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John Conway

John Conway is the Sullivan County Historian and teaches a class on Sullivan County history at SUNY-Sullivan.

Sullivan County’s ‘White Christmas’ Connection

December 24, 2022 by John Conway 2 Comments

WhiteRoeAerialThe Columbia Inn in Pine Tree, Vermont did not bear much of a resemblance to a Catskills’ hotel of that era, and Dean Jagger’s General Tom Waverly was definitely not much like a Sullivan County hotel owner, but the movie “White Christmas” has a strong local flavor nonetheless. [Read more…] about Sullivan County’s ‘White Christmas’ Connection

Filed Under: Arts, History, Hudson Valley - Catskills Tagged With: Catskills, Christmas, Film History, Livingston Manor, Performing Arts, Sullivan County

Dennis Greenwald v. Sullivan County Supervisors

December 8, 2022 by John Conway 2 Comments

Dennis GreenwaldThe recent passing of longtime Mamakating Supervisor Dennis Greenwald brought forth an outpouring of condolences from county residents who remember him, as well as myriad musings about his contributions to good governance over the years as one of the most influential and impactful Sullivan County officials of his era. [Read more…] about Dennis Greenwald v. Sullivan County Supervisors

Filed Under: History, Hudson Valley - Catskills Tagged With: Elections, Legal History, Mamakating, Political History, Sullivan County

A Catskills Native & A Notorious NYPD Shootout

September 22, 2022 by John Conway 1 Comment

Patrolman Edwin Churchill, a Liberty native, was shot and killed while on duty with the NYPD in 1931Sullivan County, NY native Edwin Vincent Churchill was 34 years old and a New York City motorcycle cop when he was killed in one of the most notorious shootouts in NYPD history.

Another policeman, a four-year old girl, and three perpetrators were also killed in the incident, and 12 others — mainly innocent bystanders — were wounded. [Read more…] about A Catskills Native & A Notorious NYPD Shootout

Filed Under: History, Hudson Valley - Catskills, New York City Tagged With: Crime and Justice, Liberty, New York City, NYPD, Sullivan County, The Bronx

The Doomed 1979 Hurleyville Music Festival

September 11, 2022 by John Conway Leave a Comment

Leon Greenberg in the 1970sThe weekend of August 24th to 26th in 1979 was supposed to be a significant one in Sullivan County, NY history. Plans had been made for some of the top musical acts in the business to appear at the site of the defunct and burned out Columbia Hotel in Hurleyville for a three-day festival that was envisioned as the precursor to an upscale performance venue that would have reversed the area’s sagging economic fortunes. [Read more…] about The Doomed 1979 Hurleyville Music Festival

Filed Under: Arts, History, Hudson Valley - Catskills Tagged With: Catskills, Fallsburg, Music, Musical History, Performing Arts, Sullivan County, Woodstock

Lt. John Jenkins: Guiding The Clinton-Sullivan Campaign

August 11, 2022 by John Conway Leave a Comment

Rich JenkinsOn August 11th, 1779, at the height of America’s war for independence, General John Sullivan arrived at Tioga Point on the Susquehanna River at the Pennsylvania-New York border with a large force of men and began construction of what would become known as Fort Sullivan. [Read more…] about Lt. John Jenkins: Guiding The Clinton-Sullivan Campaign

Filed Under: History, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Western NY Tagged With: American Revolution, Chemung County, Fort Sullivan, Haudenosaunee, Indigenous History, Iroquois, Military History, Pennsylvania, Sullivan_Clinton Expedition, Susquehanna River

The 1962 Catskills High View House Fire

July 25, 2022 by John Conway Leave a Comment

Liberty Supervisor William E. PearsonEarly in the morning on Friday, July 13th, 1962 fire was discovered in one of the buildings at Hankin’s High View House, just outside Liberty, Sullivan County, NY in the Catskills. Firefighters were on the scene within minutes and were able to contain the blaze, while hotel staff and ambulance personnel attended to the injured, but before it was over five people would be dead and one of the heroes of the tragedy would be in jail, charged with multiple counts of first degree murder.

In the aftermath, local officials would try in vain to tighten the fire laws governing small hotels. [Read more…] about The 1962 Catskills High View House Fire

Filed Under: History, Hudson Valley - Catskills Tagged With: Catskills, Crime and Justice, Fires, Jewish History, Legal History, Liberty, Monticello, Sullivan County

Black Bombardier Ned Hector at Brandywine

June 30, 2022 by John Conway Leave a Comment

re-enactor Noah Lewis as Revolutionary War soldier Edward “Ned” HectorIn February of 1777, with the American colonies engaged in a seemingly hopeless war with the world’s foremost military power, Edward “Ned” Hector enlisted in a state militia unit known as Proctor’s Third Pennsylvania Artillery, where he was assigned duties as a bombardier, one of the three rear positions on the cannon.

This fact, in and of itself, would not seem significant, but Ned Hector was African American, one of perhaps 5,000 African Americans who fought with the Continental Army in the War for Independence. [Read more…] about Black Bombardier Ned Hector at Brandywine

Filed Under: History, Hudson Valley - Catskills Tagged With: American Revolution, Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Black History, Fort Delaware Museum, Military History

Company H: Catskills Soldiers At Cedar Mountain

June 13, 2022 by John Conway Leave a Comment

28th Regiment MonumentOn Friday, August 8th, 1902, the surviving members of the 28th New York Volunteer Regiment held their annual reunion at the National Cemetery in Culpeper, Virginia.

Among those attending that day were two men from the Sullivan County, NY: John H. Waller of Monticello and William McIntyre of Mongaup Valley. [Read more…] about Company H: Catskills Soldiers At Cedar Mountain

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, History, Hudson Valley - Catskills Tagged With: Catskills, Civil War, Military History, Monticello, Sullivan County

Jack Niflot: Olympic Gold Medal Wrestler

May 11, 2022 by John Conway Leave a Comment

Isidor “Jack” NiflotNew York State’s connection to Olympic wrestling goes all the way back to 1904, the very first year freestyle wrestling was included in the summer games, when Isidor “Jack” Niflot, then of New York City, but later a longtime Sullivan County resident, won a gold medal in the bantamweight division. [Read more…] about Jack Niflot: Olympic Gold Medal Wrestler

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, History Tagged With: Manhattan, New York City, Olympic History, Queens, Sports History, Sullivan County

Dr Rosetta Sherwood Hall: Catskills to Korea

April 13, 2022 by John Conway 2 Comments

Rosetta Sherwood HallDr. Rosetta Sherwood Hall was born in Liberty in Sullivan County, NY on September 19th, 1865, grew up on the family farm and attended the Chestnut Ridge School and the Liberty Normal Institute.

After receiving her teaching degree from Oswego, she taught in local schools for a few years before entering the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, graduating in 1886, and becoming a missionary doctor in Korea in 1890.

Her pioneering work with deaf and blind Korean children and her founding of what eventually became the Korea University College of Medicine in Seoul. [Read more…] about Dr Rosetta Sherwood Hall: Catskills to Korea

Filed Under: History, Hudson Valley - Catskills Tagged With: Catskills, Medical History, Religious History, Sullivan County, womens history

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