We're happy to offer a number of downloads for Monticello and the Town of Thompson, Sullivan County, NY, and more will be coming soon!

--Monticello NY Sesquicentennial (1804 - 1954).  The unsung author of this history was one Alice G. Mapes.  We do not know what her official role was – whether she was a town or village officer, or whether she was just someone who stepped up to the task of collecting and organizing the very considerable amount of material in this history.  Looking back more than half a century later, it is apparent that there were other historians involved, and these were the advertisers and the participants in the sesquicentennial festivities – by their participation, whether personal or financial, they wrote their names and the names of their businesses in the history of Monticello.  Especially given the marked changes in Monticello and the rest of Sullivan County during the intervening half century, this document reflects a history that lives today only in books such as these.  Things indeed have changed, and perhaps most would conclude that the words of the “Looking Ahead” section represented an optimistic view.  104+pages, PDF format, download now for $5.00.

--Gertrude Barber's records of the Rock Ridge Cemetery, located near Monticello in the Town of Thompson.  (circa 1930)  Essential for anyone researching family history in the central part of Sullivan County, NY.  This is a facsimile of Mrs. Barber's original typescript of her collection of the stones in this cemetery.  33+ pages, in PDF format, download.  $3.25.  

--Presbyterian Church, Monticello, New York, Centennial (1909).  Paralleling the first century of Sullivan County's existence, and located in the county seat, this history is a useful adjunct to such works as Quinlan's History of Sullivan County, and provides considerable historical information about the community in addition to history of the church itself.  It contains a full list of all members from the beginning as well as photographs of many of the clergy and some of the buildings.  One leaf was unfortunately missing in the original, containing on one side a photo of the "new" manse, and on the other the beginning of an article largely about music in the church.  130+ pages, PDF format, download for $4.00.  

--Old St. John’s Cemetery, Monticello, New York, collected by Gertrude Barber (1930)  When Mrs. Barber collected this cemetery in 1930, she noted that it was to the rear of what was then the present St. John’s Church Cemetery, and that while the current cemetery was being maintained by that Episcopal congregation, the section she calls the “Old St. John’s Cemetery” and is collected here was not being maintained at all.  She notes that this section is “badly neglected” and, in our experience, when a cemetery is neglected for many decades, it deteriorates rapidly.  Perhaps we might find that soon after her study was published the cemetery began to be better maintained – or perhaps not.  It is also noteworthy that Mrs. Barber notes that the records of the church were destroyed by fire “about twenty years ago” or about 1910.  Under these circumstances, her collection of this cemetery is likely of great genealogical value – greater than many cemeteries its age and size.  13+ pages, PDF format, download now for $3.50.

Here's additional Monticello/Town of Thompson material that we'll be making available soon:

--Account book of John Murrain's store, Monticello, NY (1910-11) 200 pages of grocery orders -- well, if your family was one of his customers, or if you have an interest in what people bought in stores a hundred years ago, particularly in the capitol of Sullivan County, at a point of time when the first or our two resort booms of the area was headed into eclipse, this will be of interest to you. 

--Gertrude Barber's records of the Bridgeville Circuit of the ME Church (includes Glen Wild, Rock Hill, and Bridgeville) (copied from the original records in 1929)

--Sullivan County Court Calendars --We have three of these:  the calendar for the July term of 1893, for the June term of 1899, and for the January term of 1904.  They are short -- each consisting of a few pages of court rules, followed by the litigation scheduled (parties to the litigation as well as their counsel are named).  Interesting ephemera, particularly if you recognize the surname of a litigant!  Definitely available soon as a download.

--Miscellaneous post cards and other ephemera, including historic topographical maps.

Remember that additional material about Monticello and the Town of Thompson is available in Quinlan's History of Sullivan County, and Child's Gazetteer and Business Directory of Sullivan County for 1872-73.

Should we be thinking about publishing a CD-ROM of material about Monticello and the Town of Thompson, including all of these items?  The possibility has occurred to us.  Tell us what you think!