C & R Restaurant (also known as the C & R Cafeteria) was located at 43 West Merrick Road. This 24-hour restaurant opened around 1939 and included both self service and table service. In 1941, Bill Collier was the manager.
Click here for material related to C & R Restaurant.
Sources:
C & R Cafeteria [advertisement]. The Leader. May 15, 1941, 3. Accessed July 8, 2021. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1941-05-15/ed-1/seq-3/.
C & R Cafeteria [advertisement]. The Leader. December 22, 1955, 7. Accessed July 8, 2021. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1955-12-22/ed-1/seq-7/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, July 9, 2021.
C.V. Boller was an apparel store located at 70 South Grove Street (now Guy Lombardo Avenue).
Source:
Voyageur, 1927 (Freeport High School Yearbook).
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 23, 2016.
See:
Caliban Fleet (also referred to as Caliban Dock) was a charter boat enterprise, located on Woodcleft Avenue, started by Captain Franklin "Roy" Merritt (circa 1895-1978) and his wife, Ennis, in 1932. Caliban was the first deep sea charter boat company in Freeport.
Caliban was the first charter boat from Freeport to catch a tuna and the first to catch a tuna off of Fire Island.
Merritt's sons, Buddy and Allan, operated the Caliban II and Caliban III. Caliban V was a twin engine boat built at the Freeport Point Shipyard around 1940.
Merritt and his wife came to Long Island in 1930 from Florida. They fished for the season in Suffolk County and returned to Florida in the winter. In 1932 they purchased waterfront property in Freeport. The Caliban Fleet would winter near Fort Lauderdale, Fl. Gasoline restrictions during World War II forced the Merritts to turn to commercial fishing in 1943 and 1944. They also reduced the size of their fleet from five to three boats.
In 1947, after spending 15 years in Freeport, the Merritts moved to Florida permanently.
Caliban is named for a character in Shakespeare's Tempest.
Sources:
Franklin Roy Merritt obituary. The Leader. June 8, 1978, 13. Accessed June 6, 2019 http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1978-06-08/ed-1/seq-13/.
Gruenberg, Charles. "'For Sale' Sign Ends Boating Pioneer Era." Newsday. July 24, 1947, 12.
Scopinich, Fred Jr. "Memories of Freeport's Waterfront." The Leader. August 30, 2007, 8. Accessed June 6, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071065/2007-08-30/ed-1/seq-8/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 6, 2019.
Peter A. Callaghan was born in Rockville Centre in 1946. He attended Our Holy Redeemer Catholic School, Brooklyn Prep, and completed his education at Wheeling College, WV. Callaghan married Anabelle Foley in 1972 and moved to Bellmore. During the Vietnam War, Captain Callaghan was an U.S. Air Force POW. Callaghan was shot down and captured on June 21, 1972. He was later released on March 28, 1973. On April 14, 1973, the Village of Freeport held a "Welcome Home" parade for the airman. Over 1,000 residents came out to watch Callaghan's motorcade accompanied by 42 organizations travel along Brooklyn Avenue to Freeport's Village Green. His daughter Colleen was born while he was in captivity. Callaghan's parents lived on Porterfield Place.
Sources:
P.O.W. Salute Saturday." The Leader. April 12, 1973, 1.
"Village Honors P.O.W. April 14." The Leader. 5 April 5, 1973, 1.
"Welcome Home." The Leader. April 19, 1973, 1.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 16, 2016.
See:
Canal 8 is the waterway located north of Anchor Street and south of the Waters Edge townhomes.
Source:
Map of Nassau County Barrier Islands, 2014. Accessed October 27, 2020. https://www.nassaucountyny.gov/DocumentCenter/View/25617/2019-helicopter-larviciding-Map?bidId=
Researched by Regina G. Feeney. October 27, 2020.
Canal 9 is the waterway located north of Dock Drive and south of Anchor Street.
Source:
Map of Nassau County Barrier Islands, 2014. Accessed October 27, 2020. https://www.nassaucountyny.gov/DocumentCenter/View/25617/2019-helicopter-larviciding-Map?bidId=
Researched by Regina G. Feeney. October 27, 2020.
Camp Roosevelt (also known as the Long Island Holiness Camp Meeting Association, Inc.) made Freeport its headquarters in 1919. It held annual 12-day sessions at its location at Prince Avenue and North Long Beach Avenue. Services were held at the large auditorium on the grounds. The property also contained a dining hall, office building, preacher's cabin, dormitory, recreational center, and caretaker's cottage.
Click here for images related to Camp Roosevelt.
Source:
Krieg, Cynthia J. and Regina G. Feeney. Freeport. Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2012
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, September 5, 2016.
Eugene A. Canalizo (1886-1953) was a three-term commodore of the South Shore Yacht Club. Born in San Francisco, Canalizo grew up on a plantation in Guatemala. In 1925, he was elected president of the New York Coffee and Cocoa Exchange in Manhattan. He moved to Mexico in 1947 where he died and was buried.
Canalizo's father, J. L. Canalizo, went to California during the Gold Rush around 1849 and started a import/export business with offices in San Francisco, New York, and Mexico. Canalizo's grandfather, Valentine Canalizo, was the 13th President of Mexico.
Canalizo's brother Jorge, is credited with convincing Leo Carrillo to move to Freeport.
Sources:
"Eugene A. Canalizo Succumbs in Mexico." The Leader. September 17, 1953, 3. Accessed June 6, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1953-09-17/ed-1/seq-3/.
Metz, Clinton E. "It Happened in Freeport... Years Ago." The Leader. May 19, 1988, 9. Accessed November 5, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1988-05-19/ed-1/seq-10/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 6, 2018.
Updated by Regina G. Feeney, November 5, 2018.
Luigi Cancellieri (circa 1895-1959) played first clarinet for the Metropolitan Opera for thirty years. Born in Rome, Cancellieri came to the United States in 1924. He, along with his wife, Maria, and their son Rudolph lived on South Grove Street (now Guy Lombardo Avenue).
Source:
"Luigi Cancellieri, Was Clarinetist With Metropolitan Opera Since 1929." Newsday. April 23, 1959, 43 C.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, February 5, 2018.
Cape Verdean Americans arrived in Freeport in the 1920s and 1930s from the archipelago and island country of Cape Verde. Cape Verdeans in Freeport settled in the Bennington Park development.
Located off the coast of Africa, Cape Verde played an important role in the Atlantic slave trade. The uninhabited islands were discovered and later settled by the Portuguese in 1456.
Portuguese colonists established plantations and brought slaves from Africa to work the plantations. The islands served as a support base for passing ships and as an intermediary in the intercontinental slave trade. By the late 1860s, slavery was outlawed in Portuguese colonies. Many Africans living on Cape Verde adapted to Portuguese culture, including its maritime traditions and embracing Catholicism.
Cape Verdeans fleeing drought, famine, and a lack of rewarding employment migrated to southeastern New England and Freeport in search of lucrative, short-term employment. According to scholar Dr. Marilyn Halter, "Though relatively small in number, these Afro-Portuguese settlers represent the only major community of Americans of African descent (albeit of mixed ancestry) to have voluntarily made the transatlantic voyage to the United States."
Though Halter was not aware of Cape Verdeans in Freeport, she said that Cape Verdean newcomers probably followed the same settlement patterns as white Portuguese (Azorean) immigrants. According to Halter, Cape Verdeans identified more strongly as Portuguese rather than aligning themselves with native-born African Americans. Employment opportunities and affordable housing may have led them to settle in Freeport.
Cape Verdiano Society* of Freeport (also known as the Cape Verdean Society or Portuguese Club) incorporated on January 9, 1941. This Bennington Park landmark was located at 194 East Merrick Road. Many former Bennington Park residents have spoken fondly of this social club and their ancestors from Cape Verde.
See Also:
Sources:
"Good Memories of Growing Up." Newsday. June 28, 1998, 275. Accessed August 29, 2022. Newspapers.com.
Halter, Marilyn. Between Race and Ethnicity: Cape Verdean American Immigrants, 1860-1965. Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press.1993.
Marilyn Halter (email, May 20, 2021).
"Out of Our Way by Julie." New York Amsterdam News. May 18, 1963, 25.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, August 29, 2022.
* [If you have photographs of this organization, please contact the Freeport Memorial Library].
Capri Restaurant was located at 37 Railroad Avenue (later 37-39 Freeport Plaza West with an entrance at 50 West Sunrise Highway). In 1943, when the restaurant received its liquor license, the owner was listed as Joseph La Bella. Around 1956, it was owned by Tom and Emily Pastorino. Their son, Andrew, served as the bartender. The restaurant was remodeled in 1956 and, again, in 1964. In 1966, the Capri celebrated its 25th anniversary. The restaurant was owned by Emilie "Millie" Pastorino and managed by Otto M. Eigen. That same year, the Capri Restaurant purchased a Datsun station wagon for home delivery service. The restaurant was open seven days a week.
Sources:
"Capri Restaurant Celebrates 25th." The Leader. April 14, 1966, 2. Accessed September 20, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1966-04-14/ed-1/seq-2/.
"Capri Restaurant Open After Remodeling." The Leader. November 15, 1956, 16. Accessed September 20, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1956-11-15/ed-1/seq-16/.
"Capri Restaurant Sports 'New Look.'" The Leader. April 16, 1964, 11. Accessed September 20, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1964-04-16/ed-1/seq-11/.
"Millie Otto and Bijou De Capri." The Leader. September 15, 1966, 15. Accessed September 20, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1966-09-15/ed-1/seq-15/.
Capri Restaurant [public notice]. The Leader. March 11, 1943, 7. Accessed September 20, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1943-03-11/ed-1/seq-4/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, September 20, 2018.
Captain Ben's Fish Dock, originally located at 325 Woodcleft Avenue, opened in 1915. It was purchased in 1945 by Captain Benjamin Bracco (1914-1981). In 1972, Captain Ben's was reported to be one the oldest fish markets in Nassau County.
Fish was supplied to the store by Captain Ben's commercial fishing boat The Sturgeon. Benjamin Bracco's son Jerry later joined him in the business.
In 1975, Adelphi University produced a documentary film about Captain Ben called The Fisherman.
Click here for images related to Captain Ben's Fish Docks.
Sources:
Behrens, Dave. "Capt. Ben Rides with Tides and Times." Newsday. April 20, 1970, 11.
"Down to the Sea." The Leader. January 20, 1972, 13. Accessed August 17, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1972-01-20/ed-1/seq-13/.
"A Short is Born." Newsday. November 13, 1975, 3A.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, November 2, 2019.
See:
Frederick, Cadman Henry (St. Vincent, British West Indies)
Lovelace, Luis D. (Dominican Republic)
Rigby, Moxey (Bahamas)
Skeete, Curtis (Barbados)
Bergen R. Carman (1846-?) was a prominent financier at the Atlantic Bank in Brooklyn, NY. Born in Freeport in 1846 to Samuel S. and Eliza (Raynor) Carman, he attended school in Freeport and later at Union Hall Academy in the borough of Queens, NY.
Carman helped to organize the Building and Loan Association of Hempstead, and later served as a director of that institution. In later life, he also had his home in Hempstead; it was located on Fulton Street. This home was shared by his wife, Jeannette Davis, whom he married in 1870, as well as their son, Charles.
Carman and his wife are buried in Greenfield Cemetery, Uniondale, NY.
​Click here for images related to Bergen R. Carman.
​Sources:
​Hazelton, Henry Isham. The Boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens Counties of Nassau and Suffolk Long Island, New York 1609-1924 (Volume 5). New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc., 1925.
Obituary of Bergen R. Carman. Nassau County Review. February 25, 1916, 1. Accessed August 1, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1916-02-25/ed-1/seq-1/.
Portrait and Biographical Record of Queens County (Long Island) New York containing Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the County. New York: Chapman Publishing Company, c. 1896.
​Researched by Denise Rushton and Regina G. Feeney, August 1, 2016.
Dr. Edwin Carman (1867-1937) was a Freeport doctor who gained national attention in 1914 when his wife, Florence, was arrested for shooting and killing his patient, Louise Bailey.
Carman was born in East Rockaway to Richard and Elizabeth (nee Hewlett). He became a doctor in 1889 after graduating with full honors from the Long Island College Hospital. After graduation, he set up his medical practice in Freeport. Though he had a general practice he specialized as an obstetrician and gynecologist. In a 1920s biography, it was said that Carman "probably delivered more infants than any other doctor on Long Island." Carman married Florence Conklin in 1892.
Carman was the physician for the local poor house. He served as the health officer for the Town of Hempstead for one year and was the health officer for Freeport for 18 years. Carman assisted in the organization of the South Shore Hospital.
Carman like horse racing. In 1896, his horse, Jack the Ripper won $30 at Reservoir Park. However, his passion proved costly in 1922, when he was swindled out of $14,000 by con men who told him they had information on a "sure thing" at a horse track in Rhode Island.
Around 1926, Carman was investigated for using more narcotics than the law allowed in the treatment of drug addicts. Those charges were dismissed in 1929.
In 1928, Carman was indicted for manslaughter and the "performance of an illegal operation" (abortion) in connection to the death of Claudia Winifred Halstead of Lynbrook. Halstead who was married and the mother of two children, died of an infection. She was 30 years old at the time of her death. According to testimony from her husband, George, Halstead became ill after the procedure. George Halstead contacted Carman who performed a second procedure on his wife at the Halstead's home. When her conditioned worsened, she was taken to the hospital where she died.
Four days prior to Halstead's death, Carman became the subject of another investigation involving an abortion. Hazel Potter was admitted to the hospital after becoming seriously ill after getting an abortion at Dr. Carman's office. During the Potter trial, the prosecution presented evidence that Carman was a known abortionist. According to a newspaper account, "Neighbors even complained to the police on one occasion of the constant stream of women pouring into his place and the weird feminine screams which emanated from it at night." Carman's defense included five character witnesses who attempted to bolster Carman's claim that Potter, who became pregnant after an affair, falsely accused the doctor in spite because he refused to help her. Potter testified that Carman charged her $25 for the abortion. During the procedure, Potter said Carman told her to "Keep quiet" and said that that he performed the same procedure many times per month.
Carman was found guilty in the Potter case. A petition urging judicial clemency for Carman was signed by 5,000 people and presented to the court. Judge Lewis J. Smith sentenced Carman to two to four years in prison but then he suspended the sentence. Carman lost his medical license. He was never charged in the Halstead case.
Carman died at his home in Merrick in 1937 at the age of 71. He is buried in Greenfield Cemetery, Uniondale, NY.
Click here for material related to Edwin Carman.
Click here for Library of Congress images related to the Carman trial.
Sources:
"Carman Dismissed." The Nassau County Review. February 6, 1929, 2. Accessed June 13. 2022. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071428/1929-02-06/ed-1/seq-2/.
"Carman Escapes Jail; Sentence Suspended on Term of 2 Years." Brooklyn Times Union. January 29, 1929, 23. Accessed June 13, 2022. Newspaper.com.
"Carman Freed; Forced to Give Up His Practice." The Nassau Daily Review. January 29, 1929, 2. Accessed October 7, 2022. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071428/1929-01-29/ed-1/seq-2/.
"Dr. Edwin Carman Goes to Trial." Brooklyn Times Union. January 23, 1929, 2. Accessed June 13, 2022. Newspaper.com.
"Dr. Carman Found Guilty In Crime Surgery Case." Daily News. January 25, 1929, 67. Accessed June 13, 2022. Newspaper.com.
"Dr. Edwin Carman Indicted in Death of Woman Patient." Brooklyn Times Union. November 24, 1928, 1. Accessed June 13, 2022. Newspapers.com.
"Drops $14,000 on Sure Thing." The Boston Globe. December 21, 1922, 20. Accessed June 13, 2022. Newspapers.com.
"Jack the Ripper." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. July 9, 1896, 4. Accessed September 22, 2022. Newspapers.com.
Levins, Peter. "What Has Happened to Justice." Daily News. January 22, 1939, 5. Accessed June 13, 2022. Newspapers.com.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 13, 2022.
Updated by Regina G. Feeney, October 7, 2022.
Leon “Wink” Carman (1895-1978) was a Freeport bayman and Prohibition era rumrunner. Born in Baldwin, he later moved to Freeport in 1918 and operated the party boat Selnada with this father, William. After the Selnada was destroyed in the Hurricane of 1938, Carman worked in the bait business. He also carved duck decoys for hunting and enjoyed telling stories about his days as a rumrunner. Though the government banned clamming in local waters, he continued the practice until his death at the age of 83.
According to Carman's son, Leon (nicknamed "Little Wink), his father would purchase cases of liquor for $8 per case at the three mile limit and hide the bottles under the floorboards in the house. After a few days past. Carman would sell the liquor for $20 to $25 per case.
When the Woodcleft Canal froze over, Carman would cut through the ice to spear eels.
Carman's nickname "Wink" came from his love of cooking and eating periwinkles, a marine snail that attaches itself to rocks and larger shellfish.
Wink Carman is buried in Greenfield Cemetery, Uniondale, NY.
See:
Sources:
Leon Carman [obituary]. The Leader. October. 5, 1978, 14. Accessed May 22, 2021. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1978-10-05/ed-1/seq-14/.
"Leon Carman, Rum-Running Bayman." Newsday. October 3, 1978, 47.
Rader, Barbara. "He Serves Up Sea Food Quick as a Wink." Newsday. September 1, 1966, 5B.
"Winter Pastimes for the Hardy." Nassau Daily Review-Star. January 28, 1948, 5. Accessed May 22, 2021. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031113/1948-01-28/ed-1/seq-5/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 22, 2021.
Margaret Carman (1850-1922) was convicted of manslaughter in the first degree for the death of Ella Frances Smith in 1883. At Carman's trial, Dr. Denton and Dr. Hammond, who performed an autopsy on Smith, testified that Smith died of "convulsions brought on by an attempted abortion."
Carman, born in Port Washington, lived in the Milburn section of Baldwin. Married at 18, Carman and her husband (William H.) had four to seven children. Her husband was a fish peddler (the Census has him listed as a farmer). According to testimony, Carman was known locally as an abortionist who used the alias Dr. Maggie Kaney. She was about 32 years old at the time of the trial.
Ella F. Smith (nee Morse) was 18 years when she died and had been married for two years to Sydney/Sidney Smith. She was buried at Rockville Cemetery. According to a newspaper story, Smith's mother testified that her daughter told her that she wanted an abortion because "she did not wish to be tied to the house." When her mother cautioned her daughter about visiting Carman, she said the Ella replied, "Others have got safely through and I guess that I can." Smith's husband testified that though he did not know Ella was going to see Carman that day, she told him that she had recently seen her. According to a newspaper account, the Smiths had one child together.
It was reported in The Sun, that Carman attempted to flee by railroad to Brooklyn but was apprehended by constable Theodore Wright at Jamaica. An inquest was held in the Methodist Church in Baldwin.
During the inquest Mrs. Jane Carman and Mrs. Emma C. Brown gave the coroner the names of the women they knew who had been "treated" by Carman.
Carman was found guilty and sentenced on September 14, 1883 to serve ten years in prison at the Kings County Penitentiary. According to a newspaper account, this was the first time someone was convicted in Queens County for this crime.
On June 2, 1888, an application of clemency for Carman was submitted by George A. Mott. Her ten year sentence was reduced to six years and six months and her release date was March 13, 1890. While in prison, her husband died and possibly a child. One newspaper reported that all her children died while she was incarnated but according to Ancestry.com, three of her children lived to adulthood: Henry (1866-1937); Cornelius (1869-1947); and Grace (1872-1957).
After Carman was convicted, Detective Stephen Payn attempted to connect Carman to the murder of Ella Clark, whose dismembered remains were found in Freeport in 1881. It was believed Clark died as the result of complications from an abortion.
See Also:
Sources:
Ancestry.com.
"Baldwins." South Side Observer. May 04, 1883, 3. Accessed May 13, 2022. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn84031784/1883-05-04/ed-1/seq-3/.
"Court Proceedings." South Side Observer. June 15, 1883, 2. Accessed May 13, 2022. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn84031784/1883-06-15/ed-1/seq-2/.
"Found Dead in Mrs. Carman's Hut." The Benton Weekly Record. May 12 1883, 7. Accessed May 13, 2022. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85053148/1883-05-12/ed-1/seq-7/.
"Freeport Horror Revived." New-York Tribune. May 4, 1883, 5. Accessed May 13, 2022. Newspapers.com
"Long Island Items." The Corrector. May 05, 1883, 2. Accessed May 13, 2022. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031606/1883-05-05/ed-1/seq-2/.
"Milburn Mystery." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. April 29, 1883, 6. Accessed May 13, 2022. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031151/1883-04-29/ed-1/seq-6/.
"Mrs. Carman's Patients." The Sun. April 29, 1883, 1. Accessed May 13, 2022. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030272/1883-04-29/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Ten Years." Daily Bulletin. September 18, 1883, 1. Accessed May 13, 2022. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87060189/1883-09-18/ed-1/seq-1/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 23, 2022.
The Carman Murder garnered international press coverage in 1914. The victim was Louise "Lu Lu" Bailey of Hempstead. Florence Carman, the wife of Dr. Edwin Carman, was arrested and tried twice for Bailey's murder but was ultimately was acquitted.
Around 8 p.m. on June 30, 1914, Dr. Edwin Carman was seeing patients in his office located in the house he shared with his wife, daughter and in-laws. Carman's office included a waiting room and examination room and was on the first floor of 118 West Merrick Road (north side of Merrick Road just east of the present post office). A hand holding a .38 caliber pistol broke the the glass, pushed through the closed blinds and fired a single shot that entered the back of Louise Bailey. The bullet pierced both her lungs and aorta. Bailey died instantly. Dr. Carman telephoned Dr. William Runcie who lived across the street. Strangely, he asked Archie Post to get Theodore Bedell, the local blacksmith. When Post failed to locate Bedell's house, Dr. Carman went on foot. He claimed that before she died, Mrs. Bailey told him that she met him and Bedell at the home of her cousin, Mrs. Kimball. Dr. Carman said he wanted Bedell there to help identify the victim as Mrs. Bailey. There is conflicting information as to how long it took for someone to notify the police. Some sources say it was 15 minutes, others claim it was an hour before authorities were called.
Police discovered a box of .38 caliber bullets in the Carman's attic, but since it was covered in dust, it was clear that the box had not been touched in a long time.
At the time of shooting, four patients were in Dr. Carman's waiting room, a woman (possibly named Hannah Kahn), Hazel Combs, George Golder, and Archie Post. A third man, Edward T. Bardes was on his way to see Carman but had not entered the house when the shot rang out.
The Carmans retained John Graham, a well known trial lawyer on Long Island. Attorneys Henry A. Uterhart and George Morton Levy of Freeport were hired to assist Graham.
In early July, an inquest was held at Freeport's police court on South Grove Street [now Guy Lombardo Avenue]. The primary witness was 33 year old Edward T. Bardes, who worked as an insurance agent for John Hancock Life Insurance Company. He walked from his home at 433 Bedell Street to have Dr. Carman look at his sore heel. When he arrived at the doctor's office, he felt better and decided to return home. It was then he saw a woman in a white shirt and dark skirt walking on the west side of the Carman house at the time of the shooting. Though he could not swear that the woman in white was Carman, his description matched the outfit Florence Carman was wearing that evening.
Another witness was Gaston Boissannault, manager of the General Acoustic Company. Mrs. Carman had the company install a recording/listening device, known as a Dictaphone, in her husband's office. Boissannault testified that Florence Carman wanted the device installed because she believed "he had improper relations with women." Carman told him that she could not divorce her husband on account of their child. Frank C. Burnell, an electrician for General Acoustics, was dispatched to the Carman home to install the device. He was told to come to the side door to the doctor's office and hold his hat in his left hand. This was the signal to Florence Carman's mother to let him in. He put the transmitter behind a cabinet and ran wires under the linoleum on the floor and attached them to a receiver hidden in a desk located in the Carman's bedroom on the second floor.
During the inquest, Justice of the Peace and acting coroner, Corodon Norton stayed at the original Freeport Elks Club. After deliberation, Norton issued a warrant for Carman's arrest for the murder of Lulu D. Bailey. Sheriff Stephen P. Pettit along with Carman's counsel, George Morton Levy, District Attorney Lewis J. Smith, and Assistant D.A., George Weeks went to Carman's home. It was reported that Carman "walked majestically into the room" where the men had gathered. When the warrant was read, Dr. and Mrs. Carman "wept on each other's shoulders." After she regained her composure, she entered a plea of not guilty. She was arrested and committed to the County Jail in Mineola A crowd of 600 people watched as Carman left her home and was driven to jail by the sheriff. Carman was placed in an 8 by 12-foot cell with a single window, a bed, and a rocking chair. She was incarcerated here for about a month.
Several days later, Dr. Carman claimed that while driving in his car with actor Garland Gaden, a man on a bicycle shot at his automobile. Gaden confirmed the story. Some believe this story was manufactured by Dr. Carman to provide evidence that someone was trying to shoot him. At the trial, William P. W. Haff of Lynbrook was called to testify at trial that his car was shot at while driving in Freeport. It was noted that Haff looked like Dr. Carman and drove a similar car to his.
The trial began on July 19 with a jury of 12 married men, none of whom were from Freeport. Justice Charles H. Kelby, whose parents lived in Freeport, presided over the proceedings
Twelve days after Bailey's death, Celia Coleman, a maid who had been employed with the Carmans for about six weeks at the time of the murder, disappeared. However, it was revealed that the District Attorney's Office had hired the Burns Detective Agency to "hide" Coleman to keep her from being bribed or threatened. During the inquest, her testimony provided an alibi for Carman. However, Coleman later claimed that she perjured herself because Mrs. Carman had offered her a $5 tip and promised her perpetual care for her child. Coleman, would later testify that on December 5th, while she was in Charleston, SC, she was approached by an African American man who claimed to be an attorney. The man, who said his names was Hicks, offered her $300 on behalf of Mrs. Carman to change her story. He also promised to help her secure a divorce from her husband, marry her, and take her to New Orleans. Coleman's cousin, George Toomer, corroborated her testimony. In reality, Hicks was Archie Owens, a detective. It was widely suspected that during the trial, Owens changed his allegiances and began working for the defense.
During the trial, Jennie Duryea, who was Louise Bailey's mother, testified that her daughter left Hempstead to visit a friend in Rockville Centre around 3:13 p.m. Neither she nor Bailey's husband, William, knew why she would have gone to see Dr. Carman. It was suggested at trial that Bailey had met Dr. Carman previously at her cousin's house, though Dr. Carman testified he did not recall meeting the victim. The prosecution used Carman's jealousy as a motive. On one occasion, while peeking through the window, she caught nurse Elizabeth J. Varrance kiss Dr. Carman after he gave her $20. After banging on the window, Florence ran into the doctor's office and slapped the nurse. At trial it was said that Varrance asked Dr. Carman for money when she was short of funds and the kiss was done on impulse. After she was slapped, Varriance left the money on the table and left. She testified that she heard Dr. Carman tell his wife if she ever did such a thing again, he would leave her.
During the trial, Celia Coleman testified that Carman came downstairs wearing a kimono and walked out the back door. When Elizabeth Carman went to follow her mother, Carman told her to stay back. When the shot rang out, Elizabeth ran towards the front of the house and according to Coleman, when Mrs. Carman entered the house, Carman said, "I shot him, see?" The next morning, Coleman claimed that Mrs. Carman burned letters and had her father, Platt Conklin, dispose of the gun.
Dr. Runcie testified when he was called to the Carman's house on the night of the murder, Dr. Carman said, "This is terrible. It will ruin my practice." He also said that Mrs. Carman confessed that she installed the Dictaphone because she was jealous.
The defense offered the testimony of Florence Raynor who claimed Bardes could not have seen the "woman in white" because Bardes came to her house at 8:30 p.m. and stayed until 11. Freeporter Rudolph Loewe testified he heard the shot and saw a man run from the scene. However, his testimony was discredited because Loewe was profoundly deaf and George M. Levy and Judge Kelby had to shout questions in his ear.
Mrs. Carman testified that she was on the second floor of the house at the time of the shooting. However, Hazel Combs and Hannah Kahn both testified that Mrs. Carman had entered the doctor's office to answer a telephone call and open a door for a patient. George Golder who originally testified that Mrs. Carman let him into the doctor's office, later, said on the stand that it was possible that he confused Mrs. Carman with her sister, Ida Powell.
Frank Farrell, a beggar, who had knocked on doors for homes on Merrick Road, testified while at the Carman house, he saw a woman by the window of the doctor's office. Levy was able to produce witnesses that claimed Farrell was in New York City at the time of the murder. The defense produced two witnesses, Charles Adams and Percy Smith, who swore they saw a man run across the Carman lawn and jump a fence. However, they contradicted each other on the time they were by the Carman's house. Mrs. Carman's father claimed he saw footprints near the broken fence where the witness saw someone jump. However, a police officer testified he saw no broken fence that evening.
After nearly 13 hours of deliberations, they jury could not come to a consensus; ten jurors voted for acquittal and two voted for conviction. Upon hearing there was a hung jury, Louise Bailey's mother, Jennie Duryea, said, " I feel that it is a moral conviction and that is all that I care for in the eyes of the world. I didn't want Mrs. Carman to go to the electric chair or yet to prison, but I do not see how they could vote for an acquittal on the evidence."
A month before the start of a second trial, Graham withdrew from the case citing health reasons. Levy took on the role of lead attorney. While on stand during the second trial, the prosecution asked Mrs. Carman, "Were you ever at or near the window to the doctor's office?" The courtroom audience gasped when Mrs. Carman responded, "Which time?" The prosecution accused Mrs. Carman of spying on her husband through the windows. Mrs. Carman regained her composure and explained she spent time near those windows because her flowerbed were located there.
The second jury only took one hour to deliberate, and a “not guilty” verdict was made on the first ballot. Mrs. Carman said, “I can go back to my friends and be happy with them, and if it were not for my friends and the confidence they have shown in me, the trials would have been much harder for me than they have been.” Asked if she planned to go into vaudeville, she said she didn’t, but Mr. Levy said he could not promise that she wouldn’t. William Bailey, the victim’s husband, made no comment.
Click her for images from the Library of Congress taken during the Carman murder trial.
See Also:
Sources:
"Acquits Mrs. Carman of Bailey Murder." The Nassau Post. May 14, 1915, 1. Accessed October 7, 2022. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071434/1915-05-14/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Asserts Dr. Carman Could End Mystery." The Boston Globe. July 11, 1914, 8. Accessed September 22, 2022. Newspapers.com.
"Carman Jury Disagrees." The Indiana Progress. October 28, 1914, 5. Accessed September 24, 2022. Newspapers.com.
"Carman Jury Disagrees, Ten for Acquittal." The Los Angeles Times. October 26, 1914, 1. Accessed September 24, 2022. Newspapers.com.
"Carman Trial Echo at Burns Hearing." The Daily Standard Union. August 6, 1917, 9. Accessed October 6, 2022. Newspapers.com.
"Find Box of 38 Calibre [sic] Cartridges in the Attic of Dr. Carman's House." Elmira Star-Gazette. July 6, 1914, 1. Accessed September 22, 2022. Newspapers.com.
"Hazel Combe [sic] Contradicts Doctor's Wife." The Sun. July 7, 1914, 2. Accessed July 15, 2022.
"How Jealous Wife Set Spy to Hear All that Went on When Women Called on Her Husband." The Washington Post. July 3, 1914, 3. Accessed October 6, 2022. Newspapers.com.
"Mrs. Carman Pleads for a Square Deal." The Standard Union. July 14, 1914, 1. Accessed September 20, 2022. Newspapers.com.
"Mrs. Carman Taken on Bench Warrant Charging Use of 'Criminal Means' to Bring about Death of Mrs. Louise Bailey: Justice Norton Acts After Long Seclusion in Room at Elks Club House." The Nassau Post. July 8, 1914, 1. Accessed September 20, 2022. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071434/1914-07-08/ed-1/seq-1/.
"State Rests its Case in the Carman Trial." The Standard Union. May 6, 1915, 1. Accessed September 24, 2022. Newspapers.com.
"Someone Shot at W.P.W. Huff." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. July 6, 1914, 2. Accessed September 22, 2022. Newspapers.com.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, March 27, 2023.
Samuel S. Carman (1821-1891) was born near Freeport, NY on September 25, 1821, to Thomas and Elizabeth (nee Smith) Carman. At a young age, his father moved the family to Brooklyn, NY, where Samuel got his education as well as employment as a clerk at his father’s mercantile business. When he turned 18 years old, he and his parents moved back to Freeport. First he worked alongside his father as a farmer, and later opened his own lumber yard. Carman ran the lumber yard until his death in 1891.
Samuel Carman married Eliza Raynor, the daughter of Daniel and Mary Ann (Bedell) Raynor, in 1842. Together, they had three children: Bergen, Mary Elizabeth. and Edna.
Source:
Portrait and Biographical Record of Queens County (Long Island) New York containing Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the County. New York: Chapman Publishing Company, c. 1896.
Researched by Denise Rushton, August 2, 2016.
Carman Street was renamed President Street. The original name came from the Carman family, which were among the first settlers in the Village.
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, May 23, 2016.
Wes Carman (1934-2005) was a lifelong Freeporter who was engaged in the marine business since he was in high school. He first worked for the Scopinich family at the Freeport Point Shipyard. Carman later worked for the Woodcleft Marine where he became a partner in the business. In 1969, he purchased a marina on Hudson Avenue and named it the Wes Carman Marina.
Carman's father, Wes Carman, Sr., raced boats in the 1930s; young Carman soon followed in his footsteps. In the 1950s and into the 1970s, Carman raced hydroplane class boats. He and his boat, Expediter, won many races throughout the United States. Carman was also involved in the Round Long Island Boat Marathon.
In the 1970s, Carman organized Freeport's first annual Canoe Race and the first Boat Show at the Guy Lombardo Marina.
In 1978, Carman launched a Hydrohoist dealership. Two years later, Carman's sons (Wes and Douglas) took over the business and founded W.D. Marine. In 1995, Approved Marine Inc., was created by the Carman family.
Carman was a former president of the Freeport Chamber of Commerce and was honored in 2005 as "Citizen of the Year."
Sources:
"About Us." Approved Marine. Accessed June 8, 2021. https://approvedmarine.com/about-us/.
"Former Freeport Chamber President Wes Carman, Sr. Is Dead." The Leader. August 11, 2005, 6. Accessed June 8, 2021. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071065/2005-08-11/ed-1/seq-6/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 8, 2021.
Captain William Carman (c.1874-1929) was a well known local bayman and deep sea fisherman. Carman was the long time captain of the party fishing boat Selnada, which he acquired in 1908.
Carman and his wife, Lillian (c.1872-1939), had three sons (Leon, Mortimer, and Stewart) and two daughters (Edna and Ethel). He developed lockjaw (tetanus) after suffering a minor injury to his leg. After being taken to Bellevue Hospital for treatment, he died of pneumonia at the age of 55. At the time of his death, Carman lived at 416 Atlantic Avenue.
Carman was a charter member of the Freeport Council of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics and a member of the Loyal Order of Moose. He is buried in Greenfield Cemetery, Uniondale, NY.
See Also:
Sources:
"Captain Carman Dies in Manhattan Clinic." The Nassau Daily Review. June 25, 1929, 5. Accessed May 27, 2021. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071428/1929-06-25/ed-1/seq-5/.
"Hold Funeral Thursday for Captain Carman." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. June 25, 1929, 12. Accessed May 27, 2021. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/687135449/?terms=selnada%20carman%20william&match=1.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 27, 2021.
Carman's Lane was an original name for Ocean Avenue.
Source:
Historic Freeport: 70th Anniversary Issue. [1962].
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 28, 2016.
Leo Carrillo (Leopoldo Antonio Carrillo) (1881-1961) was a well known vaudeville, movie, and television personality, best known for his role as Pancho in the television series, The Cisco Kid. Carrillo was a member of the Long Island Good Hearted Thespians Society (LIGHTS) and was on the committee that chose the site for its clubhouse.
During the 1920s and 1930s, Carrillo often portrayed Mexicans, though he was a native Californian. It was reported that he spoke Chinese, Spanish, Japanese, and Italian. He took a job as a reporter and cartoonist for a newspaper in San Francisco. It was here he was encouraged to develop a vaudeville act that incorporated various accents based on characters he met in California.
Carrillo was good friends with Freeporter Jorge Canalizo, who convinced him to summer in Freeport. He lived first on Miller Avenue and later moved to a home on Lena Avenue where he had a totem pole erected along side his driveway. The second home still stands at 145 Wilson Place. The house originally fronted Lena Avenue and the property extended all the way to Wilson Place. What was initially the back of the house is now the front, as the property was split in half and the house now fronts Wilson Place. Statues in the shape of lions are also visible on Lena Avenue; they once marked the entrance and exit of the driveway of the Carrillo home. The Carrillo house includes two fieldstone fireplaces.
Carrillo served on the California State Parks Commission. In 1959, the commission named a 1,500 acre park, the Leo Carrillo State Beach Park in his honor.
Click here for images related to Leo Carrillo.
See Also:
Sources:
Cullen, Frank. "Leo Carrillo." Vaudeville Old and New: An Encyclopedia of Variety Performers in America. New York: Routledge, 2007; 198-199.
Metz, Clinton E. "It Happened in Freeport... Years Ago." The Leader. May 19, 1988, 9. Accessed November 5, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1988-05-19/ed-1/seq-10/.
"Park Named for Leo Carrillo to Be Called by Full Official Name." The San Bernardino Sun. March 21, 1959, 35. Accessed November 5, 2018. newspapers.com.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, November 7, 2018.
Updated by Regina G. Feeney, March 30, 2023.
Carol Green's was a ladies' apparel store located at 80 South Main Street. The store was founded by brothers Jack and Harry Green around 1930. The store was named for Jack's daughter Carol. Originally located at 60 South Main Street, Carol Green's took over the space occupied by the Litwak's Department Store at 80 South Main Street. In 1922, this location was the site of the Schloss Department Store. Carol Green's also had a location in Hempstead.
During a Freeport war bond campaign in 1943, Carol Green's purchased $12,500 in bonds. It was reported that this was the largest individual purchase for the Freeport campaign.
When Jack retired from the store and moved to Florida, relatives Walter and Ruth Green managed the business.
In 1965, Carol Green's celebrated its grand re-opening after a redesign.
Carol Green's and its neighbor, Irving's Men Store, were damaged during a fire around 1972.
Carol Green's celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1981. In December 1981, Walter retired from business and closed the store.
The Green family was associated with B'nai Israel. Carol Green was confirmed in the temple in 1943. She married Ira J. Kaplan in 1950. At the time, Kaplan was the general manager of the Nassau Mattress and Bedding Company of Freeport.
Click here for images of Carol Green's.
Sources:
Bermudez, Miguel and Donald Giordano. An Illustrated History of the Freeport Fire Department, 1893-2008. Freeport, NY, Freeport Fire Department, 2008.
"Freeport Buys $560,000 Bonds." Newsday. September 13, 1943, 3.
"Carol Green's Will Expand." The Leader. October 2, 1941, 1. Accessed August 30, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1941-10-02/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Jack Green Arrives in Sunny Florida." The Leader. February 26, 1942, 2. Accessed August 30, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1942-02-26/ed-1/seq-2/.
"Meet Our Merchants: Ruth and Walter Green." The Leader. September 19, 1963, 1. Accessed August 31, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1963-09-19/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Memories of Early Days." The Leader. August 24, 1978, 15. Accessed August 31, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1978-08-24/ed-1/seq-15/.
"News and Views by Eddie Vasil." The Leader. May 6, 1965, 1. Accessed August 30, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1965-05-06/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Three Merrick Misses Join Ranks of Brides-to-Be; One Sets Date." Newsday. January 11, 1950, 39.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, August 31, 2017.
Carroll Street was named for James Carroll, who worked in real estate.
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, May 23, 2016.
Carom Corner was a pool hall located at 44 South Grove Street (now Guy Lombardo Avenue). It had 20 billiards tables, a lounge area, and a canteen that served food and drinks.
Sources:
Carom Corner [advertisement]. The Leader. May 16, 1963, 9. Accessed November 13, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1963-05-16/ed-1/seq-9/.
"Carom Corner's 'New Look' Invites Family Billiards Play." The Leader. May 2, 1963, 16. Accessed November 13, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1963-05-02/ed-1/seq-16/.
"World's No. 1 Pool Shark Says It Only Looks Easy." Newsday. March 14, 1967, 22A.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, November 13, 2017.
Cary Canal is the waterway located north of Cary Place and south of Dock Drive.
Source:
Map of Nassau County Barrier Islands, 2014. Accessed October 27, 2020. https://www.nassaucountyny.gov/DocumentCenter/View/25617/2019-helicopter-larviciding-Map?bidId=
Researched by Regina G. Feeney. October 27, 2020.
The Casbah was an elite supper club that opened in 1949 by Harry Harris. Located at 77 West Merrick Road, it was said that restaurant was based on New York City's Stork Club and El Morocco. It advertised itself as having "Long Islands largest television set." Patrons could order a rye highball for 50 cents or a glass of scotch for 65 cents. Andre Gamard was the Casbah's chef.
Later, The Casbah became the New Mandarin Restaurant.
Click here for material related to The Casbah.
See Also:
Sources:
The Casbah [advertisement]. Nassau Daily Review-Star. March 14, 1949, 17. Accessed June 28, 2021. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031113/1948-11-29/ed-1/seq-17/.
Vasil, Eddie. "News and Views." The Leader. September 15, 1966, 4. Accessed June 28, 2021. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1966-09-15/ed-1/seq-4/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 28, 2021.
Casino Pool (also known as the Freeport Casino and Casino Hotel) was located at 31 Casino Street; it featured hotel rooms, a dining room, a pool, and a sandy beach. It was formerly known as the the Norwood and, later, the Anchorage. In 1918, the Casino was managed by Nate Fenton. It was sometimes advertised as Fenton's Pekin or as Fenton Pekin and Water Palace.
Actor Leo Carrillo served as manager of the Casino Pool for one season. Many of the visiting actors to the LIGHTS Club stayed here.
In 1921, Prohibition agents raided the building. After finding illegal liquor, they arrested the Casino's manager, Dominick Ferrera (sometimes spelled Dominic Ferrera).
The original Casino Pool building was destroyed by fire in 1929. At the time of the fire, the hotel was owned by Ferrerra and leased to Albert Cacioppa. Ferrerra re-built the Casino for $250,000. It was said at the time that the Casino had the largest pool on Long Island. On the first day the Casino Pool and Bathing Pavilion re-opened, it was reported that it was visited by 10,000 people. On August 17, 1929, Johnny Weissmuller, actor and amateur swimming champion, was scheduled to race C. T. Brall, who was the Florida State open champion, at Casino Pool (the result of this race has not been located).
The Casino Pool complex was torn down in 1976, and the South Bay Condominium Complex was built on the site.
Click here for images of Casino Pool.
See Also:
Sources:
Fenton's Pekin [advertisement]. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. June 13, 1918, 8. Accessed May 15, 2019. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/55298532/?terms=nate%2Bfenton.
Fenton Pekin and Water Palace [advertisement]. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. June 28, 1918, 9. Accessed May 15, 2019. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/55300754/?terms=pekin%2Bfreeport%2Bnate%2Bfenton.
Krieg, Cynthia J. and Regina G. Feeney. Freeport. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2012.
"New Bathing Pool Opens at Freeport." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. June 24, 1929, 15. Accessed May 30, 2017. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/58064339/?terms=%22casino%2Bpool%22%2Bfreeport.
"Raiders Obtain Half Pint at Ferrara Hotel in Freeport Friday." ​The Daily Review. August 27, 1921, 1. Accessed October 5, 2016. Fultonhistory.com.
"Remembering the Casino Pool." The Leader. June 24, 2004, 1. Accessed May 30, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071065/2004-06-24/ed-1/seq-1/.
"$60,000 Blaze Destroys Noted Freeport Hotel." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. January 14, 1929, 1. Accessed October 5, 2016. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/59891976/?terms=casino%2Bfreeport.
"Weissmuller in Special Race." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. August 3, 1929, 6. May 30, 2017. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/59884346/?terms=%22casino%2Bpool%22%2Bfreeport.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 3, 2017.
Casino Street was named for Casino Beach and Pool.
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, May 23, 2016.
Caslin Inn was a hotel located at 25 East Merrick Road.
Source:
The Montauk Business Directory of Long Island: Queens Nassau and Suffolk Counties. New York: Mort F. Levy Publishing Co., Inc., 1913.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, October 18, 2016.
Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Court Stella Maris, No. 822, was organized at Our Holy Redeemer Roman Catholic Church in 1923. In 1928, this organization had 170 members and Anna J. Martin served as the Grand Regent.
Source:
The Long Island Almanac and Year Book, 1928. New York: The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 1928.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, September 1, 2017.
Central Market was a butcher shop was located at 11 South Grove Street (now Guy Lombardo Avenue). John Matthias was the proprietor in the 1920s.
See Also:
Source:
Voyageur, 1927 (Freeport High School Yearbook).
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 23, 2016.
The Cedars were apartments situated in a private three-story house located at 420 South Ocean Avenue, at the corner of Cedar Street. In 1921, this 15 to 18 room house was purchased by Arthur A. and Margaret S. Davis of Manhattan. That same year, classified ads appear in a local newspaper advertising two "housekeeping suites." The one room apartment rented for $3 weekly and the four room apartment rented for $18 weekly.
Arthur Davis lived at 420 South Ocean Avenue until his death in 1950. At the time of Margaret Davis' death in 1963, she was living at 106 Prince Avenue.
The original house was built by the John J. Randall Company. The house, garage, and stable were built on a 125 x 200 foot plot. At one time, a trolley line ran behind the house.
The house eventually became a boarding house. Ira Sumkin owned the property in 1998 when the house was deemed to be a "dangerous structure." The house was torn down soon after. In 2005, two new homes were constructed on the property's site.
See Also:
Sources:
Apartments to Let [classified advertisement]. The Daily Review. September 1, 1931, 6. Accessed May 13, 2019. fultonhistory.com.
"Buy Freeport Homes." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. April 7, 1921, 17. Accessed May 13, 2019. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/57540230/?terms=arthur%2Bdavis%2Bcedar%2Bocean%2Bfreeport.
For Rent [classified advertisement]. The Daily Review. March 15, 1921, 7. Accessed May 13, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071431/1921-03-15/ed-1/seq-7/.
"Margaret S. Davis Former Missionary, Church Worker, Dies." Long Island Graphic. November 1, 1963, 4. Accessed May 13, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071111/1963-11-01/ed-1/seq-4/.
"Rites Held In Penna for Arthur A. Davis." Newsday. August 23, 1950, 33.
Schofer, Laura. "404 and 420 South Ocean Beyond Repair." The Leader. July 9, 1998, 1. Accessed April 13, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071065/1998-07-09/ed-1/seq-1/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 13, 2019.
Celebrity Club, located at 77 East Sunrise Highway, was known as the Cotton Inn in the 1930s. Gaetano "Guy" Miceli was the proprietor of the Cotton Inn in 1938. In 1948, Paul Robeson, a prominent civil rights activist, singer, and actor, appeared at a rally supporting Henry A. Wallace's presidential campaign at the Cotton Inn in September 1948.
It remained the Cotton Inn until 1949, when new ownership reopened the venue as the Celebrity Club. Howard "Babe" Hicks was reported to be one of the bartenders. In 1958, the Celebrity Club was owned by Julius Hesse, who was also president of Emerald Pools, Inc. The club was advertised as the "Showcase of Talent."
In 1952, a cigarette left in a garbage can caused a fire that resulted in $10,000 in damages to the Celebrity Club. At the time, the club was operated by Irving Cohan of the Bronx.
Soul singer, Joe Tex, performed at the Celebrity Club in the 1950s.
The duo Tarheel Slim and Little Ann took the stage at the Celebrity Club for two nights in April 1960. That same year, The Veneers, a female group of cousins from New York City also appeared. Another all female group from Brooklyn, The Crystals, performed live at the Celebrity Club in 1961.
Before she was known as a feminist and civil rights activist, Dorothy Pitman Hughes she sang the Blues at the Celebrity Club in the 1960s.
In the 1992, the Holmes Brothers, a vocal and instrumental trio from Virginia, released an album that mentioned Freeport's Celebrity Club in the album's liner notes.
Click here for images related to the Celebrity Club.
Sources:
Celebrity Club [advertisement]. The Leader. November 20, 1958, 9. Accessed December 4, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1958-11-20/ed-1/seq-9/.
"Changes His Plea Awaits Sentence." Nassau Daily Review-Star. May 25, 1945, 13. Accessed November 20, 2017. fultonhistory.com.
"Cigaret [sic] in Basket Starts 10-G Club Fire." Newsday. June 23, 1952, 29.
Clemente, John. Girl Groups: Fabulous Female That Rocked the World. Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2000.
Guralnick, Peter.Sweet Soul Music: Rhythm and Blues and the Southern Dream of Freedom. NY: Harper & Row, 1986.
Hughes, Dorothy Pittman. Wake Up and Smell the Dollars. Los Angeles, CA: Amber Books, 1999.
"Jim Crow Must Go Now" [Paul Robeson rally advertisement]. The Leader. September 9, 1948, 8. Accessed November 20, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1948-09-09/ed-1/seq-8/.
"News and Views." The Leader. November 27, 1958, 6. Accessed November 20, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1958-11-27/ed-1/seq-6/.
Rosalsky, Mitch. Encyclopedia of Rhythm and Blues and Doo-Wop Vocal Groups. Lantham, MA: Scarecrow Press, Inc. , 2000.
"Vasil's Varieties." The Leader. September 15, 1949, 5. Accessed November 20, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1949-09-15/ed-1/seq-5/.​
​​
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 10, 2017.​​
Central Avenue was renamed Maxson Avenue.
Source:
Zimmerman, Charles J. "What Ever Happened To Randolph, Claude and Jerome?" The Leader. October 15, 1992, 24
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 29, 2016
Central Barber Shop was located at 23 Railroad Avenue in the 1920s.
Source:
Voyageur, 1927 (Freeport High School Yearbook).
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 23, 2016.
See:
Centre Street Park is a triangle -shaped piece of land bounded by Centre Street, Sunrise Highway, and Madison Avenue. This strip of land was created in the late 1920s when Sunrise Highway was constructed. The park is maintained by the Village of Freeport.
A Civil War Parrott rifle and a large boulder from the construction of Sunrise Highway are located in this park. The Parrott rifle was once located on the grounds of the first Freeport High School, which was located on Pine Street. The Freeport Landmarks Preservation Commission dedicated a roadside marker honoring the Civil War weapon in 1999.
Click here for images of the Civil War Parrott rifle at Freeport High School.
See Also:
Landmarks and Historical Markers
Source:
"Supervises Numerous Areas." The Leader. August 21, 1941, 3. Accessed September 21, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1941-08-21/ed-1/seq-3/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, September 21, 2016.
Century Square is the triangle located at the South Main Street and Church Street intersection. This area was dedicated in honor of Freeport's centennial celebration of incorporation (1892-1992). It is the location of Freeport's first school and the Trubia rifle, a Spanish American War trophy.
Source:
Zimmerman, Charles J. "What Ever Happened To Randolph, Claude and Jerome?" The Leader. October 15, 1992, 24.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 29, 2016.
Charles True & Co. was a hardware store located at 5 South Main Street. According to advertisements for the store, it also sold paints, boat supplies, and house furnishings.
Source:
Voyageur, 1927 (Freeport High School Yearbook).
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 23, 2016.
Charlick Place was named for Willett Charlick who was a promoter of the South Side Railroad.
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, May 23, 2016.
Chase Cleaners and Dyeing Company, located at 174 West Sunrise Highway, was opened around 1929. In a 1953 advertisement, Chase Cleaners claimed it was the oldest established dry cleaning plant in Freeport. In addition to dry cleaning, the company mothproofed garments and provided storage for furs. Chase Cleaners expanded its plant in 1958 and added a "drive-in facility." The dry cleaners operated into the 1990s.
Sources:
Chase Cleaners [advertisement]. The Leader. February 19, 1953, 2. Accessed October 1, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1953-02-19/ed-1/seq-2/.
"Chase Cleaners Drive-in to Open; Free Gifts." The Leader. July 24, 1958, 6. Accessed October 1, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1958-07-24/ed-1/seq-6/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, October 1, 2018.
Chatfield Marine, Inc. was a boat dealership and marina located at the foot of Gordon Place. Chatfield was established by brothers Oliver S. (1893-1977) and Arthur W. (1903-1997) around 1927. Oliver Chatfield recalled being inspired to open a boatyard when he had to truck his own gas to Freeport. It was reported that one of the original buildings was once a bayhouse that was "floated" over and installed on the property.
In 1954, Chatfield Marine was described as having 106 boats ranging in size from 20 to 60 feet in length in winter storage. Its marina had dock space for 64 boats and a staff of five marine mechanics. Chatfield was also an official Chris Craft dealer for the South Shore. They also sold Hanley-Kermath Hydrojets.
Before entering the boat industry, Oliver Chatfield operated a Ford automobile dealership between 1911 and 1922 and later sold Chevrolets.
In 1976, Fred Chall took over the property an created the Fred Chall Marina. This marina had 150 dock slips for rent. Later, the property was developed for housing.
Click here for images of Chatfield Marine, Inc.
Sources:
Ancestry.com
"End of an Era." The Leader. October 7, 1976, 6. Accessed May 3, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1976-10-07/ed-1/seq-6/.
Hanning, Leo P. "Chatfield Sees Out Boards, Kits 'Clicking.'" Newsday. February 18, 1954, 106.
"New Marina Taking Shape On Gordon Place." The Leader. September 16, 1976, 6. Accessed May 3, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1976-09-16/ed-1/seq-6/.
Oliver S. Chatfield obituary. Newsday. March 20, 1977. 31.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 3, 2019.
Chinatown Café (also known as China-town Café) was opened around 1949 and was originally located at 59 West Sunrise Highway. Its motto was "the most delicious food you've ever tasted." The restaurant specialized in Cantonese family dinners. In 1965, the restaurant moved to 129 West Sunrise Highway. Low Sheung Gee served as the restaurant's president and Loy Chin was its manager. The restaurant celebrated its 16th anniversary in 1969 (note: in 1969, the restaurant would have been opened for 20 years; therefore, the anniversary may have reflected 16 years of the current ownership).
In 1983, Chinatown Café was reopened under new management. The restaurant closed in the 2000s.
Click here for material related to the Chinatown Cafe.
Sources:
Chinatown Café [advertisement]. Nassau Daily Review-Star. February 5, 1949, 9. Accessed October 15, 2020. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031113/1949-02-05/ed-1/seq-9/.
"Chinatown Celebrates Sixteenth Anniversary." The Leader. March 20, 1969, 3. Accessed October 15, 2020.http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1969-03-20/ed-1/seq-3/.
"New Chinatown Café." The Leader. April 15, 1965, 9. Accessed October 15, 2020. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1965-04-15/ed-1/seq-9/.
Russell, Louise. "China Café Opens in All-New Location." The Leader. March 25, 1965, 11. Accessed October 15, 2020. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1965-03-25/ed-1/seq-11/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, October 15, 2020.
See:
Fenton Pekin and Water Palace see: Casino Pool
Savoy Inn see: Hong, Edward L.
Schwab's Chop Suey House and Restaurant see: Boulevard Hotel
Christian Endeavor Society was organized in Freeport in 1921. In 1928, this society had 49 members and Walter B. Eidt served as president.
Source:
The Long Island Almanac and Year Book, 1928. New York: The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 1928.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, September 5, 2017.
Robert L. Christie was the sixteenth president (mayor) of Freeport (1921 to 1923).
Christie was preceded by Clarence Edwards and succeeded by Hilbert R. Johnson.
Click here for images related to Robert L. Christie.
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, May 29, 2016.
Chubbuck's Drug Store was located at 39 South Main Street and later 119 South Main Street. Opened in 1914, by W. Chubbuck of Rockaway Beach, the store was located in the Post Office Building. In 1926, Chubbuck's proprietor, Ernest Ault, was arrested for violating the Volstead Act.
Source:
"Held on Liquor Charges." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. June 1, 1926. Accessed December 24, 2016. http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/57480099/?terms=chubbuck%2Bault.
Metz, Clinton E. "It Happened... Years Ago." The Leader. February 8, 1979, 13. Accessed December 11, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1979-02-08/ed-1/seq-13/.
Voyageur, 1927 (Freeport High School Yearbook).
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 23, 2016.
Updated by Regina G. Feeney, December 11, 2018.
First Church of Christ, Scientist members began worshiping in Freeport in 1920 in the Levy Building on South Main Street. In 1935, the Christian Scientists purchased property on the southwest corner of Merrick Road and Elm Place. Their original church edifice was the Christian Science Building used at the 1939 World's Fair held in Flushing Meadows, NY. The building was moved in sections by truck to Freeport. The building was later enlarged to accommodate a Sunday School and a reading room. The church held their first services in the new building on October 19, 1941. The church added an elliptically shaped auditorium with a balcony. Surrounding the cornerstone are four bricks from the chimney in the house owned by Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of the faith.
A shrinking attendance coupled with the increased costs of running the church forced the church to close. The last service for Freeport's Christian Scientist Church happened on Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 1979.
Click here for images related to the First Church of Christ, Scientist.
See Also:
Sources:
"Christian Science Society." Nassau County Review. February 4, 1921, 6. Accessed October 31, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1910-05-27/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Freeport Church to Close." The Leader. November 22, 1979, 9. Accessed October 21, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1979-11-22/ed-1/seq-9/.
"Freeport Scientists Acquire New Church." Salamanca Inquirer. 1. October 17, 1941. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn92062037/1941-10-17/ed-1/seq-1/.
Krieg, Cynthia J. and Regina G. Feeney. Freeport. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2012.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, October 31, 2017.
Church of the Transfiguration is an Episcopal Church located at South Long Beach Ave. and Pine Street.
Episcopalian services were first held in Freeport in 1892 in Raynor's Hall. That same year, after the Freeport congregation was formed in October 1892, services were held at Van Riper's Hall. A lot was purchased on South Long Beach Avenue in 1893 for $100. A church building was built at this location and dedicated in September 1894. Transfiguration's marble altar was presented to the church by Wilbur F. Tredwell.
The Parish House was constructed in 1923, for $30,000. A new organ was installed in 1933.
The original wooden church was replaced by a larger brick building in 1951.
Reverend Dr. Reginald Heber Scott (1880-1959) served for 42 years as the pastor of the Church of the Transfiguration.
Click here for images related to the Church of the Transfiguration.
Click here for brochures related to the Church of the Transfiguration.
See Also:
Sources:
50th Anniversary 1892-1942. Freeport, NY: Church of the Transfiguration, 1942.
Krieg, Cynthia J. and Regina G. Feeney. Freeport. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2012.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, October 21, 2017.
Church Street was the location of the Presbyterian Church. It was originally named Raynor Avenue. At one time, it was also called Parsonage Lane.
Sources:
"Fourteen Years Ago." Nassau County Review. August 26, 1910, 1. Accessed May 28, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1910-08-26/ed-1/seq-1/
Historic Freeport: 70th Anniversary Issue. [1962].
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, May 23, 2016.
Updated by Regina G. Feeney, May 28, 2016.
Citizens National Bank of Freeport opened for business on January 12, 1920 at 9 West Merrick Road with $100,000 in capital and $25,000 surplus. Stephen P. Pettit was the bank's first president and Edward S. Keogh and Simon Baumann were vice presidents. Herbert Bogert was the cashier. Its original board included: Stephen P. Pettit, Edward S. Keogh, Simon Baumann, Clarence A. Edwards, William H. Runcie, T. Benson Smith, Robert G. Anderson, William J. Martin, Joseph M. Harding, Michael J. Coffey, Bertram Gardner, Jacob Post, and Sidney H. Swezey. The bank's motto was "Safety, Satisfaction, and Service."
In 1942, after 22 years of service, Citizens National Bank was absorbed by the First National Bank and Trust Company of Freeport. The result created one of the largest banks in Nassau County, with total resources amounting to six million dollars.
Lehman Floor Covering Co. took over the former Citizens National Bank building in 1946.
See also:
Sources:
First National Bank and Trust Company [advertisement]. Newsday. March 9, 1942, 9.
James, Herbert T. "Town's Business. Nassau Daily Review-Star. November 5, 1946, 5. Accessed December 11, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031113/1946-11-05/ed-1/seq-5/.
"Two Banks Merge in Freeport: First National to Absorb Citizens on March 7." Newsday. February 26, 1942, 5.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 11, 2019.
Civic Associations that existed in Freeport include:
Atlantic South Civic Association
Bennington Park Civic Association
Colony Park Civic Association
Columbia Heights Civic Association
Freeport Civic Association
Freeport Council of Civic Associations
Freeport Harbor Civic Association
Northwest Civic Association
Southeast Civic Association
Southwest Civic Association
Woodcleft Association
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 27, 2021.
Ella Clark was a murder victim whose body was found in Freeport in 1881. It is suspected she died as the result of an attempted abortion.
On August 26, 1881, the mutilated remains of a woman were found in the “Raynor Smith’s woods” by sixteen year old Joseph Ritchie. While hunting in a swampy area, Ritchie found two packages about ten feet apart. The first package contained the woman’s head and arms; the second, her trunk and legs. Later, the remains were identified as those of 29 year old Ella Clark of Stanford, CT. Clark was reported missing by her brother after she came to New York City on May 2, 1881. It was also reported that she may have been pregnant. At the time of her disappearance, $300 was mysteriously withdrawn from her bank account. Ella Clark's remains were identified by the upper set of false teeth she wore.
Possible suspects involved in Clark's disappearance include: her former employer, Thomas Brooks; her alleged lover, John Spencer (aka "English John"); a mysterious man named Denis/Dennis Cronan; Mrs. Kennedy, with whom Ella stayed with before she disappeared; Dr. Clarke Thomas who admitted helping Ella, a friend of his cook, get a job with the Brooks but denied knowing her personally or professionally; and Margaret Carman who was convicted of manslaughter in 1883 for performing an abortion on Ella Smith. Unfortunately, the Clark case was never solved.
According to one newspaper account, Ella Clark was born in Ireland and immigrated to the United States about 14 years before her death.
See Also:
Sources:
"Finding a Naked and Mutilated Body." New-York Tribune. August 28, 1881, 12. Accessed May 20, 2022. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1881-08-28/ed-1/seq-12/.
"Freeport Horror." New York Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth. May 4, 1883. Accessed May 20, 2022. Fultonhistory.com.
"Freeport Horror Revived." New-York Tribune. May 4, 1883, 5. Accessed May 20, 2022. Newspapers.com
"The Freeport Murder Mystery." New-York Tribune. November 27, 1881, 2. Accessed May 22, 2022. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1881-11-27/ed-1/seq-2/.
"Freeport Mystery." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. November 27, 1881, 6. Accessed May 22, 2022. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/50448369/?terms=ella%20clark&match=1.
"Freeport Mystery." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. December 5, 1881, 3. Accessed May 22, 2022. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/50448437/?terms=%22ella%20clark%22&match=1.
"Freeport Mystery." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. December 11, 1881, 6. Accessed May 22, 2022. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/50448491/?terms=%22ella%20clark%22&match=1.
"Unraveled." Chicago Daily Tribune. October 30, 1881, 6. Accessed May 22, 2022. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84031492/1881-10-30/ed-1/seq-6/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 23, 2022.
Claurome Place was named for the builder's two sons, Claude and Jerome.
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, May 23, 2016.
See:
Atkinson, Caroline G. (Honorary Deaconess, First Baptist Church)
Coffey, William F. (Pastor, Bethel A.M.E.)
Edwards, Charles (Pastor, Freeport Baptist Church)
Mallette, Ervin M. (Pastor, Greater Second Baptist)
O'Toole, John N. (Pastor, Our Holy Redeemer Roman Catholic Church)
Scott, Reginald (Pastor Church of the Transfiguration Episcopal Church)
Cleveland Avenue School (originally referred to as the Albany Avenue School) was located on Albany Avenue, north of Merrick Road. Paul S. Gilbert served as the school's first principal. In 1922, residents of Freeport petitioned the Board of Education to build a school in or near Bennington Park. The closest elementary school was the Columbus Avenue School that was located north of the railroad tracks, which were not elevated at the time. According to a 1920s newspaper article, "it was held a crime to send school children across the railroad tracks, especially where there are no regular crossings.”
Cleveland Avenue School was built on land acquired from the State. The architect of the school was Frederic P. Wiedersum (circa 1892-1983) and the contractor was J. Tang Jorgenson & Sons. The Cleveland Avenue School was dedicated in 1932, and remained the newest school in Freeport until 1949 when Atkinson opened. The school had ten classrooms, a combination lunch room and home arts room, an auditorium/gymnasium combination, a manual training room, and a clinic. The school taught children in the grades kindergarten through sixth.
Cleveland Avenue School maintained one of the most active PTAs in the district, and had the distinction of being the first elementary school in Nassau County to have a school library.
Robert Moses, chairman of the Long Island State Park Commission, gave 18 acres of land to the Village of Freeport in 1949 for the extension of Buffalo Avenue from Sunrise Highway to the Municipal Stadium. Nine acres of this land, from Sunrise Highway to Cleveland Avenue School, was ceded to the Freeport Board of Education to be used for school athletics.
Cleveland Avenue School's proximity to the predominately African American and Italian neighborhood meant that the school's demographics reflected the neighborhood it served. For decades, elementary school students in the Freeport School District, attended the closest school to their residence. In 1963, in an effort to end racial imbalance (Cleveland Avenue School had an African American enrollment of 91%), the Freeport School Board closed the school and reassigned the pupils. It is believed that Freeport was the first in the state to take voluntary action to end racial imbalances in its school district. The following year, the Family Service Association of Nassau County, Inc. coordinated homework help for students using volunteers using the school building. The school was later sold as commercial property.
Click here for images related to Cleveland Avenue School.
See Also:
Timeline - Freeport Public Schools
Sources:
Daniels, Minnie O. A Study of Community Conditions in the Bennington Park Area of Freeport, New York [Masters essay]. NY: Columbia University, 1937.
"Describes Freeport Election as Crude." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. May 4, 1922, 9. Accessed December 5, 2016. http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/56914455/?terms=bennington.
"F.H.S. Gets Field of Nine Acres for Its Exclusive Use." The Leader. April 14, 1949, 1. Accessed September 15, 2021. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1949-04-14/ed-1/seq-1/
Frederic P. Wiedersum obituary. Newsday. January 25, 1983, 26.
"Freeport Ends School Imbalance." Newsday. July 3, 1963, 7.
"Freeport Votes for New $600,000 School. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. May 3, 1922, 5. Accessed December 5, 2016. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/56914419/?terms=bennington%2Bpark%2Bschool%2Btracks.
"FSA Gives Children Homework Aid." Newsday. February 7, 1964, 49.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 5, 2016.
Updated by Regina G. Feeney, September 15, 2021.
Clifford's Hotel and Casino was located at the intersection of Merrick Road and Henry Street in 1909.
Source:
Aero view of Freeport, Long Island, N.Y. 1909. New York: Hughes & Bailey, 1909. Accessed August 10, 2016. https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3804f.pm005650/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, August 11, 2016.
Harry G. Clock (1865-1936) was a prominent attorney who lived at 79 West Merrick Road. In 1903, he served as village counsel for the Village of Freeport. Around 1911, Clock refused the Republican nomination for Nassau County district attorney because he did not want to be responsible for sending anyone to the electric chair. He ran unsuccessfully for Freeport police justice in 1934.
Sources:
"Harry G. Clock, 71, Pioneer Attorney, Dies in Freeport." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. November 3, 1936, 11. Accessed July 8, 2016. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/52663368/?terms=%22Harry%2BG.%2BClock%22.
Hazelton, Henry Isham. The Boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens Counties of Nassau and Suffolk Long Island, New York 1609-1924 (Volume 5). New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc., 1925.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, July 8, 2016.
See:
See:
American Legion, Henry Morrison Post, No. 785
American Legion William Clinton Story Post 342
Association Opposed to Women Suffrage See: Suffrage Movement
Atlantic and Bayview Business Men's Association
Cape Verdiano Society (Portuguese Club) See: Cape Verdean Americans and Cape Verdean Culture in Freeport
Colored Republican Club of Freeport
Daughters of the American Revolution, Ruth Floyd Woodhull Chapter
Freeport Civic Opera Association
Freeport Community Concert Association
Freeport's Equal Franchise Club See: Suffrage Movement
Freeport Merchants Association
Freeport Suffrage Club See: Suffrage Movement
Independent Order of Good Templars
Queens County Political Equality League See: Suffrage Movement
Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Club
Women's Suffrage Club of Freeport See: Suffrage Movement
Coe's Neck was an early name for Freeport. It was named for Robert Coe, an early settler of the Freeport area. This area was located in southwest Freeport and was associated with the Bay View section of Freeport. Residents of Coe's Neck agreed to be part of the 1892 incorporation of the Village of Freeport.
In 1895, the Bayview Hose Company No. 3 organized in southwest Freeport. The company's hose reel became known as the "Coe's Neck Stump Jumper."
See Also:
Sources:
Cacciatore, Anna Jean. Village of Freeport, New York: The Municipal Government in Its Formative Years, 1892-1897 [master's thesis]. Hofstra University, 1958.
Bermudez, Miguel and Donald Giordano. An Illustrated History of the Freeport Fire Department, 1893-2008. Freeport, NY, Freeport Fire Department, 2008.
Coe's Neck Road was renamed South Bayview Avenue.
Source:
Raynor Town Map, 1868 located at the Freeport Historical Society.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 29, 2016.
Reverend William Franklin Coffey (1880-1936) was one of the first ministers of the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in the Bennington Park section of Freeport. He served from about 1916 to 1921. During his tenure at Bethel, Coffey was able to organize parishioners to pay off the church's mortgage. Coffey, along with his board of trustees and stewards which included Thaddeus Crummel, Arthur Douglas, Howard Warner, James Singleton, R. M. Toomer, Merrit Barrington, George Kane, Chris Crummel, Clarence Sachel, Samuel Jackson, Henry Collins, Fred Brown, Frank Savage, and Sherman Jarvis, organized a drive to raise money. During this time congregational membership increased to 225 members and collections increased from $6 - $8 a week to $35 - $45 a week. In 1921, the $1,100 mortgage as well as a $1,000 floating debt was cleared. During this drive, a new organ and lighting system were installed and money began to be raised for new pews.
It was reported that under William Coffey's leadership, a choir, junior choir and Sunday school were also organized.
Born on March 10, 1880 in Delaware, Coffey began his career as a newsboy and shoe shiner (bootblack). It was reported that his family included 27 preachers, and dated back to General John Coffee (note different spelling) who served during the War of 1812. Though his educational background is unknown, Coffey's father attended Oberlin College.
In 1907, Coffey received national notoriety by marrying a white woman and African American man while a pastor in Olean, NY. The father of the bride, minister, and groom were all arrested. Coffee's bail was set at $500.
He served as pastor at Bethel AME. Church in Huntington, NY between 1909 and 1915. In 1915, Coffey invited members of the local fire department to his church. About 50 volunteer firemen heard his sermon entitled "The Alarm." After leaving Huntington, Coffey took a position at Bethel AME. Zion Church in Elmira, NY. In 1916, Coffey was chosen by the mayor of Elmira to sit on a censorship committee to determine if D. W. Griffith's movie Birth of a Nation was objectionable. A censored version of the film was eventually shown to the public at the local movie theater in Elmira.
In November, 1916, Coffey addressed a rally sponsored by the Colored Republican Club of Rockville Centre to encourage African Americans to vote.
Under his leadership at various A. M. E. churches in New York State, mortgages were paid off, churches were renovated, and congregational memberships increased. It was said that Coffey was known as the "hustling pastor."
While in Freeport, Coffey, his wife, Hester Victoria (nee Dixon) (1881-1926), and their two children (John and Laura) lived at 12 Henry Street. According to the 1920 census, the Coffey household included three boarders including Italian American immigrant Rocco Di Rapoli.
Reverend Coffey died on May 26, 1936 in New York City after a short illness.
See Also:
Sources:
"Bethel M. E. Church Clear of All Debt." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. January 30, 1921, 53. Accessed January 31, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/57095569/?terms=bethel%2Bclear%2Bof%2Ball%2Bdebt.
"Colored People Make Protest Against 'Birth of a Nation' Mayor Will Censor It Today." Elmira Star-Gazette. January 3, 1916, 3. Accessed February 1, 2018. fultonhistory.com.
"Daughter Married Negro Father is in Jail." The Vinita Daily Chieftain. April 24, 1907, 1. Accessed January 31, 2018. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86064149/1907-04-25/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Jailed for Marrying Girl and Negro." The Plattsburgh Sentinel. April 17, 1907, 5. Accessed January 30, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn88075736/1907-04-19/ed-1/seq-5/.
"Metropolitan A. M. E. Church Redecorated." The New York Age. November 30, 1935, 1. Accessed February 1, 2018. fultonhistory.com.
"Minister Testifies in Divorce Action." The Daily Review. April 21, 1921, 1. Accessed January 21, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071431/1921-04-21/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Mortgage Burned; Church Debt Free." The Daily Review. May 28, 1921, 5. Accessed February 1, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071431/1921-05-28/ed-1/seq-5/.
"Negro Voters Hold A Big Rally Here." The Long Island News and the Owl. October 15, 1920, 1. Accessed February 1, 2018. fultonhistory.com.
"Preached to the Firemen." The Long-Islander. April 23, 1915, 1. Accessed January 30, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031119/1915-04-23/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Rev. Coffey at Huntington, L.I." The Chatham Courier. June 30, 1932, np. Accessed February, 1, 2018. fultonhistory.com.
"Rev. William F. Coffey." The Long-Islander. May 29, 1936, 4. Accessed January 30, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031119/1936-05-29/ed-1/seq-4/.
"Rev. Coffey Reappointed to A. M. E. Church." The Chatham Courier. June 12, 1930, np. Accessed February, 1, 2018. fultonhistory.com.
"Rev. W. H. Coffey Leaves Freeport for New Charge." The Daily Review. June 9, 1921, 1. Accessed February 1, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071431/1921-06-09/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Soon to Burn Mortgage." Nassau County Review. February 25, 1921, 15. Accessed January 31, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1921-02-25/ed-1/seq-15/.
"Will Burn Bethel Church Mortgage." The Freeport News. February 25, 1921, 8. Accessed January 31, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071012/1921-02-25/ed-1/seq-8/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, February 1, 2018 with special thanks to Leslie Jackson, historian, Bethel A. M. E. Church.
Collectors Cars, Inc. was located at 56 West Merrick Road in the 1980s.
Click here for images of Collectors Cars, Inc.
Source:
Collectors Cars, Inc. [advertisement]. The Leader. September 5, 1985, 6. Accessed September 28, 2022. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1985-09-05/ed-1/seq-6/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, September 28, 2022.
Patricia D. Collins (1921-2002), pioneering lawyer and judge who was active in Freeport politics and civic affairs, was born in Montreal, Canada. Collins attended Our Holy Redeemer School, St. Agnes Academy, St. John's University, St. John's University School of Law, and Brooklyn Law School. In 1975, Collins also received a nursing degree from the Lewis Wilson Technical School of Nursing. In 1997, St. John's University awarded Collins an honorary doctorate. Collins was a licensed New York State realtor and insurance broker. Before entering the legal profession, she worked for the insurance firm Nolan & Glacken.
Collins was admitted to the bar in 1951 and began practicing law in Freeport. In 1958, she was appointed assistant town attorney. When she was promoted to deputy town attorney in 1961, she was the first woman ever elected to this post. Collins also served as special counsel to the Zoning Board of Appeals of the Town of Hempstead. She was also the confidential law secretary to Supreme Court Justice Steven B. Derounian. She served as a district court judge from 1972 to 1974 and as a family court judge from 1974 to 1984. When she retired from the bench in 1997 at the mandatory age of 76, she was a supreme court justice who also served on the bench of the appellate term, hearing appeals from village, city, and district courts.
Collins has the distinction as being only the second woman, after Anna Martin, to seek political office in the Village of Freeport. As a member of the Integrity Party, Collins ran for Freeport police justice in 1954. In a field that included three male candidates, Collins came in last. In 1965, Collins ran unsuccessfully for the position of Village trustee as a member of the Community Party. Anna Martin ran unsuccessfully for this position in 1928.
Collins belonged to the Nassau Catholic Lawyers Guild, the Association of Justices of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, the Nassau County Women's Bar Association, and was elected director of the Bar Association of Nassau County. She was also a member of the Freeport Lodge, Sons of Italy, the Catholic Daughters of America, the Ladies Auxiliary, Freeport Chamber of Commerce, Freeport Over-occupancy Task Force, and advisory board of the Freeport Post Office. She was also involved with the Freeport Republican Club and the Southwest Civic Association, and served as a director of Our Lady of Consolation Home for the Aged in Amityville and was a Republican co-committee person in the 49th E.D. Collins was also a former chairperson of the Freeport Cancer Fund Drive.
Collins lived with her parents at 325 Pine Street. She was a member of Our Holy Redeemer Roman Catholic Church. During a trip to Rome in 1995, Collins was greeted by Pope John Paul II at the Vatican. Collins lost her battle with cancer in 2002 at the age of 81. She is buried in Trinity Cemetery in Amityville, NY.
Sources:
"Community Candidates Named." The Leader. January 28, 1965, 6. Accessed August 3, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1965-01-28/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Lieberman, Judge Collins To Be Honored by Chamber." The Leader. March 17, 1983, 3. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1983-03-17/ed-1/seq-3/.
Patricia D. Collins [Obituary]. The Leader. December 9, 2002, 16. Accessed August 3, 2007. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071065/2002-12-19/ed-1/seq-16/.
"Patricia D. Collins, 81, Longtime Nassau Judge." Newsday. December 18, 2002, A57.
"Patricia D. Collins Named as Deputy Town Attorney." The Leader. April 14, 1960, 1. Accessed August 3, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1960-04-14/ed-1/seq-1/.
"A Very Special Moment." The Leader. October 26, 1995, 37. Accessed August 3, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071065/1995-10-26/ed-1/seq-37/.
"Voting Heavy in 9 Contested Elections." Newsday. March 17, 1954, 7.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, August 3, 2017.
Colonial Hotel was located on the northeast corner of East Merrick Road and South Henry Street. It was originally known as the Three Gables Hotel. The Colonial Hotel was owned by Charles and Anna Georgens. The couple divorced in 1912 but continued to run the hotel together. In 1915, the hotel was purchased by Philip J. Fisher and John P. Donohue. They added at 50 x 75 foot dance hall. The hotel's motto was "Where better people go."
The Colonial Hotel was sold to the Manhattan corporation Wendell and Wagg for $30,000 in 1916. James Hanse brokered its sale. Mr. Wagg was the former manager of the Casino, Newport, RI. The hotel later became the Monte Carlo.
See Also:
Sources:
"Fisher Re-Opens Colonial Hotel." The Nassau Post. November 5, 1915, 8. Accessed September 23, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071434/1915-11-05/ed-1/seq-8/.
"Freeport." Nassau County Review. November 12, 1915, 1. Accessed September 23, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1915-11-12/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Friends in Business Only." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. August 16, 1912, 4. Accessed September 23, 2016. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/53906698/?terms=%22colonial%2Bhotel%22%2Bfreeport.
"Local Gossip." The Nassau Post. November 3, 1916, 5. Accessed September 23. 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071434/1916-11-03/ed-1/seq-5/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, September 23, 2016.
Colony Cove Boat Shop began in Baldwin in the 1950s by Captain James Stefano; Stefano later moved the shop to Cary Place, where it remained for 20 years Stefano was known for his skill in constructing his version of the Verity Skiff, a lapstrake open boat with a box keel for stability. Made of plywood with a flat bottom, Stefano's boats could be powered by an outboard motor of up to 40 horsepower. In addition to skiffs, Colony Cove built yachts, as well as surf rescue boats of its own design for State and Town lifeguard corps.
Stefano constructed his last wooden rescue boat in 1973. From then on, wood was replaced by Fiberglass which was cheaper and faster to produce.
Source:
"Captain James Stefano Dies." The Leader. June 5, 2019. Accessed August 9, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071065/2014-06-05/ed-1/seq-12/.
Gerston, Jill. "End of an Era in Nassau Rescue Boats." The New York Times. May 6, 1973, 147.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, August 9, 2019.
Colony Park is a residential development located adjacent to Cow Meadow Park. Streets in this area include Ann Drive and Laurette Lane. In 1959, the Planning Board recommended this area be zoned as Residential "A." This development was deeded to the Village of Freeport in 1963. Jerry Magit of 31 Laurette Lane served as the president of the Colony Park Civic Association.
Click here for images of the construction of a home on Ann Drive.
Sources:
"Colony Park Streets Now Deeded to Freeport." The Leader. March 7, 1963, 9. Accessed May 11, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1963-03-07/ed-1/seq-9/.
"Colony Park Zone." The Leader. April 23, 1959, 5. Accessed May 11, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1959-04-23/ed-1/seq-5/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 1, 2018.
The Colored Republican Club of Freeport existed in Freeport between 1912 and 1917. Its original clubhouse was located at 26 Waverly Place. In 1912, its committee members included John J. Irons, G. Williams, M. Bery, and Frank Simons. The following year, the club's headquarters moved to 12 South Columbus Avenue and its members included John J. Irons, Robert B. Fludd, Hurbert Furmer, and Richard H. Toomer.
In 1917, officers included Clifford Sonds, president, P. Johnson, vice president, H. Satchelle, recording secretary, William Baker, financial secretary, and William Berry, treasurer.
See Also:
Sources:
"Card of Thanks." The Nassau Post. October 13, 1913, 1. Accessed August 6, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1913-12-05/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Colored Republicans Busy." Nassau County Review. January 5, 1917, 1. Accessed September 11, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1917-01-05/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Freeport News." Nassau County Review. August 2, 1912, 1. Accessed February 1, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1912-08-02/ed-1/seq-1/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, February 1, 2018.
Updated by Regina G. Feeney, September 11, 2018.
Columbia Heights was developed by Long Island Realty Co. around 1903. At the time of its development, this section was part of Roosevelt. Lots originally sold for as low as $39. This section includes Colonial Avenue.
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg and Regina G. Feeney. May 31, 2016.
Columbian Bronze Company was originally known as the Columbian Brass Foundry. The business, which was owned by John Bowie, began as a brass foundry in 1871 in Brooklyn. Robert A. Patrick brought an interest in the foundry in 1901; he later purchased full ownership in 1902. The plant was moved to Freeport in 1905 and was located on Atlantic Avenue near the bridge to Baldwin. George Christians invested in the company in 1908 and it was incorporated the same year. Its capital stock was reported to be $10,000. Its directors were named as Robert A. Patrick, George Christians, and Mary Christians of Freeport. Louis J. Hall was the company president. In October 1908, Louis J. Hall took over the Christians’ interest in the business once he became the president of Columbian Brass. Sixteen year old Carl Darenberg was the only other employee at the foundry.
To test the speed of boats using its propellers, Columbian Brass had a mile course on Long Creek which was measured by Smith & Malcomson, engineers. In 1911, ground was broken for a new $18,000 factory building located on North Main Street, just south of Seaman Avenue. The following year, the building was opened and managed the Columbian Garage for automobile repairs at 216-220 North Main Street. Is motto was "Good work and a square deal."
In 1916, Columbian Brass became the Columbian Bronze Company. The company was reported to have $450,000 in capital. Its directors were H. Warren Bennett, Leon H. H. Rose, and John A. Sutter. Louis J. Hall was president, Robert A. Patrick was secretary, and Valentine Walters was treasurer.
The company was known for making marine propellers which ranged in size from several inches to 10 feet in diameter. Columbian Bronze's slogan, "With a Columbian propeller behind you will come out ahead in the end," was painted on the north side of the building.
Due to the large number of orders from the U.S. Army and Navy during World War II, Columbian Bronze opened a second factory on Brooklyn Avenue in 1943. This location, known as Plant No. 2, was formerly the location of Croft Motors. It employed 60 employees, many of whom were women and operated 23 hours a day. Starting pay was 55 cents for women and 60 cents for men.
The Nautilus, the world's first nuclear-powered submarine, had a propeller shaped by Columbian Bronze. It was said that Jacques Cousteau's ship, the Calypso, had Columbian Bronze wheels.
Columbian Bronze eventually became a subsidiary of Ferguson Propeller, Inc., in Hoboken, NJ. The company closed in 1988.
Click here for images of Columbian Bronze Company.
See Also:
Sources:
"An Evidence of Progress: Handsome Large Factory for Columbian Brass Foundry." Nassau County Review. February 23, 1912, 1. Accessed October 5, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1912-02-23/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Columbian Bronze Acquires New Plant." Newsday. August 30, 1943, 6.
"Columbian Bronze Age Ending." Newsday. May 23, 1988, B4.
"Columbian Bronze Corporation Shows Remarkable Growth." The Daily Review. July 25, 1921. Accessed October 5, 2017. fultonhistory.com.
Columbian Garage [advertisement]. Nassau County Review. May 3, 1912, 8. Accessed October 5, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1912-05-03/ed-1/seq-8/.
"Coming Events." Nassau County Review. July 30, 1909, 1. Accessed October 5, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1909-07-30/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Freeport." South Side Messenger. September 23, 1910, 8. Accessed October 5, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn96083504/1910-09-23/ed-1/seq-8/.
"Freeport." South Side Messenger.January 13, 1911, 8. Accessed October 5, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn96083504/1911-01-13/ed-1/seq-8/.
"Freeport News." Nassau County Review. November 03, 1911, 8. Accessed October 5, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1911-11-03/ed-1/seq-8/.
Krieg, Cynthia J. and Regina G. Feeney. Freeport. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2012.
"New Freeport Corporation." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. December 30, 2016, 3. Accessed October 5, 2017. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/55292770/?terms=%22new%2Bfreeport%2Bcorporation%22.
"New Freeport Industry." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. February 26, 1908, 12. Accessed October 5, 2017.https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/53877496/?terms=%22columbian%2Bbrass%22.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, October 6, 2017
Columbus Avenue School (also known as Public School No. 4) was constructed in 1915 for a total cost of $82,000 ($12,000 for the land and $70,000 for the building). Freeporter Charles M. Hart was the architect. It was designed to accommodate between 350 and 500 students in eleven 24 x 28 foot classrooms and a 24 x 26 foot kindergarten room which featured a large colonial fireplace. The building also featured a large auditorium that seated between 400 and 500 people as well as a basement gymnasium. Columbus Avenue was the first school in the district to have a gymnasium. The building was constructed of reinforced concrete with red brick and a light stone trim. Though the first floor and stairwells were reported to be fireproof, fire hoses, alarm boxes, and exterior doors fitted with "panic bolts" (a device that allowed doors to be opened outward with the use of a push bar) were installed for use in case of an emergency. At the time of its opening, the building was praised for its superior heating and ventilation system. Freeporter Werner Nygren, who was a prominent heating and ventilation engineer, was consulted on the school project.
The cornerstone of the Columbus Avenue School was laid on October 16, 1914. On January 22, 1915, the building was opened for public inspection. Original faculty included Harriet B. Titus, principal; Ethel A. Wiley, sixth grade teacher; Kathryn R. Moroney and Grace Tuttle, fifth grade teachers; Emma S. Brazie and Gertrude Holloway, fourth grade teachers; Genevra Peet and Louie Wight, third grade teachers; Anna Cloonan, second grade teacher; Helen J. Horton, first grade teacher; and Laura B. Schwartz, kindergarten teacher.
Columbus Avenue School was the largest school in the district in 1917, with a student population of 357. In 1918, John W. Dodd became the second principal of the school.
On March 5, 1943, the Freeport Memorial Library opened a branch library in the Columbus Avenue School in order to better serve the residents of northeast Freeport. This service was discontinued in 1952, after the library purchased a bookmobile.
Internationally acclaimed concert vocalist Roland Hayes performed at Columbus Avenue School in 1947 as part of a fundraiser for the Greater Second Baptist Church.
A fire at Columbus Avenue School forced the district to close the school briefly in 1966. That same year, in an effort to integrate the Freeport School District, Columbus Avenue School became the district's kindergarten center.
In 2015, the Freeport Landmarks Preservation Commission applied for and received a roadside marker from the William C. Pomeroy Foundation honoring the history of the Columbus Avenue School.
Click here for images related to Columbus Avenue School.
See Also:
Timeline - Freeport Public Schools
Sources:
"Freeport Fire Closes School." Newsday. January 18, 1966, 13.
"Freeport Votes $82,000 for Another School." Nassau County Review. October 3, 1913, 1. Accessed July 2, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1913-10-03/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Freeport's New School Opened." Nassau County Review. January 29, 1915, 1. Accessed July 2, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1915-01-29/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Freeport's Racial Rx: Annual Checkup." Newsday. March 24, 1966, 4.
"New Public School Formally Opened." The Nassau Post. January 23, 1915, 1. Accessed July 2, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071434/1915-01-23/ed-1/seq-1/.
"New School Corner Stone to Be Laid." The Nassau Post. October 8, 1914, 1. Accessed July 2, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071434/1914-10-08/ed-1/seq-1/.
"New School to Open." Nassau County Review. January 15, 1915, 1. Accessed July 2, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1915-01-15/ed-1/seq-1/.
"School Opens Monday." Nassau County Review. September 10, 1915, 1. Accessed July 2, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1915-09-10/ed-1/seq-1/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, July 2, 2019.
Columbus Court apartments are located at 95 North Columbus Avenue. This building was constructed in 1928.
See Also:
Sources:
nynassauproperty.com
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 13, 2019.
Daniel B. Combs (circa 1896-1947) (also known as D. B. Combs) was a Freeport boat builder and a member of one of Long Island's oldest families. Combs served an apprenticeship under Coles Abrams, whose boatyard was located on Woodcleft Canal. Combs later took over Abrams' business. According to Combs, John J. Randall sold him land on Sportsman Avenue before the Sportsmans Canal was created.
Combs became known for his racing boats. One his most notable boats was the​ Commodore, a 28-foot boat built for Thomas Forbes that was moored at the South Shore Yacht Club.
Combs' father, also named Daniel Combs (1838-1925), was a ship captain who spent time in China. His uncle, George W. Combs (1848-1930), was also a Freeport boat builder.
In the 1930s, Combs sold his business to George Christens.
At the time of his death, Combs lived at 301 South Grove Street (now Guy Lombardo Avenue). He is buried in Greenfield Cemetery, Uniondale, NY.
Click here for images related to Daniel B. Combs.
See Also:
Sources:
"Daniel Combs Dies; Was Sea Captain." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. September 7, 1925, 5. Accessed June 4, 2019. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/59846279/?terms=%22daniel%2Bcombs%2Bdies%22.
"Daniel Combs Rites Today, Pioneer Boatyard Operator." Nassau Daily Review-Star. December 29, 1947, 2. Accessed June 4, 2019. fultonhistory.com.
"Old-Timer Tells How Schooner Enterprise Sailed Along Main Street." The Daily Review. May 1, 1925, 9, Accessed June 4, 2019. fultonhistory.com.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 18, 2019.
Compare Foods has stores located at 120 North Main Street and 111 West Merrick Road. A third store, located at 114 South Long Beach Avenue, opened in 1995 and was later sold to CVS in 2006.
The North Main Street location was originally Gauz "Rhymes With Cows". This store was purchased by Manuel I. Pena and converted to Compare Foods in 1989. Jorge Francisco and his partner Jose Gutierrez purchased the store in May 1995. The West Merrick Road location was opened in 1949 as Food Fair. Sometime between the 1960s and early 1970s, Food Fair changed its name to Pantry Pride. Key Food took over this location in 1979. In 1994, the store name was changed to Fine Fare. In December 1998, Jorge and Gutierrez purchased the store.
Jorge and Gutierrez bought the Grand Union supermarket building at the northwest corner of the intersection of West Merrick Road and South Long Beach Avenue and converted it into a Compare Foods in 1995. They sold this location to CVS in 2006.
In June 2018, Compare Foods was rebranded as Gala Foods.
See Also:
Sources:
"Fine Fare." The Leader. October 27, 1994, 1. Accessed March 30, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071065/1994-10-27/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Food Fair Store Being Erected at Grove St., and Merrick Rd." The Leader. May 12, 1949, 1. Accessed March 28, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1949-05-12/ed-1/seq-1/.
"A Gala Change for Four LI Groceries." Newsday. June 25, 2018, A29.
"Grand Opening for Fine Fare In Freeport." The Leader. March 16, 1995, 20. Accessed March 30, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071065/1995-03-16/ed-1/seq-20/.
Jenny Jorge (email, March 30, 2018).
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, March 30, 2018.
Updated by Regina G. Feeney, June 25, 2018.
Conrader's Delicatessen was located on the corner of Merrick Road and South Main Street in 1909. The proprietor was Fred W. Conrader.
Click here for images related to Conrader's Delicatessen.
Source:
Aero view of Freeport, Long Island, N.Y. 1909. New York: Hughes & Bailey, 1909. Accessed August 10, 2016. https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3804f.pm005650/.
Patrick J. Conway (1860-1932) founded the Irish-American Athletic Association in the late 1890's and served as president of the IAAC for 27 years. Under Conway's leadership during the 1908 Olympic games in London, the United States won 13 of the 23 track and field events. Eight of the 13 medals were awarded to IAAC members including the gold medal for the marathon (won by John J. Hayes - 2:55:18).
Born in Limerick, Ireland, Conway lived in Freeport for eight years before his death on January 16, 1932. He died at the home of his daughter, Josephine V. Healey, at 94 Lillian Avenue. He is buried in Calvary Cemetery in Queens, NY.
Source:
Patrick J. Conway Obituary. The New York Times. January 19, 1932, 21.
Researched by Cynthia J.Krieg, June 23, 2016.
Edward Frisbie Cook (1863-?) was vice-president of the Robinson Stoneware Company, which was located at 244 Greenpoint Avenue in Brooklyn. In 1900, he was a director of the Freeport Club.
Source:
Ross, Peter. History of Long Island: From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time, Volume 3. New York: Lewis Publishing Company, 1902.
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, June 22, 2016.
Coolidge Place was known as Powell Place prior to 1924.
Source:
Village of Freeport Board Minutes, 1924.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 16, 2018.
William F. Cornell (1881-1947) was born in Brooklyn to William Ransom Cornell (1855-?) and Arrabelle Colvin (1857-1932). Cornell married Leone S. Bedell (1885-1973) in 1910. Cornell was a Village of Freeport trustee, served on the Freeport Memorial Library board, and was a Freeport Fire Department Chief (1911-1913). He was Captain of Hose 2 (1909-1910) and was affiliated with Freeport Exempt Firemen's Association, Sons of the American Revolution, Freeport Republican Club, the Elks Club, Junior Order of United American Mechanics, and the Spartan Lodge.
Cornell was associated with the Wall Street firm Schaefer and Brothers and later worked for the Village of Freeport. Cornell died at the the age 65 of a heart attack while cleaning snow off his car at his home at 41 Graffing Place.
At his funeral Mayor Cyril C. Ryan said, "Mr. Cornell was a man to whom Freeport owes a great deal." He is buried in Greenfield Cemetery, Uniondale, NY.
Sources:
"Services Held for William F. Cornell. Newsday. February 24, 1947, 17. Accessed September 12, 2023. Newspapers.com.
"William F. Cornell, Ex-L.I. Fire Chief." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. February 23, 1947, 17. Accessed September 12, 2023. Newspapers.com.
"Wm. F. Cornell Rites Attended by Village Heads." The Leader. February 27, 1947, 1. Accessed September 12, 2023. https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=tl19470227-01.1.1.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, September 12, 2023.
Carman Cornelius (c.1826-1893) was the first president (mayor) of Freeport. His career of public service also included four terms as supervisor of the Town of Hempstead, and he was later the deputy treasurer of Queens County. In addition, he was a member of the committee to research the incorporation of Freeport, and served as a director of the Freeport Bank.
Cornelius also worked as a blacksmith, farmer and surveyor in his younger days. He married Martha Smith Powell, widow of Charles S. Powell, in 1880.
Soon after the incorporation of Freeport, five members of the Incorporation Committee who showed up for a meeting in late October 1892 nominated Cornelius for the position of “Trustee for two years” on the Citizens Party line. A few days later, a public hearing was held, at which time Carman Cornelius was nominated for the position of president on the Second Citizens’ ticket (later called the Peoples Ticket). Cornelius and his running mates on the Peoples Ticket were all elected into office on November 29, 1892. Cornelius was succeeded as president by William G. Miller in 1893.
Soon after leaving office, Carman Cornelius was at the Surrogate’s Court for the County of Queens, located in Jamaica, NY, when he collapsed and died while giving an accounting of an estate to the surrogate.
Click here for images related to Carman Cornelius.
See Also:
​Sources:
"Mr. Cornelius' Death in Court." Brooklyn Daily Eagle, October 27, 1893. 1. Accessed August 1, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031151/1893-10-27/ed-1/seq-1/.
Portrait and Biographical Record of Queens County (Long Island) New York containing Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the County. New York: Chapman Publishing Company, c. 1896.
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, May 29, 2016.
Updated by Denise Rushton, August 1, 2016.
Martha W. Cornelius (1828-?) was born Martha Smith, to Raynor Rock Smith (1785-1868) and his wife, Elizabeth, nee Dixon (1811-1907). Her father was a prominent bayman and later a farmer in Raynortown, now Freeport, and lived in the village until his death in 1869.
Martha Cornelius first married Charles Powell (1838-1876) of Hempstead, NY, and they had two children: Fannie and Charles. The latter became the postmaster of Freeport. After the death of Charles Powell, Martha married Carman Cornelius (c.1826-1893) in 1880.
Carman Cornelius was first a blacksmith and then worked as a surveyor. He developed an interest in politics and was later elected the first president (mayor) of Freeport. Cornelius was also the deputy treasurer of Queens County, NY , a post he held until his death in 1893. Martha Cornelius survived her husband.
See Also:
Sources:
Ancestry.com
Portrait and Biographical Record of Queens County (Long Island) New York containing Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the County. New York: Chapman Publishing Company, c. 1896.
Researched by Denise Rushton, August 2, 2016.
Cornelius Street was named for Carman Cornelius, the first president (mayor) of Freeport who was elected in 1892.
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, May 23, 2016.
Wallace H. Cornwell (1854-?) was born in Baldwin, NY to Charles and Sarah (Carman) Cornwell in 1854. In his youth, he was schooled at the Freeport Academy. Once his education was over, he took up farming and was a success at it. His farm was 150 acres in size, which was one of the largest in the county. The property included a large house and beautiful grounds, including a lake. In addition to his success as a farmer, he also engaged in the oyster business.
In addition to his work, he was also a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, for which he served as a steward, treasurer and trustee. He belonged to the Odd Fellows and was a treasurer of School District #12 (today the Malverne School District). He also helped to organize the Freeport Bank and served as a director of that institution and of the Freeport Land Company.
Wallace Cornwell was the husband of Isabel Raynor, the daughter of John C. Raynor and member of the prominent Raynor family that helped to found Freeport. Their marriage took place in 1876. Of their children, three survived infancy: Nettie, Arthur, and James.
Source:
Portrait and Biographical Record of Queens County (Long Island) New York containing Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the County. New York: Chapman Publishing Company, c. 1896.
Researched by Denise Rushton and Regina G. Feeney, August 9, 2016.
Cote Avenue was a proposed street that was supposed to run north to south along Milburn Creek just west of Brookside Avenue and south of Merrick Road.
Source:
1915 Village of Freeport Tax Assessment Map (section 14).
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, November 11, 2021.
See:
Country Club Manor is a cooperative apartment building located at 250 West Merrick Road. Built in 1959 by Raddock Construction Corporation, the building offered 2.5 and 6.5 room apartments that could accommodate 84 families. The building featured an outdoor swimming pool, outside balconies, wall-to-wall carpeting, air conditioning, soundproofing between units, doorman service, a furnished lobby, and laundries on each floor. Donald Lichter was the original renting agent. Rents ranged between $115 and $236.
It was reported that Country Club Manor was one of the first buildings on Long Island to use a plaster spray gun for the interior plastering.
See Also:
Sources:
"Low-Cost Space Tracker, Plaster Spray Make Debut." Newsday. September 21, 1959, 12C.
"New Apartments Feature Private Swimming Pool." The Leader. July 9, 1959, 9. Accessed January 25, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1959-07-09/ed-1/seq-9/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, January 25, 2018.
Court Iroquois No. 130, Foresters of America, was a fraternal organization that met at the Odd Fellow's Hall. This club was active in the 1890s into the 1920s. The women's division was called the Circle Pride of Iroquois No. 1172. Many prominent Freeporters were members of this organizations.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, September 28, 2016.
Alan Courtney (?-1978) was said to be Long Island's first disc jockey. His other claim to fame was that he co-wrote the lyrics with Ben Homer to the song Joltin' Joe Di Maggio in 1941 during the famed Yankee's 56-game hitting streak. Courtney is credited with creating the "open phone forum" where listeners call into the show and discuss their opinions on the air.
Courtney began his career in radio in New York City at the age of 15. While attending New York University, he hosted a radio show called the Joymakers where he introduced unknown talent. Some of the singers that performed live on his show included Helen Forrest, Mary Ann Mercer, and Barry Wood.
After moving to Freeport, he opened Alan Courtney's Radio Restaurette at 77 West Merrick Road. During the restaurant's grand opening in 1948, Vic Damone performed. He broadcasted twice nightly from the restaurant for WGBB. The following year, Courtney moved to the Miami area with his wife, Bernice, and their two sons.
Sources:
"Alan Courtney, Radio MC." Newsday. September 17, 1978, 27.
Alan Courtney's Radio Restaurette [advertisement]. The Leader. June 3, 1948, 18. Accessed November 24, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1948-06-03/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Dinah Shore, Perry Como and Sinatra Greet Opening of Alan Courtney's Radio Restaurette." The Leader. June 3, 1948, 16. Accessed November 21, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1948-06-03/ed-1/seq-9/.
"First Alan Courtney Broadcasts Over WGBB Meet With Approval." The Leader. October 9, 1947, 4. Accessed November 21, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1947-10-09/ed-1/seq-4/.
Vasil, Eddie. "News and Views." The Leader. April 9, 1959, 6. Accessed November 24, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1959-04-09/ed-1/seq-6/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, November 24, 2018.
Cow Meadow Park was originally a meadow located at the southern end of Freeport. Early settlers, including Edward Raynor, harvested salt hay for their livestock in this area. In Colonial times, communal salt meadows were governed by the Town of Hempstead. Regulations concerning salt meadows in the Town of Hempstead date back to 1761. These regulations barred fencing of the meadows and set dates for harvesting.
In March 1897, the Town of Hempstead passed a resolution that imposed a $12.50 fine for any person caught cutting grass on the "common marshes" before the first Tuesday in September. The resolution also called for the sale by the town supervisor at public auction of grass from the "common marshes at Freeport". Later that same year, a public meeting was called for in Freeport for the purpose of discussing the "feasibility of the Town leasing the cow meadows for a term of years to private parties."
A. R. Rhodes leased the "cow meadows at Freeport" for 50 years. The exact location of this Freeport cow meadow was not given; however, the lease came with a provision to widen and deepen the Freeport Creek (also known as the Freeport River) by the lessee. Since the 1870s, proceeds raised from the sale of the "grass" from the cow meadow in Freeport was used to deepen this waterway.
Though there may have been a number of locations in Freeport identified as a cow meadow, the moniker "Cow Meadow" became associated in the twentieth century with land at the end of South Main Street.
Sometime in the 1930s, the area was approved for industrial zoning. In late 1937, the Town of Hempstead considered establishing a marine base that would accommodate industrial shipping at Cow Meadow. Robert Moses, president of the Long Island Park Commission, opposed this plan.
According to Clinton Metz, village historian, portions of Cow Meadow were annexed to Freeport for residential development on two occasions: Freeport Bay Estates in 1950 and Colony Park in 1959.
Moses Hornstein, president of Horn Construction, purchased the land in 1956 for $406,000. His plan to develop the area for industrial use faced much opposition from civic groups and the Village of Freeport. In 1961, Mayor Robert J. Sweeney created a Cow Meadow Committee for the purpose "to weigh all facets of the complex problem and to recommend to the administration the best possible use of the vast Cow Meadow acreage." The Long Island Lighting Company considered purchasing this property for the installation of a $200,000,000 power plant in 1961. This plan was supported by the Northeast Civic Association.
When the Town of Hempstead considered re-zoning this property for residential development, Sweeney led a 15-car motorcade with a delegation of 100 Freeporters to Hempstead for a hearing concerning the matter in 1962. Hornstein took out a two-page advertisement in March 30, 1961 issue of The Leader to plead the case for allowing residential development of this area. Sweeney's attempt to hold a referendum on having the village purchase the property failed after three attempts to get the necessary unanimous board approval. Horn Construction eventually filled suit against the Town of Hempstead. In 1963, Supreme Court Justice Daniel G. Albert struck down the industrial zoning for this tract of land, which opened the door for public use.
In 1966, a junk yard that existed in Cow Meadow was removed from the site.
Nassau County acquired approximately 171.2 acres of Cow Meadow in 1970 for general purposes. Three years later, Cow Meadow Park was opened. Originally, the park featured six tennis courts, six handball courts, three shuffleboard courts, two basketball courts, two horseshoe sandboxes, a playground, and trails for walking and bird watching.
Click here for images related to Cow Meadow Park.
See Also:
Sources:
"Builder Challenges Cow Meadow Zoning." Newsday. June 4, 1963, 23.
Bulter, Bill. "Nix Industry for Cow Meadow. Newsday. December 10, 1963, 29.
"County Announces Cow Meadow 'Plan.'" The Leader. September 1, 1966, 15. Accessed May 10, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1966-09-01/ed-1/seq-15/.
"County to Open Park in Freeport." Newsday. April 13, 1973, 26.
"Cow Meadow Proposition." Village News. February 1962, 2. Accessed May 10, 2018. https://cdm16694.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15281coll12/id/17485/rec/2.
"Hempstead Defers Ship Base Ruling." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. March 26, 1937, 3. Accessed May 9, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/53708517/?terms=%22cow%2Bmeadow%22%2Bfreeport.
Metz, Clinton. "It Happened In 1921." The Leader. March 23, 1978, 6. Accessed May 11, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1978-03-23/ed-1/seq-6/.
Metz, Clinton. "It Happened... Years Ago!" The Leader. May 2, 1985, 5. Accessed May 10, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1985-05-02/ed-1/seq-5/.
Murray, Alice. "Mayor Loses Last Bid For Cow Meadow Vote." Newsday. August 21, 1962, 19.
Nassau County: From Rural Hinterland to Suburban Metropolis. Interlaken, NY: Heart of the Lakes Publishing, 2000.
"Northeast Civics Approve LILCO Cow Meadow Plan." The Leader. April 20, 1961, 6. Accessed May 10, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1961-04-20/ed-1/seq-6/.
"Postponed. Public Meeting." Queens County Review. June 25, 1897, 2. Accessed May 8, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071432/1897-06-25/ed-1/seq-2/.
Reichman, Charles. "Salt Meadows: A Major Hay Source for Early L.I. Farmers." The Long Island Forum. (June 1987): 126-129.
"Town Board Resolutions." Queens County Review. March 26, 1897, 2. Accessed May 8, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071432/1897-03-26/ed-1/seq-2/.
"Town OKs F'port Vote on Cow Meadow." Newsday. January 3, 1962, 19.
Vasil, Eddie. "We Can't Be Ostriches About... 'Cow Meadow.'" The Leader. April 13, 1961, 10. Accessed May 10, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1961-04-13/ed-1/seq-10/.
"Withdraws Cow Meadow Bid; Fate of F'port Tract in Doubt." Newsday. May 24, 1961, 26.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 11, 2018.
Smith Cox (1845-1930) was the tenth president of Freeport (1913 to 1914). Cox was preceded by James Hanse and succeeded by Roland M. Lamb.
Smith Cox was born in Freeport in 1845, the son of Elbert and Ann (Valentine) Cox. When he was fourteen, he left home to work as a grocery boy in a general store in Hempstead. After approximately 25 years in retail and then the express business, he turned his talents to the storage business, which was headquartered in Brooklyn at a building located at the intersection of Fulton Street and Flatbush Avenue, with a second location at 445 Carlton Avenue.
Cox married Alice B. Raynor, the daughter of Edmond S. Raynor, in November of 1879. In 1893, Cox moved back to Freeport with his family. Prior to his position as president of Freeport, he served as a trustee on the Freeport Board of Trustees. He also served as a supervisor of the Town of Hempstead and was the Republican leader in Freeport. His last position serving the public was as a member of the Town of Hempstead Board of Assessors. He belonged to the Spartan Lodge, F&AM, and was also a member of the Royal Arch Masons and the Elks Lodge.
Click here for images related to Smith Cox.
See Also:
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, May 29, 2016.
Updated by Denise Rushton, August 23, 2016.
Walter Baird Cozzens (1873-1957) was a charter member of Vigilant Hose Company No. 2. He joined the Freeport Fire Department around 1893 at the age of 20, and served as captain of Hose 2 from 1899 to 1900, the fifth captain of that company. He then served as the chief of the Freeport Fire Department from 1906 to 1908. Cozzens’ career with the Freeport Fire Department spanned nearly six decades. At one time, Cozzens was believed to be one of the oldest living ex-fire chiefs in the State of New York.
Cozzens, a carpenter by trade, also served on the Freeport School Board and was a member of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics.
In recognition of his long time service as a volunteer fireman, Hose Company No. 2 presented Cozzens with a gold signet ring inscribed "To Pop Cozzens from the boys of Hose 2" in 1944.
Cozzens married Aletta A. Rhodes (circa 1875-1956) in 1901 at the Freeport Methodist Church and resided first at 426 Southside Avenue, they later moved to 31 North Bergen Place. After Aletta died, Cozzens lived with their daughter Dorothy Childres at 36 Johnson Place.
Click here for images related to Walter B. Cozzens.
See Also:
Junior Order of United American Mechanics
Sources:
"Cozzens Testimonial Draws Crowd of 250." The Leader. February 28, 1952, 1. Accessed September 29, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1952-02-28/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Pop Cozzens Given Signet Ring at Vamp Co. Birthday." Newsday. January 24, 1944, 5.
"Vigilant Hose Company Marks 50th Anniversary at Dinner." The Leader. January, 27, 1944, 1. Accessed September 29, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1944-01-27/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Walter B. Cozzens, Fireman for 58 Years." Newsday. August 28, 1957, 91.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, September 29, 2017.
Craig Avenue was named for the Craig Realty Company. This street is part of the Freeport Manor section of the Village.
See Also:
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg and Regina G. Feeney, May 31, 2016.
Henry L. Crandell (1861-1918) was a Brooklyn businessman in the real estate and construction industries. He offered land on the south side of Pine Street between Grove Street and Ocean Avenue to the Roman Catholic Church for the establishment of a mission church. No other local real estate firms would negotiate with the Catholic Church.
Crandall was a member of the school board in 1901. That same year, he was appointed to the village commission on water rates and petitioned the Village to extend the water mains on Pine Street. He was the first vice-president of the Jamaica and Far Rockaway banks. He also belonged to the Hempstead Bay Yacht Club.
His Freeport home is now the Hungerford & Clark Funeral Home located at 110 Pine Street.
Click here for images related to Henry L. Crandell.
Source:
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, June 23, 2016.
Croatian Americans began arriving in Freeport in the 1920s. Many, but not all, of those who called Freeport home came from the Croatian Island of Losinj located in Adriatic Sea in the Kvarner Gulf and worked in the Freeport's maritime industry. Due to the fact that the island had a close relationship with the Venetian Republic, most of the Freeporters from Losinj spoke Italian.
Croatian Americans associated with Freeport included families with the following surnames: Carcich, Scopinich, Budinich, Stuparich, Hroncich, Vukas, Maritinolich, Nicolich, Lettich, Bracco, Chersich, Tarabocchia, and Grgurevich.
Many early boatyards, commercial fishing boats, restaurants, and fish markets along Woodcleft Avenue were established by Croatian Americans.
See Also:
Schooner Restaurant and Lounge
Sources:
Ancestry.com
Researched by Regina G. Feeney. August 28, 2021.
Croft Motors was a car dealership located at 16 Brooklyn Avenue. Its Brooklyn Avenue showroom opened in 1935 and sold new Pontiac cars. A block away from this location, at the intersection of Brooklyn Avenue, Broadway and North Main Street, Croft Motors sold used cars. Later, Croft Motors had a used car lot on Sunrise Highway and Park Avenue.
Croft Motors was owned by Ralph Croft who, in 1936, had been affiliated with the automotive industry for 15 years. He originally ran a Chevrolet dealership in Woodside, Queens County, New York.
Croft Motors also included a dealership at 174 Sunrise Highway in Rockville Centre. A total of 20 people were employed by the Croft Motors corporation.
During World War II, Columbian Bronze occupied a building on Brooklyn Avenue that was once used by Croft Motors.
See Also:
Sources:
"Columbian Bronze Acquires New Plant." Newsday. August 30, 1943, 6.
Croft Motors [advertisement]. Nassau Daily Review. March 11, 1938, 8. Accessed July 30, 2020. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031113/1938-03-11/ed-1/seq-8/
"Croft Motors Originate Idea." The Nassau Daily Review. February 5, 1936, 23. Accessed July 30, 2020. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071428/1936-02-05/ed-1/seq-6/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, July 30, 2020.
Crooked Lane was sectioned off and renamed Broadway, Columbus Avenue, and Grand Avenue.
Source:
Raynor Town Map, 1868 located at the Freeport Historical Society.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 29, 2016.
Alan C. Cruickshank (c1860-1933) was born in Scotland and came to the United States in the 1880s. He worked as a machinist and was responsible for one of the first electric signs in New York City in 1896 on the Union Square Hotel. Later, he worked on the first animated electric sign in Brooklyn. After his retirement, Cruickshank moved to Freeport in 1921 and lived in the South Shore Apartments on Rose Street. He died in 1933. His son, John, served as Mayor of Freeport in 1926.
See Also:
Sources:
“A.C. Cruickshank, Machinist, Is Dead.” The New York Times. August 15, 1933, 17.
James H. Cruickshank (1877-1968) was a charter member of Patriot Hose Company No. 4 and an honorary deputy chief of the Freeport Fire Department. Born in Hempstead, Cruickshank worked in insurance and real estate. He was a member of the Methodist Church, the Babylon Yacht Club, and the Real Estate Board of Brokers of New York.
Cruickshank married Etta L. Neumann in 1901. They lived at 178 South Ocean Avenue.
Cruickshank is buried in Greenfield Cemetery, Uniondale, NY.
Source:
Hazelton, Henry Isham. The Boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens Counties of Nassau and Suffolk Long Island, New York 1609-1924 (Volume 5). New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc., 1925.
Obituary of James H. Cruickshank. Newsday. September 26, 1968, 90.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, July 5, 2016.
John Cruickshank was the twentieth president (mayor) of Freeport (1926 to 1927). His father was Alan Cruickshank.
Cruickshank was preceded by W. Irving Vanderpool and succeeded by Clinton M. Flint.
Click here for images related to John Cruickshank.
See Also:
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, May 29, 2016.
Thaddeus Crummel (1879-1959) was a long time resident of Bennington Park. He was born on James Island, SC. Crummel married Isabelle Witherspoon in 1913; they lived at 45 Bennington Avenue. Crummel worked in the scavenging business.
In 1914, Crummel had a phone installed in his home. When his son, Richard, returned home from serving with the 15th Infantry in 1919, Crummel and his wife held a reception at their home in their son's honor.
Around 1922, Crummel became president of the board of trustees of Bethel A. M. E. Church.
See Also:
Sources:
Ancestry.com.
"Bethel M. E. Clear of All Debt." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. January 30, 1921, 53. Accessed August 21, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/57095569/?terms=bethel%2Bfreeport%2Bclear%2Bdebt.
"New Telephones." South Side Messenger. April 22, 1914, 4. Accessed September 11, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn96083504/1914-04-22/ed-1/seq-4/.
"Reception to Returned 15th." Nassau County Review. March 21, 1919, 5. Accessed September 11, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1919-03-21/ed-1/seq-5/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, September 11, 2018.
Crystal Lake was a five acre body of water that existed between Archer Street and Atlantic Avenue, east of Guy Lombardo Avenue. The Crystal Lake Hotel and Cottage derived its name from this lake. In 1911, the John J. Randall Company gave notice to the Village Board that it intended to fill in the lake.
Click here for images related to the Crystal Lake.
See Also:
Crystal Lake Hotel and Cottage
Source:
"To Fill in Crystal Lake." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. January 13, 1911, 12. Accessed November 5, 2016. http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/53902993/?terms=%22crystal%2Blake%22.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, November 5, 2016.
Crystal Lake Hotel and Cottage (also referred to as the Crystal Lake House) opened in 1895 and was managed by the Frost family for nearly 51 years. A larger hotel was constructed on the property adjacent to the Crystal Lake Cottage by Owen Humphrey in 1899. The new hotel could accommodate 150 guests. The hotel was located 170 Southside Avenue near South Grove Street (now Guy Lombardo Avenue), across the street from a five-acre body of water known as the Crystal Lake. Edward P. Ward (1859-1907) and his wife Addie (1863-1923) were the proprietors. In 1907, Addie became the sole proprietor after her husband's death. Their son, Ward Ryder Frost (1859-1975), would later assume responsibility for the hotel.
The Crystal Lake Hotel hosted many celebrations and gatherings for local community organizations. It was said that that many vaudeville stage stars, including Sophie Tucker, were frequent quests. Congressman, and later senator, Thomas C. Platt was also a guest. In 1907, a number of teachers in the Freeport schools lived at the Crystal Lake Hotel.
In 1914, was the hotel nearly devastated by a fire. Its broad verandas were enclosed when the hotel was reconstructed. By 1938, the Crystal Lake Hotel was the last remaining hotel in Freeport.
The hotel was purchased by David Shapiro in 1946 and re-named the Shorecrest Hotel. In 1958, the hotel was destroyed by fire.
In 1962, the Frost House apartments opened on the site of the Crystal Lake Cottage, located at 175 Archer Street. The Freeport Landmarks Preservation Committee would later erect a roadside marker on the corner of Southside Avenue and Guy Lombardo Avenue to commemorate the Crystal Lake Hotel and the Frost family.
Click here for images related to the Crystal Lake Hotel and Cottage.
See Also:
Sources:
"Crystal Lake House Swept by Flames." Nassau County Review. May 29, 1914, 1. Accessed November 4, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1914-05-29/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Freeport News." Nassau County Review. April 26, 1907, 1. Accessed November 4, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1907-04-26/ed-1/seq-1/.
Krieg, Cynthia J. and Regina G. Feeney. Freeport. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2012.
"Local." Nassau County Review. August 18, 1899, 3. Accessed November 4, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1899-08-18/ed-1/seq-3/.
"Personals." South Side Observer. August 2, 1895, 2. Accessed November 3, 2016. fultonhistory.com.
"School Notes." Nassau County Review. September 13, 1907, 1. Accessed November 3, 2016.
http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1907-09-13/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Spectacular 200-G Blaze Hits LI; Guests Flee." Newsday. January 15, 1958, 3.
"Wants Another Hotel." The New York Times. July 24, 1938, 143.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, November 3, 2016.
Crystal Theatre was located at 38 Brooklyn Avenue near North Grove Street. The original building, known as the Opera Hall, was located on the triangle bounded South Main Street and Church Street. Opera Hall was moved to Brooklyn Avenue in 1909 and the name changed to the Crystal Theatre. The proprietor was C. Howard Randall. It was renamed the Liberty Theatre,and later served as a dress factory.
Sources:
"It Happened... Years Ago." The Leader. May 28, 1981, 6. Accessed January 3, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1981-05-28/ed-1/seq-6/.
"It Happened... Years Ago!" The Leader. June 30, 1988, 6. Accessed January 2, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1988-06-30/ed-1/seq-6/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, January 13, 2018.
Cuddy's Canary Cottage was a restaurant located at 268 West Merrick Road. The restaurant operated from about 1929 to 1943. In a 1929 advertisement, Cuddy's was described very simply as "'a good place to eat' and 'not 'just another road-house,' but a 'place by the road' where you may bring your family and enjoy home-cooked food at reasonable prices among delightful surroundings without dancing, cabaret or orchestral din." The restaurant made it very clear in its advertisement that they did not violate the Volstead Act by serving alcohol. In 1931, Cuddy's remodeled. It built a new dining room, modernized the restrooms, updated the kitchen, and added more parking. The restaurant was run by Sarah Ann Cudmore and its resident manager was Etta J. Koelsch. On May 31, 1931, Cudmore opened a second location on Wantagh Avenue at the corner of Lufberry Avenue and Homestead Avenue in Wantagh.
In 1943, the site was the home of the Freeport Child Care Center, a childcare war project that helped parents who were in military or were employed in businesses that supported the war effort.
In the 1950's, 268 West Merrick Road was occupied by Dr. Stein.
Click here for material related to Cuddy's Canary Cottage.
Sources:
"Child Care Center to Move in Freeport." Nassau Daily Review-Star. July 30, 1943, 6. Accessed March 4, 2021.http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031113/1943-07-30/ed-1/seq-6/.
Cuddy's Canary Cottage [advertisements]. The Nassau Daily Review. April 13, 1929, 9. Accessed March 4, 2021. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071428/1929-04-13/ed-1/seq-9/.
Cuddy's Canary Cottage [advertisements]. The Nassau Daily Review. January 20,1930, 3. Accessed March 4, 2021. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071428/1930-01-20/ed-1/seq-3/.
Cuddy's Canary Cottage [advertisements]. The Nassau Daily Review. March 12, 1931, 5. Accessed March 4, 2021. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071428/1931-03-12/ed-1/seq-21/.
Cuddy's Canary Cottage [advertisements]. The Nassau Daily Review. May 29, 1931, 9. Accessed March 4, 2021. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071428/1931-05-29/ed-1/seq-9/.
"Older Child Care Center Children on City Sightseeing Trip To-day." The Leader. December 30, 1943, 2. Accessed March 4, 2020. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1943-12-30/ed-1/seq-2/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, March 4, 2021.
Cullin Canal (formerly Fifth Canal) is the waterway located south of West 4th Street. In 2016, the canal was renamed the Cullin Canal in honor of Angie Cullin, a councilwoman who was the first woman elected to the Town of Hempstead board.
Sources:
Robert Fisenne (email, September 5, 2019).
Schoffer, Laura. "Two Canals Named to Honor Renowned Freeporters." The Leader. September 29, 2016, 3. Accessed September 7, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071065/2016-09-29/ed-1/seq-3/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, October 27, 2020.
Merritt Dana Cutler (1898-1987) was born in 1898 in Harlem. His family moved to Freeport and he lived on Porterfield Place. He was an avid tennis player, competing in US national tournaments and at Wimbledon. He won the US National Indoor Doubles Championship in 1930.
Cutler served as a corporal during World War I in Company I, 107th Infantry, and 27th Division. He saw action near Ronssoy, France. Despite suffering wounds, he braved enemy fire and dragged two wounded comrades to safety. Later the same day, he organized a stretcher party and brought in three wounded comrades under machine-gun fire that was so severe that it had stopped the advance of neighboring troops. For these actions he won the Distinguished Service Cross, Croix de Guerre, British Military Medal, and the Purple Heart. After the war, he served as president of the William Clinton Story American Legion Post.
Cutler studied art at the Pratt Institute. During WWI, Cutler began sketching his fellow Doughboys. During an inspection, General Pershing was not impressed with this idea. “Sketchbook?” the General yelled, “what the hell do you think this is, an art school? You’re in the United States Army, soldier. Give me that sketchbook.” Cutler never saw the sketchbook again.
When asked about his Distinguished Service Cross, Cutler said, "I'm glad I earned by DSC for the lives I saved, not for the men I killed." Merritt Cutler died at the age of 89 in 1987.
Click here to see Merritt Cutler mentioned in the Freeport American Legion Minutes.
Sources:
Berry, Henry. Make the Kaiser Dance. New York: Doubleday, 1978.
Obituary of Merritt D. Cutler. Herald [Monterey. CA?], December 8, 1987, 4.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 8, 2016.