The Long Island History Project

Clarence H. Robbins was a master of hounds and horses, a gentleman jockey and trainer, and a member of Brooklyn's Gilded Age elite. Come explore this forgotten Long Island figure with Kate Robbins, wife of Clarence's great grandson. Kate has taken on the mantle of family historian, spending years tracking down everything to do with the Robbins name. The hunt has taken her from the family's early days dealing in Brooklyn real estate to Clarence's horse stables in Great River, to the French ex-pat lifestyle of Clarence's son, noted author Tod Robbins. It gives a fascinating look into the Gilded Age sports lifestyle on Long Island, from fox hunting to dog shows to exclusive riding clubs.   Further Research Smithtown Hunt Survives in Suburbia The Meadowbrook Polo Club: Our History Red of Surley by Tod Robbins      

More than a beach or a brand, Southampton has a history that stretches back thousands of years. The coming of English settlers in the 17th century only complicated matters. The coming of the railroad and wealthy New Yorkers in the 19th century led to a Gilded Age enclave of entrepreneurs, socialites, and celebrities. Now known world-wide as an exclusive destination, does that help or hinder preserving the village's local history? Learn all this and more as we sit down and talk with Tom Edmonds, director of the Southampton History Museum.  Further Research Southampton History Museum Christie's Auction Gary Lawrence Mansions of the Gilded Age on Instagram The History BA Since the Great Recession    

Linda Metzger is the Long Island Genealogist. On today's episode, you'll hear how she turned a hobby into a career working to uncover the lost or simply forgotten stories of people and their lives. 

We've interviewed people who have restored houses and inns and even old race cars but how do you go about restoring a lake? We conitnue our conversation with Evelyn Vollgraff (Lake Ronkonkoma Historical Society) and Danielle Campbell (News 12) to learn how to do just that. Turns out you need a dedicated commmunity, invested local businesses, and a host of helpful politicians. Further Research Lake Ronkonkoma Improvement Group The Return of the Lady of Lake Ronkonkoma (NYTimes) Do You Remember Yarlows and all the other old stores of Roknonkoma Lake Ronkonkoma Improvement Group Honored from Senate Floor

The waters of Lake Ronkonkoma have seen it all: Native Americans, English settlers, Broadway actresses, 20th century resort-goers and automobile racers. No one knows this better than Evelyn Vollgraff, president of the Lake Ronkonkoma Historical Society. Today we dive into the history of the lake, the many myths and legends that surround this very heart of the Island. Joining us again is Danielle Campbell of News 12, who had her own part to play in the story of Lake Ronkonkoma.  This is part 1 of 2. Join us in two weeks to hear what it takes to preserve a 243-acre body of water.

Dr. John Strong, professor emeritus of Southampton College, has spent a career pursuing the history of Long Island's Native Americans. His latest achievement is bringing to life the earliest days of American whaling, using what amounts to 17th century spreadsheets. He uncovers an East End in a whaling frenzy. Start-up companies (called whale designs) organized by the promiment familes of the area turned to an emerging generation of Native Americans to man their boats and hunt whales off the shore. It could be brutal, bloody, and incredibly profitable. Further Research America's Early Whalemen: Indain Shore Whalers on Long Island, 1650-1750 Southampton History Museum Skeletal Remains Found at Construction Site (27East) Shinnecock Hills Preservation Fund

We usher in the holiday season early with this deep dive into the Charles Dickens Festival in Port Jefferson. Five of the driving forces behind the Festival, including four of the actors, tell us what it's like re-enacting the Victorian Era and what Dickens means to them.  Further Research Arts Council Greater Port Jefferson Northern Brookhaven One Life to Give The Brigands Lifetime: One

Kerriann Flanagan Brosky investigates ghosts and other paranormal phenomenon on Long Island. She has long been fascinated with the links between local history and ghostly sightings, weaving the two together in her books.  With her partner Joe Giaquinto, she has investigated and written about Long Island's old buildings and homes and the spirits who inhabit them. Further Research Kerriann Flanagan Brosky Books by Kerriann (via WorldCat) Joe Giaquinto (Long Island Medium and Ghost Investigator) Peter Underwood (The Independent, 2/6/2015) William Sidney Mount (National Gallery of Art) Long Island Crime Expo (11/3/2018)

Joe Mandanici describes the 1974 fire at Dowling College in Oakdale from his vantage point as a volunteer firefighter at the scene.

Who knew that firehouses were such deep sources of local history? In the town of Islip, they are overflowing with trophies, photos, devices, and mechanisms going back to the 1800s. There was so much history, in fact, that a dedicated group of firefighters and volunteers spent over two decades making the Islip Town Fire & EMS Museum a reality. Hear Tom Rinelli, the museum's historian, describe that rich history and what it tells us about life (and fires) on Long Island, the evolution of firefighting, and the unique brotherhood of people who volunteer to run into burning buildings. Further Research. Islip Town Fire & EMS Museum Nassau County Firefighters Museum Brookhaven Volunteer Firefighters Museum American Truck Historical Society Long Island Chapter Association of Nassau County Fire Historians