Neversink, Minisink, Mamakating, Shawangunk-- most people who have lived in Sullivan County for any length of time, or have visited here regularly, are aware of these rather strange sounding place …
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John Conway
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5/3/24
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In his ‘History of Sullivan County,” published in 1873, James Eldridge Quinlan labeled Cushetunk resident Nathaniel Evans a “mischief making fellow and a nuisance” to his …
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John Conway
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4/26/24
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The summer of 1929 was a significant one in the history of Sullivan County’s resort industry.
In Fallsburg, the Flagler Hotel, perhaps the most prominent of the County’s hotels at …
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John Conway
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4/19/24
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On April 26, 1849, the first boat crossed over the newly built wire rope suspension aqueduct on the Delaware River designed by John A. Roebling for the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company.
…
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John Conway
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4/12/24
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Catherine Staigele was born in Brooklyn in 1870, but spent nearly all of her professional life in Sullivan County. She was as accomplished during her lifetime as perhaps any woman in the area, and …
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John Conway
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3/29/24
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Back in 2005, author Yvonne David set her first children’s book, “Out of the Apple Orchard” in the hamlet of Mountaindale in 1910. The book told the story of a young boy named Adam …
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John Conway
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3/22/24
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On March 8, 1908, Daniel Bennett St. John Roosa, one of New York City’s most prominent doctors and a native of Sullivan County, suffered a major heart attack and died.
Few men from the …
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John Conway
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3/8/24
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The fact that since 1987 the month of March has been celebrated as Women’s History Month in this country provides an interesting perspective on the recent announcement by Assemblywoman Aileen …
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John Conway
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3/1/24
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In many ways, Sunset Acres in Parksville was typical of a small 1960s Sullivan County resort, offering guests “beautiful lobbies, filtered swimming pool, a comfortable large dining room, tennis …
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John Conway
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2/23/24
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Henry Clay Jackson of Wurtsboro lived one of the most eventful lives of any resident of Sullivan County ever, and yet few today are familiar with his name.
For one thing, Jackson, an African …
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John Conway
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2/16/24
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For decades, Fannie Harden worked alongside her husband William to build the Forestview Lodge near Swan Lake into a successful business, carrying on alone after his death. When she passed away, the …
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John Conway
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2/9/24
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On June 2, 1892, an angry mob of several hundred men dragged Robert Lewis nearly half a mile through the streets and hanged him from a tree.
Lewis, also known as Robert Jackson, was an African …
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John Conway
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2/2/24
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Those familiar with Sullivan County history likely know the story well: the brothers Samuel Frisbee Jones and John Patterson Jones, born in Connecticut, came here from Columbia County around 1804 and …
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John Conway
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1/12/24
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The great division of eastern and western Sullivan County has reared its head politically several times over the years, perhaps no more so than in the heated controversy over moving the …
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John Conway
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1/5/24
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Even before New York Governor Kathy Hochul cleared the way last week for a new village to be formed in Sullivan County—a referendum on January 18 will determine the fate of what is proposed to …
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John Conway
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12/29/23
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It was December 14, 1917, and a Christmas miracle-- and the diligent work of local firemen-- prevented a good portion of the hamlet of Narrowsburg’s business district from being incinerated. …
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John Conway
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12/15/23
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With another holiday season nearly here, it is time for this column’s annual reminder that books about Sullivan County’s rich and colorful history always make great gifts, but especially …
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John Conway
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12/8/23
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Hurleyville businessman John Harms Knapp and his wife, Mary C. Brophy Knapp founded the Columbia Farms Hotel on the summit overlooking the hamlet in 1891. Locals, not convinced the business would …
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John Conway
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12/1/23
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In August of 2015, the Liberty Museum and Arts Center’s 14th annual conference on the history of the Catskills was entitled, “Small but Grand Hotels: The Backbone of the Catskills Tourism …
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John Conway
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11/24/23
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It was late November in 1959, and Sullivan County officials were lamenting a very slow start to deer hunting season, which had traditionally provided a much needed economic boost to the …
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John Conway
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11/17/23
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Absent a standing professional Army in 1775, America’s first battles during its War for Independence, at Lexington and Concord, were fought almost entirely by members of the militia. At the …
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John Conway
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11/10/23
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He was born in 1891 in Hurd Settlement in the town of Bethel, and graduated from Monticello High School, New York University, and Bellevue Hospital. He began practicing medicine in 1917, and was …
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John Conway
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11/3/23
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In October of 1899, Stephen Crane’s short novel, “Active Service” was published to mixed reviews. The book’s tepid reception by both critics and the public was a major …
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John Conway
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10/27/23
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The long defunct Flagler Hotel in Fallsburg had a rich tradition as one of Sullivan County’s premier resorts, and for decades was a trendsetter in the industry.
After operating for decades …
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John Conway
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10/13/23
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The heavy late September rains that are still falling as this column is being written are a stark reminder of the destruction floods have caused along the Delaware River over the years.
For …
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John Conway
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9/29/23
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