The Long Island History Project

Sarah Kautz, preservation director of the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities, joins us to discuss their new list of most endangered historic places on Long Island. From the homes of African American and Native American workers to the grand estates of the Gilded Age, each site offers a window into the Island's past and to the complex challenges of historic preservation. Further Research SPLIA's Endangered Historic Places 2017 Friends of Ceadarmere Bethel Christian Avenue Historic District (National Register application) Friends of the Fowler House (Facebook) Indian Fields (from On This Site project) Oakdale Historical Society (Facebook) York Hall (Kings Park Heritage Museum) York Hall Interview with Jason Crowley (2016)

Apologies to all of our listeners for the lag between episodes! It's been a combination of factors and circumstance but new content is in the works. Connie and I will be back soon with interviews with more authors, researchers, and others involved in uncovering and preserving Long Island history. In the meantime, if you know of anyone who you think has a great Long Island history story to tell, drop us a line at longislandhistoryproject [at] gmail.com. We'd love to hear your suggestions.

Jeremy Dennis is in pursuit of the past, intent on documenting the historical and sacred sites of indigenous people on Long Island. His project, On This Site, restores a map of an old heritage. Jeremy has walked forests, railroad tracks, and backyards to uncover and photograph the often overlooked and forgotten landscape of his Shinnecock ancestors and other Native Americans on Long Island. On this episode, Jeremy discusses the physical evolution of the sites he has visited as well as his travels through the historical record trying to decode long-forgotten place names and often biased accounts. We also talk about the photography projects that inspired him and what he would like to pursue next. Further Research: On This Site Jeremy Dennis Fine Art Photography "On This Site: The Indigenous People of Suffolk County" Exhibit July 15th, 1:00 PM Opening Reception, Suffolk County Historical Society Running Strong for American Indian Youth Related Episodes: Tales of the Shinnecock A Walk Through Time With The Shinnecock An Island of History Under Our Feet Photography Projects: Vanishing Points, Michael Sherwin On This Site, Joel Sternfeld The Innocents, Taryn Simon Save Save

Today we talk with Sandi Brewster-walker about her life and her family's history. Not only do the Brewsters have deep ties to North Amityville and the Native American community on Long Island but their story is intertwined with American history on multiple levels. You'll hear about early slavery on Long Island, letters from John Brown, spying in West Africa for the OSS during World War II, the peculiar fad for Tom Thumb's wedding and more. Sandi is also a practiced genealogist and we go over some of the challenges of researching Native American and African American ancestors. Beyond family research, her current efforts are directed at establishing a North Amityville Historic District and a Long Island Indigenous People & Research Center. For more details, you can check out her book, The Colored Girl From Long Island, and her columns in the Amityville Record. Further Research The Colored Girl From Long Island The Autobiography of Willis Augustus Hodges [PDF] Long Island Indigenous People Museum & Research Institute North of the Village Green (Amityville Record) Bicentenial Moment: Irving W. Underhill 71st Annual Shinnecock Indian Powwow Who Were the Harlem Hellfighters America on the Move: Pullman Porter The Wondrous World of Tom Thumb Weddings

If you needed a house built in Sayville around the turn of the last century, Isaac H. Green, Jr. was your man. To attest to this fact, you can still see many of his buildings on Main Street, off Brook St., along Middle Road, down into Oakdale and beyond. He designed churches and carriage houses as well as summer estates and farm buildings. His client list included the Vanderbilts, the Bournes and the Cuttings. His biggest fan, however, is Connie Currie. On today's episode, Connie describes her over fifty year pursuit of the life and buildings of Isaac H. Green. She started with Meadow Croft, the summer home he designed for John Ellis Roosevelt. Her research odyssey took her to Oakdale, East Hampton and all the way up to Bar Harbor, Maine as she tracked the career of Sayville's favorite son. Further Research Meadow Croft (Bayport Heritage Association) A History of St. Anne's Church The Architecture of Isaac Henry Green Jr. (National Register) Queen Anne. Architectural Styles of America and Europe Save Save Save

If you were to name the most famous Floyd on Long Island before the outbreak of the Revolution, chances are it would not have been William Floyd. His cousin, Richard Floyd IV, cut a more striking figure: generous, hospitable, refined - with a thriving Mastic estate and powerful connections. Yet today, William has a parkway named after him and his home is part of the National Park system while Richard is erased from history. Wonder why? Join local historian Matthew Montelione as he relates the history of American Loyalist Richard IV and how the Revolution drove him apart from his family, his neighbors and his nation. Richard's story is part of our special series of episodes looking into Revolutionary War-era Long Island in honor of the final season of AMC's Turn: Washington's Spies. It turns out that Richard's fate is woven into that of the Culper Spy Ring. Richard's brother Benjamin lived in Seatauket and had some dubious ties to Abraham Woodhull. And not only did Brewster Caleb make it a point to raid Floyd's estate, Benjamin Tallmadge led a party of dragoons right to his doorstep, besieging the neighboring British Fort St. George on the Mastic peninsula. Hear all this and more, including our predictions on what the last scene in Turn will be. Further Research: Richard Floyd IV: Long Island Loyalist Mastic Peninsula Historical Society Benjamin Tallmadge Historic Trail Memoir of Benjamin Tallmadge Other Turn episodes: Morton Pennypacker: Long Island Spy Hunter Save Save Save

Can vegetables go extinct? Not if the Long Island Regional Seed Consortium (LIRSC) has anything to say about it. They are dedicated to preserving and propagating those crops that few have even heard about, the types of things that have fallen out of favor or been crowded out of today's agricultural landscape. Today we interview Steph Gaylor and Cheryl Frey Richards, two of the founders of LIRSC (along with Ken Ettlinger) about their work. It takes dedication, hard work, meticulous historical research and a devotion to craft beer. You'll hear about the success they've had bringing back the Long Island Cheese Pumpkin, the challenges of finding and propagating long lost seeds, and the important role of seed swaps and seed libraries in places like Patchogue and Bayport. Related Research: Long Island Seed Consortium Seeds and Suds: Kabul Leek edition Seed Savers Exchange Chillies to Chocolate: Foods the Americas Gave Us (via WorldCat) Seed Libraries of Long Island on Facebook

Frank Knox Morton Pennypacker was many things: author, printer, collector, antiquarian, and...godfather of AMC's hit Long Island historical drama Turn? It was, after all, Pennypacker's diligent research into (and just as diligent promotion of) the Culper Spy Ring in the 1930s that led to a resurgence and new understanding of George Washington's spy ring on Long Island and in New York City. To learn the true depth of the story, however, we need to visit the East Hampton Free Library. Further Research East Hampton Public Library Long Island Collection Works by Morton Pennypacker (via WorldCat) Raynham Hall Museum TURN Washington's Spies (AMC) The Culper Spy Ring and Benedict Arnold Henry Clinton Papers (U of Michigan) "Capt. John Hulbert and his Flag of 1775" (via JSTOR) Capt. Kidd's Cloth of Gold Freesound TV Static (CC 0) Revolutionary War Re-enactment (CC 0)

Jack Ellsworth, born Ellsworth Shiebler, won acclaim and a loyal following over a 60-plus year career in broadcasting on stations from WHIM to WALK and WLIM. Just as importantly, he won the respect and support of some of the biggest names of the Big Band era. Benny Goodman, Frank Sinatra, and Bing Crosby (to name a few) toasted Jack's efforts to keep the music and style of the 1930s and 40s alive. On this episode, Susan and Elissa Shiebler (Jack's daughter and granddaughter, respectively) relate the story of Jack's life from his early days in Brooklyn to his work as a Marine war correspondent through his glory days at WALK-FM and WLIM. Fueled by his personal connections to top-name performers and a legendary record collection, Jack's "Memories in Melody" show enthralled audiences of all ages. Beyond stories of stars such as Dick Powell and Frank Sinatra, Susan and Elissa also reveal how strongly the legacy of Jack and his wife Dot guides the family today. Grandson Matt Taylor has taken on the mantle of host, along with his own career as a performer, bringing that Big Band sound to a new age. They are now on 103.9 FM (WRCN) and LongIslandNewsRadio.com Sunday mornings 7 – 9 am.

George Munkenbeck, Islip Town Historian, discusses the history of the town from it's possibly piratical origins to its surprising connections to WW I and the Suffragist movement.