The Long Island History Project

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.

On this bonus episode, NASA astrophysicist emeritus Daniel Gezari talks about his research, his studies at Stony Brook, his meeting with Albert Einstein and more.

What's a summer bungalow without a machine shop, a kiln and a working loom in the living room? Add in piles of beach stones waiting to be sculpted, framed pictures of Albert Einstein on the walls and various collections of insects and you're starting to get an idea of life at Zvi and Temima Gezari's home in Rocky Point.

The De La Salle Christian Brothers moved their all-boy Christian military academy to Oakdale in 1926 and graduated their last class in 2001. On today's episode we'll here from alum Denis McGee about two decades in that storied history. Denis graduated in 1974 during the tail end of the Viet Nam War. His father, Arthur McGee, graduated in 1943 and went on to serve in World War II with the 94th Infantry Division. This interview is part of an oral history project being conducted by the Oakdale Historical Society and the Connetquot Public Library. If you are a an alum of La Salle or worked or taught there and would like to be a part of this project, please contact Diane Haberstroh at the Connetquot Public Library: dhaberst[at]connetquotlibrary.org.

Mark Rothenberg oversees the Celia M. Hastings Local History Room at Patchogue Medford Library. On this episode he relates the story of the Queen City of the South Shore, from mill town to resort destination. Along the way we encounter members of the Culper Spy Ring, Confederate sympathizers and proponents of the bicycle-driven monorail.

When an athletic, thrill-seeking millionaire builds a mansion hideaway on the outskirts of the city, stocking it with a technologically advanced fleet of cars, boats and airplanes along with trophies of his exploits, there's a good chance he's either Batman or a Vanderbilt. Meet William K. Vanderbilt II circa 1910. Just after the turn of the last century, William (or Willie K.) was heir to the Vanderbilt fortune and all the pressures that went with it. Reeling from a public relations disaster in Lake Success, he diverted his attention to Centerport and created Eagle's Nest, an idyllic private retreat with space for a public museum housing his collection of marine specimens and cultural artifacts. On today's episode we speak with Stephanie Gress, Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, the institution formed when Vanderbilt willed his estate be perpetuated as a museum. Our discussion uncovers Willie K.'s scientific pursuits, his connections to the American Museum of Natural History, golfing with Sam Snead and the probabilities of Vanderbilts in space. We also talk about the challenges of preserving such a unique museum collection and how generations of school kids on Long Island have thrilled to the only Egyptian mummy between Brooklyn and Great Britain.

Rob Boehm, past president of the Puppet Guild of Long Island, walks us through the world of puppetry and puppet theater since the 1950s, including his early interests and later experiences as a puppeteer. Both he and our own Connie Currie studied with Carol Fijan, the Great Neck-based master puppeteer who greatly influenced the development of puppet theater. They discuss Carol's teachings and writings, her early days with the WPA and the enduring challenges of bringing puppets to life.