The Long Island History Project

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)

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)

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.

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

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)

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!

We take a look back at the Revolutionary War on Long Island, courtesy of the Brentwood Public Library and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Peter Ward, the library's local history librarian, served as host. The Institute funded it; Peter Carmona, librarian trainee, recorded it. Historians Joanne Grasso of NYIT and Peter Bales of Queensboro Community College were the experts on the panel along with Chris Kretz, who mixed the whole thing down into bite sized pieces for your enjoyment. Further Research Revisiting the Founding Era Local History Room Dr. Peter Bales A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the 21st Century (2017) Dr. Joanne Grasso George Washington's 1790 Grand Tour of Long Island (2018) The American Revolution on Long Island (2016) Histories of Long Island (via WorldCat) British Prison Ships (podcast from the Bklyn Historical Society) Brentwood Public Library Average Brentwood Teens Podcast Brentwood Historical Society

We were saddened by the recent news of the passing of Gene Horton, Blue Point historian, former social studies teacher, tour guide, storyteller, friend and colleague. To honor Gene's memory and his passion for Long Island history, we're reposting here excerpts from two interviews we conducted with him over the years. One is from 2006 and the other from 2014. Our condolences go out to his family and all those who were lucky enough to know him. Links Books by Gene Horton (find in a library via WorldCat) The Sage of Blue Point (complete interview) Meadowcroft Estate (Bayport – Blue Point Heritage Association) Service details

Elaine Kiesling Whitehouse knows a good story when she sees it, and those stories often come from history. Writing from an early age, she was intrigued by the signs of the past all around her. There was a WWI era German radio transmitting station across the street and the decaying windmill of a former Gilded Age estate down the block. On today's episode, we discuss Elaine's writing history and how she has drawn on Long Island's past for inspiration. Her novel Hart's Tavern, set in Revolutionary War-era Patchogue, sprang from a roadside marker commemorating George Washington's trip through the area in 1790. She also relates the valuable lessons she learned as the editor of the Fire Island Tide as well as the writing career of her husband, Jack Whitehouse. Research Hart's Tavern (find in a library via WorldCat) 3 Legends of Fire Island and the Great South Bay (find in a library via WorldCat) Elaine Kiesling Whitehouse (LI Authors Group) Hart's Tavern Historical Marker Bourne Windmill The Radio Tower podcast Revisiting Telefunken (SCN) Audio Footnotes Truth Behind the Spies with Bev Tyler Terry Ketcham Inn Mark Rothenberg Mary Lou Cohalan Warren McDowell

Imagine a world with a private airport around every corner and an airplane in every garage. Where your form of ID could just as easily be a pilot's license as a driver's license and your weekend is spent with people with names like "Red" and "Speed" and "Ace". That's the world Walt Winnicki grew up in, learning to fly on Long Island in the early 1950s. And that's the world that Bob Mott and the Bayport Aerodrome Society is trying to preserve. On this episode, both men relate their long history and love of flying. We also discuss the lost world of private airfields and the near miraculous survival of the Bayport Aerodrome, built by Curtis Davis out of his family's corn field right after World War II. Research Bayport Aerodrome Society Cradle of Aviation Museum Long Island Airports 50 Years Later, 'Blind' Flight is Routine (NYT) The Brunner Winkle Bird Biplane noise from Freesound.org (by Loveburd)