Long Islanders already know names like Ronkonkoma, Massapequa, Setauket, and Patchogue came from Native American languages. What is less widely known is that Sag Harbor […]
Category: Crazy Facts About Long Island
When Hampton Bays Was Called Good Ground
Long before it became Hampton Bays, the South Fork hamlet had a very different — and much older — name. For generations, the area was […]
The 1922 Shooting Case That Stunned Huntington
A front-page article published in The Port Jefferson Echo on Dec. 2, 1922 detailed a murder-suicide in Huntington that began with a broken engagement and […]
The $6 Million Camp Upton Fraud Lawsuit of 1922
In December 1922, The Port Jefferson Echo reported that the federal government had begun legal action tied to alleged fraud in the construction of Camp […]
Before Busytown, Children’s Author Richard Scarry Drew This Charming 1947 Map of Long Island
Long before Richard Scarry became famous for Busytown, Lowly Worm, and generations of children’s books, he drew Long Island. In June 1947, Holiday magazine published […]
When a Whiskey-Laden Yacht Ran Ashore on Long Island During Prohibition
During a snowstorm in late November 1922, a yacht carrying hundreds of cases of whiskey ran aground off Miller Place during the height of Prohibition. […]
The Story Behind Rocky Point’s Famous “Fish Church”
Long before most locals started calling it the “Fish Church,” Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Rocky Point was already being recognized as a local landmark. […]
The Elephants That Helped Build the Long Beach Boardwalk
Long Beach has had many unusual moments in its history, but one of the more memorable came during the construction of its boardwalk. In 1907, […]
When Long Beach Thought Casinos Could Save the City
At first glance, this historic Long Beach building looks exactly like what you’d expect from the word “casino.” Large beachfront structure. Boardwalk crowds. Expansive ocean […]
The History of the Long Island Expressway
You’ve probably spent countless hours sitting on the Long Island Expressway wondering why traffic suddenly stopped for absolutely no reason. But long before the brake […]