The Long Island History Project

We continue our trek through the local news of a century gone by. Today we read the Suffolk County News from Arpil 16, 1920. We find stories of bootleggers, war-torn France and two spinster sisters freed from an insane asylum after a decade of confinement.  Further Research Hal B. Fullerton Photo Exhibit (Heckscher Museum of Art) Audio Footnotes On Mile a Minute Murphy Long Island and Prohibition

Chris Bodkin concludes his visit to Sayville past with this third installment. We talk about his mother's trips out here during the Great Depression, Father Divine and the African American community, and Dr. Bard, dentist to the stars and first ladies.    

Steven Damman disappeared from outside a supermarket in East Meadow on Halloween day, 1955. He was not yet three years old. Still unsolved, the case has intrigued many over the ensuing years - none more so than Newsday journalist John Valenti. For Nothing is Hidden, Valenti's new novel, is the culmination of his meticulous research into the case mixed with his years of observations covering Long Island. He presents a fictional version of the disappearance, substituting the Goodson family for the Dammans, while hewing close to the facts. His book is also populated with events of the day, from the habitual airplane crashes around Mitchel field to the notorious high society shooting of Bobby Woodward that dominated the headlines (and police attention). On today's episode you'll hear about Valenti's direct ties to the case, his decisions about constructing the narrative, and tales of Newsday legends like Dick Estrin and Bob Waters. You'll also get a journalist's perspective on history, stories, and human nature. Further Research For Nothing is Hidden by John Valenti Mitchel Field (AAFHA) "Turfman Killed by Wife in Dark." New York Times 10/31/1955 Leon Errol (IMDB) Intro Music: https://homegrownstringband.com/ Outro music: Capering by Blue Dot Sessions CC BY-NC 4.0

Where history fails to provide, authors of historical fiction can fill the gap. In her new novel To Outwit Them All, author Peggy Wirgau delves into the Revolutionary War history of the Culper Spy Ring. More specifically, she tells the story of the unknown woman referred to in Abraham Woodhull's correspondence – only once – as "a lady of my acquaintance." Woodhull supplies her only a number, 355 (Culper code for "lady"). Wirgau provides a name, a family, and a budding romance with British Major John Andre. Wirgau's 355 is modeled after the historical Betty Floyd, relative of William Floyd, and she includes multiple layers of period detail about British-occupied New York City. On this episode you'll hear more about how she pursued her research and how she brought Betty to life along with other members of the Culper Ring. Further Research To Outwit Them All by Peggy Wirgau "The Myth of Agent 355, the Woman Spy Who Supposedly Helped Win the Revolutionary War" HMS Jersey Historical Novel Society Cover image: The Art of Dancing (1724) The Culper Spy Book Intro Music: https://homegrownstringband.com/ Outro music: Capering by Blue Dot Sessions CC BY-NC 4.0

Even as Hitler and his Nazi regime ran roughshod over Germany and Europe in the 1930s, there were those in America who championed their rise. And nowhere so much as on Long Island. Camp Siegfried in Yaphank became a focal point for certain German Americans to gather and espouse the Nazi cause. Other groups added fuel to the fire, promoting antisemitism, isolationism, and even the overthrow of the United States government. This is the world that Christopher Verga captures in his new book, Nazis of Long Island: Sedition, Espionage & the Plot Against America (out now from the History Press). On today's episode, Chris walks us through the tangled history of the German American Bund, Father Coughlin, the America First movement, and more. His book documents a time of unrest in the country when militias, foreign agents, and even elected officials actively opposed the American government. Further Research Nazis of Long Island: Sedition, Espionage & the Plot Against America (Amazon) Christopher Verga Longwood Public Library Bayles Local History Room The German American Bund Intro Music: https://homegrownstringband.com/ Outro music: Capering by Blue Dot Sessions CC BY-NC 4.0

Christian Avenue sits at the heart of the Three Village area on the North Shore of Long Island. Surrounded by Old Fields, Setauket, and Stony Brook it has long been home to a community of Black and Native American families. The names of the people date back to before the Revolution and include the Harts, Sells, Greens, and Tobias. They also provide evidence of the perpetual presence of the Setalcott Indians and their ties to the Shinnecock. Now designated as the Bethel-Christian Avenue-Laurel Hill Historical District, it's an area steeped in  history. That's what drew Glenda Dickerson to develop her Eel Catching in Setauket oral history project in the late 1980s. A professor of theater at Stony Brook University, Glenda, her students, and colleagues like Fai Walker and Noberto Valle set out to document and celebrate the history and heritage of Christian Avenue. The project culminated with a theatrical production at Stony Brook. Glenda donated all of her materials from the project to the Three Village Historical Society. Today we sit down with Scott Ferrara, the Society's curator, and Rob Anen of the Long Island Library Resources Council to discuss the history of Christian Avenue, the history of the recordings, and the important stories they tell. Voices on the episode: Glenda Dickerson Lucy Hart Keyes Sarah Hart Hines, Theodore Green, and Caroline Sells Moore Florence Beatrice Sells Woodhull and Violet Rebecca Sells Thompson Ida Mae Glass and Barbara Treadwell Cast members performing in Eel Catching in Setauket Further Research Eel Catching in Setauket – An Oral History Collection Three Village Oral History Collection Glenda Dickerson Setalcott Indian Nation Shinnecock Nation Intro music: https://homegrownstringband.com/

Culper Spy Day has been an annual tradition on Long Island for over a decade. Created by Margo Arceri in conjunction with the Three Village Historical Society, it has grown into a weekend-long celebration of resilience and resistance during the Revolutionary War. I made the trip this year to experience the sights and sounds and mingle with people who share a similar passion for local history. You'll hear from organizers, authors, librarians, historical reenactors, and visitors from near and far. Each has their own story to tell about how they became fascinated with the Culper Spy Ring and figures such as Benjamin Tallmadge, Abraham Woodhull, and Anna (Nancy) Smith Strong. And if you missed it, don't worry. Next year will be a mega Culper Spy Day coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Further Research Three Village Historical Society Three Village Community Trust Setalcott Indian Nation George Washington's Culper Spy Ring (Emma S. Clark Library) Second Regiment Light Dragoons The Brewster House 23rd Royal Welch Fusiliers Drowned Meadow Cabin Tri-Spy Tours Authors Row Sarah Beth Durst, Spy Ring Peggy Wirgau, To Outwit Them All Mark Sternberg, Culper Spy Austin Roe…the Joiner? Kristina Raevsky, Marriage or Espionage: Read Between the Lines Richard Welch, General Washington's Commando Intro Music: https://homegrownstringband.com/ Outro music: Capering by Blue Dot Sessions CC BY-NC 4.0  

Are you curious about the past and love talking to people? Do you have a keen eye for detail and a persistent yet welcoming demeanor? Then oral history may just be right for you! Today we're talking with Erica Fugger, oral historian and PhD candidate at Rutgers, about the art and craft of oral history. We'll be discussing the development of oral history as a practice since the mid 20th century, detailing how to plan an oral history project, and offering tips for recording that first interview. Along the way you'll hear about the fascinating projects Erica has been involved in, from Queer Newark to the National Homefront Project. Now pursuing research into peace activists in the 1960s, Erica has her own ties to Long Island and is the perfect guide if you're thinking about getting involved in oral history yourself. Further Research Erica Fugger Queer Newark Oral History Project National Home Front Project Columbia Center for Oral History Research "Before Columbia: The FWP and American Oral History Research." (JSTOR) Intro Music: https://homegrownstringband.com/ Outro music: Capering by Blue Dot Sessions CC BY-NC 4.0

Chances are that your local public library has a local history librarian who oversees a rich collection of images, artifacts, and information about your community. Today we highlight and celebrate one of this unique group - Natalie Korsavidis. She is the local history librarian at Farmingdale Public Library in Nassau (and a little bit of Suffolk) County. Natalie walks us through how she became a local history librarian and the collection she oversees at the library. From this treasure trove she can tell the story of the early days when the area was known as Hardscrabble, through the years of agricultural development, to the heyday of aviation giants like Grumman, Fairchild, Republic, and Liberty. You'll also hear how she engages with the community and about the two bygone businesses that never fail to bring a smile to Farmingdalers (hint: Stern's Pickles is one). Further Research Farmingdale Public Library Local History Resources Farmingdale Historical Collection (New York Heritage) American Airpower Museum Beyond the Rotunda podcast Intro Music: https://homegrownstringband.com/ Outro music: Capering by Blue Dot Sessions CC BY-NC 4.0

We continue our tour of Long Island-based oral history collections. This time out, Robert Anen (LILRC Project Archivist) and I sat down with the Long Beach Historical & Preservation Society. Robert helped digitize their extensive oral history collection. The recordings cover a wide range of memories and experiences from residents of the City by The Sea. You'll hear about the father of Long Beach, developer, politician, and consummate self-promoter William H. Reynolds. You'll also hear about the highlights of the city's Roaring 20s golden age, the political intrigues of a growing city, and the transformations brought on by World War II. In the room with us are Phyllis Ginsberg, Dan Moran, Joanne Belli, Kathi Lismore, and current society president Jeanne Browne. But the real special guests are the people on the tapes, expertly interviewed by Florence Reich First. Florence was a founding member of the society and undertook this oral history project in the early 1980s. Oral history recordings from the podcast (by order of appearance): Florence Reich (w Helen Smith Hart) Andrew Carlo Foster Vogel Daphne Mulligan Schlaich Mary Hoff Katris William McGovern William Schwartz (w Roberta Fiore) Amy Rabinowitz Cohen nee Schloss Peggy Wood Lieberman Further Research Long Beach Oral History Collection (NY Heritage) Long Beach Historical and Preservation Society The Lido Club Hotel Dreamland Postcards (Coney Island History Project) Music Intro music: https://homegrownstringband.com/ Outro music: Capering by Blue Dot Sessions CC BY-NC 4.0  

Robert Beattie was many things: an architect, a designer of iconic public buildings on Long Island, and a decorated World War II veteran. But most importantly, he was the father of today's guest, Richard Beattie. So we're celebrating Father's Day by celebrating the life and work of Robert Beattie. As an architect, Beattie's specialty was mid-century modern architecture. Working with clean lines, natural light, and an appreciation of the surrounding landscape, he designed many iconic buildings in our area. If you live in the town of Islip, you'll know his MacArthur Airport terminal, the core buildings of Suffolk County Community College's Ammerman Campus, and St. Lawrence Church in Sayville. Richard takes us on a tour of his father's buildings and details his life. Robert was part of the Greatest Generation, earning a Silver Star as an Alamo Scout in the Philippines. He got his start in architecture with the firm Shreve, Lamb & Harmon in New York City. Robert then founded his own firm, Dobecki & Beattie, and embarked on a storied career on Long Island. We discuss the changing architectural landscape of Long Island in the 1960s, the Beattie family's connections to Oakdale, and Robert's devotion to being a father and an architect. Further Research Robert Beattie, Architect (Facebook Memorial page) Church of St. Lawrence the Martyr AIA Long Island "Pockets of Long Island Once Went Crazy for Modernism. Why?" (Metropolis) Audio Footnotes Episode 192 Jones Beach Theater with Richard Beattie Episode 34 Old Mansions (Oakdale) with George Davies Episode 94 Flying on Long Island with Walter Winnicki and Bob Mott Music Intro music: https://homegrownstringband.com/ Outro music: Capering by Blue Dot Sessions CC BY-NC 4.0    

There's a rough stretch of water between Australia and Tasmania called the Bass Strait. Within the strait there's a group of islands called the Furneaux Group. Within the group lies Long Island, a small, mostly-uninhabited stretch of grass and trees that attracted the attention of Madeleine Bessel-Koprek and her colleagues. We're traveling far afield on today's episode, discussing paleoecology with Madeine, a Ph.D. student at Australian National University. Along with Simon Graeme Haberle, Stefania Ondei, Stephen Harris, and David MJS Bowman, she recently published a study unraveling the ecological history of their Long Island. It's a fascinating combination of diligent field work – digging through mud and picking through moss- and meticulous lab work – pouring through microscopic samples and digitally deciphering aerial photographs. Their scientific detective work uncovers a natural world that has in some ways persisted since the last Ice Age and helps inform our understanding of the impact of aboriginal and colonial activities in the area. Further Research Madeleine Bessell‑Koprek at Australian National University at LinkedIn Bessell-Koprek, M., Haberle, S. G., Ondei, S., Harris, S., & Bowman, D. M. (2025). Reconstructing the long-term ecological history of Long Island, Furneaux Group (Bass Strait), Lutruwita/Tasmania. Regional Environmental Change, 25(1), 1-15. The Land Bridge: A World Beneath the Sea (A Wind & Sky Project) Australasian Pollen and Spore Atlas Music Intro music: https://homegrownstringband.com/ Outro music: Capering by Blue Dot Sessions CC BY-NC 4.0

The voices of the past are all around us, if you know how to listen. And sometimes those voices are trapped on small thin strips of tape wrapped in cheap plastic. That's where Robert Anen comes in. As project archivist for the Long Island Library Resources Council, he works with historical collections across Nassau and Suffolk counties. Specializing in audio preservation and digitization, he's rescued a number of collections – copying them to digital media and making them publicly available online. Today we focus on Robert's work with one of the oldest oral history collections on Long Island at the Manhasset Public Library. Library director Maggie Gough introduces us to the scope and depth of their oral history collection while Antonia Mattheou, their consulting archivist, helps us unpack the history contained on the recordings. Special shout out to Manhasset's first librarian Ruth Cowell who conducted most of the oral history interviews. Her foresight, along with a committed group of patrons, means that we get to listen to memories of the Blizzard of 1888 and the Vanderbilt Cup Races from those who experienced them. Recorded in 1953 on a reel to reel recorder, the interviews were converted to cassette tapes sometime in the 1980s before Rob digitized them in the 21st century, On today's episode you'll hear from these Manhasset residents: Ernest Willets Herbert Fish Laura Schneider Ernest Willets George D. Smith Further Research Manhasset Public Library Oral History Collection (1953-1988) Manhasset Public Library History Center Long Island Library Resources Council The Whitney Greentree Estate Spinney Hill, the African American History of Manhasset and Great Neck Intro music: https://homegrownstringband.com/ Outro music: Capering by Blue Dot Sessions CC BY-NC 4.0

Isle of Ever is Jen Calonita's newest middle grade novel, a story grounded in the history of Long Island's North Fork. On today's episode, Jen discusses growing up on Long Island and spending many summers at her grandparents' house in Mattituck. It was here, in between trips to Greenport, that she first heard tell of Captain Kidd's lost treasure. She tried digging up the local beach, came up empty, but the idea buried itself in Jen's mind. Now she has worked her experiences into the tale of Benny Benedict, a young girl caught up in a race to solve a puzzle and claim an inheritance. The plot and the clues to the mystery are tied up in Greenport's history. Jen walks us through the Greenport locales and local legends that made it into the book in one form or another. We also talk about her love of reading and of middle grade and young adult fiction. Further Resources Jen Calonita Isle of Ever (Sourcebooks) Long Beach Bar 'Bug' Light  Preston's  Greenport Carousel (temporarily closed) Sweet Valley High (Good Reads) Steven Kellogg Music: Intro music: https://homegrownstringband.com/ Outro music: Capering by Blue Dot Sessions CC BY-NC 4.0

Tom McKeown lived and breathed basketball throughout junior and senior high school in Babylon. As an eighth grader in 1974-1975, he got to experience the thrill of watching the varsity team win their league and the Suffolk County championships. As fate would have it, this was also the first year that New York State allowed county champions to play each other, setting up a showdown between Babylon's Panthers and Nassau County's champs, the South Side Cyclones of Rockville Center. It was an epic season that engaged Tom so deeply that he has written his version of the story as This Is Panther Country. We don't want to spoil the outcome but the subtitle is A Memoir of Youth, Underdog Spirit, and Basketball Glory. Available March 18, 2025, the book chronicles life on the court, in the school hallways, and in the McKeown family home on Coppertree Lane. You'll learn a lot about the ins-and-outs of basketball tournaments but you'll also be pulled back to your own high school days of close friend groups, petty slights, unrequited crushes, and weekend parties.   Further Research This is Panther Country by Tom McKeown Babylon Jr/Sr High School Glenn Vickers (Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame) "The ABA was Short Lived, but Its Impact on Basketball is Eternal" (Smithsonian Mag) Audio Footnotes: Mickey Quinn and St. John the Baptist High School (episode 133)

When Jessie Pierson and Lodowick Post argued over a fox in early 19th century Southampton, they probably didn't think the resulting court case would echo down the ages. Yet here we are 220 years later talking with legal historian Angela Fernandez about the odd, improbable history of Pierson v Post. A professor of law and history at the University of Toronto, Fernandez has delved deep into the case. Her "legal archaeology" uncovered important, presumed-lost information on the early phases of the proceedings. Her 2018 book Pierson v. Post, The Hunt for the Fox: Law and Professionalization in American Legal Culture, unpacks more of the impact and context around the decision. On today's episode we discuss the local history surrounding the case, more about the Piersons and the Posts, and the surprisingly whimsical inner life of the legal profession. Further Research Angela Fernandez (University of Toronto) Fernandez, Angela. Pierson v. Post, the hunt for the fox: Law and professionalization in American legal culture. Cambridge University Press, 2018. (Find in a library via WorldCat) Fernandez, Angela. "The lost record of Pierson v. Post, the famous fox case." Law and History Review 27, no. 1 (2009): 149-178. Pierson v Post NYS Supreme Court

The science of genetics took a wrong turn in the early 20th century and it ran through Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island. Here overlooking a former whaling port, Dr. Charles Benedict Davenport created the Eugenics Record Office and served as director of the Carnegie Institution's Station for Experimental Evolution. From these posts he promoted and pushed the Eugenics Movement in the US and throughout the world. Historian and attorney Mark Torres has explored the far reaching and sinister influence of Davenport's activities in his new book Long Island and the Legacy of Eugenics: Station of Intolerance (Arcadia Press). It is not the story of a fringe movement but of "the rage of the age." Eugenics, which sought to control the development of the human race through such means as selective breeding, segregation, and forced sterilizations, was touted by politicians, intellectuals, academics, and even Supreme Court justices. In his work, Torres traces a sinister strategy that included legislative control, the trappings of academic credentials, and partnerships with like-minded movements like the emerging Nazi Party in Germany. On today's interview you'll hear more about the people involved, the power they wielded, and their surprising, ultimate fate. Further Research Mark Torres Long Island and the Legacy of Eugenics (Arcadia Publishing) Eugenics Record Office Collection (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) Audio Footnotes: Episode 138: Long Island Migrant Labor Camps with Mark Torres Music Intro music: https://homegrownstringband.com/ Outro music: Capering by Blue Dot Sessions CC BY-NC 4.0

Memorial Day 1949 was an auspicious day in Riverhead as it saw the inaugural game at the brand new Wivchar Stadium on Harrison Ave. The brainchild of Tony Wivchar, a local entrepreneur and owner of an earth-moving company, the venue soon came to be known as Riverhead Stadium. Although it only existed for a few brief years, the stadium was alive with excitement. To help drum up interest, Wivchar formed the Riverhead Falcons baseball team out of local talent to play in exhibition games. Their opponents ranged from Negro League stalwarts such as the Black Yankees to barnstorming attractions like the House of David. Other events included women's softball, rodeos, and professional wrestling. By the mid-1950s, however, the stadium was gone with little left to mark its passing. Enter Fabio Montella – Suffolk County Community College librarian, history professor, and friend of the podcast. As part of his on-going explorations of baseball in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, Montella became aware of the stadium's short but illustrious existence. He was able to uncover more about Wivchar's past and his pursuits, even finding and interviewing Wivhcar's wife and daughter. The result, as today's episode will attest, is a fascinating glimpse into one man's passion and the field of dreams he built to contain it. Further Research "Riverhead Stadium Opens." County Review, May 26, 1949 "Giving the House a Home" [House of David baseball] Audio Footnotes: More episodes with Fabio Montella Music Intro music: https://homegrownstringband.com/ Outro music: Capering by Blue Dot Sessions CC BY-NC 4.0

The Dutch held on to their New Netherland colony for some forty years. They lost it to the English twice, at gunpoint in 1664 and by treaty in 1674. But although officially gone, the Dutch were not forgotten. In addition to their cultural legacy, the Dutch language held on stubbornly across the region for a long time. How long? That's the question Dr. Kieran O'Keefe answers in "When Did New York Stop Speaking Dutch? The Persistence of the Dutch Language in Old New Netherland" (New York History journal, 2024). He tracks the long history of Dutch-language speakers across the centuries, finding traces of it in Revolutionary War records, cemetery headstones, contemporary travel accounts, and in enslaved people like Sojourner Truth, taught it by their Dutch owners. We unpack it all in this interview, touching on old Brooklyn, the Queens-Nassau border, Albany, and other enclaves up the Hudson Valley. Along the way Martin Van Buren and Sinterklaas make an appearance as evidence of Dutch influence. Despite their short-lived enterprise on the East Coast, the Dutch (along with their language) made a long-lasting impression. When did New York stop speaking Dutch? The answer will surprise you. Further Research O'Keefe, Kieran J. "When Did New York Stop Speaking Dutch? The Persistence of the Dutch Language in Old New Netherland." New York History 104, no. 1 (2024): 150-170. Dr. Kieran O'Keefe at Lyon College The New Amsterdam Project A Tour of New Netherland (New Netherland Institute) Featured image: George Henry Boughton (1833-1905), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Music Intro music: https://homegrownstringband.com/ Outro music: Capering by Blue Dot Sessions CC BY-NC 4.0

The science of the brain was changing throughout the 19th century. Medical researchers were peering ever deeper into cerebral mysteries and one question piqued their interest more than any other: who has the biggest brain? On today's episode we turn for answers to Dr. James R. Wright, medical historian and retired professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the University of Calgary. He introduces us to brain clubs, mutual autopsy societies and above all, the American Anthropometric Society of Philadelphia. The AAS had a particular interest in collecting and studying the brains of prominent scientists and intellectuals. You can imagine their excitement then, when Walt Whitman died in 1892 not far from their laboratory. Wright walks us through the ensuing complicated tale uncovered by him and other historians. Did Whitman really donate his brain to science? Why did Henry Ware Cattelll, who performed the autopsy, keep changing his story? And how does eBay and the 1931 movie Frankenstein play into it all? Join us for a special Halloween episode that is not for the feint of heart. Further Research Wright Jr, James R. "Henry Ware Cattell and Walt Whitman's brain." Clinical Anatomy 31, no. 7 (2018): 988-996. Hecht, Jennifer. The end of the soul: scientific modernity, atheism, and anthropology in France. Columbia University Press, 2005. (Find in a library via WorldCat) Burrell, Brian. "The Strange Fate of Whitman's Brain." Walt Whitman Quarterly Review 20, no. 3/4 (2003). Gosline, Sheldon Lee. "" I Am a fool": Dr. Henry Cattell's private confession about what happened to Whitman's brain." Walt Whitman Quarterly Review 31, no. 4 (2014). The Walt Whitman House. Camden, NJ Music Horror Music by Tele50 via Pixabay. Glass Jar Tap by ekfink. License: Creative Commons 0 Funny Halloween by FASSounds via Pixabay