Note the day change due to the impending storm! Event is now held on Sunday, January 14.

HURLEYVILLE, NY — Hurleyville’s own Louis Wichinsky once adapted a 1980 Volkswagen Rabbit pickup truck to run on vegetable oil. Sometimes he’d even use soybean oil. (A red toggle switch on the dash changed the fuel over.)

But back in 1942, when he was stationed in London with the U.S. Army Air Force, he hit upon what’s considered his greatest invention. He was spending the Jewish holidays with two brothers who owned a bakery. One of them, Sam Wolinsky, put a challenge before him: “Louis, you Yanks can do anything. How come you can’t build a bagel machine?’”

Louis set to work proving to the world he could do it. And finally, after years of tinkering, he created a machine that turned out 600 dozen bagels an hour.

Now if you’re wondering what happened to this remarkable machine, you are in luck—it is currently on display in Hurleyville at the Sullivan County Museum.

And if you are wondering if it still makes bagels? Well, you’ll just have to come to the museum to find out.

The Frederick Cook Society invites all to join them on Sunday, January 14, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sullivan County Museum to ring in the new year with bagels, coffee and baked goods.

It’s all in honor of National Bagel Day, which is held on January 15.

You can tour the exhibitions at the museum, and listen to live music with Little Sparrow—featuring special guests Henry Simon and Jeff Anderson.

Admission is free, though donations, as always, are welcome.

The museum is located at 265 Main St. 

For more information, call 845/434-8044 or visit the Cook Society Facebook page at Friends of Frederick Cook.

Contributed by the Sullivan County communications office.