130 Years Ago - 1896

John G. Schindler, a former well-known resident of Callicoon township, died at his home in Rockland on September 15. He was born in Wurtenburg, Germany, and was 73 years old.

A grand harvest home ball will be held at the Maple Grove House, North Branch, Monday afternoon and evening, October 5. Oyster supper from 5 until 11 p.m. for 25 cents; oyster stew at all hours, 15 cents. All popular drinks. Music by the Hortonville Brass and String Band.

The Youngsville Fair was held last Monday. The excitement of the day was the horse trot between G.B. Charlick of Jeffersonville and Charles Quick of North Branch, which the latter won by default.

The White Sulphur Springs Fair will be held next Monday, September 28. The seventh annual fair of the Town of Rockland will be held at Livingston Manor September 30 and October 1.

120 Years Ago - 1906

A bankruptcy petition was filed against Frederick H. Tuting, a wholesale dealer of New York, by his creditors, among them the Delaware County Milk Co. of Margaretville, $5,444; Walker & Weed of Middletown, $781; and the Sullivan County Dairy Co. of Jeffersonville, $4,675.

Col. Victor A. Wilder of Warwick has been nominated by the Independent League for congressman in the 20th district, embracing Sullivan, Orange and Rockland Counties. He was formerly prominently identified with the Republican party.

Jeffersonville has two more typhoid cases in the village and two in the Swiss Hill district.

Eddie Homer celebrated his 25th birthday anniversary on Monday by holding a bee to break ground for his new residence on Terrace Ave. The building will be put up by William Kohler, the contractor.

Mrs. Louise E. Grishaber has bought a lot of Mike Bromberger, about 100 x 150 feet, on the south slope, and expects to erect a residence there at some time in the not too distant future. She paid $350 for the lot.

Peter Mootz, the mail contractor, has his residence on the creamery road about completed and will move shortly.

The handsome new residence of Rudolph Gute on East Avenue is completed and Mr. Gute and family have moved in from the McDermott house. Mr. Gute has taken down the McDermott barn, and will erect it in the rear of his new residence.

J. Henry Wormuth has sold his 105 acre farm, with all stock and implements for $1,100, located two miles from Jeff on top of the hill on the road in Callicoon Center, to a Mr. Jenkins of Yonkers. The farm will be occupied by his family and the family of his son-in-law, William Wahl of the Beechwoods, possession being given about October 10th.

110 Years Ago - 1916

John A. Royce and Miss Blanche Crawford were married at the bride’s home in Liberty on September 12. The bride is the only daughter and child of the Village President and Mrs. Charles F. Crawford. The groom is the elder son of former Postmaster Solomon A. Royce of Liberty.

At the Presbyterian Church in Jeffersonville last Thursday evening, Rufus E. Wylam, son of John H. Wylam,  and Miss Bertha I. Bossley, daughter of Anthony Bossley, both of near Briscoe, were united in marriage by Rev. J.K. Stadelmann.

Mrs. Peter Wolff of Roscoe was severely shaken up last Saturday in falling off a load of hay.

Charles F. Starck, former postmaster, justice of the peace, and for many years a prominent merchant in Callicoon, died at his home there Sunday, following a second stroke. He was born in Bavaria, Germany, August 16, 1846, and was just past 70 years of age. He came to New York with his parents at the age of 3. He learned the watchmaking trade and in 1857 came to Callicoon where he opened a jewelry and watch repair store, later enlarged to Starck’s Bazaar, one of the largest jewelry, souvenir and novelty emporiums in the county. Mr. Starck was married three times. His first wife, Anna  VonBergen of Callicoon, died in 1885. From this union were born four sons and three daughters, of whom the sons survived, Charles B., Dewitt J., and Fred H. of Callicoon, and Edward G. of Brooklyn. The third wife, Miss Pauline Sherwood of Roscoe, also survives.

Mr. and Mrs. Ernest A. Modersohn of Lotus Farm, Fosterdale, will celebrate their silver wedding anniversary at their New York City home, 16 West 125th St., on September 22.

Frank Keegan Sr., an old resident of the Beechwoods, was buried from the Catholic Church at Callicoon yesterday.

100 Years Ago - 1926

Conrad Metzger, treasurer of the recent Salvation Army drive here, reports that contributions sent in from the Jeffersonville district, which included Kenoza Lake and Youngsville, amounted to $115.

Mrs. H. Abel will take her daughter, Helen, to the city Saturday to have the latter operated on for removal of tonsils.

Fred Schaefer, Freddie Hasenpflue, Elmer Geib and Misses Elizabeth Hasenpflue and Dorothy Schaefer recently motored to Syracuse and back, making the 400-mile trip in one day. They accompanied Miss Alice Archibald to the University.

Druggist J.W. Murray and wife have leased the Herman Kraut house for the winter.

The members of the Iroquois Game Club, with their ladies, enjoyed an old-fashioned pit clambake at their preserve, formerly the Morrison tract at Toronto below Bethel, last Sunday. The bake was prepared by John Fuhrer of Jeffersonville. Those in attendance from here were Mr. and Mrs. Fred Schadt, Mr. and Mrs. C.A. Royce and Mr. and Mrs. Otto Meyer. The Morrison farmhouse serves as a clubhouse and J. Fisher is caretaker. There are fishing and hunting privileges on about 14,000 acres.

It is possible that the oldest families may have the biggest skeletons.

Mrs. George Kothe died at her home near Roscoe on  September 14, aged 81 years.

Mrs. Martha J. Pease passed away at the home of her daughter, Mrs. E.V. Sutherland of White Sulphur Springs Wednesday morning, September 14, at about 74 years.

90 Years Ago - 1936

Alfred J. Weisman, former teacher in New York and who has a summer home in Callicoon Center, was finally selected as school superintendent for the third district of Sullivan County by the school directors of the towns of Fallsburg, Forestburgh, Mamakating and Thompson, after twenty ballots at the eighth meeting at Monticello last Tuesday night.

The post office department has notices posted calling for bids for a new lease of quarters for the Jeffersonville post office for a ten-year term beginning February 28, 1937.

Arthur C. Buddenhagen, manager of the local Victory store, accompanied by his family, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Joergle and Carl Joergle and family attended the Victory clambake at Norwich on Sunday.

Headless horsemen of Sleepy Hollow – and other places – now drive automobiles.

The most successful photographs usually tell the biggest lies.

The report that Sullivan County has not had a presidential elector since John P. Jones of Monticello was elected in 1856 have been proven wrong. In 1884, John M. Helck of Callicoon Center, a member of Tammany Hall, was elected a Democratic elector and cast his vote for Grover Cleveland for president. In 1896 JudgeAlpheus Potts of Jeffersonville was elected a Republican elector and voted for William McKinley.

County Judge George L. Cooke of Monticello has been appointed a member of the tri-state council to meet at Shawnee-on-the-Delaware October 2 to plan for control of the Delaware River. 

A son was born last Friday to Mr. and Mrs. Edward W. Kohler at the Callicoon Hospital.

A son, Warren A. Brey, was born to Elsie (Moulthrop) and Harold Brey of Kenoza Lake on Sept. 30. Paternal grandparents are Mr and Mrs. George Brey. He joins two older brothers, William and Roger, at home.

80 Years Ago - 1946

Norman A. Gettel, son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Gettel of Lower Beechwoods, and Miss Margaret Schick, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Schick of Obernburg, were married at St. Mary’s Church, Obernburg, September 7th, by Rev. Alexander Hartdegen.

Miss Marion Gerow, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ben R. Gerow of Liberty, and former Sgt. Thomas J. Mangan of the State Police in this county, now retired, were married in New York August 20th.

Mrs. Emma Elizabeth Judson, after a four-day illness, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Willis Judson at Briscoe.

At their meeting Tuesday night, the auxiliary of the Emmett Turner Post, American Legion, elected the following officers: President Miss Jeanne Flaccus; Vice-President Miss Signe Ahnstrom and Blanche Hauschild, treasurer. Mrs. Marie Knack will serve as secretary; Miss Ethel Sykes, chaplain; Mrs. Carol Kehrley, sergeant-at-arms.

Frank T. Davis of Sidney, deputy grand master of Masons for the Delaware-Sullivan District, announces that the annual convention will be held at Sidney on October 15 and at Livingston Manor next April 8th.

Mrs. Karl Schaefer, who sold her house in Delaware to Mr. and Mrs. Warren Hess, has shipped her furniture to the city, and is spending a few days with the Joseph Forsbachs in the Beechwoods.

Mrs. Marie Schonger, widow of William J. Schonger, died on Wednesday, September 11, at North Branch.

Anna, wife of John H. Hembt of Callicoon Center, suffered severe injuries in her back in Daytona Beach, Fla., and is in the hospital there.

70 Years Ago - 1956

Miss Janet Norris and Herbert Deppa were married on September 8th by Rev. Leroy Hertzog at the Presbyterian Church in Jeffersonville.

A daughter, Debra Sue, was born on September 15 to Mr. and Mrs. Stan Domfort at Liberty Maimonides Hospital.

Jamies Dirie, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Dirie, and Donald Edwards, son of Mr. and Mrs. Adna Edwards, both of Youngsville, have been stricken with polio of the paralytic type. Neither boy has had Salk vaccine. Both cases are described as mild, with the Edwards boy being affected in one leg, and the Dirie boy in both legs.

Miss Audrey Hauser, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Hauser, graduated September 2 from the Benedictine Hospital School of Nursing in Kingston and is employed at Liberty-Loomis Hospital.

Miss Elsie Wood, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Wood of Youngsville, and Leslie Alfred Parks, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ora Parks of Livingston Manor, were married August 31st at the Presbyterian Church in Youngsville.

Miss Martha Scheidell is on a two-weeks freighter cruise to Honduras.

Fred Wachter, Warren Miller, Fred Robertson and Thomas Reynolds have passed the examinations for employment at Woodbourne Prison and will start September 27.

Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Hayes of Kenoza Lake celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.

Mr. and Mrs. Preston Abplanalp of  Youngsville drove to New York to see the show “New Faces of 1956,” in which their nephew, Johnnie Laverty, has a prominent role.

Mrs. Leo Hemmer is a patient in Loomis Hospital as the result of an automobile accident last Sunday when returning from Port Jervis, where their new grandson was baptized.

60 Years Ago - 1966

The Chopin Singing Society of Passaic, N.J., one of the top winning choruses of the Polish  Singers Alliance of America, will again revisit the Catskill area on Sunday, September 18. They will sing a Mass at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Callicoon, and then go to Bekarciak’s Valley View House in Kenoza Lake for dinner and supper.

Miss Patricia Myers, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Myers, Jeffersonville, has received her diploma from Binghamton General Hospital School of Nursing.

The bowler’s dream – a perfect 300 game – eluded Joe Zemitis Jr. of Youngsville Saturday evening, September 10, at the Jeff Bowling Alleys. After tossing 11 perfect hits, Joe left the 7 pin on the last ball for a 299 tally.

Robert Bjorklund, son of former Town of Fremont Supervisor and Mrs. Harold Bjorklund, was given first prize in an essay contest sponsored by the Sullivan Board of Realtors during the state realtors convention held at the Concord Hotel Monday evening. Second prize was given to Sharon Baker, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Baker, a student at J-YCS.

Cadet Creighton J. Miller, son of Mr. and Mrs. Warren Miller of Hortonville, has completed the U.S. Air Force Reserve Officers Training session at Plattsburgh AFB.

Mr. and Mrs. Edward Bossley of White Sulphur Springs celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Sunday, August 21, at a family dinner held at the Lenape Hotel in Liberty.

A daughter, Cheryl Lynne, was born August 17 to Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Price. Mrs. Alice Price of Long Eddy is the great-grandmother.

50 Years Ago - 1976

A derailment Saturday morning, September 11, on the ConRail (formerly Erie Lackawanna) line that started at the bridge over Basket Creek in the Town of Fremont, ended up three miles down the track in the village of Hankins, where a dozen freight cars slammed into the feed mill operated by Phil Gottschalk, rendering the four-generation old structure a total wreck. Only the early hour prevented fatalities among the millworkers, who were scheduled to report to work at 7:30, a scant half-hour after the crash. The train was loaded with Ford parts and engines being transported from Buffalo to the Ford plant at Mahwah, N.J.

Mr. and Mrs. Delos Brooks of North  Branch were guests of honor at a 25th wedding anniversary party given them by their children, Michele, Mark and Michael, at the White Sulphur Springs Fire House on August 21.

Brenda Lee Minckler, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Minckler of Long Eddy, became the bride of Robert Ralph Sykes, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Sykes of Hortonville.

Audley I. Dorrer of Callicoon received a special framed award from William E. Schultz, chief of the Callicoon Volunteer Fire Department, citing him  for a half-century of active service.

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Samyn of Yulan spent the past five weeks celebrating their sixtieth wedding anniversary with a tour of Belgium, France and  Holland via Sabina Airlines. While in Belgium they were the honored guests at a dinner at which fifty-eight members of their family were in attendance. Mr. Samyn is the eldest of a family of thirteen of which eleven are still living. Mrs. Samyn is the oldest of a family of seven, all of whom are still living.

The Jeffersonville Presbyterian Church celebrated 131 years at a fifth bicentennial service on Sunday. Other observances during the year have been held on Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day. It was in September of 1855 that the church became a congregation of the Hudson Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America.

George’s Colonial Inn, with a 14-1 record, has taken the Western Sullivan League Championship for 1976.

Linda Busing of Jeffersonville became the bride of Paul D. Ramundo of Albany at a Nuptial Mass at St. George’s in Jeffersonville on August 14.

Twenty-four classmates, their spouses and four guests of the  Class of 1956, Jeffersonville Central School, enjoyed a reunion dinner at Sam and Al’s in Lake Huntington.

40 Years Ago - 1986

Fire severely damaged the Crossways Restaurant in Fallsburg on Wednesday morning. Bernie Deutsch, a Fallsburg fireman, suffered smoke inhalation and was taken to Community General Hospital by ambulance where  he was treated and released.

A fundraiser dinner and dance was held Saturday night at the Stevensville Hotel in Swan Lake for the re-election of Congressman Matt McHugh who is seeking a seventh term in the House of Representatives.

The Bethel Ambulance Corps became a little richer Wednesday when they received a $6,000 check from the Mother’s Club of the Town of Bethel and a $700 check from the Smallwood Guild in appreciation of their services to the community.

Nelson Thomas Jr. of Livingston Manor was declared the winner of the recent Livingston Manor Ultra Mart Slush Puppy bicycle contest.

Mike Gorr and Bob Godgart won the main  events in the respective divisions at Saturday night’s stock car races at the White Lake Speedway. Gorr, from Callicoon, won the first qualifying heat and then came on to win the Strictly Stock feature event that more resembled a rolling demolition derby than a race with only five cars on the speedway at the end.

Sadie Maulick, formerly of Callicoon Center and now a resident of Woodbridge, Conn., recently celebrated her 102nd birthday at the home of her niece in New Haven, Conn. At the celebration, Mrs. Maulick declined champagne but instead asked for a beer (which her doctor says keeps her going). The niece said she never drank before moving in with them but now has a beer everyday with her lunch. 

Honored on the occasion of her 100th birthday was Mrs. Elizabeth Bohl of Albany. She was a former resident of Callicoon Center where she and her late husband, George, operated a boarding house. The celebration took place at the Jeffersonville Senior Citizens meeting on Thursday.

The Catskill Beverage Center in Liberty, owned by Bob Kunis, opened last Saturday and sells discount beer and soda.

30 Years Ago - 1996

The Coalition of Watershed Towns and New York City has finally reached an agreement that is satisfactory to all. The agreement pumps in nearly $1.5 billion to the Watershed areas which include the Catskill, Delaware and Croton Water Systems belonging to New York City’s water supply.

Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest retailer, is reportedly considering opening a Supercenter near the Route 17-Route 42 intersection in the Town of Thompson. The store is tentatively projected to open in the spring of 1998.

The White Sulphur Springs Water District in the Town of Liberty won second place in the state recently for best tasting water.

Hortonville resident Earl Kinney was fortunate to be alive Monday afternoon when his coal truck flipped on its side after Kinney swerved to avoid hitting a pickup truck at the corner of Route 17B and Main St. in Callicoon.

Frank and Carole McCoy of Liberty announce the engagement of their son, Timothy Scott McCoy, to Dawn Marie Mitchell, daughter of Bonnie Mitchell of Kerhonkson. A September 1997 wedding is planned.

Agnes Spielmann of Youngs­ville was honored as Senior Citizen of the Town of Callicoon for 1996 at the town board’s meeting last month.

Happy birthday to Thelma Herbert of Fremont Center who celebrated her 80th birthday on Sunday.

Susan Lynn Perlmutter and Russell Andrew Martin Epstein were married August 25, 1996 at Temple B’nai Abraham in Livingston, NJ. Rabbi Barry Friedman officiated.

20 Years Ago - 2006

Authors spanning three different centuries were honored Sunday evening by the Sullivan County Historical Society. Author and Fallsburg native Andrew Neiderman was awarded with the History Maker award.

The Catskill Mountain Business & Professional Women’s Club will honor Shirley Felder-Morton, a Sullivan County businesswoman who has made tremendous contributions to the people and to the community in which she lives and works. She is the president and CEO of Sullivan County First Recycling and Refuse and Mor-Tons Recycled. Also to be honored is Tess McBeath who will receive the BPW Community Service Award. McBeath’s accomplishments include 16 years as an active volunteer with the Delaware Youth Center, ten of which were as president.

The Blue Ribbon Trophy - Best Appearing Sullivan County Company Overall was awarded to the White Sulphur Springs Fire Department at the 78th annual Sullivan County Volunteer Firemen’s Association Parade held in Rock Hill on September 16.

10 Years Ago - 2016

 Marie Zalesky celebrated her 109th birthday on Friday surrounded by friends and residents at the Roscoe Community Nursing Home, which was beautifully decorated with flowers, balloons, and purple cloths that matched Zalesky’s birthday jacket. Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther and her aide Rachel Steingart took Zalesky by surprise as they came into the room with two cakes full of candles. 

Callicoon resident Giles Ebert has a collection of Native American artifacts that dates back thousand of years. A few, nearly ten thousand years. Ebert has found spear heads, net sinkers, mortar and pestles, gouges for digging out canoes, small axes, sinew stones, soapstone pottery for cooking and a small, pristine fish hook carved from bone. Ebert’s collection was recognized by the National Park Service and cited by scholars at SUNY Binghamton as being one of the most complete, impressive and well-documented collections they have seen.

The 88th Annual Sullivan County Volunteer Firefighter’s Association Parade took place on Saturday. The Rock Hill Fire Department is celebrating its 60th year of serving the community.