“History on Wheels” is HSM fundraiser August 21

“History on Wheels” is HSM fundraiser August 21

Jul 30, 2021 | news archive

1932 Buick “gangster car”

1955 Ford F100 pickup

Reservations are now being taken for a unique opportunity to see a collection of rare vintage vehicles at an August 21 fundraiser for the Historical Society of the Town of Middletown (HSM).

Denny Herzberg will host the event from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at his lovely property off Walker Road in Denver. Directions will be provided to those who reserve their spot ($30 for an individual, $50 per couple) by calling 845-586-2860 by August 15.

Herzberg will guide visitors on an open-air tour of his collection of 14 cars and one cherry red pickup truck, explaining their unique histories and describing the often unusual circumstances in which he acquired them.

Among the meticulously restored vehicles is the 1947 Cadillac Series 62 convertible that once belonged to Eva Peron (“Evita!”) of Argentina; a 1952 Ford taxi with 600,000 South American miles on it; a 1942 Packard 180 Clipper, one of only two in the world, said to have carried Harry Truman a time or two; several classic Fords from the ‘40s and ‘50s and a 2008 Shelby GT 500 convertible. “It’s very fast,” Herzberg says.

In case of rain, the tour will be held in the converted dairy barn on the property. Herzberg also collects vintage radios and phonographs and will have a selection on view.

An array of light refreshments by Mary’s Cookin’, along with beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages, will be available beneath a tent where an exhibit on the 1903 Automobile Endurance Run will also be on display. The Endurance Run drew 34 early automobilists who navigated heavy rain and thick mud on State Route 28 (now the Catskill Mountains Scenic Byway) in a legendary test of cars and drivers. The event will be commemorated at the 5th annual Catskill Conquest Rally September 25. For more information, visit 1903autorun.com.

Relic Hunters Strike Pay Dirt

Relic Hunters Strike Pay Dirt

Jun 9, 2021 | news archive

Metal detectorists found history beneath the sod in Fleischmanns last weekend at the 5th Annual Relic Hunt sponsored by the Historical Society of the Town of Middletown.

They unearthed coins, jewelry, tools, souvenirs, buttons, a police whistle, livestock bells and many other unusual finds, along with a lot of bottle caps, nails and other non-treasures. Members of the Nor-easters Metal Detecting Club are shown here at the Weeping Willows Getaway on Wagner Avenue, Fleischmanns, with club president Jessie Thompson at center.

The club made a generous donation to HSM’s Building Fund, while area lodging and dining establishments benefitted from the influx of more than 50 visitors for the weekend.

The club made a generous donation to HSM’s Building Fund, while area lodging and dining establishments benefitted from the influx of more than 50 visitors for the weekend.

Margaretville Cemetery Tour Reservations Now Available

Margaretville Cemetery Tour Reservations Now Available

Jun 9, 2021 | news archive

The Historical Society of the Town of Middletown will present its 8th Living History Cemetery Tour Saturday, July 10 at Margaretville Cemetery.

A total of 17 people will appear in this year’s event, directed by Frank Canavan and Joyce St. George. Groups of tour goers will be led by costumed guides through the cemetery to hear the stories of nine men and women who rest there.  Eight ‘at-large’ characters will appear in non-speaking vignettes on the cemetery grounds.

Admission is $20; kids under 15 get in free.

Tours will depart every 20 minutes between 4 and 6 p.m. Attendance is limited so tour time reservations are required. They may be made by calling 845-586-4736. The tour lasts approximately one hour. There is some uphill walking. Vaccinated individuals may forego masks; all others at this outdoor event are asked to wear them. 

 John Bernhardt, who has performed in every one of the tours, will play George Gilbert alongside Alice Zigelis as his wife Sarah. The pair will recount their very public divorce, and much quieter reconciliation.

Burr Hubbell as veterinarian Reuben Smith will tell the story of his son’s heroism while Air Force pilot Thomas Kingsley Smith (Kevin Hubbell) stands silently at ease. The efforts of Hungarian immigrant Esther Dobsa to keep her family together on the farm after her husband’s early death will be shared by Darlene DeMaille.

Nineteenth-century lamplighter Leslie Dumond will be portrayed by Ward Stevenson. Marge Helenchild will appear as Delaware County’s first female attorney, Mabel Fenton.

The tour audience will hear about the scandalous fall from grace of Anti-Rent War hero Edward O’Connor, as recounted by his nephew, D. Robert Scott, played by Brett Barry. And Mike Reilly as Irishman Sam Hunter will describe his fruitless search for a missing Civil War comrade.  

Among the at-large players will be a pair of devoted sisters, Lucy and Mary Waterman (Lorraine Truran and Julie Ford) who converse in sign language; antebellum lady Deborah Carpenter Landon (Emily Vieyra-Haley), blacksmith Ebenezer Laidlaw (Howie Futterman) and a pair of Victorian picnickers played by John Exter and Lisbeth Furman. Newsboy Kieran Thomas will roam the grounds hawking the Margaretville Messenger.

Linda Stevenson, Jo Maender, Mary Colfer and Aurora Riley will serve as costumed tour guides.

Scriptwriters are Erwin Karl, John Jacobson, Anne Saxon-Hersh, Terry Bradshaw, Mary Barile, Marilyn Kaltenborn and Diane Galusha.

Information about this and other HSM events and programs can be found at mtownhistory.org.

Secrets of Kelly Hollow Revealed

Secrets of Kelly Hollow Revealed

Apr 13, 2021 | news archive

Owens Mill

Renowned forest historian Dr. Michael Kudish will lead a hike on State trails at Kelly Hollow in the Millbrook valley Saturday, May 15 to reconstruct his search for a massive though short-lived sawmill and railroad.

“Secrets of Kelly Hollow,” sponsored by the Historical Society of the Town of Middletown, will feature a 3.5 to 4-mile hike to the site of the industrial operation, as well as to the remnants of five 19th century homesteads.

HSM president Diane Galusha will be along to share the tragic and unusual stories of the families, several of them immigrants, who occupied those hardscrabble farms. They were the Gavetts, Wards, Newtons, Andrews and of course the Kellys whose abandoned farm became the base of operations for the lumber and sawmill enterprise.

To make this event covid-safe, attendance will be limited. To secure your spot on this unique tour, send $10 per person to HSM, PO Box 734, Margaretville, NY 12455. FMI: history@catskill.net; 845-586-4973. Rain date is Sunday, May 16.

James Owen purchased the timber on the abandoned Kelly farm in 1907. In 1908, he constructed a forest railroad to bring the logs nearly a mile over rough terrain to be sawn into lumber and hauled to Arena, perhaps to be shipped to market on the new Delaware & Eastern Railroad. Dr. Kudish made 12 visits to the Hollow to locate the route of the timber train, which “sped around curves and over trestles” according to the Catskill Mountain News Oct. 23, 1908.

The News predicted it would be ‘a perfect success,’ but the timber was depleted by 1909 and the mill and railroad were dismantled. In the intervening 110 years, the forest has all but consumed every trace of human use and occupation at Kelly Hollow.

HSM offers headstone cleaning

Apr 13, 2021 | news archive

Memorial Day is right around the corner and the Historical Society of the Town of Middletown wants to help you pay tribute to your loved ones by offering a unique headstone cleaning service.

A team of HSM volunteers is ready to clean monuments at cemeteries in and around Middletown this spring, using a safe and very effective cleansing agent and method. A donation of $30 cleans a single one-sided headstone; a $50 donation will clean two headstones or a two-sided monument.

Before-and-after photos will be provided to those who take advantage of this limited time offer.

Send a check and contact information to HSM, PO Box 734, Margaretville, NY 12455. Someone will be in touch to collect details. FMI: 845-586-4973 or history@catskill.net.