March 21, 2022

MARGARETVILLE – The Historical Society of the Town of Middletown (HSM) has announced cast members for its 9th Living History Cemetery Tour to be held Saturday, June 18 at Margaretville Cemetery.

In addition to the walking tour, offered from 4 to 6 p.m., there will be a special early bird performance at 2 p.m. on stage at the Open Eye Theater to accommodate those whose mobility issues may prevent their enjoyment of the on-site event.

This year’s tour will feature portrayals of eight people from Middletown’s past. Tour goers led by costumed guides will meet these spirits and learn about their lives while strolling through the scenic cemetery with its handsome grounds and beautiful views across the East Branch valley.

HSM welcomes four actors new to the tour:
David Dancyger and Steve McQuide will portray James Knox Polk (JKP) Jackson and Clarke Sanford, publisher/editors of the Margaretville Utilitarian and the Catskill Mountain News as they compare notes on memorable local events of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. McQuide is a grandson of Publisher Sanford.

Holly O’Connor will portray her great-grandmother, Etta Mann Easman Welch, valedictorian of the first graduating class of Margaretville High School in 1896, who first married a hotel keeper, then the superintendent of the Delaware & Northern Railroad. And Rod Sequillo will bring to life Italian immigrant Pasco Dilello, storekeeper, baker and labor recruiter for area industries and building projects.

January 17, 2022

The Historical Society of the Town of Middletown (HSM) is seeking the support of history lovers in its efforts to preserve and make accessible 12 more years of the Catskill Mountain News, and 25 issues of other local newspapers, most from the 19th century.

The rare extant early newspapers, preserved in the HSM archives, include the Utilitarian, the Margaretville Messenger, the Griffin and Fleischmanns Herald, the Arena Enterprise and others.

Covering eastern Delaware and western Ulster Counties, the Catskill Mountain News ceased publication in January 2020. HSM had previously microfilmed and digitized the News from 1902 through 1973 and it quickly became one of the most frequently searched titles on NYSHistoricNewspapers.com. This phase of the preservation project will add 1974-1985 to the online collection.

The ‘70s and ‘80s saw noticeable change in the Catskills, when family farms shut down and the economy shifted to accommodate weekend residents. You could go downhill skiing at now-closed centers in Andes and Phoenicia and join thousands of revelers at fairs and festivals that were once big draws in Arkville and New Kingston. The obstetrics unit closed at Margaretville Memorial Hospital, and the Delaware & Ulster Rail Ride brought new life to an abandoned rail line.

Weather calamities and fires, like the one that gutted the center of Margaretville’s Main Street in 1977, were followed by revitalization. Long time businesses closed and new ones emerged. From election results to obituaries, accidents to school sports, the News, owned by the Sanford family, covered it all. Its readers most appreciated the reports of neighborly comings and goings provided by community columnists.