

The Long Island History Project
Chris Kretz
Interviews with historians, scholars, authors and anyone with a story to tell and a passion for this unique region of New York.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 10, 2020 • 12min
Episode 106: The Suffolk County News for April 9, 1920
We're continuing our look at the news from 1920. Today, the Suffolk County News from Friday, April 9th. Animosity between Sayville and Patchogue on a number of levels, a case of the mumps going around, and warrior musicians returning to life during peacetime. Further Research NYS Historic Newspapers Mumps (CDC) "From Horse Power to Horsepower" by Eric Morris. Access Magazine, 2007.

Apr 3, 2020 • 11min
Episode 105: The Suffolk County News for April 2, 1920
We're using our home isolation to look back - reading issues of the Suffolk County News of 1920 week by week. For April 2, 1920: Al Smith, Fatty Arbuckle, and a cow with no tail lights. Stay tuned for more news of 1920 next week! Further Research NYS Historic Newspapers Enrico Caruso Audio footnote: Episode 60: The Soldier City of Suffolk County

Mar 29, 2020 • 36min
Episode 104: Radium Girls with Erin Elizabeth Becker
Today our guest, Erin Elizabeth Becker, recounts the story of her great grandmother, Marion Murdoch O’Hara, who worked for the US Radium Corporation in New York City. Through genealogical and historical research, Erin discovered a powerful and unforgettable member of her family who was tied to a dark chapter of American history. In the 1920s, many young women eagerly signed up to work as "radium girls" in well-paying positions appplying radium-tinged paint to comercial items. The radium made watch hands and clock faces glow in the dark but it was also a sinister threat, leading to sickness and death for many of those who worked with it unprotected. Further Research "Great Grandma Barrett was a Shining Woman" Radium Girls by Kate Moore (Find in a Library via WorldCat) Radium Girls (2018) IMDB "The Radium Girls" (Atomic Heritage Foundation)

Mar 28, 2020 • 11min
Episode 103: The News of the Day
We're using our home isolation to look back - reading issues of the Suffolk County News of 1920 week by week. They had quarantines back then too, it turns out, along with corsets and a lot of poultry. Stay tuned for more news of 1920 next week! Further Research NYS Historic Newspapers NYC Mayor LaGuardia's Legendary Radio Readings (NPR) Audio footnote: Episode 69: We Bought a Newspaper

Feb 9, 2020 • 29min
Episode 102: Harry Higbie and the Higbies of Higbie Lane
The LaGrange Inn was a storied stopping point along Montauk Highway from the 1700s when it opened for business with a Higbie at the helm. It remained a local landmark, operating under many different proprietors, into the 21st century. Now, thanks to many dedicated people in the community (and to CVS), a part of the LaGrange survives as the West Islip Historical Society Museum. Today, Harry Higbie (a descendant of the original owners), takes us through the history of the property, his family research, and the present state of the LaGrange. Further Research: West Islip Historical Society West Islip Historical Society Celebrates its New Home in the Lagrange Inn (Greater Bay Shore) Higbie Family Reunion (NYT Oct 11, 1925)

Jan 20, 2020 • 44min
Episode 101: Christopher Matthews and Historical Archaeology in Setauket
History is not the full story if not everyone gets to tell it. And in places where the traditional records are scarce or silent, where do you look for answers? Today we speak with anthropologist Christopher Matthews about his work in Setauket helping the people of a traditionally Native American (the Setalcotts) and African American community uncover more of their past. Working with Robert Lewis of the Higher Ground Intercultural and Heritage Association, along with long-time residents of Christian Avenue in Setauket, Chris and his colleauges have dug stories from the earth. These range from the laundry run by Hannah Hart out of her house on Lake and Main to stone tools found on the Silas Tobias site along Conscience Bay. We also talk about the goals and values of community archaeology as well as the need to see these places as living communities to be supported now and not as something that has disappeared. Links Christopher Matthews (Montclair State University) Christopher Matthews on Academia.edu Setalcott Nation Facebook Group A Counter Map of Setauket, New York The Bethel-Christian Avenue-Laurel Hill Historic District (via Long Island History Journal) Setauket (Mapping the African American Past, Columbia University)

Dec 18, 2019 • 58min
Episode 100: Warren McDowell and How Fire Island Got Its Name
Warren McDowell, former publisher of The Fire Island Tide, has been pondering the mystery of how Fire Island got its name all his life. This burning question has been answered in many ways over the years. Many myths, legends and theories have been proposed but Warren wanted sources. He turned his newspaperman's eye to every old map he could find. The result is an eye-catching cartographic, geographic and social history of a barrier beach. Warren presents a well-researched and documented argument for the origin of Fire Island while also illuminating the spirit at the heart of the place.

Dec 13, 2019 • 38min
Episode 99: Pottery on Long Island with Mark Smith
Mark Smith, bottle collector extraordinaire last heard on episode #63, returns to reveal his other Long Island history passion: pottery! We get an inside look at his private collection of crocks and jugs (and butter churns) documenting the evolution of pottery on the Island. We'll dive into the history of Huntington's pottery industry in particular, tracing the rise and fall of a speicifc business that changed hands many times over the course of the 19th century. Research Huntington Pottery: The Brown Brother Years by Mark R. Smith Useful Art: Long Island Pottery by Cynthia A. Corbett. (Find in a library via WorldCat) Episode 63: Bottle Collecting with Mark R. Smith Drumroll sound effect by Scheffler (CC0 1.0) via FreeSound.org

Dec 5, 2019 • 48min
Episode 98: Local Author Theresa Dodaro
Theresa Dodaro survived a life-threatening illness, waking from a coma determined to make the most of the time she had been gifted. One of the promises she made to herself: write. Since then, she has published four books and is working on her fifth. On this episode we discuss her journey and her process, how she combines her love of Long Island history with a desire to promote healing and communication through her work. The historical novels she writes draw from her own past, her genealogical research, and her eye for a good story. That can lead to a coming-of-age tale in 1960s Baldwin, an epic of World War II refugees, or a time travel romance on the South Shore in 1912. No matter the era, the human element remains the same. Further Research Theresa Dodaro.com Theresa Dodaro Books on Instagram Sayville Happenings & History Facebook Group The Sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff Meadow Croft The Kate Chopin International Society The Ashokan Reservoir (Hudson Valley Magazine)

Nov 13, 2019 • 50min
Episode 97: Jonathan Olly and Prohibition on Long Island
America tried something new from 1920 to 1933: outlawing the production, sale and transportation of intoxicating liquors. In that same spirit of social experimentation, we made this episode something new. It's a joint production of the Long Island History Project and Bar Crawl Radio. Our guest is Jonathan Olly, a curator and public historian from the Long Island Museum. Our topic is Prohibition on Long Island and the long road of protest and activism that led to the passage of the 18th ammendment. Our location: a bar in Patchogue. Come raise a glass with us as we explore temperance, rum running, and the business acumen of South Shore boatbuilders who built for both the Coast Guard and the bootleggers. This episode is one version of our conversation, edited by Chris Kretz. To hear what Alan and Becky mixed up from the same ingredients, head over to Bar Crawl Radio. One recording, two shows. And thanks to the owners of 22 West Main St. in Patchouge (formerly Hoptron, soon to be your Nashville honky tonk go-to watering hole) for hosting us on site!