The Long Island History Project

Shinnecock (2013). Photo courtesy of Thom Hoffman When something piques Thom Hoffman's interest, he starts asking questions. Then he tries to work out the answers through film. The result has been an eclectic mix of documentaries (three to date) that share some common traits: his desire to educate and his love of Long Island history. Brother, Can You Spare a Dollar? (2012).Photo courtesy of Thom Hoffman On today's interview you'll hear how Thom got his start working with Ray Adell on the "About Long Island" radio series and then expanded into documentaries. His first film featured the story of Brooklyn doo-wop stalwart Lenny Cocco and the Chimes. Next came his comparison of the Great Depression and the Great Recession. His latest, Shinnecock, explores the long history of the Shinnecock Nation in Southampton. Still in the Mood for Love (2010). Photo courtesy of Thom Hoffman We also ask Thom about the challenges of producing and distributing documentaries on Long Island. How do you get them to a wider audience? How do you get the quality of production needed? His answers echo many of the things we've heard in our discussions with others involved in documentary filmmaking on Long Island. On that note, if you're interested in screening any of his movies or helping find a home for the "About Long Island" archive, you can contact Thom at hof565 [at] optonline.net http://wwwx.dowling.edu/library/new/HoffmanThom.mp3 Stream in the player above or download audio. Further Research Thom Hoffman Trailers: Shinnecock (2013) Brother, Can You Spare a Dollar? (2012) Still in the Mood for Love (2010) About Long Island radio spots from Ray Adell Media Lenny Cocco and the Chimes Cinema Arts Centre, Huntington Resources for Filmmakers (from POV on PBS)

Suffolk County Historian Peter Fox Cohalan is back in session for part two of our interview. This week we get deeper into the history of Islip, traveling all the way from the bottom of the Bay (and who really owned it) back to Islip, England and the ancestral home of the Nicoll family. We also get Peter Fox's insight into historic preservation at the local and regional levels as well as the unique situations that can arise on Long Island. Finally, we'll hear about the work of the Robert D.L. Gardiner Foundation. As a board member, Peter Fox is involved in helping the Foundation support the study and preservation of New York history with a focus on Islip and Suffolk County. http://wwwx.dowling.edu/library/new/PeterFoxCohalan2.mp3 Stream in the player above or download audio. Further Research Peter Fox Cohalan Part I Robert D.L. Gardiner Foundation Islip Parish, Northamptonshire New York State Historic Preservation Office

Peter Fox Cohalan was named Suffolk County Historian in 2012 but in many ways he's been preparing for the role his whole life. In fact, the Cohalans and history go way back. The first Cohalan in America arrived with Lafayette during the Revolution. One branch of the family led to a Grand Sachem of Tammany Hall, another to the first Catholic priest on Long Island. In his own storied career, Peter Fox has been Islip Town Supervisor, Suffolk County Executive, and State Supreme Court Judge (one of five Cohalans -including his father- to reach that position.) With the historian's eye for detail and the Irishman's gift for storytelling, Peter Fox can discuss the Sayville of his youth as easily as the quarrels of the early Federalists. On this episode of the Project he recounts the Sayville of the 1930s and '40s along with his father's time as coach at the La Salle Military Academy in Oakdale. We'll also hear about preservation efforts he spearheaded (like the Islip Grange in Sayville) as well as his family's connections to the unforgettable Robert David Lion Gardiner. Join us next week for Part 2. http://wwwx.dowling.edu/library/new/PeterFoxCohalan1.mp3 Stream in the player above or download audio. Further Research Sayville Historical Society Sayville Public Library Historic Images Robert D.L. Gardiner Foundation Islip Grange South Shore Nature Center

Welcome back to our Native American Heritage Month discussion! From Whaling and Fishing by Charles Nordhoff, 1895." data-medium-file= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/whaling_and_fishing-charles-nordhoff.png?w=300" data-large-file= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/whaling_and_fishing-charles-nordhoff.png?w=456" class="alignnone wp-image-604" src= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/whaling_and_fishing-charles-nordhoff.png?w=216&h=188" alt="From Whaling and Fishing by Charles Nordhoff, 1895." width= "216" height="188" srcset= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/whaling_and_fishing-charles-nordhoff.png?w=216&h=188 216w, https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/whaling_and_fishing-charles-nordhoff.png?w=432&h=376 432w, https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/whaling_and_fishing-charles-nordhoff.png?w=150&h=131 150w, https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/whaling_and_fishing-charles-nordhoff.png?w=300&h=261 300w" sizes="(max-width: 216px) 100vw, 216px" /> From Whaling and Fishing by Charles Nordhoff, 1895. Today we bring you the rest of our conversation with members of the Shinnecock Nation Cultural Center & Museum in Southampton, Long Island. This time out we'll hear from director and curator David Bunn Martine. David relates how he got interested in Shinnecock history and by telling his family's story he uncovers much of the scope and sweep of the Native American experience. Geronimo. Illustrated American, Aug 16, 1890" data-medium-file= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/2015-11-17-15_44_05-the-illustrated-american-google-books.png?w=230" data-large-file= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/2015-11-17-15_44_05-the-illustrated-american-google-books.png?w=360" class="alignnone wp-image-526" src= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/2015-11-17-15_44_05-the-illustrated-american-google-books.png?w=162&h=212" alt="Geronimo. Illustrated American, Aug 16, 1890" width="162" height="212" srcset= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/2015-11-17-15_44_05-the-illustrated-american-google-books.png?w=162&h=212 162w, https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/2015-11-17-15_44_05-the-illustrated-american-google-books.png?w=324&h=422 324w, https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/2015-11-17-15_44_05-the-illustrated-american-google-books.png?w=115&h=150 115w, https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/2015-11-17-15_44_05-the-illustrated-american-google-books.png?w=230&h=300 230w" sizes="(max-width: 162px) 100vw, 162px" /> Geronimo. Illustrated American, Aug 16, 1890 By the end of the episode you'll hear about Samson Occum, long whaling voyages, the Shinnecock connection to Teddy Roosevelt, Geronimo, the Boarding School Period and more. We also talk about the difference between Plains and Woodlands people and the enduring danger of stereotypes. Thanks also to Eileen Dugan, Education Coordinator at the Museum, for arranging these interviews. http://wwwx.dowling.edu/library/new/Shinnecock2.mp3 Stream in the player above or download audio. Further Research David Martine The Shinnecock Nation on Facebook Shinnecock Indian Nation Shinnecock interview part I The Indian Mariners Project The Occum Circle American Indian Artists, Inc. Native American Heritage Month

David Martine, Cholena Smith, Chris Kretz, Connie Currie (l to r) To honor Native American Heritage month here at the Project, we've got two interviews lined up regarding the Shinnecock Nation in Southanmpton. Connie and I sat down with David Bunn Martine (Director and Curator) and Cholena Smith (Education and Program Manager) from the Shinnecock Nation Cultural Center & Museum to discuss the history of the tribe and the operations of the Museum. Located at 100 Montauk Highway in Southampton, this is the only Native American-owned and -operated museum on Long Island. Today in Part 1 you'll hear about the origins and development of the Museum including their efforts to propagate the Shinnecock language. We also discuss the Shinnecock Powwow, the persistent challenge of stereotypes and, as a bonus, I finally get to use my knowledge of popular 19th-century German fiction writers. Thanks also to Eileen Dugan, Education Coordinator at the Museum, for arranging these interviews. Stay tuned for Part 2 in two weeks in which David will tell us more about Shinnecock history and the Native American experience in this country. http://wwwx.dowling.edu/library/new/Shinnecock1.mp3 Stream in the player above or download audio. Further Research The Shinnecock Nation on Facebook Native American Heritage Month Mashantucket Pequot Museum Native American Pow Wows Algonquian Language Family Wild West Germany (the life of Karl May via the New Yorker) Interview with Dr. Gaynell Stone on Long Island archaeology and Native Americans

"Showing the Inventor in the Effulgent Glory of Myriad Tongues of Electric Flame After He Has Saturated Himself with Electricity." New York World, July 22, 1894. Nikola Tesla was a bona fide Gilded Age celebrity, pulling front page headlines in the New York press and attracting the rich and famous to his late night laboratory demonstrations. You were nobody until Tesla shot you through with electricity. And now Tesla's time has come again. We conclude our special Tesla Month here at the Long island History Project talking to filmmaker Joe Sikorski about his documentary Tower to the People: Tesla's Dream at Wardenclyffe Continues. Co-written with Michael Calomino, Tower to the People tells the story of Tesla and the successful fight to save his Wardenclyffe lab. Bringing Tesla's story to the screen has been a labor of love of Joe's for some time and you'll hear about his original dream: the full-length feature film Fragments from Olympus. We discuss the challenges of documentary film making and reveal more of Tesla's fascinating life and why it lends itself so perfectly to film. Are you in Los Angeles October 23-29th? Catch a special screening of Tower to the People at the Crest Theatre, 1262 Westwood Blvd. And tell them the Long Island History Project sent you! http://wwwx.dowling.edu/library/new/JoeSikorski.mp3 Stream in the player above or download audio. Further Research Tower to the People documentary trailer Fragments from Olympus feature film Teslasdream.com (for news and current showings) Crest Theatre on Facebook Interview with Jane Alcorn of the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe (Part 1 and Part 2) Selected Tesla flimography (from IMDB) Tesla (2016) Pictures of Infinity (2015) Tesla's Engine (2014) The Prestige (2006) Click to view slideshow.

Corner of the Wardenclyffe site. Photo by Chris Kretz." data-medium-file= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/tesla1.jpg?w=225" data-large-file= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/tesla1.jpg?w=450" class="size-medium wp-image-473" src= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/tesla1.jpg?w=225&h=300" alt="Tesla Street" width="225" height="300" srcset= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/tesla1.jpg?w=225&h=300 225w, https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/tesla1.jpg?w=113&h=150 113w, https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/tesla1.jpg 450w" sizes="(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /> Corner of the Wardenclyffe site. Photo by Chris Kretz. The historic site you want to preserve is up for sale for $1.3 million dollars. The good news: New York State will give you $850,000. The bad news: you have to raise the same amount. And there are other interested buyers. And the clock is ticking. That's the position The Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe (TSCW) found themselves in by the summer of 2012. But don't worry, there's a happy ending. In this second of a two-part interview, Jane Alcorn (TSCW president) explains how they turned things around. The secret ingredient: enlist the aide of Matthew Inman, creator of the website The Oatmeal. In the whirlwind of events that followed, offers of help poured in and TSCW was able to meet all their goals. And then the hard work began. Jane recounts it all and lays out future plans for the site and for Nikola Tesla's legacy of scientific innovation. Remember to check the TSCW website for ways that you can get involved. And stay tuned as our Tesla month continues. Next week on the podcast we interview filmmaker Joe Sikorski on his Tesla/Wardenclyffe documentary Tower to the People. http://wwwx.dowling.edu/library/new/JaneAlcorn2.mp3 Stream in the player above or download audio. Further Research: The Oatmeal Why Tesla Was the Greatest Geek Who Ever Lived Jane Alcorn Interview Part 1 Wading River Branch of the LIRR (via Art Huneke's LIRR History site) Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Click to view slideshow.

From The World To-Day, 1901." data-medium-file= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/dreamer.jpg?w=209" data-large-file= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/dreamer.jpg?w=506" class="size-medium wp-image-408" src= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/dreamer.jpg?w=209&h=300" alt="" width="209" height="300" srcset= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/dreamer.jpg?w=209&h=300 209w, https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/dreamer.jpg?w=418&h=600 418w, https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/dreamer.jpg?w=104&h=150 104w" sizes="(max-width: 209px) 100vw, 209px" /> "Nikola Tesla, Dreamer" From The World To-Day, 1901. Jane Alcorn was hooked on science from an early age but it was not until a friend clued her in to the Wizard of Electricity that she became hooked on Nikola Tesla. A major scientific player at the turn of the last century, Tesla established a lab at Wardenclyffe in Shoreham, Long Island to pursue his innovative experiments in electricity, radio, and broadcast energy. Drawing inspiration from his story, Jane and a dedicated group founded The Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe. And eventually, they realized the dream of securing Tesla's lab and have begun to restore it. In the first of a two-part interview, Jane describes that journey and provides background on what made Tesla so inspiring. You'll hear stories of his inventions and his interactions with the people of Shoreham as well as his connections to people like Mark Twain, Stanford White and George Westinghouse. Look for part 2 next week when we discuss the long and surprising road to purchasing the Wardenclyffe site. http://wwwx.dowling.edu/library/new/JaneAlcorn1.mp3 Stream in the player above or download audio. Further Research: Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe Nikola Tesla Museum, Belgrade Books on Tesla (via WorldCat) Tesla: Master of Lightning (PBS) The Electric Rise and Fall of Nikola Tesla (Marco Tempest Ted Talk) "Around the World Without a Wire" from the New York Herald, Nov 13, 1898" data-medium-file= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/herald1898.jpg?w=220" data-large-file= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/herald1898.jpg?w=438" /> "Nikola Tesla Duplicates the Light of Day" from the New York Herald, Feb 3, 1901" data-medium-file= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/herald1901.jpg?w=227" data-large-file= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/herald1901.jpg?w=308" /> "The Forsaken Laboratory" from The Literary Digest, Apr 29, 1916." data-medium-file= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/ldigv52factory.jpg?w=300" data-large-file= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/ldigv52factory.jpg?w=400" /> "Not Built to Be But a Landmark" from The Literary Digest, Apr 29, 1916." data-medium-file= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/ldigv52tower.jpg?w=176" data-large-file= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/ldigv52tower.jpg?w=310" /> Tesla's patent for his teleautomaton." data-medium-file= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/us613809-2.png?w=185" data-large-file= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/us613809-2.png?w=401" /> View of lab from tower base. Photo courtesy of the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe." data-medium-file= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/lab2008-copy.jpg?w=300" data-large-file= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/lab2008-copy.jpg?w=490" /> Chimney of Tesla's lab. Photo courtesy of the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe." data-medium-file= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/labchimney.jpg?w=300" data-large-file= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/labchimney.jpg?w=640" />

Longtime radio broadcaster Ray Adell of Ray Adell Media, WGSM, WBAB and more." data-medium-file= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/rayadell.jpg?w=300" data-large-file= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/rayadell.jpg?w=315" class="wp-image-394 size-medium" src= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/rayadell.jpg?w=300&h=255" alt= "Longtime radio broadcaster Ray Adell of Ray Adell Media, WGSM, WBAB and more." width="300" height="255" srcset= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/rayadell.jpg?w=300&h=255 300w, https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/rayadell.jpg?w=150&h=128 150w, https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/rayadell.jpg 315w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> Longtime radio broadcaster Ray Adell of Ray Adell Media, WGSM, WBAB and more. Photo by Tom Hoffman. Ray Adell is a radio man, from his early days broadcasting down in Virginia to his arrival at WGSM (World's Greatest Suburban Market!) in Huntington in the early 1950s. But perhaps you'll remember him best as the voice (and mind) behind "About Long Island," the long-running radio spot sponsored by the Grumman Corporation. For over twenty years Ray and his staff at Adell Media served up snippets of Long Island history in morning drive time to educate and entertain. In this interview Ray looks back at the people he's met (Jack Ellsworth and Edmund Hillary to name just two), stations he's worked at (WCAP, WEST, WKBS, WGSM and WBAB to name just five), and answers the question: is radio dead? Leave a comment if you have memories of Ray or any of the old Long Island stations. And special thanks to Thom Hoffman for arranging this interview. BONUS: The Long Island History Project is now listed in iTunes! If you like what you hear, please leave a review or rate us. If you're not sure how, read this first. Many great interviews ahead so keep listening! You can bookmark us, use the "follow" button to get email updates, or subscribe in iTunes or your podcast reader of choice. http://wwwx.dowling.edu/library/new/RayAdell.mp3 Stream in the player above or download audio. Further Research More samples of "About Long Island" Ray Adell Media Long Island Radio History Weyman "Sandy" Jones (former Grumman VP of Public Affairs) Jack Elsworth Memories in Melody on Facebook The Airwaves of New York: Illustrated Histories of 156 AM Stations in the Metropolitan Area, 1921-1996 (find in a library via WorldCat) Then We Set His Hair on Fire by Phil Dusenberry (find in a library via WorldCat) Huntington History (blog of Huntington Town Historian Robert C. Hughes)

Historical Papers on Shelter Island and Its Presbyterian Church, with Genealogical Tables. N.Y, 1899" data-medium-file= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/sylvestermanor.jpg?w=300" data-large-file= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/sylvestermanor.jpg?w=464" class="wp-image-380 size-medium" src= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/sylvestermanor.jpg?w=300&h=191" alt= "Historical Papers on Shelter Island and Its Presbyterian Church, with Genealogical Tables. N.Y, 1899" width="300" height="191" srcset= "https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/sylvestermanor.jpg?w=300&h=191 300w, https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/sylvestermanor.jpg?w=150&h=95 150w, https://longislandhistoryproject.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/sylvestermanor.jpg 464w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> Sylvester Manor from Historical Papers on Shelter Island and Its Presbyterian Church, with Genealogical Tables. N.Y, 1899 We're back for part II of our interview with Dr. Gaynell Stone, executive director of the Suffolk County Archaeological Association and now accomplished filmmaker. Her connection to Stephen Mrozowski's work at Sylvester Manor on Shelter Island led to her first film, The Sugar Connection: Holland, Barbados, Shelter Island in 2012. The story of manors on Long Island is a tale that grows in the telling, however, so Dr. Stone has mapped out an ambitious series of documentaries encompassing Gardiner's Island, Eaton's Neck, the Manor of St. George and more. Today you'll get a glimpse of the stories that were uncovered: alchemists on Fisher's Island, what lies buried on Plum Island, the forgotten patriot John Sloss Hobart, and pirates sailing out of the Connetquot River. You'll also hear about the struggles to get these documentaries off the ground and seen by the public. http://wwwx.dowling.edu/library/new/GaynellStone2.mp3 Stream in the player above or download audio. Further Research Sylvester Manor Educational Farm The Archaeology of Sylvester Manor The Manor: Three Centuries at a Slave Plantation on Long Island (find in a library via WorldCat) Dr. Gaynell Stone interview Part I