Message from 1909

Message from 1909

Feb 9, 2016 | Tin Horn

This postcard image of a house in Margaretville was sent to Mrs. Laura Fowler in Prattsville by someone who wrote on the front: “Do you recognize these two old friends, J.H.S. and L.H K.? Margaretville, April 18, 1909. I hope you are well. We are well as usual.”

Who are these ladies, and where is this house?

Could it be the Woolheater house on Maple St., Margaretville? Your thoughts?
Thanks to Roger Davis for sharing the postcard.

Feb. 20, 2016:
Guess it’s not the Woolheater house! Shirley Elliott, daughter of Doug Kelly, believes the old house to be one that stood on the site of a Main St., Margaretville building her father constructed as an ag and equipment sales store. She provided the name of Jennie Searles (J.S.) which Roger Davis researched and found to have been born in Prattsville in 1858 and died in Kingston in 1949. She lived in Margaretville with Miss Lydia A. (H.?) King at the house on the site of the old Douglas Kelly building, now an apartment house and office of a chiropractor.

The Woolheater house remains of interest — we’ll continue to research it.

“American Idol” 1949

“American Idol” 1949

Dec 13, 2015 | Tin Horn

Do you remember when TV was in its infancy, in the late 1940s and early 1950s? If you were a kid then (and your family actually owned a TV!) you may recall “Teen-Age Barn,” a popular variety show on WRGB from Schenectady that featured young, local talent.

It debuted on April 4, 1949 when there were only 17,000 television sets in the capital district area. It held a Friday night prime time slot, and by 1959 was the oldest locally produced variety show in the nation. In 1962 the show went to a full hour, and the following year was renamed simply “The Barn.” After 17 years, the Barn doors closed Jan. 29, 1966.

Troupes of Teen-Age Barn alumni were formed to present live shows at local auditoriums and fairs, a sort of forerunner to today’s “American Idol” format. In 1953, the Channel 6 road show appeared three times in the area, July 9 at Margaretville Central School sponsored by the Margaretville Fire Dept., Sept. 11 at MCS sponsored by the Presbyterian Church, and in late September at Onteora Central School sponsored by the senior class.

Admission was $1. A poster for the July event turned up at McIntosh Auction recently. It includes photos of dancer Arlene Fontana, and ventriloquist Richard Cohen as featured performers. A story in the Catskill Mountain News indicated that the MFD show was “the second benefit program sponsored by the firemen to replace their former carnival.” They must have returned to the carnival as it remains the biggest money-maker for MFD today.

Does anyone remember these shows? Did anyone perform in them?

Who lived here?

Who lived here?

Nov 12, 2015 | Tin Horn

The flood buyout program that has cleared at least two dozen lots on Margaretville’s Main Street and contiguous streets in the last 15 years has claimed another historic property, including the brown house in this photo, located between Margaretville Central School and the Dollar General Store. These two buildings may have belonged to the Osterhoudt family, carpenters and harness makers.

The 1869 Beers Atlas of Delaware County shows a carriage and harness shop at this location, with J. C. Osterhoudt and E. I. Osterhoudt occupying homes to the west. An old house that was earlier removed to make way for the Dollar General store may have been the third building on this parcel.

Did the Osterhoudts live here?

In the 1850 through 1865 Middletown census, Elias J. Osterhoudt was a harness maker living here with wife Margaret and son John. Both men were shown as harness makers. Their neighbors during that period were harness maker Daniel Tompkins, German-born wagon maker George Biehler as well as six farmers, a lawyer, two tanners, a shoe merchant, shoe maker, a carpenter, and an inn keeper (William O’Connor, who ran the Riverside Hotel, where MCS stands today.)

The 1870, 1875 and 1880 census records show John Osterhoudt, harness maker, with wife Eliza and a short-lived daughter, Alvaretta, who was one year old in 1870 but does not appear again. Eliza’s father, William Edson, a carpenter, lived with John and Eliza in 1875 and 1880.

(Brothers William, Henry and Alvin Edson were Civil War veterans.)

Exactly what happened to the Edsons and the Osterhoudts after 1880 is shrouded in history.

We know that John C. Osterhoudt was town clerk in 1867. And a David Osterhoudt (1806-76) and his wife Christina Clum (1809-1895) are buried in the Margaretville Cemetery.

If you have any information on these folks, we’d love to hear from you!

HSM welcomes newest trustee

HSM welcomes newest trustee

Nov 5, 2015 | news archive

Amy Taylor of Margaretville is the newest trustee of the Historical Society of the Town of Middletown. She was elected by HSM members at the organization’s tenth annual meeting and luncheon October 26.

Amy, husband Ken and their four children have been active members of the Society for several years, and in particular have served as performers, docents, script writers and site volunteers for the annual Living History Cemetery Tour since it was initiated in 2012.

The tour was one of many 2014 events and activities to be reviewed at the annual meeting, when 45 people enjoyed an autumn luncheon prepared by Anna Blish, and a program by George Quinn, author of Skiing in the Catskill Region.

Winning tickets were drawn for three raffle prizes. Eleanor Mager won a framed work of cut paper art by Marcia Guthrie. Nate Hendricks won a half-gallon of maple syrup made by John Riedel and donated by Anne Sanford. Randy Sanford won a ceramic platter made and donated by Ros Welchman.

 

The Sunday afternoon event brought to a close a busy year that included five programs at the HSM hall on Cemetery Road. Some 250 people attended the programs ranging from Ice Age geology to Old School Baptist Church music. HSM participated in the collaborative headwaters History Days; hosted exhibits at the Margaretville Cauliflower Festival; and joined with the Margaretville Fire Department to sponsor scholarships for two MCS seniors.

The Third Annual Cemetery Tour took place in June at Sanford Cemetery in Dunraven and drew 130 people. Successful fundraising events were also held at Spillian, the former Fleischmann family mansion in Fleischmanns; and at The Raven’s Nest, the Margaretville home of Tom and Connie Jeffers.

A new roof was put on the HSM hall this year, a project that was supported by grants from the O’Connor Foundation, the Community Foundation of South Central New York, NBT Bank and many members and friends of the Society. New lights, along with antique fixtures donated by Dick and Jennie Liddle, were also installed in the hall, which was rented out for two private parties.

 HSM President Diane Galusha extended appreciation to the Town of Middletown and the Village of Margaretville for their support. Treasurer Marilyn Pitetti gave the annual financial report, and noted that the Society now has 148 members.

In addition to the president and treasurer, Executive Committee members re-elected October 26 include Vice President Tina Greene, Secretary Jackie Purdy and Trustee Anne Sanford. Other Trustees are Fred Travis and Henry Friedman, with Amy Taylor the newest member of the team.

Thanks went to outgoing Trustee Roger Davis for his service on the committee.

More information on the Historical Society and on Middletown’s history can be found at www.mtownhistory.org.