The Long Island History Project

David Morrison knows his railroads, from his six books on LIRR history and stations to his extensive research collection to his years overseeing thirty-nine stations. With his seventh book due out from Arcadia Press on July 15th, we could think of no better time to sit down with David and get a crash course on the history of the Long Island Rail Road. Books Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station: Statuary and Sculputres by David Morrison Books by David Morrison The Late, Great Pennsylvania Station by Lorraine B. Diehl Miles of Smiles: The Story of Roxey, the Long Island Rail Road Dog by Heather H. Worthington and Bill Farnsworth Websites Trains are Fun Oyster Bay Railroad Museum Railroad Museum of Long Island Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Wantagh Preservation Society and Wantagh Museum

The life of an actor is never easy, so it's not surprising that many early Broadway stars made a point of vacationing in solitude on Long Island whenever they could. You might be surprised, however, at the prevailing working conditions and labor strugles they were often performing under in early 20th-cenutry theater. While the fast-growing industry was lucrative for producers like the Shuberts and Belascos, it offered many hardships for those who worked in front of and behind the curtain. Caroline Propersi-Grossman, a PhD candidate in history at SUNY Stony Brook, walks us through these labor struggles and their culmination in the Actors' Equity strike of 1919. With scenes including Ethel Barrymore and W.C. Fields on the picket line to George M. Cohen in the role of strike-breaker, it's a story that encapsulates much of labory history and the greater turmoil of 1919. For Caroline, this is backdrop to her dissertation, The Creative Hands: Stagehands, Their Union, and the Backstage/Frontstage Divide, which is a gendered labor history that focuses on the relationship between work, culture, gender, and race in New York City's entertainment industry between 1945 and 1995. Caroline served as the Stony Brook University chief steward for the Graduate Student Employees Union/Communications Workers of America Local 1104 and is currently organizing with Service Employees International Union 1199. Research Caroline Propersi-Grossman @carolinecprogro Women Also Know History One Hundred Years of Equity Strikes and Labor Solidarity All the World's a Stage! The Actors' Strike of 1919 History: Actors' Equity Long Island Scintilates with Stage Stars at Play (NYS Historic Newspapers)

Every other year, Preservation Long Island compiles a list of endangered historic places in need of saving. Sarah Kautz, their Preservation Director, joins us to discuss the four sites chosen for 2019. From a family farm in East Patchogue to a life saving station on Fire Island, each of these sites presents a unique case study in Long Island's history and the many challenges involved in preserving historic structures.

Islip Town Historian George Munkenbeck provides a look at the amazing Ludlows - the first family of Oakdale, veterans of the Civil War and beyond, and caretakers of St. John's Episcopal Church on Montauk Highway. Louisa, the matriarch, descended from the first Lord of the Manor. Her husband, William Handey Ludlow, was a leading figure in the Democratic Party. One son saved the Constitution, the other inspired the National Parks system. And today they are all but forgotten. This episode originally aired in two parts on the Dowling College Library Omnibus podcast back in 2010. We are bringing it out of the vault in a slightly condensed form to help celebrate the 335th anniversary of Islip Town.

Two hundred years ago, the man who broke American poetry forever was born in West Hills, Long Island. His house remains a shrine and place of pilgrimage for fans and poetry lovers from around the world. Cynthia Shor is Executive Director of the Walt Whitman Birthplace Association. She's responsible for the programming and operations and most importantly, the bicentennial celebrations. On today's episode, we talk the history of the site, the life of Whitman, and the impact of his poetry. Further Research Walt Whitman Birthplace So We Bought a Poet's Shrine The Walt Whitman House (Camden) Walt Whitman (Poetry Foundation)

Erin is the Visitor Services & Volunteer Coordinator at the Long Island Maritime Museum as well as the Museum Educator at the Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum. As such she's perfectly situated to tell us about the current state of museums - and also the varied maritime histories of the North and South Shores. From whales to oysters, from field trips to date nights, there is much to discuss.

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