Ethel Bussy remembers the Flood of ’50

Ethel Bussy remembers the Flood of ’50

Nov 20, 2011 | Tin Horn

Mystery photo, What’s happening here?

Floods have always been a part of the history of Margaretville.

A devastating flash flood, called “the rain makers flood,” supposedly caused by chemical seeding of the clouds over this area to make rain after an extended period of dry weather, was one of the worst in the history of this area. It occurred on November 21, 1950. There was great damage not only in Margaretville but in Arkville, (Fleischmanns) and throughout this section. The damage done to roads alone were estimated by Middletown officials to run over $1,000,000. The loss to our village was fixed at $500,000. In some places on Main Street there was as much as six feet of water. People were rescued from their homes by boats.

Leyden Smith’s gas station, Bridge Street, nearly ruined in 1950, was destroyed in the 1996 flood. Photo by Bob Wyer, courtesy DCHA

The newly built Delaware Valley Oil Co. and service station of “Denny’s” on Bridge Street, owned by Leyden Smith, was badly damaged, the extent estimated to be $34,000.

An area field director for the American Red Cross was sent to this village to help plan the rehabilitation of families who lost possessions in the flood. The Methodist Church remained opened all night to feed volunteers and house approximately thirty people who were forced to flee their homes.

From History and Stories of Margaretville and Surrounding Area, by Ethel Bussy, 1960

Listening at Thanksgiving

Nov 20, 2011 | Tin Horn

The 4th Annual National Day of Listening, promoted by Storycorps, is Friday, Nov. 25. Ignore the hordes of holiday shoppers and offer the best gift of all to someone you care about – the gift of your time and attention. Use a digital or old-fashioned cassette recorder, your telephone, or a pen and paper to record the stories of an elder family member or a friend. Asking a few questions or offering open-ended statements can get the ball rolling. Here are some ideas (stolen from the current issue of the AARP newsletter!)

  • I remember my parents (grandparents) as being ___
  • I wanted to grow up to be a ___
  • My favorite activity at school was ___
  • My first job was ___
  • My most memorable meal was ___
  • My proudest moment was ___
  • I am happiest when ___
  • The most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do was ___

Well, you get the picture — siblings, chance encounters, accidents, favorite books or music, claims to fame – the sky’s the limit. Have fun! For inspiration, visit www.storycorps.org.

Redkill memories

Redkill memories

Nov 9, 2011 | Tin Horn

I was happy to come across your website and to read about the history of the Middletown area.

For nearly 40 years, my family owned property in “Redkill Valley,” in the town of Roxbury on Red Kill Road. It was purchased from Pete Dezaro, a former dairy farmer whose house and barn were located at the far end of the valley. We spent many of our childhood weekends in the area, and have missed it a lot since my parents sold the property a few years back. The property had the remnants of an apple orchard and fields, but was mostly woods up and over the top of the mountain.

We watched a number of barns (and a house or two) succumb to nature on the roads from Fleischmanns to Red Kill over the years. Attached is a photo of one such barn on Little Red Kill Road just past the Bedell Cemetery, heading towards Red Kill Road up on the distant ridge (actually, the small barn on the right is gone now, too).

Earl “Ted” Hoyt III

Searching beyond Middletown

Nov 1, 2011 | Tin Horn

Looking for relatives or historical information from the Towns of Denning (Ulster County) or Neversink (Sullivan County)? How about the South Kortright-Stamford area?

You may find what you’re looking for at a new history center in Grahamsville, or onlin, in a beautiful 19th-century photo album.

The new Inez George Gridley and Richard George-Murray Local History Research Center in Grahamsville is located in Time and the Valleys Museum, part of the Daniel Pierce Library complex that opened this past summer.

The center focuses on materials from the towns lost to the Rondout and Neversink Reservoirs, and also contains items about other parts of Sullivan County, as well as the construction of the New York City Water System.

Winter hours of the Center are Saturday, noon to 4 p.m., and by appointment on Thursday afternoons. Contact Carol Smythe, Neversink Town Historian, at historian@townofneversink.org; 845-985-2262, ext. 313. Call ahead for directions and to determine whether the Big Indian-Oliverea Road is open.

Another interesting source is a website featuring a photograph album compiled by Hannah Rich of South Kortright (born in 1838). It includes photos of many people from the Stamford-South Kortright-Bloomville area. Thanks to Carolyn Flanders McPherson who sent us this link: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~sunnyann/richalbum-00.html

2 responses to “Searching beyond Middletown”

barbara schlafer
Sunday, February 12th, 2012, 3:11

i am looking for info on ancestor Grove Graham. – He was born ( i believe ) in 1785 in Middletown. In 1830 he was on census with Wife and 3 children.
In 1834 he is referenced in LEDGER book of Beadle and Osterhoudt in Griffins corner, and again in the Ledger of Boaz Searles.

He was not listed on the 1840 census – and his family then relocated to Illinois in 1850.

Looking for his death info, burial info, and reason why family may have headed west.

His wife Betsy Graham’s maiden name was Woods, and the Woods and the Canfields (who her sister married) seem to all migrated together,
Appreciate any other clues as to where to look
thanks

Roger Davis
Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012, 11:51 am

In a search on ancestry.com I find a couple family genealogy reports listing Graham as being born 1794 and 1780.

On the U.S. and International Marriage Records of 1560-1900, it shows him as being Born 1790 in New York and married to Betsy Wood. Betsy born in 1794.

Back to the family records, one shows Elizabeth Wood married Grove Graham at age 26 in the year 1820. In the year 1840 at age 46 she resided in Middletown, Delaware, NY. Then at age 56 in 1850 it shows her residing in Eagle, Ogle, Illinois. Her death was shown to be March 16, 1856 at age 62 in Ogle County, Illinois.

For Grove the records from the family report show him being born In Middletown, Delaware, NY 1780 and married to Elizabeth Wood at age 40 in 1820. In 1830 at age 50 he was residing in Middletown, Delaware, NY. His death shows at age 60, in 1840, in Delaware , New York.

Children of Grahm and Elizabeth are listed as Hiram P. Graham, Calvin Thompson Graham, Mary Elizabeth Graham, Benjamin Nelson Graham and Anson Graham.

HSM reviews past year, looks ahead to a new move

Nov 1, 2011 | news archive

The Historical Society of the Town of Middletown held its Seventh Annual Meeting October 23, when it recognized several volunteers, reported on its activities over the past year, and elected an Executive Committee to lead it into 2012.

Thirty-five members and guests enjoyed an autumn luncheon prepared by the Halcottsville Fire Department Auxiliary at the Old Wawaka Grange Hall. They also got a preview of an exhibition, “Middletown: Time and Time Again,” digital collages created by photographer Michael Musante. The show is on view at Fairview Public Library through November 30.

The gathering concluded with a drawing for a quilt contributed to HSM by Catskill Mountain Quilters. Barbara Moses of Dunraven was the lucky winner.

Fran Faulkner and Andy VanBenschoten, who were instrumental in shaping the organization through its early years, were lauded as they exited the Executive Committee. Several members of the Committee were re-elected – Diane Galusha, Carolyn Konheim, Lucci Kelly, Marilyn Pitetti, and George Hendricks – and a new Trustee, Roger Davis of Arkville, was elected. Phil O’Beirne is also an HSM Trustee.

Four active members of Friends of Middletown Cemeteries were applauded for their dedication to documenting and restoring local burial grounds. They are Gary and Barbara Atkin, George Hendricks and Brian Wheaton. In 2011, they and other volunteers re-inventoried the old Halcottsville Cemetery and the Margaretville Annex Cemetery, and worked on a major restoration project at the Arkville Cemetery.

President Diane Galusha reported on programs sponsored by HSM over the past year. They included three genealogy gatherings; a slide show of historic Arkville photos by Kathy Roberts and Lynda Stratton, and a history hike led by Laurie and Tom Rankin to Balsam Lake Mountain Fire Tower.

HSM acknowledged the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War with Memorial Day readings in Fleischmanns and Margaretville of the names of Middletown men who lost their lives in the war. This was the beginning of an effort to develop a comprehensive database of all Middletown area Civil War veterans.

Sadly, the Cauliflower Festival was cancelled thanks to Irene, so HSM did not get a chance to exhibit photos from the barn survey that has been completed by several volunteers. It is hoped this exhibit can be mounted next year at the festival.

The flood caused by Irene was itself a historic event. Over the next several months, HSM plans to conduct an oral history project, interviewing people about their experiences in the flood.

Over the past year, HSM’s archival collection has added many original documents, photo albums, books, historic newspapers, and other materials donated by local residents and others.

The HSM website (www.mtownhistory.org), launched at the 2010 Annual Meeting, has been expanded with many new items of interest, event notices and photos.

Galusha also announced an exciting move for the Historical Society: The New Kingston Valley Grange has offered to give the Society the clubhouse and seven acres that THEY were given by the Izaac Walton League in the mid-1990s. This property is on Cemetery Road just outside Margaretville. A straw poll of the members present at the meeting found unanimous support for the acquisition, but all members will have a chance to express their opinions by returning a mailing that will be sent in early November.

“This is the logical next step in our organization’s development,” Galusha commented. “We are looking for people to help us plan for the use, maintenance and support of the property. Anyone who is interested in helping with this, or in volunteering in any other way, is invited to call us, at 586-4973, or history@catskill.net.”