HSM Announces Season Calendar

Apr 7, 2013 | news archive

The Historical Society of the Town of Middletown (HSM) is gearing up for a busy season of programs, projects and a major exhibit on the Civil War.

The first program of 2013 will be held Saturday, April 20 at 10 a.m. at the HSM Hall, 778 Cemetery Road, Margaretville when homeowners in Margaretville and Halcottsville share the secrets of their houses and the people who lived there.

Andrew Goldberg will share what he’s uncovered about the Bragg Hollow farmhouse he recently purchased, and Connie and Tom Jeffers will describe the backstory of their beautifully restored Victorian in Margaretville.

Friends of Middletown Cemeteries will gather Monday, April 22 at 6 p.m. at the hall to discuss several possible cemetery restoration projects. All cemetery lovers are welcome.

The Second Annual Postcard and Ephemera Show and Sale is scheduled for June 8 at the hall, 10-3. Several vendors will have vintage materials on display and will make brief presentations.

Plans are speeding along for the Second Annual Living History Cemetery Tour, to be held June 29 in Clovesville, near the Village of Fleischmanns. Ten former residents will be profiled, including a 10-year-old girl, the last of the stage coach drivers, and famed bear hunter Mike Todd! Stay tuned for an announcement of the cast for this ambitious event, which was hugely popular last year when it debuted.

The local face of the Civil War will be presented at a summer-long exhibit which will open July 4 and will be available for viewing every Saturday from July 6 through September 1 from 11 to 2. Photos, artifacts, and individual information sheets on more than 300 Middletown area soldiers who served the Union will be featured. The Delaware County Historical Association will loan portions of its exhibit, “Delaware County in the Civil War,” for this observance of the War’s sesquicentennial.

HSM is still seeking photographs, letters and information about local Civil War veterans and their families for this exhibit. Please email history@catskill.net, or call 845-586-4973 if you have family history to share.

Five outstanding Civil War programs are scheduled throughout the summer to complement the exhibit, from battlefield medicine and horses in combat (July 13), to women’s roles and wardrobe of the 1860s (August 10). Historian Frank Waterman will explain how and why men found themselves in uniform on July 25, and Open Eye Theater and the Delaware Dulcimores will collaborate with HSM to produce a moving reading from local Civil War letters and diaries on August 22.

A community picnic on Sunday of Labor Day weekend will bring summer and the exhibit to an end with the music of the 77th Regimental Balladeers.

HSM will also participate in activities and special events that will mark the 250th anniversary of the arrival of the first white settlers in Middletown. The Village of Fleischmanns is also celebrating a milestone this year – the 100th anniversary of its incorporation as a village.

 

Barns take a bow at Cauliflower Fest

Barns take a bow at Cauliflower Fest

Apr 7, 2013 | news archive

Ever wonder what stories your old house could tell if its walls could talk?

The Historical Society of the Town of Middletown (HSM) will host a program Saturday, April 20 by two local homeowners who will recount the history of their homes and will try to give voice to some of the people who lived there.

“House History Hunting,” the first HSM program of 2013, will begin at10 a.m. at the Society’s Hall, 778 Cemetery Road, Margaretville. Admission is $2 for members, $4 for all others.

Tom and Connie Jeffers in character

Andrew Goldberg with audience members

Andrew Goldberg of Halcottsville and Connie and Tom Jeffers of Margaretville will tell what they’ve uncovered about their houses, sharing the sources they used to peel back the layers of time to reveal who built them, who occupied them, and how the buildings were altered over generations.

Goldberg and his wife, Leslie Derkash, purchased their Gothic revival house in Bragg Hollow one year ago “after searching for a farmhouse that retained a lot of its original details.” The house was built in 1869 by carpenter George W. Hubbell for Orrin Hewitt on what is reputedly the oldest farm in Bragg Hollow, first settled by Seth Parker in 1801. Today the property includes 19 acres and the remnants of a stone barn ramp.

Drama permeates the unassuming wood frame house, and the Goldbergs will reveal the surprising details, describing their search through deeds, local history volumes, genealogy records, newspaper accounts and physical evidence.

Connie and Tom Jeffers will also describe the backstory of their beautifully restored Queen Anne Victorian in Margaretville.

At the end of September in 1892, architect, contractor and builder Henry Coulter and his wife Nina purchased a lot on the northwest end of Walnut Street from Jeremiah Ackerly. They built a house in which to raise their family and it was completed in the mid-1890s.

Since Mr. Coulter was a builder and the home was intended for his family to live in, the construction is amazingly sound “and somewhat over-built,” the Jeffers say. The house features a typical wraparound front porch with turret. A carriage house is in back.

Previous owners (there have been seven) added a massive modern kitchen and a master suite in what was a third floor attic, including the raising the turret and witches cap by 14 feet.

 

HSM seeks Civil War photos, information

Dec 12, 2012 | news archive

The Historical Society of the Town of Middletown (HSM) needs the public’s help in documenting the Civil War experience of people from Middletown and adjoining areas.

HSM is collecting photographs, letters and material about veterans, their families and local residents for an exhibit to be mounted next summer. The Delaware County Historical Association will loan its exhibit, “Delaware County in the Civil War,” and HSM will augment the show with local images and information, in observance of the War’s sesquicentennial.

“By ‘local’ we mean Margaretville, Fleischmanns, New Kingston, Arkville, Halcottsville, Dunraven, Kelly Corners, Dry Brook, Halcott, Denver-Vega, Hardenburgh, Weaver and Canada Hollows, Redkill, Clovesville and the farms and crossroads in between,” explained HSM President Diane Galusha.

“We are hoping there may be photographs of soldiers in uniform or of elderly veterans, and portraits of their families tucked away in attics and dresser drawers that we might scan for this exhibit. We can also copy letters, discharge papers or other memorabilia and return them quickly.”

The exhibit will be on display in HSM’s hall on Cemetery Rd., Margaretville from July 4 through Labor Day. It will be complemented by several Civil War related talks and programs, including a reading from wartime letters to and from local soldiers. If you have letters you would be willing to make available for this program, please email HSM, history@catskill.net.

In addition to putting together the exhibit, the Society has been collecting the service records of more than 300 veterans who were reported as living in Middletown in 1866, the year after the War ended. Research volunteers are needed to help flesh out the personal lives of these men: Did they have families? What did they do before and after the war? Did they have farms or businesses? Did they go West? How did their wives and children manage while they were away?

If you would like to help with this fascinating exploration, please contact Galusha at cybercat@history.com, or 845-586-4973. Much of the research can be done online.

 

Ride the rails, for free!

Ride the rails, for free!

Oct 23, 2012 | news archive

Join the crew from the Delaware & Ulster Railroad and members of the Historical Society of the Town of Middletown this Saturday, October 27 at 10:30 for the unveiling of the historic marker commemorating the significance of the railroad in the development of the region. In recognition of the most precious commodity ever carried on the rails of the Up & Down, the D&U will offer complimentary passage on the 11AM train to all who attend this monumental event.

The historic marker was made by Catskill Castings of Bloomville

 The historic marker is partially funded by the Historical Society of the Town of Middletown (HSM), which has initiated placement of three other markers at historically significant sites in the town. Members and community volunteers working with HSM, a non-profit organization, preserve and promote local history through programs, exhibits and projects. For information and to find out how to get involved, visit www.mtownhistory.org.

The Delaware & Ulster Railroad is located in Arkville, NY. For more information call 845-586-2929 or visit us the web at durr.org

Doug Kadow, president of the Ulster & Delaware RR Historical Society, shared some history of the former U&D at the dedication of the Arkville historic marker which HSM helped erect.

HSM’s Lucci Kelly, left, joined Doug Kadow, president of the Ulster & Delaware Railroad Historical Society; Vic Stevens, Chief Mechanical Officer of the Delaware & Ulster Railroad; and Dave Riordan, president of the Catskill Revitalization Corp. which runs the DURR, in unveiling the new marker at the Arkville Station.

Cemetery Tour video to be screened Oct. 6

Sep 30, 2012 | news archive

Those who missed the Living History Tour of Margaretville Cemetery on June 30 will have a chance to see it this Saturday, Oct. 6 when a one-hour video produced by Nick Bibbo will be screened twice at the Historical Society of Middletown (HSM) hall, 778 Cemetery Rd., Margaretville.

Screenings are at 4 and 7 p.m. Admission is $4, which includes free popcorn!

The hall will open at 3 p.m. Come early to enjoy the autumn color at the pond, and to view “Barn Yesterday,” the exhibit based on the photographic survey of Middletown area barns. The exhibit was unveiled at the Cauliflower Festival Sept. 29 to enthusiastic response.

At the June 30 cemetery tour, 10 area residents portrayed people from Middletown’s past. Groups of visitors were led by costumed docents through the historic burial ground, which dates back to 1850.

They met Undertaker Charles Gorsch (played by John Hartner); J. Francis and Adah Murphy, founders of the Pakatakan Artists Colony in Arkville (played by Fred Margulies and Elizabeth Sherr); farmer George Hendricks (played by George Hendricks, Jr.); doctor, legislator, editor and anti-war advocate Orson Allaben (portrayed by John Bernhardt); and famed outdoorsman and animal trainer Niles Fairbairn (portrayed by Michael Fairbairn).

Also, legendary log raft steersman Erastus Clute (played by Joe Hewitt); beloved Margaretville Hospital founder Dr. Gordon Maurer (portrayed by Kent Brown); and attorney Ward DeSilva and his milliner wife Margaret, (portrayed by Ken and Amy Taylor).

The final HSM event of the year will be the Annual Meeting and Luncheon on October 20, when historian Frank Waterman will present a program on “Jay Gould’s Map.” To reserve a place ($15), call Lucci Kelly, 607-326-4734.

Barns take a bow at Cauliflower Fest

Barns take a bow at Cauliflower Fest

Sep 24, 2012 | news archive

Barns, those icons of rural life that have long defined the landscape of the Catskills, will be the focus of the History Tent at the Ninth Annual Margaretville Cauliflower Festival to be held rain or shine Saturday, Sept. 29 from 10 to 4 in the Village Park, Margaretville.

The Historical Society of the Town of Middletown will present the results of a three-year photographic survey of 210 standing barns in Middletown and contiguous areas of Roxbury, Hardenburgh, Andes and Halcott.

In “Barn Yesterday,” visitors can view an exhibit, peruse binders containing photos and historic documentation of the barns, and watch a stunning continuous slide show featuring Middletown’s amazing agricultural legacy in all its homespun glory. Tribute will be made to those still farming, and homage will be paid to barns that have disappeared.

Learn about types of barns and their functional elements. See how some have been adapted to new uses. Enjoy the art and geometry of these common but remarkable buildings. And try your hand at timber framing, the traditional method of building a barn.

Denver builder Wayne Ford will demonstrate this specialized type of post and beam construction using mortise and tenon joinery, held in place with wooden pegs. Engaging willing audience volunteers throughout the day, he will construct two 8×14 “bents” – posts and cross beams in an H shape – and tie them together with girders, top plates and sills to create a rectangular frame.

Timber framing was common until the late 1800s before sawmills started producing dimensional lumber, which was much easier to transport, cut and erect than large posts and beams. Factory-made nails rather than wooden pins were used to assemble these “sticks” into structures in which the walls — rather than a heavy frame — supported the weight of the building. Known as balloon framing, the technique required much more skill and time than working with enormous timbers.

Other home-made attractions

In keeping with the farm theme, a Tractor Parade will roll around the festival grounds at 11:30, and Lauren Davis and crew will provide a hay baling demonstration on his adjoining farm at 2:30.

Seth and Alisha Finch will bring their mammoth Percheron draft horses to give afternoon wagon rides to festival goers. The Finchs and their children, Wyatt and Emma, use the horses to do traditional farm tasks, from spreading manure to working in the hay fields to logging.

Bushels of cauliflower will be offered for sale, and kids of all ages will have a chance to be photographed as the Watershed Agricultural Council’s “Cauliflower Lady.”

Elsewhere on the festival grounds, 36 artisans, vendors and exhibitors will greet visitors. Festival fare will range from cauliflower soup to barbecue chicken to pickles right out of the barrel! Containers of Chobani yogurt will be given away.

Highlighting the entertainment offerings this year will be the popular Catskill Mountain Boys at noon and 2 p.m., and the Blue Ribbon Cloggers at 1 and 3 p.m. Garden experts will offer mini-workshops on a variety of topics at 12:30, 1:15, 2 and 2:45.

Kids will enjoy Strich’s Petting Zoo and pony rides, Catskill Outback Adventures’ zipline across the East Branch, and a ride around the grounds in Papa’s Little Hillbilly Barrel Train.

The festival is sponsored by the Central Catskills Chamber of Commerce and supported by Freshtown Marketplace; Kids in the Catskills, Coldwell/Banker Timberland Properties; MTC; Directive, Inc., and HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley.

BARNS AT CAULIFLOWER FESTIVAL PHOTO GALLERY
Click for a larger view of each image…

barn-model-sml

Visitors view barn slide show, also visible on monitor, foreground

kaufmans-on-planter-smal

Tom Kaufman and his father, Smith Clark Kaufman try the cauliflower planter on for size. The elder Kaufman picked cauliflower growing up on his father, Claude’s farm in Canada Hollow.

Wayne-Ford-with-helpers-sml

Wayne Ford (on knee) enlists the help of visitors in erecting a timber frame at the Cauliflower Festival.

barn-video-sml

Visitors view barn slide show, also visible on monitor, foreground

display-sml

Opening panels of Barn Yesterday exhibit

fan-mill-sml

Bob Vredenburgh, left, demonstrates the fanning mill that came from the Shultis barn on Denver Rd., Kelly Corners