On the next few episodes of the Long Island History Project, we are revisiting the Vietnam War through the eyes of three local residents, each with their own perspective on the conflict and its devastating aftermath. Today we hear from Oyster Bay resident Jack Parente who was drafted out of college and served in the Army’s 1st Calvary Division. These stories come to us through the work of historian Christopher Verga, who has been recording oral histories with veterans throughout the region. Chris walks us through Jack’s life as well as the process of conducting this type of historical research. [Read more…] about Vietnam War Oral History Subject of Long Island History Project
Long Island
How New York’s Suburbs Got So Segregated
Why is the population of Massapequa in New York’s Nassau County 98% percent white? Why do almost no Black families live in suburban Levittown, New York? Are we looking at free choices by families or underlying housing patterns that reflect the impact of past and current racist practices?
Newsday exposed racial channeling by Long Island realtors in an investigation that showed how they steered potential home buyers to particular towns based on their race and ethnicity. [Read more…] about How New York’s Suburbs Got So Segregated
NY Islanders New Home Has A Fine Sporting Pedigree; Manice Mansion Once Stood On UBS Arena Grounds
UBS Arena, the $1.5 billion multi-purpose facility being built next to Belmont Park race track in Elmont, Nassau County, NY, is expected to be home of the New York Islander hockey in the upcoming 2021–22 NHL season. The location has a storied history.
The Westchester Racing Association raced in that county at both Jerome Park and Morris Park, prior to their move to Long Island. The privately held Westchester Racing Association was able to acquire several farm properties, the most notable being the former Oatlands Estate of William DeForest Manice.
The new racing facility, which would become Long Island’s Belmont Park, was comprised of 400 acres north of the Hempstead Turnpike and 160 acres on the south side. [Read more…] about NY Islanders New Home Has A Fine Sporting Pedigree; Manice Mansion Once Stood On UBS Arena Grounds
Belmont’s Terminal Course Survived Dark Days of Horse Racing
Steeplechase and hunt racing have long annals in the Empire State, and with more interest recently in turf racing, some long forgotten aspects of this history in New York are interesting to explore.
A dedicated turf and steeplechase venue, known as Belmont Park Terminal Course, operated on the Queens/Nassau County boundary from 1907 to 1927. [Read more…] about Belmont’s Terminal Course Survived Dark Days of Horse Racing
Marion Hollins: Long Island’s Golf Hall of Famer
Marion Hollins was born into a wealthy family in East Islip, Long Island at the height of the Gilded Age. Although an adept equestrian, polo player, and proud member of the Ladies’ Four in Hand Club, she devoted most of her life to the world of golf.
She won the US Women’s National Championship in 1921 and went on to develop and help design a number of prominent golf courses, mostly in California. Forgotten for most of the past century, she is now being recognized for her success and perseverance as a designer, athlete, and real estate developer. In 2022 she will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. [Read more…] about Marion Hollins: Long Island’s Golf Hall of Famer
Long Island’s 2021 List of Endangered Historic Places
Preservation Long Island’s Endangered Historic Places List for 2021 includes seven sites and one district facing a variety of threats from demolition and overdevelopment, to a lack of municipal funding and support for historic preservation in communities throughout the region. [Read more…] about Long Island’s 2021 List of Endangered Historic Places
Artificial Reefs in New York: A Guide
There are 12 artificial reef sites located in New York’s marine waters, two in Long Island Sound, two in Great South Bay, and eight in the Atlantic Ocean on the south shore of Long Island. [Read more…] about Artificial Reefs in New York: A Guide
First Ladies of Long Island Virtual Presentation
The Freeport Memorial Library has announced “The First Ladies of Long Island,” a virtual presentation by Elizabeth Kahn Kaplan set for Monday, May 10th. [Read more…] about First Ladies of Long Island Virtual Presentation
Square Dancing on Long Island: An Insider’s Look
An immigrant’s son from Brooklyn, Primo Fiore created a life for himself and his family as a physical education teacher on Long Island in the 1960s. He became involved in square dancing through gym class but wound up calling dances at Jones Beach for over twenty-five years. He and his son Mario describe that journey, including the intricacies and challenges of calling a square dance, on the most recent episode of the Long Island History Project. [Read more…] about Square Dancing on Long Island: An Insider’s Look
Ocean Parkway Coastal Greenway Completed
The final section of the Ocean Parkway Coastal Greenway on the southern shoreline of Long Island has opened to cyclists, runners, skaters and walkers. [Read more…] about Ocean Parkway Coastal Greenway Completed