Tin Horn | Historical Society of Middletown

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.

7th Annual Meeting a happy success

Oct 23, 2011 | Tin Horn

Mix a sunny autumn day, a beautifully prepared meal served on fine china, an awesome art exhibit and 35 local history lovers and you have the ingredients for a wonderful event. It was indeed a great day October 23 when the Historical Society held its seventh annual meeting at the Halcottsville Grange Hall, hosted by the Halcottsville Fire Department Auxiliary. The women of the Auxiliary outdid themselves with the food, the decorations and the table settings and HSM is so grateful! Thank you, friends!

Everyone loved Michael Musante’s “Middletown: Time and Time Again” exhibit of 15 digital collages, blending historic photos with contemporary views from the same perspective. (See photos on the Events and News pages.) The show will be hung at Fairview Library, Margaretville soon and can be seen there through the end of November.

New HSM board member Roger Davis with artist Michael Musante

In HSM Board elections, Roger Davis of Arkville was elected as a trustee, and George Hendricks was re-elected. Officers who were re-elected include Diane Galusha, Carolyn Konheim and Marilyn Pitetti. Lucci Kelly is the newly elected Secretary.

HSM recognized two outgoing Board members – Fran Faulkner and Andy VanBenschoten – for their service and support over many years. It also presented certificates of appreciation to some outstanding Friends of Middletown Cemeteries – Barb and Gary Atkin, Brian Wheaton and George Hendricks.

The big announcement of the day was the news that the New Kingston Valley Grange has offered its property on Cemetery Road to HSM. The Society’s Board has accepted, feeling that this former Izaack Walton League clubhouse and seven acres will be an ideal home of our own. A straw poll at the Annual Meeting found unanimous agreement among members in attendance. A letter will be sent to the entire membership for a formal vote. Details will follow here when the results of that vote are tabulated.

History repeats itself

Sep 19, 2011 | Tin Horn

1933 flood, Margaretville, Bridge Street

It has been painful to watch the tragedy of Irene unfold – lives lost, people uprooted, businesses stopped in their tracks, buildings rearranged. Our hearts are with all of those whose lives have been profoundly changed. This is what it means to live in this stream-crossed region – once in awhile, you pay.

It’s strangely reassuring to know that flooding – and mucking the East Branch out of one’s home or business — is a common experience among those who have called the Catskills home. Consider the Flood of October 9, 1903, as recounted in the Catskill Mountain News the following week:

“About midnight the rain begun to descend in torrents and by daylight the river had spread out over the flat above the village and Bull Run was in an ugly mood. Soon the water began to flow across the street between the river and Olympic Hall (Ed: what we know as the Granary building on Bridge Street – today housing Timberland Real Estate and the Flour Patch). Bull Bun rose rapidly and as the channel along the property of Charles Gorsch filled up with stones and gravel the water was diverted from its course and flowed across Mr. Gorsch’s dooryard and garden and onto the land of Erastus Clute, S. F. Scott and others. It crossed the street and deluged the livery of M. Anderson, driving the horses to higher ground; it swamped the buildings adjoining and filled the basement of Miss Muir’s residence. Owing to the improved condition of the walls on either side the water kept its course to the lower end of the Boyes property and ran with lightning rapidity. Amid the roar of the flood huge stones could be heard pounding along the bed of the stream as the mighty current drove them before it. From the river back to Mr. Gorsch’s rear line the channel was piled high with stones, gravel and the debris that always comes with a flood—the amount being estimated by a practical man at 500 tons.

“The water has since flowed across Mr. Gorsch’s back lot and emptied itself into the lower end of Swart Street. The rising water in the river drove Mr. and Mr. George H. Hewitt from their home near the river bridge and carried off a lot of their vegetables and other belongings. In exchange, however, tt left them a lot of good stovewood “in the log” right in their dooryard. . .

“Dickson’s livery was flooded and the horses and carriages were taken over to the Ackerly barn. The water rose high enough to run out of the dining-room window at the Hotel Bouton and soaked everythlng on the first floor of the house. It got Into Hubbell’s grocery store. The basement of Searle’s hardware store was awash and there was good boating in “Andy ” Easman’s cellar. Sperling’s bakery, adjoining, came in for a soaking and the supply of fresh broad and hot rolls was temporarily shut off.

“The water overflowed upper Main street and there was a good-sized lake in front of the residences of E. Laidlaw and E. L. O’Connor (Ed: today’s Legion hall). Houses in that part of the village lying above the bridge over the Binneklll near the foundry were flooded and the occupants were held prisoners. . . .

“Morgan Olmstead and Dr. Chamberlain, while on their way from Highrnount to Griffin C rners were obliged to ford the Emory Brook this side of that place, the rains of the past few clays having raised the stream until it was a perfect torrent. The wagon was overturned and the occupants tossed into the flood, Morgan succeeded in climbing onto the horse’s back, but the wagon was pitched by the angry waters on top of horse and rider, knocking him into the stream again, which was last seen of him. Dr. Chamberlin grasped the reins and was dragged by the horse to the shore in an unconscious condition and quite badly injured. The remains of the unfortunate young man were found by Albert Hitt early Saturday morning lodged In the willows near the grand stand on the Fleichmanns ball ground. The funeral occurred on Monday.”

Where was this school?

Aug 19, 2011 | Tin Horn

Unknown school and children

This wonderful undated photo postcard of a one-room schoolhouse, with the teacher in the center of 17 students, was loaned for scanning by Bob Vredenburgh. His mother was a Shultis, and they had a farm on the Denver Road a mile or so up from Kelly Corners. Bob has several photos of the Pink Street school where the Shultis kids went, but this photo is of a different school. Can anyone identify the location, the teacher, or any of the pupils?

The postcard is addressed to Mr. Judson Haynes, Seager, NY: “Dear Juddie, This is a picture of my school and school house. It was taken one day this fall.” Signed E. E. P.

It looks to be prior to 1910. And are those corn shocks in the field behind the school?!

4 responses to “Where was this school?”

Abby Farber
Monday, September 5th, 2011

Could this perhaps be the old one-room school house on the Denver-Vega Road (now Route 36)? We owned a vacation home in the 1960-70’s across the road (and down the hill) from an abandoned one-room schoolhouse.

Here’s a location in Bing

Tom Hurley
Wednesday, June 6th, 2012

This most likely was the one room schoolhouse bought by a couple from Bklyn/ Queens/ or Long Island. Ironically, I believe they were school teachers. I can remember being in that building, very late 50s into the sixties…. (having spent so much of my youth and teens in Denver) it stood on the north east side of the Denver-Vega Rd… (past Ballards home/farm) …only help I can provide….TGH

jean giuliante
Monday, June 11th, 2012

This actually is owned by my in-laws — We are currently looking for pictures and any info that anyone might have.

I take that back — this is not the school house they own — the one they own in on the corner of sally’s alley and vega mountain road.

Fred Rueck
Friday, September 27th, 2013

Hi Jean, I was up there a few weeks ago and saw an old building on Vega Mtn. Rd. at intersection with Sally’s Ally. The building had lettering on it “Vega Hall 1844”.

I was curious about it and it’s history and had one heck of a time researching it!

I assume that the building that I saw was the one you described. Do you know any more about it?

It was easy to know you were in Bedell . . .

Jul 11, 2011 | Tin Horn

I lived in Bedell, just “over the hill” to the west of Halcott. There were (and are) several ways to get to Bedell from Halcott. From the old Halcott Store and post office you could go west then north over the mountain into the head of Bedell, and Big Red Kill Road, or go a little farther south and come out by Joe Todd’s house, which led to Little Red Kill Road. You could also go over the Old Halcott Road to Moseman Road and also end up by Joe Todd’s house.

It was easy to know you were in Bedell. Coming up Little Red Kill Road, past the cemetery, before it intersected with Big Red Kill Road, you could see the white letters in my great uncle Gilbert Streeter’s pasture, way up on the hill behind his house that spelled out “Bedell NY.” The letters could also be seen from Big Red Kill Road as you passed by my parents’ house (Hilton and Stella Kelly) and continued up the valley.

My great grandfather Ward Kelly, Uncle Gilbert’s father-in-law, laid out the large flat rocks, and painted them white. They were placed in the ground on a slant so they could be seen more easily from the road. The rocks were evenly spaced so the letters appeared from a distance to dot the hillside.

Anyone seeing the rocks from the road might imagine the letters to be at least 5 feet high. My cousin Karen (Finch) Hull and I knew from experience (since we walked the hills on his farm regularly as we played outdoors) that each letter was at least 20 feet high. As they weathered we thought they should be repainted. One of our hill treks took us up there with paint cans and brushes to repaint them. It took us longer than expected. There were a heck of a lot of stones to paint! They were a mix of chipped paint, weathered stone, and dried moss.

The historic stone sign is gone today, replaced by a road, which leads to the Treetops housing development on the hill. Would anyone like to re-create the Bedell sign? There is ample room on my father’s land, and he’s agreeable to seeing it up there again. Please contact me at larmour1@nycap.rr.com, or the Historical Society, mtownhistory@catskill.net

Linda Kelly Armour

3 responses to “It was easy to know you were in Bedell…”

richard dell shultis
Wednesday, October 16th, 2013

Hello Linda…….your blog about Bedell New York stirred some wonderful childhood memories. As a youngster I lived in Kelly Corners and also the Denver-Vega valley. My aunt and uncle lived in Bedell just a short distance from the cemetery. My aunt Emma Kelly was the Postmaster in Bedell for many years and my uncle Merchant Kelly had a gas pump on the corner of their property to serve all the locals gasoline needs. My parents Dell and Dorothy Shultis are buried in the beautiful little cemetery in Bedell, I can still vividly recall the wonderfully pungently sweet aroma of the wild thyme that grew as a groundcover over much of the cemetery. And I remember well seeing the big letters on the hillside spelling out BEDELL……I am 70 years old and live in Phoenix Az. Would love to know if you knew my aunt and uncle.

Linda Armour
Wednesday, October 16th, 2013

It was so good to hear from you, Richard. Merch and Emma were my next door neighbors growing up. They were the only couple I ever knew who celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary. Just walk down the hill, across the stream, up the hill, and you were at my house on Big Red Kill Road (not Little Red Kill Road where the cemetery is). Stella and Hilton Kelly are my parents. I walked the approx. 2/10 mile daily to get our mail. I remember the small post room quite well and either Merch or Emma, sometimes both, greeting me with a smile. After the post office closed, we received our mail via roadside mailboxes from Fleischmanns. Wilbur Woolheater was the postman. When he passed away, my mother Stella became the postman, er postwoman. She served that role for 43 years, retiring in 2007. Mom and Dad moved to assisted living last year and we sold their home. The white Bedell sign will live in memory only. I wish I had a photo of it, other than in my memory.