Secrets of Kelly Hollow

Secrets of Kelly Hollow

Jan 3, 2022 | Events

Learn about the natural, industrial and human history of this mountain clove on a 3.5-mile hike on State trail with forest historian Michael Kudish. Space is limited, registration required.

$10.
Meet at State Trailhead
Mill Brook Rd.,
10 a.m.
Register: history@catskill.net.
FMI: 845-586-4973.
Rain date May 16.

Annual Meeting, Luncheon, Program Oct. 23

Annual Meeting, Luncheon, Program Oct. 23

Oct 11, 2021 | news archive

The Historical Society of the Town of Middletown (HSM) will hold its annual meeting and luncheon Saturday, Oct. 23 at noon at the Margaretville Fire Hall on Church Street.

The featured speaker will be Chuck D’Imperio, author, broadcaster and noted raconteur. He will describe some of the 50 “Unknown Museums of Upstate New York” that are included in his book of the same name.

Space is limited. Reserve your spot by October 16 ($20 per person) by calling 845-586-2860 or emailing history@catskill.net.

The luncheon, catered by Mary’s Cookin’ Again, will feature chicken and vegetarian entrees. It will be followed by a business meeting that includes reports on the Society’s 2020-21 activities and finances, and the election of three HSM Trustees.

Members will be asked to approve new trustees Linda Armour, a Redkill native and retired elementary school teacher; and Gary Smith, a lifelong resident of Middletown who recently retired from the NYC DEP. Agnes Laub, a retired teacher and school administrator who lives in Fleischmanns, is seeking a second three-year term on the Board.

Departing the board after many years of service are Marilyn Pitetti and Henry Friedman. The entertaining Chuck D’Imperio will follow the business portion of the meeting with his talk on little known museums. Ever hear of the Drain Tile Museum?  The Kazoo Museum?  The Memorial Day Museum?  These and many others make for a wonderful talk.  Attendees are sure to go home with a smile on their faces and a lot more information about the hidden museum gems of Upstate New York. Copies of this and other books by the Oneonta-based author will be available for purchase. For more information on HSM activities, visit mtownhistory.org where you can become a member and donate to the Campaign for a Middletown History Center.
“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.