Historical Society of Middletown

Town of Middletown, Delaware County, NY

Welcome to the home of the Historical Society of the Town of Middletown (HSM)

The only website dedicated to the history of our town, located in Delaware County, in the Central Catskill Mountains of New York State

To donate items relevant to the history of Middletown and contiguous towns, contact us at historicalsocietyofmiddletown@gmail.org; or 845-586-2400.

HSM is dedicated to preserving the heritage of the villages, hamlets and the contiguous area of Middletown:
The Town of Middletown, in eastern Delaware County, includes two incorporated Villages, Margaretville and Fleischmanns; several hamlets — Arkville, Dunraven, Halcottsville, Kelly Corners, and New Kingston; and outlying settlements with their own unique histories — Redkill/Bedell, Millbrook, Dry Brook and the Denver Valley.

Because history doesn’t always follow political boundaries, HSM also collects and preserves stories and historic materials from contiguous towns — Roxbury and Andes in Delaware County, Hardenburgh and Shandaken in Ulster County, and Halcott in Greene County (which can only be reached through Delaware County). And of course we seek to preserve the heritage of a Middletown community that is no more — Arena, lost more than half a century ago to the Pepacton Reservoir.

WELCOME to the  MIDDLETOWN HISTORY CENTER

Recent Updates…

NEWS:
Recent Press Releases

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TIN HORN:
Observations & Discoveries

Winter into Spring

As the new season struggles to overcome the old, it’s worth remembering that ‘twas ever thus. Evidence of this can be found in the diaries of James Thomson, a New Kingston farmer who kept track of his family’s activities from 1838 to 1903, a remarkable 65 years, with...

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It was a hot time in the old barn that night

In answer to the question, “What on earth did people do before TV and computers?,” we offer the following item from the Catskill Mountain News of July 4, 1947:Six Hundred Attend Barn Dance at Dunraven About 600 people attended the barn dance at the Frank Trowbridge...

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Who were the Odd Fellows?

Who were the Odd Fellows?

An interesting stash of books and records found by Brian Sweeney in 2004 when he acquired a large building on High Street in Arkville sheds some light on a once-prevalent fraternal organization with a pretty strange name: The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF)....

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EVENTS:
2025 Calendar

MAY 4
Kids Kingdom 35th Reunion! – Exhibit, videos, food, fellowship!

JUNE 8
The D&N: Ghost Railroad of the Each Branch –An illustrated talk by railroad historian John Duda

JULY 13
Margaretville at 150 –Celebrate the Sesquicentennial of the incorporation of the Village.

JULY 26
Birthday Block Party and Community Portrait! — Celebrate Margaretville’s 150th birthday on Main Street.

AUGUST 23-24
Armchair Cemetery Tour — Meet eight people from the past in air-conditioned comfort!

SEPTEMBER 20
Annual Cauliflower Festival — Food, music, fun, exhibits in the History Tent.

OCTOBER 19
All Things Pumpkin! — Pie, bread, cookies, soup – bring your specialty! Biggest, ugliest, most unique pumpkin contest. Pumpkin painting and more!

NOVEMBER 2
Annual Meeting — Guest speaker photographer William Abranowitz with an illustrated talk. Annual report, board election.

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FEATURES
 

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Collections

Publications

Our Town

Civil War Soldiers

History Links

Projects

“Man is a history-making creature who can neither repeat his past nor leave it behind.”

W.H. Auden, The Dyer’s Hand

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