The Long Island History Project

What better way to celebrate National Preservation Month than by interviewing Jason Crowley, Preservation Director of the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquties (SPLIA)? Jason comes to Long Island by way of Vermont, Charleston, Columbia University and years of work on the front lines of preservation. You'll hear his take on the unique […]

National Poetry Month is almost over but we have time for one more power ballad. This time, we're looking over the body of work of Paul Bailey. Bailey was a newspaperman from Amityville (founder of the Amityville Sun) as well as the publisher of the Long Island Forum. His dedication to Long Island history ran deep as he was also president of the Suffolk County Historical Society and Suffolk County Historian. He wrote a syndicated column on Long Island history and was a sought-after public speaker on the topic. So it's no surprise that his posthumous book of poetry, Treading Clams (1965) is filled with light verse on all aspects of Long Island. Today we read through excerpts of three of the poems, "The Midnight Rides of Austin Roe," "Shoes from the Sea," and "When Prohibition Came." Born in 1885, Bailey actually spent some time out west before settling down to his newspaper career. He worked on cattle ranches and possibly in the movies – enough experience, at least, to fuel a number of Western stories that he wrote for pulps like Argosy later on. He also struck up a friendship at home with nearby neighbors Will Rogers and Fred Stone. Stone was an actor and comedian and the first person to play the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz (in the 1902 Broadway version). Our reader today is Dr. Josh Gidding, Professor of English at Dowling College. Thanks, Josh! And we hope you've enjoyed our spelunking through poetry history. Make sure you check out our other Long Island Power Ballads and leave a comment on what you thought. Further Research Treading Clams by Paul Bailey (find in a library via WorldCat) Long Island Forum index (Patchogue Medford Library) Roe Tavern (Three Village Historical Society) The Truth Behind the Spies: Decoding AMC's Turn Montauk Lighthouse Rum Runners (from Long Island Traditions) Amityville Historical Society All Long Island Power Ballad episodes

Back when men were men and railroads were railroads, Charles M. Murphy challenged a locomotive and lived to tell the tale. He rode behind a Long Island Railroad locomotive in 1899 and clocked a mile in under 58 seconds, earning him the immortal nickname Mile-a-Minute Murphy. On today's episode we look back at Murphy's accomplishment through the eyes of Si Tannhauser. Who was Si Tannhauser, you ask? Only the "poet laureate of Long Island" circa 1934. That's when he published his ode to Murphy in the Leader Observer. Si was a ticket agent for the Long Island Railroad by day, poet by night. The lives of both men brim with anecdote and pathos. Tannhauser survived the San Francisco earthquake as well as hardscrabble times that left him near blind, lame and half-deaf. Murphy went on to Vaudeville and the New York City Police department where, among other things, he wrestled down a runaway horse. This episode is part of our celebration of National Poetry month and the reader of this particular Long Island power ballad is Rick Jackofsky of the Home Grown String Band. Many thanks, Rick! And check out our past ballads for more poetry/history mashups. Further Research Rhymes of the Sunrise Trail by Si Tannhauser (find in a library via WorldCat) Songs of Horticulture by Si Tannhauser (find in a library via WorldCat) "Mile-a-Minute Murphy," Sports Illustrated, Sept. 5, 1955 Long Island Railroad History San Francisco Earthquake, 1906 Homegrown String Band Audio Credits Steam Whistle by Bidone CC 0 License Music: Razzle Dazzle Crowd cheers by jessepash CC 0 License Peak rails by konakaboom CC Attribution-NonCommercial License Bicycle by DamianMinnie CC Attribution-NonCommercial License Heavy breathing by Under7dude CC 0 License Grunts by mattgarkusha CC 0 License Wheezing by thedapperdan CC 0 License Man saying OMG by dcaval1@towson.edu CC Sampling Plus License Ooh females by AudioRichter CC Attribution License

We continue our celebration of National Poetry Month with our second Long Island power ballad from the past. This time out we are looking at "A Babylonish Ditty" by Frederick Swartwout Cozzens (writing as Richard Haywarde). Few will remember New York wine merchant-turned poet Cozzens and his heyday as a humor writer in the mid 1800s (although you should try his Sparrowgrass Papers, something of a 19th-century prototype for the sticom Green Acres.) Fewer still will remember the Knickerbocker, the magazine where he cut his teeth. But that's where, in 1850, he first published "A Babylonish Ditty," a quick-trotting ode to a long gone summer romance. Why Babylon? Well, the south shore of Long Island ("the merry old south side") had a reputation that drew men out from New York City. Mostly they were merchants and lawyers, amateur sportsmen drawn to the abundant fish and game along the Great South Bay. They came by rail and stage coach and after a long day traipsing through the great outdoors, they retired to one of the many inns and taverns strung along the South Country Road (today's Montauk Highway). Listen to Cozzens relive those hazy summer days and wonder to yourself how the "fickle" object of his affection viewed the whole affair. Many thanks to our guest reader, Steve Birkeland. Further Research "Babylonish Ditty" Kinckerbocker Magazine, December 1850. (via Hathi Trust) Prismatics by Richard Haywarde, 1853 The Sparrowgrass Papers, 1856 Village of Babylon Historical and Preservation Society Audio Credits Clock by pogotron CC Sampling Plus License Anita Female giggle by ch0cchi CC Attribution License 3.0 Stream by gluckose CC 0 License Cheers by Corsica_S CC Attribution License 3.0 Drinking glasses by EpicWizard CC 0 License Fireworks by noah0189 CC 0 License Crowd Ooohs by noah0189 CC 0 License Breeze by keweldog CC 0 License Footsteps by mentalsanityoff CC 0 License Bees by Benboncan CC Attribution License 3.0 Pain by 11linda CC Attribution License 3.0 Dog barking by jace CC 0 License Dog barks by juan-merie-venter CC Attribution Noncommercial Female startled surprise by AudioRichter CC Attribution License 3.0 Male laugh by ch0cchi CC Attribution License 3.0 Screams and pain by thanvannispen CC Attribution License 3.0 Running by Benboncan CC Attribution License 3.0 Vocal (Kiss) by Adam_N CC 0 License Slap by talis1942 CC Attribution License 3.0 Summer sounds by jymdavis CC 0 License Writing by moai15 CC 0 License Paddle in rowboat by jakobthiesen CC Attribution License 3.0 Storm by crooner CC Attribution Noncommercial Oh disappointed by esperar CC 0 License Splash by petenice CC 0 License High heels on wooden floor by avakas CC Attribution License 3.0 Door slams by bennstir CC Attribution License 3.0 Heavy surf by odilonmarcenaro CC 0 License Raven by bidone CC 0 License Grandfather clock by ollyoldhoff CC 0 License

It's National Poetry Month and we're celebrating with a series of poetry/history mashups that we like to call Long Island Power Ballads. We're dusting off some deserving yet obscure poems (and poets) dealing with Long Island history and giving them another look. Over the next few weeks you'll hear stories of broken hearts, tragic deaths, and the indomitable human spirit. But when we say obscure, we mean obscure. If you're looking for Walt Whitman, seek ye elsewhere. Today's episode deals with "The Death of Woodhull: An American Ballad" which tells one version of the death of Nathaniel Woodhull, American patriot, Brigadier General and brother-in-law of William Floyd. Learn the history of the man and the story of the legend that sprung up around his demise. His connection to AMC's Turn is also explained. Hear our fearless poetry reenactors bring this ballad back to life amid fanfare, galloping horses and flashing blades. Many thanks to Anne McCaffrey, Frances Schauss and Kristine Hanson. Audio Credits Let Me Like a Soldier Fall Marching Snare from lewk CC Non-Commercial Attribution License 3.0 Horses from vincentmalstaf CC 0 License Reenactment from alienistcog CC 0 License Cannon from man CC Attribution License 3.0 Female breathing from Kuroseishin CC 0 License Horse neigh from dobroide CC Attribution License 3.0 Sword Battle from freefire66 CC 0 License El Miserere Breathing from lizanejordaan, CC Non-Commercial Attribution License 3.0 Stabbing Watermelon from the shaggyfreak, CC Non-Commercial Attribution License 3.0 Passing Review Further Research "Death of Woodhull: An American Ballad" from The Mirror, 1823 Account of Woodhull's death from Henry Onderdonk's 1846 Documents and Letters Intended to Illustrate the Revolutionary Incidents of Queens County. Turn: Washington's Spies on AMC Digital Public Library of America resources Freesound.org UCSB Cylinder Audio Archive National Poetry Month

Folklorists would make good podcasters. They are used to finding interesting people and getting them to tell good stories. Take Nancy Solomon for example. As the executive director of Long Island Traditions, she has spent years collecting and studying the stories of baymen, offshore fishermen, boat builders and the like. Today we'll talk to her about a number of those stories revolving around the subject of weather lore. We discuss how generations of fishermen have scanned the skies and shores for signs of encroaching weather. You'll hear of hurricanes opening (and closing) inlets along Fire Island, shark sightings, narrow escapes and the lasting impact of Superstorm Sandy. Built up over years and passed down through generations, the weather lore of Long Island fishermen can tell us much about how things have changed and how to best work with nature. And thanks to Debra Anwar Riad for adding her voice to our intro! Further Research Long Island Traditions Long Island Traditions on YouTube Nancy Solomon interview (2007) "The 'New Cut' at Old Inlet" Hurricane Sandy (via the National Weather Service) Long Island Commercial Fishing Association The Folklore Society

We return to our conversation with investigative journalist Karl Grossman, picking up his career after the memorable fight against the Fire Island road in the 1960s. For a journalist, what story could top that? Cut to: Shoreham Nuclear Power Station #1. It's the 1970s and the Long Island Lighting Company (LILCO) is building the first of up to eleven proposed nuclear power plants, poised to turn Long Island into a "nuclear park." After working at the Long Island Press until its demise in 1977, Karl covers the LILCO story through local papers like the Long Island Advance, the Suffolk County News, the Southampton Press and the East Hampton Star. In addition to Karl, the story is also being followed by Murray Barbash and Irving Like. Veterans of the Fire Island fight, Irv and Murray help form the Citizens Committee to Replace LILCO. Karl relates the various tactics they and others used to help thwart the completion of the Shoreham plant and bring about passage of the Long Island Power Act and the formation of the Long Island Power Authority. Karl also shares his thoughts on the current state of journalism, electronic media, and what has and hasn't changed on Long Island. Further Research Karl Grossman LIPolitics.com Power Crazy by Karl Grossman (find in a library via WorldCat) Brookhaven National Lab: Our History Our Story: How EDF Got Started Beyond News by Mitchell Stephens (find in a library via WorldCat) NYS Historic Newspapers

It's 1962 and a Nor'easter has just torn through Long Island. In its wake is another storm, Long Island Parks Commissioner Robert Moses with his plan to build a road down the middle of Fire Island. It will stabilize the beach, he says. It will provide beauty and ease to the motorist, he says. But local builder Murray Barbash notices that the road will run right through his new development of Dunewood, flattening it and pretty much anything else in its path (including Sunken Forest). Murray gets together with his brother-in-law Irving Like and the rest, if you don't know already, is history. Murray's daughters Cathy and Susan knew the story but over the course of the last year they set about documenting that history. Sifting through a number of local and regional archives (including Dowling's) they pieced together the saga of the road-that-never-was. On this episode you'll hear from Cathy and Susan and their mother Lillian about how an unlikely coalition of Long Island "vigilantes" outwitted and outlasted the great Robert Moses. You can soon see Cathy's and Susan's research for yourself when the exhibit they created is permanently installed with Seatuck at the Suffolk County Environmental Center in Islip. For now, use the handy scorecard below to keep track of who's who in this gripping story of intrigue and power set against the natural beauty of Fire Island. Many thanks to the Barbash family for sharing their time, memories and photos. Scorecard for this Episode The Long Island "Vigilantes" Murray Barbash: builder with an eye for beauty, developer of Dunewood Lillian Barbash: his wife Irving Like: indomitable lawyer and Murray's brother-in-law Paul Townsend: "The Wizard," publisher of the Long Island Business News Robert Cushman Murphy: the tallest ornithologist in the world The State Robert Moses: New York's [insert your own adjective] Master Builder Nelson Rockefeller: the not-to-be-bullied Governor of New York Laurance Rockefeller: Nelson's brother and noted conservationist Long Island's Legislators Stuyvesant Wainwright: Congressman from New York's 1st District, proposed a Fire Island National Seashore when no one was looking Otis Pike: wins Wainwright's seat with Moses' backing, becomes reluctant sponsor of the Fire Island National Seashore bill The Feds Stewart Udall – Secretary of the Interior, consummate insider and good guy President John F. Kennedy: wanted National Parks in the East, dammit The Media Charles Collingwood: Saltaire resident and CBS newsman Wolcott Gibbs: writer for the New Yorker and Fire Island playwright Teddy White: Fair Harbor resident and chronicler of presidents Julius Monk: New York cabaret impresario whom we have to thank for the classic "Slow Down Moses" Further Research Season in the Sun by Wolcott Gibbs (from the Playbill Vault) A Marvelous Order: An Opera About Robert Moses and Jane Jacobs Robert Moses: Master Builder of New York City (find in a library via WorldCat) "The Fire on New York's Famous Island" (Sports Illustrated) Robert Moses Papers at the New York Public Library Rockefeller Archive Center Stewart Udall Oral History at the JFK Library Paul Townsend Collection at Dowling College Robert Cushman Murphy Collection at Stony Brook University The Films of Ron Howard (just in case)

Karl Grossman has been an investigative reporter on Long Island since the early 1960s. Barely in his twenties, he cut his journalistic teeth at the Babylon Town Leader taking on one of the most powerful men in New York State: Robert Moses. Karl covered the developing story of Moses' plan to build a highway down the middle of Fire Island. Although the plan horrified local residents, many on the Island and in the press supported it. Through the work of Karl and papers like the Suffolk County News and the Long Island Business News and most importantly people like Murray Barbash, Irving Like and Robert Cuhsman Murphy, the plan was washed away. In its place we have the Fire Island National Seashore. Today is part 1 of our interview with Karl on his early career, the power of the press, and how he was almost an alum of Dowling College (then known as Adelphi Suffolk College). You'll hear about his further battles in part 2 but first in two weeks we'll revisit the Moses fight from the perspective of the Barbash family. Stay tuned! Further Research Karl Grossman Works by Karl Grossman Related Books Fire Island National Seashore Digital Public Library of America resources Related podcasts: Mike Jahn, The New York Times and Rock & Roll Leroy Douglas and the Class of '64

St. David AME Zion Church in Eastville. Photo courtesy of the Eastville Community Historical Society." data-medium-file= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/amezionchurch.jpg?w=296" data-large-file= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/amezionchurch.jpg?w=691" class="alignnone wp-image-791" src= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/amezionchurch.jpg?w=201&h=204" alt= "St. David AME Zion Church in Eastville. Photo courtesy of the Eastville Community Historical Society." width="201" height="204" srcset= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/amezionchurch.jpg?w=201&h=204 201w, https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/amezionchurch.jpg?w=402&h=408 402w, https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/amezionchurch.jpg?w=148&h=150 148w, https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/amezionchurch.jpg?w=296&h=300 296w" sizes="(max-width: 201px) 100vw, 201px" /> St. David AME Zion Church in Eastville. Photo courtesy of the Eastville Community Historical Society. Eastville endures. Through the rise and fall of the whaling industry, over the long slow death of slavery, past the rising tide of development on the East End of Long Island. From the early 19th-century this small collection of streets and houses east of Sag Harbor, anchored around the St. David AME Zion Church, has retained its character as a place that a vibrant mix of African Americans, Native Americans, and European immigrants called home. On this episode of the Project, we speak with Dr. Georgette Grier-Key, Executive Director and Curator of the Eastville Community Historical Society. She relates the history of the area, from the early 1830s into the late 20th century when the Society was founded. Portrait of an Eastville resident. Photo courtesy of the Eastville Community Historical Society." data-medium-file= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/portrait.jpg?w=213" data-large-file= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/portrait.jpg?w=404" class="alignnone wp-image-788" src= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/portrait.jpg?w=142&h=200" alt= "Portrait of an Eastville resident. Photo courtesy of the Eastville Community Historical Society." width="142" height="200" srcset= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/portrait.jpg?w=142&h=200 142w, https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/portrait.jpg?w=284&h=400 284w, https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/portrait.jpg?w=107&h=150 107w, https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/portrait.jpg?w=213&h=300 213w" sizes="(max-width: 142px) 100vw, 142px" /> Portrait of an Eastville resident. Photo courtesy of the Eastville Community Historical Society. You'll hear about the prominence of Native Americans and African Americans in the whaling industry as well as the importance of Sag Harbor as the first port of entry in New York. Among the people we discuss are Nathan Cuffee, a Montaukett member of the community who co-wrote the novel Lords of the Soil in 1905, depicting life on the east end of Long Island. Georgette also tells the surprising story of Pyrrhus Concer from nearby Southampton, an African American who, on a whaling voyage in 1845, became one of the first Americans to visit Japan. We also discuss the challenges of documenting and preserving the histories of marginalized people. How do you prove, for example, that one of the trapdoors in the Church was used to hide escaping slaves on the Underground Railroad? How do you protect an unassuming house that is actually made out of wood from recovered 19th century shipwrecks and may contain generations of important stories? Courtesy of the Eastville Historical Society Sometimes you get lucky and discover a trove of tintype portraits nailed face-down into the floor of a cottage. Sometimes you fail, and structures get razed despite what they might be able to tell us about the past. Sometimes the results are mixed. Pyrrhus Concer's house was demolished but only after significant parts had been salvaged. You'll hear Georgette talk about these cases and related issues along with the importance of understanding and enforcing the codes that should be helping inform decisions around such properties. You'll also hear about ongoing projects to document African American burial sites throughout Long Island. And if you enjoy these episodes, make sure to follow this site via email or subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. Leave us a comment and let us know what aspects of Long Island history you'd like to hear discussed. http://wwwx.dowling.edu/library/new/GrierKey.mp3 Stream in the player above or download audio. Further Research Eastville Community Historical Society Sag Harbor Whaling Museum Sylvester Manor Lords of the Soil by Nathan Cuffee (via Google Books) Eastville Tintypes from Floor to Wall (East Hampton Star) Burial Database Project of Enslaved African Americans Slavery and Salvation: Long Island's Underground Railroad (Long Island Press) Slavery in New York (New York Historical Society)