Edward Van Put named ‘History Preserver’

ROSCOE, NY — This year, the Sullivan County Historical Society will present its “History Preserver “ Award to Edward Van Put at a dinner scheduled for Sunday, October 11 at The Rockland House. A social hour will start at 5:00 p.m. and dinner at 6:00 p.m.

Van Put has earned the praise of fly fishermen locally and throughout the nation. County historian John Conway points out that his research dealing with the impact that trout fishing had on the growth of Sullivan County makes him one of our most valuable historians. A superb angler with an international reputation, he and his wife are the guides of choice when celebrities fish local waters. “One of the best trout fishermen I know” Lee Wulff called him.

Van Put’s early love of fishing and a valuable 40-year career with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, his legacy is visible in the 55 miles of public fishing easements which opened up new areas for fishing, and recognition for his achievements.

In 1996 he published “The Beaverkill: The History of a River and its People,” in which he chronicled the people and places of the legendary valley. In 2007, he published his landmark work, “Trout Fishing in the Catskills,” which traces trout fishing back to the 1830s and explains how it planted the seeds of our county’s tourist industry.

The cost of the dinner is $30 per person. RSVP by October 4 to 845/434-8044.