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Chris Kretz

Chris Kretz produces and co-hosts the Long Island History Project. He is the Head of Stony Brook University's Southampton campus library and the co-author of Oakdale from Arcadia Press.

Francis ‘Two Gun’ Crowley’s 1931 Killing Spree

December 18, 2020 by Chris Kretz Leave a Comment

long island history project logoFrancis “Two Gun” Crowley earned his nickname during a mad spree in 1931 that included murder on a Long Island country lane and a chaotic battle with police on 90th St. in Manhattan. It ended in Crowley’s death in the electric chair less than a year later. [Read more…] about Francis ‘Two Gun’ Crowley’s 1931 Killing Spree

Filed Under: Books, History, New York City Tagged With: Books, Crime and Justice, Long Island, Manhattan, Podcasts

Mary Booth: Writer, Translator, and Founding Editor of Harper’s Bazzar

December 9, 2020 by Chris Kretz Leave a Comment

long island history project logoIt’s never been easy to make your way as an independent, career-minded woman in New York City. Mary L. Booth did it in the 19th century, forging a career and establishing a reputation as a writer, translator, and the founding editor of Harper’s Bazzar.

Learn more about this Long Island native as we talk to Tricia Foley, author of Mary L. Booth: The Story of an Extraordinary 19th-Century Woman, on the lastest episode of the Long Island History Project. [Read more…] about Mary Booth: Writer, Translator, and Founding Editor of Harper’s Bazzar

Filed Under: History, New York City Tagged With: Books, Cultural History, Fashion History, Long Island, Podcasts, Publishing, Writing

Scandal on Plum Island: A Commander Accused

October 15, 2020 by Chris Kretz Leave a Comment

long island history project logoIn 1914, Major Benjamin Koehler faced a court martial on Plum Island, off the eastern end of the North Fork coast of Long Island.  A number of men under his command at the island’s Fort Terry had accused this career officer of immoral conduct. The resulting trial and verdict, after an initial flurry of notice in the press, is largely forgotten now.

Marian Lindberg, a lawyer with the Nature Conservancy and a former journalist, has gone to great lengths to retrieve Major Koehler’s ordeal from obscurity. Her book, Scandal on Plum Island: A Commander Becomes the Accused (East End Press), uncovers the possible motives for the court martial as well as the social and political climate surrounding it. [Read more…] about Scandal on Plum Island: A Commander Accused

Filed Under: Books, History, New York City Tagged With: Crime and Justice, Long Island, Military History, Podcasts

The Preserve Plum Island Coalition On The Long Island History Podcast

September 29, 2020 by Chris Kretz Leave a Comment

save plum islandHistoric Plum Island, a small 840-acre spit of land off the North Fork of Long Island, is slated to be sold to the highest bidder by 2023. This is a result of the planned removal of the Animal Disease Center on the western side of the Island, a lab that has lodged Plum Island in the public mind as a place of mysteries and conspiracies.

In this episode of The Long Island History Project‘s podcast John Turner helps paint the full picture of Plum Island as a jewel of a natural habitat worthy of conservation, not commercialization. A spokesman for the Preserve Plum Island Coalition, Turner puts forth the case for making the area a publicly accessible hub for research, exploration, and contemplation. [Read more…] about The Preserve Plum Island Coalition On The Long Island History Podcast

Filed Under: History, New York City Tagged With: conservation, Environmental History, Historic Preservation, Long Island, Podcasts

NYS History Press Acquisitions Editor Interview

September 13, 2020 by Chris Kretz 1 Comment

The History Press has been publishing local history since 2004. Now an imprint of Arcadia Publishing, it’s a showcase for local and regional history, uncovering forgotten heroes, vanished industries, and intriguing stories from around the country.

Banks Smither is an Acquisitions Editor for the Press, focusing on the New York/New Jersey/Pennsylvania area. On this episode of the Long Island Project podcast he walks us through his process of finding and working with authors. He also explains what makes Long Island one of the best markets for local history books. [Read more…] about NYS History Press Acquisitions Editor Interview

Filed Under: History, New York City Tagged With: Books, Long Island, Podcasts

Baseball’s Satchel Paige on Long Island

August 24, 2020 by Chris Kretz Leave a Comment

long island history project logoBy 1950, Satchel Paige was a star of the Negro Leagues and a World Series winner with the Cleveland Indians. He spent most of that year barnstorming across the United States which is what brought him to Riverhead Stadium on Long Island.

In this episode of the Long Island History Project, librarian and historian Fabio Montella relates his research into Satchel, Riverhead, and the deeper connections between Long Island and Negro League baseball. [Read more…] about Baseball’s Satchel Paige on Long Island

Filed Under: History, New York City Tagged With: Baseball, Black History, Long Island, Major League Baseball, Podcasts, sports, Sports History

Synagogues of Long Island (Podcast)

July 29, 2020 by Chris Kretz Leave a Comment

long island history project logoBrad Kolodny started with some curiosity and an Instagram account but wound up with a coffee table book full of his images documenting synagogues from every corner of Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

He tracked the evolution of the architecture, from simple buildings to post-modern masterpieces, as well as the growth of the Jewish community on Long Island itself. The post-Second World War boom led to a boom in synagogues as well.

On this episode of the Long Island History Project podcast, we discuss the history of Long Island synagogues, the role they play in their communities, and what drives a man to document their storied histories. [Read more…] about Synagogues of Long Island (Podcast)

Filed Under: History, New York City Tagged With: Jewish History, Long Island, Podcasts, Religion, Religious History

Long Island Preservation Award Winner Interviews (Podcasts)

June 26, 2020 by Chris Kretz Leave a Comment

long island history project logoThe Long Island History Project, in collaboration with Preservation Long Island, hosted a week-long awards ceremony highlighting their 2020 Preservation Award winners.

The five interviews cover projects including 19th century sawmills and Gilded Age mansions, ranging from Seacliff on the North Shore to Oak Beach on the Atlantic. [Read more…] about Long Island Preservation Award Winner Interviews (Podcasts)

Filed Under: History, New York City Tagged With: Architecture, Historic Preservation, Long Island, Podcasts, Preservation Long Island

NY Almanack’s John Warren Featured On Podcast

June 5, 2020 by Chris Kretz Leave a Comment

long island history project logoOn the latest episode of the Long Island History Project, we discuss the wider world of New York State history with John Warren, founder and editor of New York Almanack (formerly the New York State History Blog). He shares his experiences working in the history field as a documentarian, author, and public proponent for learning more about our state’s past. [Read more…] about NY Almanack’s John Warren Featured On Podcast

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Arts, Capital-Saratoga, History, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Mohawk Valley, Nature, New York City, Recreation, Western NY Tagged With: Podcasts, Public History

Old NYS Newspapers Online (Podcast)

May 29, 2020 by Chris Kretz 1 Comment

long island history project logoThe NYS Historic Newspapers site provides access to over 10 million pages of content published in local papers over the last two hundred years. If newspapers are the first draft of history, this is the mother of all manuscripts, filled with stories and people from every corner of New York state. [Read more…] about Old NYS Newspapers Online (Podcast)

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, History, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Mohawk Valley, New York City, Western NY Tagged With: Genealogy, Long Island, New York State Historic Newspaper Project, Newspapers, Podcasts

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