New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Long Island

The Jews of Long Island (A New Book)

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long island history project logoBrad Kolodny returns to The Long Island History Project podcast to update us on what he’s been doing during the intervening thirty episodes since he last appeared. Turns out he’s got a new book and a new historical society.

The Jews of Long Island (SUNY Press, 2020) is out now and in it Kolodny documents the personal and communal stories of Jews on Long Island from the l8th through the early 20th centuries, uncovering a cast of thousands from itinerant peddlers to early baseball players to vacationing vaudevillians. [Read more…] about The Jews of Long Island (A New Book)

Preserving Long Island Black Heritage: Pyrrhus Concer Homestead

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Pyrrhus Concer (Southampton Historical Society) Demolished in 2014, the Pyrrhus Concer Homestead in Southhampton, Long Island, was finally recognized as a Historic Landmark by Southampton Village in January 2021. Pieces were salvaged before the house was torn down and preservationists have been working to bring it back to life and properly interpret it ever since.

Though born into slavery, over the course of his life Concer would become one of the most well-respected members of the Southampton community. After being freed as an adult, Concer went on to have a long and storied career as a whaler and boatsteerer. He was one of, if not the first, African Americans to enter Japan. Thanks to well-kept records including whaling logs and documents related to his local philanthropy, Pyrrhus Concer’s life is one of the most complete histories of a formerly enslaved person in America.

[Read more…] about Preserving Long Island Black Heritage: Pyrrhus Concer Homestead

Cold War On Long Island Subject of New Book (Long Island History Project Interview)

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long island history project logoJournalist Karl Grossman and historian Christopher Verga have teamed up for the new book Cold War Long Island, out now from the History Press. In it, they detail the productive and tumultuous post-Second World War years on Long Island.

With an influx of returning soldiers and sailors and an increase of military spending on Long Island to counteract an alleged threat from communism, Nassau and Suffolk Counties saw rapid growth. Aviation companies like Republic and Grumman became household names and a housing boom, epitomized by suburban communities like Levittown, brought many people to the area. [Read more…] about Cold War On Long Island Subject of New Book (Long Island History Project Interview)

Oyster Slurpers: A Tale of Two Rivers

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The Cryes of the City of LondonFor thousands of years the Thames provided London’s inhabitants with a plentiful supply and variety of fish. Until the 1820s locally caught fish was the city’s staple diet. Subsequent pollution of the river drove many professional fishermen and their families into financial ruin because of the collapse of fish populations.

Up until the twentieth century New York Harbor oysters reigned as the quintessential New York food long before pizza, pretzels, bagels, or hot dogs took their place. The metropolis once was a Big Oyster. There too, reckless management of the marine environment led to the obliteration of a huge natural resource. [Read more…] about Oyster Slurpers: A Tale of Two Rivers

Woodhull Dam Fish Passage Construction Underway

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river herring courtesy DECDEC, Suffolk County, town of Southampton, and Peconic Estuary Partnership (PEP) announced the start of construction on a nearly $1 million fish passage through Woodhull Dam on the Little River in Riverhead.

The fish passage is essential to restoring critical spawning and maturation habitat for river herring and American eel and will help produce sustainable populations of fish species that are valuable resources for a healthy and productive marine ecosystem. [Read more…] about Woodhull Dam Fish Passage Construction Underway

The Southold Indian Museum (Podcast)

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long island history project logoThe Long Island History Project is ending its podcasting year with a closer look at the Southold Indian Museum, an institution founded by archaeologically-minded residents of the North Fork of Long Island whose activities date back to the 1920s.

Jay Levenson, the museum’s incoming executive director, discusses the importance of Native American history on Long Island and how he hopes the institution can help others tell their story. He also discusses his own Mohawk ancestry and the interconnected native inhabitants along the east coast. [Read more…] about The Southold Indian Museum (Podcast)

Albany’s Anneke Jans Bogardus, Indecent Exposure, Trinity Church & The Bowery

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new amsterdam mapBy the mid-1800s, almost 200 years after her death, Anneke Jans Bogardus was one of Albany’s most famous people, having been the subject of many books, newspaper and magazine articles. The popular story was that Anneke was a daughter of William the Silent, who was later crowned King William I of Holland.

Nineteenth-century rumor had it that unbeknownst to Anneke, her father had left a large fortune to her and her sister and that her heirs should undertake legal action to claim it. Another rumor was that Anneke had owned a large portion of Manhattan Island worth billions that had been illegally deeded to Trinity Church and should be reclaimed.  There was some truth to the story. [Read more…] about Albany’s Anneke Jans Bogardus, Indecent Exposure, Trinity Church & The Bowery

New Book On Boat Building, Boatyards of Long Island

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Boat Building and Boat Yards of Long Island A Tribute to TraditionBook purchases made through this link support New York Almanack’s mission to report new publications relevant to New York State.

For centuries, residents of New York have built watercraft and waterfront facilities to transport people and goods locally, nationally and internationally. For residents of the area, boating was a way of life, providing employment, recreation, and transportation. [Read more…] about New Book On Boat Building, Boatyards of Long Island

Holiday History Events in East Hampton, Long Island

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Toys under tree at Moran StudioThe East Hampton Historical Society has announced their holiday history events for the month of December, Victorian Christmas at the Moran Studio and Aglow: A Holiday Experience, to be held at the Thomas & Mary Nimmo Moran Studio. [Read more…] about Holiday History Events in East Hampton, Long Island