Sullivan County

Catskills Klan: The KKK in Sullivan County, New York

January 23, 2022 by John Conway 1 Comment

Many people – even those with more than a passing interest in Sullivan County history – are surprised to learn that the Ku Klux Klan was once fairly active in parts of the county. And yet, throughout the 1920s and early 1930s, there were several chapters in the Catskills, most set up by recruiters from the Binghamton area.

These Klan chapters, whether in Livingston Manor, Jeffersonville, Liberty, Woodbourne or some other hamlet, often started out as social organizations, and it was not unusual to see newspaper articles and even advertisements about their charitable activities or their clambakes, sometimes in conjunction with the Kamelias, the organization’s women’s auxiliary. [Read more…] about Catskills Klan: The KKK in Sullivan County, New York

Winter In the Catskills: The Columbia Ski Resort

January 16, 2022 by John Conway Leave a Comment

It is unlikely that when he built the hotel with the spectacular vistas in 1891 John Harms Knapp envisioned it ever being a year-around resort, let alone one that advertised “superlative skiing,” and yet that is exactly what the Columbia Hotel in Hurleyville in the Catskills became in the early 1960s.

And of all the ski areas in Sullivan County — from Glen Hill to Christmas Hills — the Columbia’s was among the most successful, albeit for a relatively short time. [Read more…] about Winter In the Catskills: The Columbia Ski Resort

Scoopers: Popular Catskills Slang

January 13, 2022 by John Conway Leave a Comment

During the nearly 35 years I’ve spent answering questions about Sullivan County, NY’s rich and colorful history, a few topics come up far more than any others.

For example, lots of people want to know about the location of the very first summer hotel in Sullivan County, and the question of whether Al Capone ever owned Lake Louise Marie — and is it named for the gangster’s wife and/or girlfriend? — never seems to go out of style.

But possibly the most asked question of all is about the origin of the colloquial term “scooper.” Whether a person is hearing the word for the first time, or they have lived in Sullivan County all their lives and have grown up hearing — and using – the term, most people have no idea how it came to be. [Read more…] about Scoopers: Popular Catskills Slang

Watchable Wildlife: Mongaup Valley Wildlife Management Area

January 4, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Mongaup Valley Wildlife Management Area, located in the Catskills 75 miles northwest of New York City, was designated a Bird Conservation Area because of its unique combination of habitats important to bird species, including forests, reservoirs, and river habitat where bald eagles nest and overwinter. [Read more…] about Watchable Wildlife: Mongaup Valley Wildlife Management Area

A Little-Known Civil War Hero From The Catskills

December 19, 2021 by John Conway 2 Comments

He was born on December 12, 1838 in Highland Mills, in Orange County, and moved with his family to Sullivan County while still a young boy.

He enlisted in the Union Army shortly after the Civil War broke out, eventually achieving the rank of Captain.

In April of 1865, while serving with Company B of the 86th New York Infantry at Amelia Springs, Virginia, he captured the Confederate flag, and a month later was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. [Read more…] about A Little-Known Civil War Hero From The Catskills

A Sullivan County Classic Reissued in Time for the Holidays

December 7, 2021 by John Conway 1 Comment

It was back in August of 2010 that Myron Gittell received the first proof of the reprint he had decided to finance of the iconic book about Sullivan County, Manville B. Wakefield’s To The Mountains by Rail.

Gittell found the quality of that proof to be unacceptable, as were approximately 20 proofs he would look at thereafter, but he did not give up. Having received permission from Wakefield’s widow Barbara to reprint the 1970 classic, he was determined to get it done. [Read more…] about A Sullivan County Classic Reissued in Time for the Holidays

Abraham Lincoln, Religious Freedom & A New York Farmer

November 20, 2021 by John Conway Leave a Comment

On November 15, 1865 Bernhard Behrend died in Washington, D.C. He was 72.

Although there wasn’t much of a public reaction at the time of his death, Behrend is remembered today as the Narrowsburg, Sullivan County, NY farmer who challenged the President of the United States to uphold the ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence. [Read more…] about Abraham Lincoln, Religious Freedom & A New York Farmer

An Army of Hunters: On Foot and in Verse

November 15, 2021 by John Conway Leave a Comment

On November 20, 1956, the New York Times described “an army of hunters” descending upon Sullivan County, leading to traffic jams “here and there” on area roadways. The county was among the most popular hunting grounds in New York, the Times reported, and had led the state in the number of deer killed for several years.

In fact, Sullivan County has a long history as a paradise for hunters. And also for those who spin hunting yarns. For nearly two hundred years, observant writers, beginning with the poet Alfred B. Street, have chronicled the triumphs and tragedies, the successes and failures, of hunting big game in the county. [Read more…] about An Army of Hunters: On Foot and in Verse

The Great Pumpkin Flood of 1903 & Other Delaware River Floods

October 14, 2021 by John Conway Leave a Comment

The last three weeks of October, 1903 proved to be difficult ones in the Upper Delaware region, as residents attempted to clean up after a particularly devastating flood.

Following three days of heavy rains, the Delaware River crested on October 10th, 1903, destroying several bridges, wiping out the Erie Railroad’s tracks in a number of places, and damaging homes and businesses in three states. [Read more…] about The Great Pumpkin Flood of 1903 & Other Delaware River Floods

When Sullivan County Entered The Dial Telephone Age

August 30, 2021 by John Conway Leave a Comment

It was August of 1961, and what was called “the most complex project of its kind ever undertaken by New York Telephone” was just getting underway in Sullivan County, NY.

By March 21, 1965, the project would be complete, and dial telephone service — long taken for granted in most parts of the country — would finally become a reality for the majority of residents. [Read more…] about When Sullivan County Entered The Dial Telephone Age