Sullivan County Historical Society & Museum

08/28/2026

RETROSPECT
by John Conway
August 28, 2026

SHOOTOUT IN THE BRONX CLAIMS LIBERTY NATIVE

It was Friday afternoon, August 21, 1931 when 34-year old Liberty native Edwin Vincent Churchill, a New York City motorcycle cop, 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.

Edwin Churchill had been born in Liberty on June 16, 1897, one of the four sons of William and Elizabeth Keough Churchill. He enlisted in the Army in April of 1917, and served for two years during World War I, after which he joined the New York City Police Department, eventually becoming a motorcycle patrolman.

That fateful Friday afternoon, just a few days after returning to work from a two-week vacation spent visiting family in Liberty with his wife and three children, Churchill was on his bike in the vicinity of Third Avenue and 161st Street in the Bronx. Unbeknownst to him, because the NYPD had yet to embrace radio communications, three gangsters who has just held up a payroll and killed the policeman assigned to guard it, were heading his way in a taxi.

The payroll—just over $4,600, belonged to the Mendoza Fur and Dye Works, located on East 133rd Street in the Bronx. Patrolman Walter J. Webb had been assigned to guard the payroll and the plant manager who was picking it up, and was killed by one of the crooks.

Two of the men, later identified as 25-year-old John Brecht and 19-year-old Martin Bachorik, grabbed the payroll and sped off in the plant manager’s car, setting off a 12-block long shootout through commercial districts and residential neighborhoods, that would forever change the way the NYPD would handle pursuits.

According to an article entitled, “Gangsters on the Dyckman Strip: 1931 Shootout Makes National Headlines” on the website MYInwood.com: “After speeding away from the scene of the heist, the two robbers ditched the plant manager’s car at 149th Street and transferred their guns, ammo and stolen payroll satchel into a yellow Monarch taxicab driven by Herbert Hasse to continue their getaway.

“Hasse, a 27-year old father of two, had been driving a cab for less than a year when the armed bandits jumped in his back seat.”

To this day, there is debate as to whether Hasse was an accomplice who was waiting for the gunmen with a second getaway car, or if he was an innocent bystander caught up in the caper. Either way, he was killed in the barrage of gunfire that finally ended the pursuit on Dyckman Street just a short while after the robbery.

The three men in the yellow taxi sped past Churchill and another patrolman, Edward Worrell, who were completely unaware of the robbery. When a motorist, Charles Fackler, drove up and informed the two officers that the men in the speeding taxi had been brandishing weapons, Churchill gave chase on his bike, while Worrell jumped on the running board of Fackler’s car and induced him to join the pursuit.

Churchill was shot multiple times during the ensuing chase, and died on the operating table three hours later.

The Liberty Register newspaper lauded him as a hero, curiously “promoting” him to the rank of Lieutenant in a front page story in its August 27, 1931 edition in which they also incorrectly reported his age.

“Slain Police Lieutenant Was Native of Liberty” the paper’s headline announced.

“Blazing revolvers, which marked a running battle between police and payroll bandits last Friday In New York City snuffed out the lives of two New York city policemen-- one of them a native of Liberty and well known here,” the Register reported. “Lieut. Edwin Churchill, 35, motorcycle policeman, was shot off his motorcycle by the fleeing bandits as they fled from the scene of the robbery ·and the shooting of the first policeman.”

After recounting the incident in the Bronx, the article noted that “His brother, Charles Churchill, is also well known in Liberty. Mrs. Marie Conlon and Miss Anna Kelly are cousins.”

The paper reported that Churchill had been buried two days before.

“City officials gave him the highest praise for his courage and his doggedness in sticking out the fight to the end.”

Edwin Churchill is buried in Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, NY. He was survived by his wife, Florence, and three children, Mary, Florence, and William.

John Conway is the Sullivan County Historian. Email him at [email protected].

PHOTO CAPTION: Patrolman Edwin Churchill, NYC motorcycle cop, was killed in the line of duty on August 21, 1931.

07/31/2026

RETROSPECT
by John Conway
July 31, 2026

WHERE THE BORSCHT BELT BEGAN

When Patrick Dollard, the retired President and C.E.O. of The Center for Discovery, was growing up in Rock Hill, he recalls it was a rite of passage for a young boy to be deemed old enough—and good enough—to play softball on the neighborhood team that each summer regularly challenged the men at Cooper’s Sunrise Bungalows.

Some observers recall that Dollard, one of seven boys in his family, was a talented enough ballplayer to be granted a place on the team at a younger age than most.

Cooper’s was, at that time, one of a dozen or more bungalow colonies that dotted the landscape of Rock Hill, which came alive each summer with city folk and second home owners, providing a stark contrast to the sleepy, solidly blue collar hamlet that existed throughout the rest of the year.

Absent a major hotel in the hamlet itself, it was the bungalow colonies-- Rock Hill Manor, Hoffmans, Bartels, Colonial Colony, Harry’s, Six Lake Bungalows, Cooper’s, et al, that dominated the tourism industry in Rock Hill during Sullivan County’s Golden Age.

Of course, astute observers of the passing parade will tell you that such was not always the case. In fact, some knowledgeable local history buffs may even remind those interested that the so-called Borscht Belt actually had its start in Rock Hill.

In 1895 or 1896, John Gerson purchased the Adams farm on Glen Wild Road, as well as some adjacent acreage, and erected a large boarding house on the property, which eventually accommodated more than 100 guests. Gerson’s advertisement in the O&W Railways “Summer Homes” vacation guide in 1899 is believed to be the very first solicitation for Jewish tourists anywhere in Sullivan County.

“J. Gerson: Rock Hill Jewish Boarding House; accommodates 40; adults $6, children $3. Transients $1,” the ad read. “New house, newly furnished, prepare our own meats, raise our own vegetables, scenery unsurpassed. Jewish faith and customs throughout, fine shade, good airy rooms.”

That simply worded listing in the railroad guide was the beginning of a world renown resort area that would eventually play host to more than a million visitors every summer, and thousands more during the off season.

It is perhaps ironic that the Borscht Belt had its beginnings, humble as they might have been, in Rock Hill, which for many years was proximal to two well-known restricted developments, the Sullivan County Club and the Wanaksink Lake Club.

And despite the lack of substantial hotels in the hamlet during the time Patrick Dollard grew up, places like the Glenwood, the Lake Wood House, and the Rock Hill Inn thrived as Sullivan County’s Silver Age transitioned into its Golden Age in the early part of the 20th century.

Years later, as the Golden Age was beginning to fade, Rock Hill was in the vanguard of the next major wave of tourism: the second home development. The large cluster of homes that began as Lake Louise Marie and morphed into Emerald Green, was one of the earliest and most successful second home developments in the county.

So, while Rock Hill is likely not the first place people think of as a hotbed of tourism in Sullivan County, it has played a significant role in the development of the industry here. And now it will be memorialized for just that.

On Saturday, August 8, the Borscht Belt Historical Marker Project will unveil its latest marker—number 18-- in a ceremony at 12 noon at the corner of Rock Hill Drive and Glen Wild Road. This columnist, your Sullivan County Historian, will be among the speakers at the event.

“Before the grand hotels and bungalow colonies transformed the Catskills, Jewish families in Rock Hill and nearby Glen Wild welcomed summer guests to their farms,” it is written on the marker project’s website (borschtbelthistoricalmarkerproject.org). “What began as a practical way to supplement farm income grew into a thriving agritourism economy that helped shape the Borscht Belt.

“Speakers include Sullivan County Historian John Conway, Assemblywoman Paula Kay, and Naomi Jaffe, great-granddaughter of Shimon and Rivl Jaffe. Naomi will share the story of the Jaffe House, her family's Glen Wild property, whose roots trace back to Gerson's, widely recognized as Sullivan County's first Jewish boarding house. Over more than 125 years, it evolved from a boarding house into a hotel, bungalow colony, and poultry farm, offering a remarkable window into the origins of Jewish agritourism in the Catskills.”

As with all the Borscht Belt Marker Project dedications, this event is free and open to the public.

The website notes that the marker project was started in 2022, and comprises “a group of locals, artists & historians dedicated to commemorating the history of the Borscht Belt, a celebrated era in American Jewish life, American culture and Catskill history.”

The project’s mission “is the creation of a large-scale historic marker trail that permanently cements the famed era in its physical place while paying tribute to its legacy. Enhanced by photographs and QR codes, when complete the 20+-marker trail will be united by a self-guided audio driving tour.”

Prior to the Borscht Belt Historical Marker initiative, there were no historical markers commemorating the Borscht Belt era.

John Conway is the Sullivan County Historian. Email him at [email protected]. He grew up in Rock Hill, and will speak at the marker dedication on August 8.

PHOTO CAPTION: The Glenwood Hotel, a Silver Age resort in Rock Hill.

07/25/2026

Big Sky Productions & the Sullivan County Museum Present “Closets”

On Saturday and Sunday, August 1 and 2 at 2 p.m., Big Sky Productions, a theatre company based in Grahamsville, will present a dramatic reading of the new play “Closets” at the Sullivan County Museum in Hurleyville. The play is written by Woodbourne playwright Bill Duncan.

To continue reading click here: https://www.scdemocratonline.com/stories/big-sky-productions-the-sullivan-county-museum-present-closets,244569?

Contributed photo

07/21/2026

RETROSPECT
by John Conway
July 17, 2026

PATRIOTS, LOYALISTS, AND THE BATTLE OF MINISINK

On Sunday, July 9, 2023, The Delaware Company unveiled a new interactive exhibit at Fort Delaware Museum of Colonial History in Narrowsburg entitled “A Settlement Divided.”

The exhibit tells the story of the Cushetunk settlement in the 1770s, as residents chose up sides in the American Revolution, and neighbors—even, in at least one case, brothers—who had just a few years before depended upon each other for their very survival, took up arms against one another.

The research and the text for the exhibit was provided by Lucas Musetti, formerly a docent at Fort Delaware, who now resides in California.

There were prominent men from the settlement on both sides of the conflict during the fight for independence. Daniel and Haggai Skinner, for example, who grew up in Cushetunk as sons of one of the founders, Joseph Skinner, remained loyal to the British Crown during the war, while their brother, Abner fought with the Continental Army. Robert Land, the Cushetunk Magistrate, became a British spy, and his son John spent much of the war in prison because of his loyalties to Great Britain. Joseph Ross, another well-regarded Cushetunk resident, provided intelligence and hospitality to Joseph Brant during the Mohawk’s destructive forays into the area, and some historians maintain that Ross was with Brant and his men during their raids on Pienpack and Minisink in 1778 and 1779, and possibly fought at the Battle of Minisink, as well.

On the other hand, men such as John Lassley, Nicholas and William Conklin, and Oliver Calkin were ardent patriots during the war, and members of two of Cushetunk’s founding families, Moses Thomas II and Bezaleel Tyler III, fought with the colonial militia at the Battle of Minisink, and lost their lives there.

In fact, according to most accounts of the battle, it was a shot from Tyler’s gun that initiated the battle that ended up in a thorough beating for the militia, and many historians believe Tyler was the first man killed in the bloody confrontation. It was an ignominious end for the man his enemies called “Captain Mush.”

The Battle of Minisink has not only been recorded as one of the deadliest battles of the Revolutionary War, it was a devastating defeat for the Colonists. While perhaps strategically insignificant, the battle and the events leading up to it emphasized once again the vulnerability of the settlements on the frontier, which had already prompted George Washington to dispatch General John Sullivan to drive Brant and his men out of the country.

It also highlighted the concept of the Revolutionary War as a civil war, a notion that is getting more attention of late, and one that is explored by Fort Delaware’s new exhibit, which remains a permanent part of the museum there.

The relationship between the Cushetunk settlement and the Battle of Minisink is part of the narrative that is discussed every day that Fort Delaware is open.

Speaking of which, the Fort will be closed Friday, Saturday, and Sunday this week, and the staff will be part of Patriots Weekend at the Minisink Battleground Park, 58 County Road 168 in Barryville. The activities at the Battleground get underway at 3 p.m. on Friday, July 17 and continue all weekend.

Highlights include two different presentations by historical re-enactor Noah Lewis about African Americans in the Revolutionary War, one at 4 p.m. on Friday and one at 11 a.m. on Saturday. The annual reading aloud of the Declaration of Independence and a spirited Loyalist rebuttal will take place at 1 p.m. on Saturday, and will be followed by a skirmish between Patriots and Loyalists that will feature muskets and warclubs. If you have never witnessed this interplay, you don’t know what you are missing.

The Fort Delaware Fife & Drum Corps performs at 2:30 Saturday afternoon, followed by a presentation at 3 p.m. by colonial musician Linda Russell, who will talk about the role of music in colonial America and perform on several instruments.

The annual commemoration of the Battle of Minisink will take place at 4 p.m., with remarks by Sullivan County Legislature Chair Nadia Rajsz and keynote address by New York State Historian Devin Lander.

On Sunday morning at 11 a.m., the 5th New York Regiment re-enactors will be on site to perform military drills and demonstrations.
There is much more going on throughout the weekend, too, including guided walks around the battleground, encampments, drills and demonstrations, and a “midway” full of exhibits. There will also be opportunities throughout the weekend for both children and adults to compete for and win prizes.

All events at the Battleground, including the commemoration, are free and open to the public.

The Battleground Park is owned and operated by Sullivan County, under the auspices of the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Beautification. Historical programming is provided by The Delaware Company. Financial sponsors for the weekend’s events include The Delaware Company, Tianaderrah Foundation, the Sullivan Catskills Visitors Association, Bold Gold Media, Narrowsburg Union, the Sullivan County Legislature, and the Sullivan County Historical Society. The weekend is coordinated by the Sullivan County Semiquincentennial Commission.

John Conway is the Sullivan County Historian. He will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the annual commemoration of the Battle of Minisink on Saturday, July 18. Email him at [email protected]

PHOTO CAPTION: The division within the settlement of Cushetunk was highlighted by neighbors fighting on opposite sides at the Battle of Minisink, and Patriots and Loyalists will square off in a skirmish at the Minisink Battleground on Saturday, July 18.

07/21/2026

White Elephant Sale Saturday July 25 11:00 - 4:00 at the Sullivan County Museum, Main Street, Hurleyville. Co-sponsored by the Sullivan County Historical Society and the Professional Women of Sullivan County.

07/17/2026

07/14/2026

FREE ADMISSION to museums throughout Sullivan County! Sat. and Sun. July 27 & July 28.