week.

The new homes of Miss Anna Anderson and William Metzger are nearly completed and will add much improvement to College Street in Callicoon.

90 Years Ago - 1936

During the storm Saturday lightning struck and killed five young heifers – four belonging to Louis P. Mootz and one of John Ebert Sr. in the pasture on the Ellersick farm. The Callicoon Mutual adjusted the loss with $100 to Mootz and $35 to Ebert.

At Buck Brook Saturday lightning again visited the John Mauer farm and hit the house, causing damage in the amount of $150 divided between the Callicoon Mutual and the Tegeler Agency.

Sunday afternoon at 4:30 lightning descended for the fourth time on the Hasenpflue farm east of the village of Jeff and destroyed the third barn over a period of years. George Hasenpflue, the present owner, says he has seen four fires on the place.

William Tieman, the 11-month-old son of Elmer and Mildred Tieman LeRoy of Jeff, was christened at the Lutheran Church by Pastor Foerster on August 22.

Amber & Amber, dry goods merchants in the Yaeger building, reported increased business this season and have just renewed their lease of the store for another three years.

Adelbert M. Schriber, editor of the Monticello Watchman, has been named a Democratic presidential elector for the 27th Congressional District – the first elector in this county since 1856, when John B. Jones of Monticello was named.

80 Years Ago - 1946

Recent births at the Callicoon Hospital were a daughter, Ruth, to Dr. and Mrs. E.T. Rumble, and a son, Billy, to Mr. and Mrs. A.J. Orth of Callicoon. A son was born August 17 to Mr. and Mrs. Jack Kessel of Jefferson Ave., Jeffersonville at the Liberty Hospital.

Mrs. Edythe Calkin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph McCoach of Fosterdale, and J. Henry Rausch, son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Rausch, Lake Huntington, were married at the Kenoza Lake Methodist parsonage by Rev. Merton  S. Cady on Sunday, August 25th.

Miss June Elaine Glassford of Liberty and Vernon W. Bossley of White Sulphur Springs were married August 17 in the Liberty Methodist Church by Rev. Lloyd H. Gilmour.

Warren Hess, employed in the Mall Hardware Store has bought, of Mrs. Karl Schaefer, the former Valentine Schmidt house in Delaware and will take possession soon.

70 Years Ago - 1956

Jeffersonville Central School will open September 4 with an enrollment at Youngsville.

A meeting will be held Wednesday evening for reactivation of the Jeffersonville Civil Defense Observation Post. Rev. LeRoy C. Hertzog has agreed to act as Chief Observer.

Sidney Frankel, president of Sullivan County Young Democrats has announced his executive committee which includes Fred Stabbert Jr. of Callicoon, vice-president; Sidney Goldstein of Monticello, as secretary; Robert Berg, Liberty, treasurer; Robert Lungen and Frank Kaplan, Woodridge, co-chairman of membership; Eugene M.  Hanofee, Liberty, chairman of publicity; and Helen Nystrom of Kenoza Lake and Richard Reid of Callicoon, co-chairman of the program committee.

Elmer Robisch, 62, of Hortonville, died at the Callicoon  Hospital on August 27.

Mary Margaret Tegeler, Susan Kohler, Bethany Fuller and Betty Peters put on a performance for disabled children on the Tegeler lawn, and raised $28.

Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Fisher celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary August 27.

60 Years Ago - 1966

Fred H. Starck of Callicoon was elected chairman of the board of trustees of the Sullivan County Community College, but deposed chairman Bernard Weiss has challenged the 5-4 vote in favor of Mr. Starck.

President Lyndon B. Johnson landed at Stewart Air Force Base on Friday and continued to Ellenville with a stop in Pine Bush.

Engagements: Martha Snyder of Youngsville to William H. Wahl II of Jeffersonville; Linda Blatchly of Hankins to Robert Kovach of Bridgeport, Conn.; Barbara Paff of RD 2, Callicoon, to Harry James Hartz of Windsor, N.Y.

More than 10,000 persons attended the Grahamsville Fair on Saturday. There were 25 persons over the age of 80 years who attended. Among the winners were: Longest married - Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Philips, Wawarsing, 59 years; farthest distance, Philip and Susan Eoerner, La Paz, Bolivia; oldest person, Dewitt Ray, 96, from the Sullivan County Infirmary;  youngest person, Keith Allen MacArthur, 7 days old, Grahamsville.

50 Years Ago - 1976

At the National VFW Convention held in New York City, two hand-crocheted flags, made by Mary Ann Dauch of White Lake, were presented to Mrs. Glenn Grossman, National President, and the second, a 13-star Betsy Ross design, was presented to Mrs. Irene Klay of Niagara Falls, state president.

A fire of undetermined origin gutted the abandoned Schultz building on Main St., Callicoon, Friday morning, August 20, at 2:15 a.m. Hortonville assisted Callicoon firemen in containing the fire which is of suspicious nature.

Mrs. Anna Voight, 82, a retired teacher and former assistant director of the Hudson District Parents-Teachers Association, died at her home in Long Eddy on August 20.

A new firehouse is being constructed in Long Eddy. The two-bay building will have a meeting room overhead with limited kitchen facilities.

Georgia C. Karadontes was guest of honor at a surprise bridal shower on August 16. She will become the bride of Kevin Hart on September 12 at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption on Behr Road in Jeffersonville.

The “Jaws of Life,” a rescue tool used to cut or release tangled metal and lift heavy objects, has been received by the Jeffersonville Vol. First Aid Corps, Inc.

Margaret Anne Smith of Narrowsburg and Terry Tenbus of Lava were married August 7 in St. Francis Xavier R.C. Church in Narrowsburg.

Marilyn Jane Jackson of Walton and Gary Ramsey of Monticello were married at the United Methodist Church in Walton on August 7.

40 Years Ago - 1986

A business, Liberty AKC Pedigree Kennels, recently opened near White Sulphur Springs. They will specialize in grooming, boarding, supplies, flea control and the sale of AKC puppies.

Students from three Sullivan County school districts have been involved in a six-week vocational training session at Sullivan County BOCES this summer. Part of an 18-month program, the students are given an opportunity to learn either carpentry, law enforcement and security, business skills or food trades.

Anna Kubenik, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Kubenik of Jeff, was surprised with a miscellaneous bridal shower at the Lake Jeff Hotel with about 50 relatives and friends attending. She will be married September 27 to Todd Niemann, son of William and Susan Niemann of Youngsville.

Congratulations to Judy and Anthony Durkin who exchanged marriage vows on Saturday. The bride is the daughter of Earl and Marion Myers of Callicoon Center Rd. and the groom is the son of Anthony and Pat Durkin of Callicoon Center.

A fire at Silbert’s Bungalow Colony on Anawanna Lake Road early Monday consumed a 100-50 foot building. Residents in the 78-unit colony had formed a co-op less than 12 hours earlier. The loss was covered by insurance.

Over their summer vacation, standouts for the Tri-Valley Bears Tonya Ackerley and sisters Heidi and Mandy Blade traded in their high school uniforms to be members of the Dutchess Debs girls fast pitch softball team.

30 Years Ago - 1996

The Sullivan County Industrial Development Agency (IDA), with one member absent, unanimously approved a 50,000-square-foot extension to the Frontier Insurance Group headquarters at Rock Hill.

Over 100 firefighters from 10 companies were called out to the Russell Dairy Farm on Route 17B in Bethel Tuesday night to extinguish a hay barn fire at the farm, apparently started by a lightning strike.

Jeffersonville — Cindy and John Camlet hosted a reunion for the Morgan clan (Cindy’s side of the family) at their Valley View Farm in Bethel with about 70 in attendance.

Ethel Sipple will display her watercolors in a show titled “Backyards and Beyond” at the Beck Gallery in Hurleyville.

Sheri Abram, daughter of Douglas and Kathleen Abram of Hankins, and Morgan Mitterwager, son of Kenneth and Beverly Mitterwager of Callicoon, exchanged wedding vows June 29, 1996 at the Holy Cross Church in Callicoon…Miss Jennifer Sue Cable and Mr. Christopher David Hermann were united in marriage July 20, 1996 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Port Jervis.

A daughter, Mason Nicole, was born Monday, August 19, 1996 to Ted and Sara Gibson Lyon of Lake Charles, La. Mrs. Paul Hermann of Callicoon is the first time great-grandmother and Mrs. Harold Deighton, also of Callicoon, can now boast of a five-generation family.

Eric Stern of Monticello won a playoff against Tarry Brae pro Jay Golden to win the Tarry Brae Open at the par-72 course in South Fallsburg.

Tom Trask of Jeffersonville scored his first career hole-in-one at the Villa Roma Country Club in Callicoon on  August 22. He made his ace from the white tee on the par-3, 115-yard 13th hole.

20 Years Ago - 2006

For the twelfth year in a row, Livingston Manor’s Rotary Park recently hosted the annual Dr. Don Games, presented by local dentist Don Simkin, an Olympics fan.

The rain-soaked main drag of Hortonville played host to the annual Firemen’s Field Day on Sunday. The men and women who brave fires and accidents had no problem heading out in the miserable weather, and in their best dress too.

Eight-year-old Joshua Kortright of Neversink recently caught a 7 lb. 22-inch largemouth bass at Wanaksink Lake in Rock Hill. 

Hortonville’s attendance swelled on July 21-22 when Delvin and Vera Highhouse hosted a Highhouse family reunion at the Firemen’s pavilion. Three of Delvin and Vera’s four children attended, along with nine of their 11 grandchildren and their families. Fifteen of the 18 great-grandchildren were also in attendance. This was the first reunion in seven years.

At her Callicoon home, Margaret Wagner celebrated her 100th birthday this past Saturday surrounded by dozens of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. It’s not quite official yet, her actual birthday is September 4. Since that falls on Labor Day, August 26 proved more practical to get a busy family together.

10 Years Ago - 2016

A treasure trove of newspapers chronicling a century-and-a-half of Sullivan County history was moved last week from a private home to the County Museum in Hurleyville, including at least 160 years worth of mostly pristine Republican Watchman papers, original copies of the Jeffersonian Democrat and the Sullivan County Republican. Susan Schock’s family ran the Watchman for 70 years. Her grandfather, Adelbert M. Scriber, joined the Watchman in the 1890s, followed by her father, Alvin O. Benton, before selling the Monticello-based paper to Ruby Katz. Much of the Watchman’s archives succumbed to a devastating fire in 1942 (which also tragically destroyed Scriber’s completed but unpublished history of Sullivan County). But a collection dating back to the 1850s had been kept in the family home in Monticello. Some of them apparently also had been preserved at one point in the County Clerk’s Office. Eventually the Watchmans were moved to Susan and husband Bob Schock’s summer home, and recently Susan decided to “clean house.”

Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther (D, I, WF - Forestburgh) continued her “Summer Senior Tour” at the Loch Sheldrake Seniors Club. The tour, an annual tradition for over a decade, brings the Assemblywoman to each senior citizen group in the 100th Assembly District, which has more than 20 senior groups.

Eleven stories of steel are already in evidence at the Montreign Resort Casino construction site near Monticello. Empire Resorts Executive Vice President Charlie Degliomini confirms work is proceeding on schedule toward a March 2018 opening, with 400+ workers currently on site.