H. B. Hagen & Co. was a butcher shop located at 38 South Main Street. In 1909, H.B. Hagen and his business partner, John Matthias, purchased the meat market from Henry F. Harms. Matthias later became the proprietor of Central Market butcher shop.
In the 1920s, the H. B. Hagen & Co. was located at 12 Church Street (Cannon Square).
Source:
"Freeport." South Side Messenger. August 06, 1909, 1. Accessed November 6, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn96083504/1909-08-06/ed-1/seq-1/.
Voyageur, 1927 (Freeport High School Yearbook).
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, November 7, 2016.
The Half Shell House was a restaurant located at 524 South Grove Street (now Guy Lombardo Avenue). It was opened in 1962 by Marius Zino and John Rappa. The 24-hour restaurant specialized in shish kebabs, steak and onion hero sandwiches, seafood and clams. Its motto was: "Where the Fishing Fleet Meets."
In 1964, the restaurant was sold to Elaine Robertson, and Bob and Jane Budion. Prior to the purchase, Robertson was associated with the Stouffer Restaurants in New York, the South Shore Inn in Rockville Centre, and the Dolph-Inn in Freeport. Bob Budion had been a chef at the Garden City Hotel and his wife, Jane, was affiliated with the Coach Grill Chain.
In 1969, the Half Shell House became The Helm.
Click here for images of the Half Shell House.
See Also:
Sources:
"Half Shell House." The Leader. May 17, 1962, 5. Accessed October 24, 2020. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1962-05-17/ed-1/seq-5/.
Half Shell House [advertisement]. The Leader. May 28, 1964, 12. Accessed October 24, 2020. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1964-05-28/ed-1/seq-12/.
Paran, Pat. "I Cover the Waterfront." The Leader. April 23, 1964, 10. Accessed October 24, 2020. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1964-04-23/ed-1/seq-10/.
Paran, Pat. "I Cover the Waterfront." The Leader. September 17, 2020, 10. Accessed October 24, 2020. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1964-09-17/ed-1/seq-10/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, January 30, 2023.
George Hall's horse, Ruler on Ice, won the 143rd Belmont Stakes. Hall grew up in south Freeport, graduated from Chaminade in 1978, and attended the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
Source:
"Classic Race has New 'Ruler' Unheralded 24-1 Shot Surprises Field in Slop at Belmont." Newsday. June 12, 2011, A86.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 19, 2016.
William S. Hall (1862-1921) was a local banker affiliated with the Freeport Bank as well as the Hempstead Bank. He was the first cashier for the Freeport Bank when it opened in 1892 and he held that position until his death. Born in New York City, Hall came to Hempstead in his 20s. He took a job with Martin J. Wood, president of the Hempstead Bank. Hall later married Wood's daughter, Jeannette (1861-1908). The couple had a son, Martin W. Hall. After Wood's retirement, Hall became the president of the Hempstead Bank.
In addition to being a member of the Freeport Methodist Church, he also served as substitute Methodist minister in neighboring communities. Hall was a member and treasurer of the Board of Education. He was also associated with the Hempstead Fire Department, the Morton Lodge, F. and A. M., the Freeport Lodge of the Odd Fellows and the Junior Order of the United American Mechanics.
Hall's house was located the northeast corner of Pine Street and South Bergen Place.
After his wife's death, Hall married Jennie Bedell (1876-1931), a clerk at the Freeport Bank.
Hall left an estate worth $139,408.
See Also:
Junior Order of United American Mechanics
Sources:
Ancestry.com.
"To Be Hall's 30th Term as Cashier." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. January 19, 1921, 12. Accessed August 4, 2021. https://www.newspapers.com/image/686796804/?terms=%22william%20hall%22%20freeport&match=1.
"William S. Hall, Banker, Dies." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. September 10, 1921, 4. Accessed August 4, 2021. https://www.newspapers.com/image/556942386/?terms=%22william%20hall%22%20freeport&match=1.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, August 4, 2021.
Updated by Regina G. Feeney, January 1, 2022.
Dr. Leo Halpin (1883-1933) was a well known physician and surgeon, who lived at 111 West Merrick Road in Freeport. Born in New York City, Halpin attended Manhattan College and later graduated in 1906 from Cornell University. After practicing medicine in Washington Heights, Halpin moved to Freeport in 1913. He was associated with Mercy Hospital and was a member of the Nassau County Medical Society.
Halpin was a member of the Elks Club, the South Shore Yacht Club, Knights of Columbus, and the Modern Woodmen of America. He was on the advisory board for the Freeport Theatre Company and an honorary member of the LIGHTS Club. He was also a member of Our Holy Redeemer Church.
Halpin died at the age of 50 from pneumonia.
Click here for images related to Dr. Leo Halpin.
Source:
"Dr. Leo Halpin, 50, Dies in Freeport." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. December 23, 1933, 14. Accessed July 3, 2016. http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/57562874/?terms=Leo%2BHalpin%2B%22leo%2BHalpin%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 3, 2016.
Halsey Street is named for the Lafayette Halsey Insurance Company.
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, May 24, 2016.
Hamilton Street was originally named Queen Street.
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.
Hanse Avenue was called Shell Road before 1916. The Street was named for James Hanse, president (mayor) of Freeport from 1912 to 1913. He was served as police chief and was a real estate developer.
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, May 24, 2016.
James Hanse was the ninth president (mayor) of Freeport (1912 to 1913). He was also a real estate developer and headed the Milburn Contracting Company. Hanse served as Freeport Chief of Police from 1917-1918. While serving in this position, Hanse developed a telephone signal system which was used by the Freeport Police Department. In 1918, he introduced fingerprinting. He was also the first secretary of the Freeport Chamber of Commerce, an honorary member of the LIGHTS Club, charter member of the Elks Club, vice president of the Ready Relief Society, as well a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, Odd Fellows, and the Masons. Hanse was the temporary chairman of the Village Improvement Society in 1911.
In 1912, Hanse envisioned a recreational area on the site of Horsfal's Pond (now the property of the Freeport Recreation Center). Hanse re-developed the southeast section of Freeport known as Turks Island in 1916, which was re-named Shell Island (now Industrial Park).
Hanse was preceded by John D. Gunning and succeeded by Smith Cox.
Click here for images related to James Hanse.
See Also:
Source:
"Finger Prints in Freeport." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. January 27 1918, 59. Accessed September 22, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/55300300/?terms=%22Finger%2Bprints%2Bin%2Bfreeport%22.
"Freeport Mourns Death of Capt. James Hanse, Pioneer Developer." The Daily Review. January 7, 1925, 1. Accessed May 26, 2017. fultonhistory.com.
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, May 29, 2016.
Updated May 26, 2017.
Hanse Park was originally known as Horsfal's Pond. The land was on a long-term lease from the City of New York and later the Long Island State Park Commission, which was headed by Robert Moses. The proposed park was originally referred to as Recreation Park. In 1926, the Village of Freeport adopted the name Hanse Park for this area as a way to honor Captain James L. Hanse, who envisioned a park for this area around 1912.
In 1975, the Freeport Recreation Center opened on this site.
See Also:
Sources:
"Argument Enlivens Freeport Meeting." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. December 1, 1928, 11. Accessed September 21, 2016. http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/59880827/?terms=hanse%2Bfreeport.
"Freeport Parkland Grant OKd by U.S." Newsday. January 7, 1970, 17. Accessed September 21, 2016.
"Hanse Park in Freeport Looks Like Battlefield as Village Spurns State Aid." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. July 9, 1928, 4. Accessed September 21, 2016. http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/59890886/?terms=%22hanse%2Bpark%22%2Bfreeport.
"Special Election." Nassau County Review. June 28, 1912, 1. Accessed September 21, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1912-06-28/ed-1/seq-1/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, September 21, 2016.
Happy Times Tavern (more commonly known as Schang’s Hotel) was located on the south side of Fulton Street (now East Merrick Road), to the west of Buffalo Avenue and north of Maple Place.
This saloon/hotel was made famous by Harpo Marx in his autobiography Harpo Speaks. Marx worked briefly as a piano player at Schang's Hotel when he was 19 years old. Marx describes Schang's as a brothel catering to the men hired to dig a canal in Freeport. Marx's employer, Alma Schang, and her gang were later arrested as a major burglary ring on the south shore known as the "Schang Gang." Years later, Marx learned that his older brother, Chico, also worked at Schang's. Both brothers were fired by Mrs. Schang; Harpo for contracting measles and Chico for becoming too friendly with one of the girls.
Schang's Hotel was owned and operated by Charles and Alma Schang with the help of their teenage son, Christian (sometimes referred to as Christopher or Chris). In 1906, Charles was indicted for violation of the liquor tax law. During his trial, Schang was found guilty of running a "disorderly house" and sentenced to one year in jail and a fine of $500. The following year, a station agent at the Merrick alerted authorities about the number of trunks being shipped to New York City from people associated with the Schang Hotel. Sheriff Gildersleeve uncovered the burglary ring and found thousands of dollars of stolen material at the Schang Hotel. Gildersleeve located $8,000 worth of stolen goods at the boarding house of John Engel at 447 East 123 Street, New York, NY. Also recovered was a race horse, Parkville Prince, who was stolen from its Glen Cove owner and was reportedly used by the robbers to flee from the scenes of burglaries. It was also reported that the gang used ether to anesthetize their victims before they plundered the home.
Christian J. Schang was sentenced to 25 years in Sing Sing. Morris Belkowitz (alias Burke) received a seven to 12 year sentence to Sing Sing. Alma Schang was sentenced to five years at Auburn Prison. August Von Fehrig (alias Lucknow), who was 34 years old at the time of his arrest, received a 40 year sentence. Alma was released from prison in 1910. Soon after Christian went to SingSing, it was reported that he went "insane" and was transferred to the Dannemora State Hospital. In 1917, his parents requested a pardon from Governor Whitman. The Governor pardoned Christian on February 21, 1917. Von Fehrig died in prison in 1917.
Later, the hotel became known as Keppler's Hotel. Keppler's closed in 1912. A 1914 map shows the inn as being called Hawley's Hotel. That same year, the hotel, then known as the Garden Inn, had a fire . Two additional fires at the Garden Inn occurred in 1916 and 1918.
Sources:
Ancestry.com.
"Aged Couple Win Pardon for Son." Nassau County Review. March 2, 1917, 1. Accessed May 14, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1917-03-02/ed-1/seq-1/.
"And Still Another Small Fire." Nassau County Review. February 1, 1918, 1. Accessed May 14, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1918-02-01/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Burglars Sentenced." Nassau County Review. August 9, 1907. Accessed May 14, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1907-08-09/ed-1/seq-4/.
"County Court." Nassau County Review. August 2, 1907, 4. Accessed May 14, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1907-08-02/ed-1/seq-4/.
"Freeport News." Nassau County Review. July 5, 1907. 1. Accessed May 14, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1907-07-05/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Grass Fire Endangers Buildings." Nassau County Review. December 08, 1916, 1. Accessed May 14, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1916-12-08/ed-1/seq-1/.
"In the Fire Department." Nassau County Review. December 18, 1914, 1. Accessed May 14, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1914-12-18/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Mrs. Schang Out of Prison." South Side Messenger. December 30, 1910, 8. Accessed May 14, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn96083504/1910-12-30/ed-1/seq-8/.
"One Hotel Closed." Nassau County Review. October 25, 1912, 12. Accessed May 14, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1912-10-25/ed-1/seq-12/.
"P.B. Olney's Butler Indicted." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. June 8, 1906, 5. Accessed May 14, 2018, 5. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/53792510/?terms=schang%2Bhotel%2Bfreeport.
"Prisoner Got the Limit." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. July 3, 1906, 1. Accessed May 14, 2018, 1. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/53874155/?terms=schang%2Bhotel%2Bfreeport.
"Recover $8,000 in Loot." The New York Times. June 21, 1907, 4.
"Robbers Use Racing Horse." The Sun. June 22, 1907, 1. Accessed May 14, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1907-06-07/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Thieves Used Ether to Stupefy Victims." The New York Times. June 22. 1907, 3.
Researched by John Zaluski, May 15, 2018.
Harding Court was renamed South End Place in 1924. This area was developed as Sunshine Park by the Stephen P. Pettit Company in the early 1920s.
See Also:
Source:
Village of Freeport Board Minutes, 1924.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 10, 2018.
Harding Place, between Grand Avenue and Broadway was part of Jay Street in 1920..
Souces:
Village of Freeport Board Minutes, 1920.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 21, 2016.
Andrew Hardwick was the thirty-fifth mayor of Freeport (2009 to 2013). He was the first African American to hold this office.
Hardwick was preceded by William F. Glacken, Jr. and succeeded by Robert T. Kennedy.
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, May 29, 2016.
Charles D. Hargrove was one of the 23 African American midshipmen to graduate from the US Naval Academy in 1975. He graduated from Freeport High School in 1971. He was a member of the National Honor Society and a drum major for the high school marching band. Hargrove lived at 4 Gill Avenue.
Sources:
"Round-About with Rhoda," The Leader. August 7, 1975, 11. Accessed March 12, 2023. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1975-08-07/ed-1/seq-7/,
"Twenty-three Black Midshipmen to Graduate from Naval Academy," Afro-American. May 24, 1975, 6. Accessed November 25, 2022. ProQuest Historical African American Newspapers.
Voyageur, 1971 (Freeport High School Yearbook).
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, March 12, 2023.
The Harms Building was located at the corner of Pine Street and South Main Street (approximately 38-40 South Main Street). Henry F. Harms, the owner, operated the H. F. Harms' Meat Market and Grocery store in this building. Though the date of the original structure is unknown, the building was built up to three stories in 1908. The following year, H. B. Hagen & Company purchased Harms' business.
On October 16, 1914, a truck crashed in the building and caused damage to the marble slabs on a wall counter. Susan Shaw and her daughter Alice lived in the Harms Building in 1919.
The building was sold to Phil Nickelberg in 1921. The property had a 50 foot frontage on South Main Street.
See Also:
Sources:
"Freeport News." Nassau County Review. August 6, 1909, 1.Accessed December 12, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1909-08-06/ed-1/seq-1/
"Harms Building Sold." The Freeport News. February 18, 1921, 1. Accessed December 12, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071012/1921-02-18/ed-1/seq-1/.
"In Nassau County 25 Years Ago." Nassau Daily Review-Star. October 15, 1938, 7. Accessed December 12, 2017. fultonhistory.com.
"October." Nassau County Review. January 2, 1914, 1. Accessed December 12, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1914-01-02/ed-1/seq-1/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 12, 2017.
Henry Frederick Harms (1867-1928) sold groceries, meats and provisions on South Main Street at the corner of Pine Street. He was born in Germany. Harms and his wife, Frieda, are buried in Lutheran (now All Faiths) Cemetery, Middle Village, NY.
See Also:
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/.
Ancesty.com
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, August 12, 2016.
Harris Avenue was known as East Lincoln Place prior to 1926.
Source:
Village of Freeport Board Minutes, December 12, 1926.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, July 19, 2017.
Charles M. Hart (1887-1968) was a noted architect. He received his degree in architecture from Pratt Institute. In 1906. Hart lived at 160 West Merrick Road. Today, the adult wing of the Freeport Memorial Library is on this property. He married Adiene Bergen, the granddaughter of George W. Bergen, who was a wealthy businessman from Brooklyn who owned a great deal of real estate in Freeport.
Hart’s younger brother, Eprich Stanly Hart, went to Freeport High School. On June 5, 1918, E. Stanly Hart died in a plane crash while serving as a pilot with the Royal Air Force. Charles M. Hart’s nephew, who lived on the Bergen estate (now the site of Elks Plaza), died the same year during pilot training for World War I. His nephew was William Clinton Story, for whom the Freeport American Legion is named. Charles M. Hart designed the Freeport Memorial Library without charging any fees for his service. In 1924, the Library was dedicated to all Freeporters who died during wartime, including his brother and nephew. Hart died in 1968 and is buried in Greenfield Cemetery, Uniondale, NY.
Charles M. Hart built many important municipal buildings and private residences. Some of his buildings include:
See Also:
Columbus Avenue School
Sources:
Hart, Charles M. and Robert L. Shape. Hart & Shape. New York, NY: 1930.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 2, 2016.
Updated by Regina G. Feeney, March 13, 2018
Harthe Arms is an apartment building located at 75 Graffing Place (originally 63 Graffing Place). This building was constructed in 1928. The building included 21 apartments that each had three or four rooms and wood-burning fireplaces. Ernest Renatow was the building's architect. The front apartment included a private entrance. Harthe Arms Corporation owned the apartment; Theodore K. Schmidt was the president and Harry Bishop was the secretary and treasurer of the corporation.
See Also:
Sources:
Harthe Arms [advertisement]. Nassau Daily Review. February 9, 1929, 7. Accessed May 16, 2019. fultonhistory.com
mynassauproperty.com
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 13, 2019.
John N. Hartmann, Sr. (1861-1939) was a police chief of the Village of Freeport. Before his tenure as Freeport's police chief, Hartmann became a member of the New York City Fire Department at the age of 26 in 1887. He retired from the FDNY in 1910 with the rank of captain. Hartmann spent the next 10 years lecturing on the topic of fire prevention.
Hartmann moved to Freeport in 1916, and was appointed as chief of the Freeport Police Department when it was reorganized in 1920. Considered the first professional police chief, Hartmann is credited with modernizing the department by creating a detective bureau, rogues gallery (mugshots and information related to suspected criminals), motorized patrols (police motorcycles and cars), and a filing system. In 1928, when there were rumors that the Freeport Board of Trustees was going to force Hartmann to resign from his position as police chief, the public spoke up to insist he be retained as chief. He served as vice president of the Nassau County Police Chief Conference in 1927.
Hartmann was a member of the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration, the Spartan Lodge (Masons), the Excelsior Hook and Ladder Company No. 1, and was a past president of the Exchange Club. In the 1920s, he and his wife, Charlotte, lived at 86 East Milton Street. At the time of his death, they lived at 245 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Click here for images related to John N. Hartmann, Sr.
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.
"John N. Hartmann Funeral Rites Held." The Brooklyn Daily Review. April 26, 1939, 13. Accessed July 13, 2016. http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/52707907/?terms=%22john%2BN.%2BHartmann%22.
"John H. Hartmann, Police Chief, Dies." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. April 22, 1939, 7. Accessed July 13, 2016. http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/52705572/?terms=%22john%2BN.%2BHartmann%22.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, July 13, 2016.
Edwin C. Hauser (c.1867-?) was a Freeport florist. He lived at 100 Pennsylvania Avenue. His greenhouse was located at 98 Pearsall Avenue at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue. A 1926 Freeport directory gives the address of the florist as 20 South Main Street.
See Also:
Sources:
Freeport, New York, City Directory, 1926. Ancestry.com.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Freeport, Nassau County (map 18). New York. New York: Sanborn Map Company, 1917.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, September 17, 2016.
Hauser's House of Flowers was located at 20 South Main Street.
See Also:
Source:
Voyageur, 1928 (Freeport High School Yearbook).
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 27, 2016.
Haybridge Neck (or Hay Bridge Neck) was located in the southwest section of the Town of Hempstead. This section, also called the Great South Woods, was mentioned by Freeport and Long Island chronicler, Daniel M. Tredwell.
Haybridge Neck was most likely located around where Mill Road is today. In the 1760s, this property was owned by a member of the Titus family.
See Also:
Sources:
Metz, Clinton E. "It Happened... Years Ago!" The Leader. March 24, 1983, 8. Accessed January 24, 2022. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1983-03-24/ed-1/seq-8/.
Records of the Town of North and South Hempstead Long Island, New York [1654-1880]. Hempstead, NY: Long Island Farmer, 1896.
Tredwell, Daniel M. "Raynortown--Freeport: Then and Now." Long Island Historical Bulletin. 1, No. 4, (October 1913), 37-42.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 17, 2016.
Updated by Regina G. Feeney, January 24, 2022.
Hayes Street, between Atlantic Avenue and Ray Street, was called Lenox Place before 1930.
Source:
Village of Freeport Board Minutes, 1930.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 21, 2018.
Gabriel Heatter (1890-1972) was a radio commentator and journalist best known for his coverage of the trial and execution of Bruno Richard Hauptmann for the kidnapping and murder of Charles A. Lindbergh, Jr., son of Charles Lindbergh, the first man to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. Heatter attended Brooklyn's Boys High School and graduated college from New York University. Before his radio career, Heatter worked as a newspaper reporter for the New York American and The Brooklyn Daily Eagle.
Heatter was known for his dramatic and sentimental coverage of the news. His began his radio broadcasts with, "Ah, there is good news tonight!" He would later use these words for the title of his autobiography. During the peak of his career, his news program was carried on 450 stations.
Sources:
Ancestry.com
"Beautiful Freeport Homes Have Interesting Pasts..." The Leader. October 1, 1981. Accessed June 16, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1981-10-01/ed-1/seq-11/.
Botsford, Gardner and Russell Maloney. "Forearmed." The New Yorker. October 24, 1942, 14.
"Gabriel Heatter." Dictionary of American Biography. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1994. Biography In Context. Accessed June 18, 2018.
"Gabriel Heatter, the 'Good-News' Man." Newsday. March 31, 1973, 31.
"Heatters Present Freeport Red Cross an Ambulance." The Leader. July 9, 1942, 1. Accessed June 16, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1942-07-09/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Heatter to Dedicate Spotters' Post." Newsday. January 29, 1943, 8.
"Victory Rally to Open U.S.O. Drive Mon. Nite." The Leader. May 7, 1942, 1. Accessed June 16, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1942-05-07/ed-1/seq-1/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 20, 2018.
Helen Avenue was named for Newton Bennington's secretary. Newton Bennington developed in the section of Freeport, known as Bennington Park, where Helen Avenue is located.
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, May 24, 2016.
The Helm is a bar and restaurant located at (originally South Grove Street). The Helm was established in 1969 by Patrick (Patsy) J. Cotignola (?-1975) and Nancy Raia (1925-2014). The restaurant was known for its hamburgers and was decorated with hats suspended from the ceiling.
Weeks before Cotignola died of cancer at the age of 50 in 1975, he married Raia in a simple ceremony in the chapel of South Nassau Communities Hospital. In 1978, Jerry Cotignola (1957-1978), Patrick's son from his first marriage, followed in his father's footsteps and became a volunteer fireman. Jerry died at the age of 20 as the result of injuries sustained while fighting a fire on South Main Street. A painting of Jerry hung on the wall of The Helm.
In the 1960s, Raia was an owner of the White Rooster Restaurant in Merrick.
Patrick Cotignola once lived in Bennington Park at 71 Alexander Avenue.
Both Patrick Cotignola and Nancy Raia are buried in Holy Rood Cemetery, Westbury, NY.
In 1962, 524 South Grove Street was occupied by another restaurant called the Half Shell House.
Click here for images of the Helm.
See Also:
Sources:
Ancestry.com
"Half Shell House." The Leader. May 17, 1962, 5. Accessed October 24, 2020. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1962-05-17/ed-1/seq-5/.
The Helm [advertisement]. Leader. October 19, 1972, 21. Accessed September 24, 2020. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1972-10-19/ed-1/seq-21/.
Noreen Gillespie (phone conversation, September 24, 2020).
Patrick J. Contignola [obituary]. Newsday. July 2, 1975. 34.
"Photo Standalone 3." Newsday. June 25, 1962, 5.
"3,000 Firefighters Attend Services for Cotignola." The Leader. January 26, 1978, 1. Accessed November 19, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1978-01-26/ed-1/seq-1/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney. November 19, 2018.
Updated by Regina G. Feeney, September 24, 2020.
Hempstead Bay Yacht Club (also known as HBYC) was founded in 1890. Its clubhouse located on Elder Island (sometimes referred to as Alder Island). Charter members included: William E. Clowes, Bergen R. Carman, Alanson Abrams, Frank Place, Carman R. Lush, Isaac N. Carman, Seaman L. Pettit, Charles H. Southard, Thomas S. Smith, and John S. Snedeker. It was considered the yachting crown jewel of the south shore.
The HBYC's annual cruise was first held on July 21, 22, and 23, 1890. That same month, after the Town of Hempstead approved a 10 year lease for $15 annually for the use of Elder Island, the club began construction of its clubhouse. The two-story, 20 x 40 foot structure was completed the following month.
The HBYC had 68 members in 1895.
It was reported in 1896, that the HBYC had 75 members. That year, officers were: Commodore, Charles H. Southard; Vice Commodore, John H. Carl; Rear Commodore, Floyd Weeks; Measurer, Thomas D. Smith; Secretary, I. W. Williams; Treasurer, Frank Place; Board of Governors, C. H. Southard, John H. Carl, Frank Place, Seaman L. Pettit, Thomas Martin, William E. Clowes, Bergen R. Carman, Floyd Weeks, Thomas D. Smith, and Jacob Brouwer; Committee on Membership, Isaac N. Carman, Frederick Southard, William E. Clowes, and W. Z. Ketcham; Committee on Auditing, William E. Clowes, Seaman L. Pettit, and Bergen R. Carman; Regatta Committee, J. W. Glover and Thomas V. Smith; House Committee, Carman R. Lush, August Imring, and E. T. Southard; and Fleet Captain, William E. Clowes.
Between 1895 and 1896, extensive improvements were made to the clubhouse. Added were four bedrooms, a kitchen, a ladies reading room, a sitting room and dining room. Large verandas were also added.
Officers in 1900 included: Commodore, Hiram R. Smith (Freeport); Vice Commodore, Albert W. Seaman (Wantagh); Rear Commodore, Willis Hutcheson (Hempstead); Treasurer Carman R. Lush (Hempstead); Secretary, I. W. Williams (Hempstead); Regatta Committee, Charles H. Southard (Baldwin), Marcus H. Tracy (Rockville Centre), and Rowland H. Mayland (Freeport); Board of Governors, John C. Carl, C. H. Southard, Samuel R. Smith, and Percy B. Bromfield.
Many Freeport members were real estate agents who were giving out memberships to encourage house sales. In 1904, when the majority of the yacht club members objected to this practice, the Freeporters resigned and pledged to build their own yacht club. The newly elected officers included: Commodore, Floyd Weeks; Vice Commodore, Isaac R. De Nyse; Rear Commodore, Joseph Rollins; Measurer, William E. Clowes; Secretary, Edward J. Mortimer; Treasurer, Carman R. Lush; Regatta Committee, De Witt C. Titus, Robert W. Nix, and George W. Weeks; Board of Governors, John A. White, Isaac N. Carman, Israel W. Williams, and Rowland Mayland; House Committee, Alansen Abrams, De Witt Titus, and James Dean; Auditing Committee, Bergen R. Carman, Seaman L. Pettit, and Marcus H. Tracy.
In 1907, Town of Hempstead residents approved a proposition for the HBYC to purchase 30 acres of land on Elder Island for $4,500. The vote was 2,527 in favor and 1,768 against.
The HBYC was incorporated by the New York Department of State in 1911. It was reported it had $7,500 in capital divided into $100 shares. Directors at this time were Carman K. Lush, Theophilus Parsons, E. J. Mortimer, R. De Nyse, George W. Weekes, John Whited and Rowland H. Mayland.
In 1914, the HBYC members decided to dissolve the organization. The following year the HBYC was looking to sell their land on Elder Island for $10,000. It was reported that interest in the club waned after a yacht club was established in Freeport and "the abandonment of sail boats for motor launches by members." Three years later, the property was foreclosed and sold at a public auction.
Click here for images related to the Hempstead Bay Yacht Club.
See Also:
Sources:
"Club House at Elder Island." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. August 2, 1890, 1. Accessed December 19, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/50370835/?terms=%22hempstead%2Bbay%2Byacht%2Bclub%22.
"Club Membership With Every Lot Sold." The New York Times. October 16, 1904, 6.
"Election Notice." Nassau County Review. March 22, 1907, 5. Accessed December 22, 1907. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1907-03-22/ed-1/seq-5/.
"Hempstead Bay Y. C. to Disband." The New York Times. January 23, 1915, 9.
"Hempstead Bay Yacht Club." The New York Times. April 20, 1896, 6.
Krieg, Cynthia J. and Regina G. Feeney. Freeport. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2012.
"Legal Notice." The Nassau Post. March 2, 1917, 6. Accessed December 24, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071434/1917-03-02/ed-1/seq-6/.
"On Long Island." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. June 28, 1890, 1. Accessed December 19, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/50370206/?terms=%22hempstead%2Bbay%2Byacht%2Bclub%22.
"Notes from Hempstead." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. July 28, 1890, 2. Accessed December 19, 2019. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/50370768/?terms=%22hempstead%2Bbay%2Byacht%2Bclub%22.
"To Sell H.B.Y.C. Land." Nassau County Review. June 19, 1914, 1. Accessed December 19, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1914-06-19/ed-1/seq-1/.
"To Sell Hempstead Bay Y. C." Hempstead Sentinel. January 21, 1915, 1. Accessed December 22, 2018. fultonhistory.com.
"Vote of the Town of Hempstead." Nassau County Review. April 05, 1907, 4. Accessed December 22, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1907-04-05/ed-1/seq-4/.
"Yacht Club Incorporated." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. January 29, 1911, 34. Accessed December 22, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/53904028/?terms=%22yacht%2Bclub%2Bincorporated%22.
"Yachtsmen are Active." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. April 15, 1895, 5. Accessed December 22, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/50400905/?terms=%22elder%2Bisland%22.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 24, 2018.
The Hempstead Inquirer was was established in 1830 by William Hutchinson and Rev. Clement Le Fevre. The original title of the newspaper was The Long Island Telegraph and General Advertiser. On November 11, 1831, the title was shortened to the Hempstead Inquirer. For thirty years, it was the only newspaper published in the Town of Hempstead. It was a four-page weekly with two columns. It merged in 1920 with the Nassau County Review and The Observer-Post.
See Also:
Source:
Hodges, Arthur Lewis. Long Island's Greatest Newspaper. NY: Nassau Daily Review, 1931.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 30, 2016.
Hempstead South was an early name for Freeport.
Source:
History of Queens County New York with Illustrations, Portraits, & Sketches of Prominent Families and Individuals. New York: W. W. Munsell & Co., 1882.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 25, 2016.
Heni-Jane Shops, Inc. (also known as Heni-Jane's) was a women's apparel store located at 65 South Main Street. Opened in 1946, the store was headed by Irving Schulkin of New York City, Henry Rapoport of Brooklyn served as president, and Ben Heyman of Brooklyn was the store's manager.
Click here for images related to Heni-Jane Shops, Inc.
Source:
James, Herbert P. "The Town's Business." Nassau Daily Review-Star. March 12, 1946, 3. Accessed May 12, 2020. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031113/1946-03-12/ed-1/seq-3/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 15, 2020.
Hick's Neck was an original name for the area now called Baldwin, NY. It was named for John Hicks, one of the first settlers in the area. The name Hick's Neck was used until the late 1700s. In 1939, the Baldwin Bank and Trust Company published a history of Hick's Neck compiled by the Writers' Program of the Works Progress Administration (WPA).
Click here for images related to Hick's Neck.
See Also:
Sources:
Hick's Neck: The Story of Baldwin Long Island. Baldwin, NY: The Baldwin National Bank and Trust Company, 1939.
Winsche, Richard A. The History of Nassau County Community Place-Names. Interlaken, NY: Empire State Books, 1999.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 17, 2016.
Updated by Regina G. Feeney, March 13, 2018
Highland Knolls was a 97-unit residential development located on South Main Street, West First Street, and West Second Street. The modified split level houses went on sale in 1956. Houses included: a cathedral foyer, a large kitchen with breakfast nook, wrought iron railed balcony, three master sized bedrooms, a full basement, an oversized garage, copper plumbing, a 19-foot sundeck, and a rear yard adjoining one of three canals. Build by Morton Sorkin and Nathan H. Gilman, the houses originally sold for $17,990. The model home was located on South Main Street.
Sources:
Builders Add Extras to Spur Home Sales." Newsday. June 23, 1955, 55.
Highland Knolls [advertisement]. Newsday. June 23, 1956, 31C.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, July 24, 2018.
Highland Park was a building development in northeast Freeport that was established circa 1907. The property was once known as Wiggans farm.
H. P. Libby was the manager of the Highland Park Company. The development was advertised as having plots that were between 125 and 150 feet deep with some plots with "fine forest trees." In 1907, seven houses were reportedly on the property.
Sources:
Freeport News." Nassau County Review. November 29, 1907, 1. Accessed December 14, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1907-11-29/ed-1/seq-1/.
Highland Park Company [advertisement]. Nassau County Review. February 14, 1908. Accessed December 14, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1908-02-14/ed-1/seq-8/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 17, 2019.
Hillcrest is a residential section of Freeport sold by J. M. Southard in 1925. Thirty four building sites were offered for sale on Grand Avenue, North Columbus Avenue, Rutland Road, East Dean Street, and Frederick Avenue.
Source:
Hillcrest [advertisement]. The Daily Review. July 17, 1925, 3. Accessed December 12, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071431/1925-07-17/ed-1/seq-3/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 12, 2019.
Hill's Super Market (also known as Hills) was located at 75 West Merrick Road. It operated in Freeport in the 1940s and 1950s.
Sources:
Hill's Super Market [advertisement]. The Leader. January 22, 1948, 7. Accessed March 28, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1948-01-22/ed-1/seq-7/.
Hill's Super Market [advertisement]. The Leader. February 28, 1952, 1. Accessed March 28, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1952-02-28/ed-1/seq-1/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, March 28, 2018.
The Hofbrau Restaurant was located at 17 West Merrick Road. In 1928, its proprietor was E. Jean Stelter. Its motto was "A good place to eat; the right place to meet."
Click here for images related to the Hofbrau Restaurant.
Source:
Voyageur, 1928 (Freeport High School Yearbook).
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 23, 2016.
George Cornelius Hoffman (1897-1944) established Hub Press in Freeport in 1922. In 1940, Hoffman began working for the Village of Freeport street maintenance department. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War I and was a charter member of the William Clinton Story American Legion Post. Hoffman was also a member of the Spartan Lodge (Masons) and was the captain of the Excelsior Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 from 1921 to 1923.
Hoffman and his wife, Dorothy, lived at 25 Elliott Place, and he lived in Freeport for 35 years. Hoffman died at the age of 47; he is buried in Pinelawn Cemetery, Farmingdale, NY.
Sources:
Bermudez, Miguel and Donald Giordano. An Illustrated History of the Freeport Fire Department, 1893-2008. Freeport, NY, Freeport Fire Department, 2008.
"Final Rights for George Hoffman." Newsday. March 9, 1944, 12.
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 16, 2016.
Hold That Ball was a 1938 Warner Brothers Vitaphone short subject movie that featured the Freeport High School band. According to the 1938 Freeport High School Yearbook, Hold That Ball was "the first time a high school band in United [had] filled a contract with a major film corporation." This black and white movie was 20 minutes in length.
In June 1938, the Freeport High School Parent Teacher Association sponsored showings of Hold That Ball at the Grove Theatre.
Click here for images related to Hold That Ball.
See Also:
Sources:
"Freeport H.S. Band Makes Movie Debut." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. January 23, 1938, 12. Accessed December 21, 2017. https://bklyn.
Voyageur, 1938 (Freeport High School Yearbook).
"Will Show Movie." Nassau Daily Review Star. June 4, 1938, 9. Accessed December 21, 2017. fultonhistory.com.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 21, 2017.
Holloway Street was named for John Holloway, who served as a Village trustee from 1902 to 1904. He lived in a house that was located near the Freeport Cemetery.
Before 1947, Holloway Street served as the dividing line between Freeport and Roosevelt. The houses located on the south side of the street were located within the boundaries of the Inc. Village of Freeport but the street, sidewalks, and two feet of the homeowners' front yards were in Roosevelt. Because the street was outside the village limit, homeowners were not eligible for municipal sanitation pickup and could not get electricity from Freeport Electric. Around 1947, ten Holloway Street residents signed a petition that requested that the boundary line be changed. By 1950, the area was annexed to the village. Freeport had to reimburse the Town of Hempstead $336.43 for fire protection and garbage collection for this area after annexation.
See Also:
Sources:
"Freeport Quells Fpt. Parking Meter Demand." Newsday, October 10, 1947, 62.
"Freeport Wants to Pay a Bill." Newsday. March 8, 1950, 23.
"Holloway St. Residents Ask Annexation to Freeport." The Leader. October 16, 1947, 1. Accessed June 25, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1947-10-16/ed-1/seq-1/.
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, May 24, 2016.
Updated by Regina G. Feeney, June 28, 2018.
Benjamin D. Homan was a noted Freeport architect. Born in Yaphank on June 4, 1863, he moved to Freeport in 1887. Homan's aunt, Mary Overton Randall, helped forged Homan's partnership with her husband, Freeport developer John J. Randall. At the time, Randall had just started purchasing property in Freeport for residential development. By 1947, Homan estimated he drew up plans for about 400 private homes throughout Long Island. He also designed the Sunday school for the Freeport Methodist Church.
In 1922, Homan was part of a committee that developed Freeport's building code. He and his wife, Agnes (nee Thompson), celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary in 1944.
Source:
Ames, Charlotte. "Homans Came to Freeport For Winter, Stayed 60 Years." Nassau Daily Review-Star. July 18, 1947, 2. Accessed March 7, 2020. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031113/1947-07-18/ed-1/seq-2/.
"Benjamin Homans Married 57 Years." Nassau Daily Review-Star. July 29, 1944,1. Accessed April 7, 2020. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031113/1944-07-29/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Building Code for Freeport Meets." The Daily Review. February 14, 1922, 1. Accessed April 7, 2020. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071431/1922-02-14/ed-1/seq-1/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, April 13, 2020.
Homefinders was a federally funded program which enticed people to move to Freeport by offering them commission free home sales. The purpose of the program was to thwart the illicit practices of block busting, racial steering, and redlining, as well as stabilize the racial makeup of Freeport. The program, which started around 1977, was a function of the Village of Freeport's Affirmative Housing and Stabilization Committee which was chaired by Ellen Extract with Ramona Crook serving as coordinator. This program was inspired by Congregation B'nai Israel's attempts to encourage Jewish families to move to Freeport. Around 1974, the Freeport Association, a nonpolitical civic group formed to promote and publicize the Village of Freeport, became involved in anti-block busting efforts through a public homefinder's service.
Homefinders allowed home sellers to list their properties with the agency and provided potential buyers with information about homes for sale in Freeport. Neither buyers or sellers were charged a fee for this service. Volunteers were utilized to show the properties to potential buyers. By 1988, Homefinders sold around 2,000 homes in Freeport; 65 percent of homes were sold to whites and 35 percent to minorities.
The Homefinders' service was advertised in selected periodicals, promotional kits were sent to local universities, and posters were given to restaurants in Freeport.
See:
Blockbusting, Efforts to Combat
Sources:
"Affirmative House Programs Meet with Success." Village News. Feburary, 1977, 1.
Freeport Association [advertisement]. The Leader. January 24, 1974, 5. Accessed November 26, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1974-01-24/ed-1/seq-5/.
Mason-Draffen, Carrie. "Strategies: Free Help Finding Homes in Freeport." Newsday. September 3, 1988, 7.
"Happy Holidays from Some New Neighbors: Homefinders Service a Success." Village News. December 1978, 2.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, November 26, 2019.
Homesteading was a program in Freeport established around 1975 to help upgrade and stabilize neighborhoods in Freeport. Using Federal grant money, the homesteading program allowed eligible families to purchase previously boarded-up homes after renovations at below market value. The program also provided financial assistance to homeowners who wished to improve their property.
In March 1981, the North East Freeport Citizens Alliance called for an investigation of Freeport's homesteading program. Their concern was the racial imbalance of approved candidates (by 1981 65% of the approved of applicants were white; while only 31% were non-white). The Alliance wanted the housing availability split equally between whites and minorities. Another concern focused on the wait time of applicants. By December 1981, HUD rejected the idea of an equal approval basis stating that "affirmative marketing of the housing requires encouraging groups least likely to buy." However, HUD supported new guidelines for applicants to be notified in writing at various stages of the progress of their application. In response to the Alliance, Freeport adopted new guidelines for the program which gave preference to low and moderate income persons who could afford a monthly payment between $400 and $500. If there were more applicants for each house, preference would be given in the following order: village residents, former village residents, village employees, Town of Hempstead residents, and Nassau County residents.
By 1982, 75 families were part of the homesteading program.
Newsday reported in 1983 that the Freeport homesteading program was a success. The article recounted that in 1977, 15 properties in northeast Freeport had been foreclosed, while only four foreclosures were reported in 1983. Since homesteading was initiated, housing prices in the northeast section had also doubled. Between 1977 and 1983, Newsday reported, 82 abandoned homes in northeast Freeport had been brought up to village housing code standards and were sold for between $10,000 and $20,000. In the early 1980s, the New York office of Housing and Urban Development said that Freeport's homesteading program had the best success rate on Long Island. In addition to revitalization, 32 new homes were constructed, local parks were improved and a number of home improvement loans had been granted.
See:
Blockbusting, Efforts to Combat
Sources:
"Citizens Alliance Seeks Federal Investigation of Homesteading Program. " The Leader. March 26, 1981, 7. Accessed November 29, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1981-03-26/ed-1/seq-7/.
"Family Picnic in N.E.. Park." The Leader. July 8, 1982, 2. Accessed November 27, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1982-07-08/ed-1/seq-2/.
"Freeport Homesteading Program Meeting." The Leader. October 23, 1975, 1. Accessed November 27, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1975-10-23/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Freeport Offers Hope to Home Seekers." The Leader. October 23, 1975, 1. Accessed November 27, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1981-10-01/ed-1/seq-10/.
"N.E. Meeting on Homesteading." The Leader. October 9, 1975, 1. Accessed November 27, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1975-10-09/ed-1/seq-1/.
Pollock, Sarah. "Freeport Renewal Stirs Hope, Rancor." Newsday. July 13, 1983, 21.
"Village Board Sets Homesteading Guidelines." The Leader. December 3, 1981, 1. Accessed December 2, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1981-12-03/ed-1/seq-1/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, November 26, 2019.
Edward "Eddie" Lim Hong (1899-1974) was the owner of the Savoy Inn. His Chinese restaurant was located on Merrick Road near South Grove Street (now Guy Lombardo Avenue). Around 1947, he moved his restaurant to a converted house at 108 West Merrick Road.
Hong was known for his civic involvement. He organized a dance at the Elks Club to raise money for China Relief. He served as the chairman of the advance gifts committee of the National War Fund Drive in 1943. In 1945, Hong became the president of the Freeport Lions Club, the first Chinese merchant on Long Island to head a service organization. Hong was also a featured speaker at church clubs and civic organizations on topics related to China. Hong was also involved with the Inter-Faith Council and was a member of the Masons. He was chosen as Man of the Year by his alma mater George Williams College in Chicago in 1962.
Hong's first wife, Grace, died in 1951. He later married Ettie Chin (circa 1913-2002).
Hong's son Leon attended Freeport schools (was captain of the basketball team), graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and served in the United States Marine Corps.
Click here or images related to the Savoy Inn.
Sources:
"E. L. Hong to Open Inn in Freeport." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. February 4, 1947, 15. Accessed June 5, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/52695407/?terms=%22savoy%2Binn%22%2Bfreeport.
"Eddie Hong Chosen 'Man of the Year.'" The Leader. March 29, 1962, 1. Accessed June 5, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1962-03-29/ed-1/seq-1/.
Ettie Chin Hong obituary. Newsday. August 9, 2005, A43.
"Freeport Organizes NWF Campaign." Newsday. October 26, 1943, 10.
"Lions President." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. July 23, 1945, 18. Accessed June 5, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/52685550/?terms=%22savoy%2Binn%22%2Bfreeport.
"Newlyweds Fly to Bermuda." Newsday. June 19, 1952, 64.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 5, 2018.
Honor Roll for World War I was located near the Freeport Rail Road Station and included the names of residents who served in the military during World War I, which was originally called the Great War. In 1918, a committee of 50 residents designed this wooden memorial that held 400 names. The Lush Sign Painting Corporation, owned by Charles H. Lush, constructed the Honor Roll at a cost of about $125. The Honor Roll was equipped with electric lights. By 1921, the Honor Roll was neglected and fell into disrepair. The following year, complaints were being received that the monument was not illuminated in the evening. New hinges were needed in 1924. The Freeport General Improvement Committee requested that the Village repaint the Honor Roll. In 1928, a committed was charged with designing a bronze tablet to honor Freeport servicemen and women. Later that year, this tablet was dedicated at the Freeport Memorial Library. The Village Board voted for the Honor Roll's removal in 1929.
Click here for images of the World War I Honor Roll.
Source:
Village of Freeport Board Minutes (1918-1929).
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 23, 2016.
Isaac Horsfall (1834-1902) operated a grist, flour, and saw mill in Freeport. Born in England, Horsfall settled in Freeport and established a successful mill on the Freeport Creek. He later sold his pond to the Brooklyn City Water Department and the mill was demolished. He built a new mill on Henry Street which he operated until about 1899. Later, Horsfall moved to Peconic, Long Island.
Horsfall was a member of the Hempstead Lodge I.O.O.F. (Odd Fellows). He died at the age of 69 years old in Freeport at the home of his daughter and is buried in Greenfield Cemetery, Uniondale, NY.
Click here for images related to Isaac Horsfall.
See Also:
Sources:
"Funeral of Isaac Horsfall." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. October 25, 1902, 7. Accessed June 25, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031151/1902-10-25/ed-1/seq-7/.
History of Queens County New York with Illustrations, Portraits, & Sketches of Prominent Families and Individuals. New York: W. W. Munsell & Co., 1882.
Isaac Horsfall Obituary. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. October 22, 1902, 9. Accessed June 27, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031151/1902-10-22/ed-1/seq-9/.
Metz, Clinton. "South Shore Millers of Hempstead Town -- The Indispensable Few." (undated document).
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 25, 2016.
See:
Central Hotel see: Smith, B. T.
Filardo Hotel see: Scott's Hotel
Grove Park Hotel see: Imperial Hotel
Schang's Hotel see: Happy Times Tavern
South Shore Hotel see: Imperial Hotel
Woodcleft Inn (coming soon)
House numbers were introduced by the Freeport Village Board in 1899. In 1902, street numbers were installed. Numbering homes and businesses became a necessity when free mail delivery was initiated in 1907.
Sources:
"Freeport House Numbers." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. June 15, 1902, 50. Accessed August 8, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031151/1902-06-15/ed-1/seq-50/.
"Village Trustees." Nassau County Review. December 29, 1899, 3. Accessed August 18, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1899-12-29/ed-1/seq-3/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney. August 18, 2016.
Howard's Stationary was located 357 Atlantic Avenue and owned by Albert Guralnick and his son Howard. Before the Guralnicks took over the store sometime in the 1950s, the location had long been a stationary and candy store. In 1917, a classified ad identified the location as a candy store. In 1921, the store was an ice cream parlor operated by Mrs. J. Doro. A 1933 advertisement identifies the location as Blooms' Brothers Stationery [sic,] Toys and Candy Store. Norman Prafin owned a stationary store in this location in 1948. The store came under new management in 1949 and was advertised as Sid and Joe's Stationery [sic] Store. Also in 1949, the store was also advertised as the Bayview Candy Store. The following year, the owners of the store were identified as Bauman and Einhorn.
Sources:
Edith Prafin [obituary]. Newsday. October 12, 1948.
"News on Sale." The Freeport News. February 25, 1921, 4. Accessed October 9, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071012/1921-02-25/ed-1/seq-4/.
Real Estate [classified advertisement]. Nassau County Review. February 2, 1917, 4. Accessed October 9, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1917-02-02/ed-1/seq-4/.
Sid & Joe's Stationery [sic] Store [advertisement]. The Leader. June 9, 1949, 11. Accessed October 9, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1949-06-09/ed-1/seq-6/.
"Visit the Freeport Store in Your Neighborhood." The Leader. March 9, 1950, 2. Accessed October 9, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1950-03-09/ed-1/seq-2/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, October 9, 2018.
Frederick Stewart Howell (1874-1965) was a Freeport contractor who also served as a trustee on the Village of Freeport board from 1926-1927. His wife, Raycie, (1876-1935) was a trustee of the Freeport Chapter of the Eastern Star when it organized in 1916.
The couple lived with their three children: Gladys (1897-1991), Gerald (1899-1995), and Fred (1907-1975) at 33 Pearsall Avenue and later at 115 North Long Beach Avenue.
Gladys married Raymond Amador in 1921 and lived at 321 Wilson Place. Gerald, who lived at 263 Pennsylvania Avenue with his wife, Magdalene, was elected president of the Freeport Kiwanis Club in 1944. Fred married Estella Wheeler in 1932 and served as a Village trustee/acting mayor, and also served on the Freeport School Board.
Click here for images related to the Howell family.
Sources:
Ancestry.com.
"Mrs. R. B. Howell Dies in Freeport." The Nassau Daily Review. November 13, 1935, 5. Accessed January 20, 2022. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071428/1935-11-13/ed-1/seq-5/.
"Zoning Change Protests Heard by Freeport Board." Newsday. August 12, 1941, 2.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, January 20, 2023.
See:
The Hub Press was a printing company located at 3 Pine Street, near Main Street. In the 1920s, George C. Hoffman was the proprietor.
Source:
Voyageur, 1927 (Freeport High School Yearbook).
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 23, 2016.
Hudson Point Fishing Station was opened by in the 1940s by William R. Vaughan, a retired Nassau County Police lieutenant.
In 1971 the Hudson Point Fishing Station was purchased by Lou and Rose Tuzzolo.
Click here for images related to Hudson Point Fishing Station.
Sources:
Braun. Bill. "Hudson Canal: The Other Waterfront." The Leader. May 29, 1997, 21. Accessed May 22, 2021. https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071065/1997-05-29/ed-1/seq-21/.
"William R. Vaughan, Retired Policeman." The Leader. February 9, 1956, 10. Accessed May 22, 2021. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1956-02-09/ed-1/seq-10/,
"Wm. R. Vaughan, 59, Ex-Police Lieutenant." Newsday. February 6, 1956, 43.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 22, 2021.
Hudson House was a restaurant located at 25 Hudson Avenue. It opened around 1955 with William J. McGowan as the proprietor. The restaurant became the San-Bar Restaurant in 1958. Other restaurants that occupied this location include: Windjammer, Water's Edge, and Trudy B's.
The building was razed in the early 2000s. Plans to construct residential housing on this site have failed.
See Also:
Sources:
Hudson House [advertisement]. The Leader. September 22, 1955, 7. Accessed October 11, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1955-09-22/ed-1/seq-7/.
San-Bar [advertisement]. The Leader. March 13, 1958, 3. Accessed November 3, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1958-03-13/ed-1/seq-3/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, October 11, 2018.
Hughes-Drake Corporation, located 31 West Merrick Road, sold auto and marine supplies in 1928. Their motto was "We Have It."
Source:
Voyageur, 1928 (Freeport High School Yearbook).
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 23, 2016.
1896 East Coast Hurricane - This hurricane struck Long Island on October 12, 1896. It was reported that during the storm, tides rose to eleven feet. Damage included the destruction of a "McKinley and Hobart" presidential election banner on Fulton Street (now Merrick Road) and the loss of a number of young trees that had been recently planted. Damage to marine craft included: E.A. Dorlan's yacht Rambler; the yacht Moslem, owned by the Prospect Gun Club; and Zopher Smith's steam tug Fannie.
Sources:
"Considerable Damage Caused by Wind and Water in Freeport." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. October 13, 1896, 2. Accessed August 23, 2017. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/50335285.
"The Storm's Havoc." Queens County Review. October 16, 1896, 2. Accessed August 23, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071432/1896-10-16/ed-1/seq-2/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, August 25, 2017.
The Hurricane of 1938 (also known as the Long Island Express) hit Long Island on Wednesday, September 21, 1938. Though eastern Long Island received the brunt of the storm, Freeport was not left unscathed. Power was lost throughout the Village, leaving traffic lights inoperable. Freeport Hospital used candles in all rooms and had an automatic lamp ready for use in an operating room. A shed on a dock in Freeport Point was blown into Randall's Bay, and was last spotted floating towards Jones Inlet. South Long Beach Avenue was underwater as far north as Ray Street. Many residents of south Freeport were marooned in their homes after the storm. An hour before high tide, Freeport Point was three feet underwater. Newspaper articles concerning post hurricane boat damage in Freeport are contradictory. The New York Times reported that there were "heavy losses to owners of boats" in Freeport. Whereas, a headline in The Brooklyn Daily Eagle claimed that "all Freeport craft escape storm damage." One boat, owned by Frank Fraser, lost its moorings and drifted to the opposite side of the canal where it was recovered a few days later. A waterspout was reported after a water main broke at Ray Street and Gordon Place. Trees throughout Freeport fell, including several trees near Our Holy Redeemer Church that blocked South Ocean Avenue when they hit the ground. A telephone pole snapped at Claurome Street and North Main Street. Mayor Robert E. Patterson estimated the Village sustained $200,000 worth of damage due to the hurricane. Miraclously, no deaths or serious injuries were reported in Freeport.
On Wednesday, September 28, 500 WPA (Works Progress Administration) workers gathered in Freeport to catch a special train to the Hamptons to help remove debris, repair roads, and restore drainage ditches.
Click here for images related to the Hurricane of 1938.
See Also:
Sources:
"All Freeport Craft Escape Storm Damage." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. September 23, 1938, 2. Accessed July 11, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/55277522/?terms=%22margaret%2Bdelehanty%22.
"Flood Areas to Ask $75,000,000 U.S. Aid." The New York Times. September 26, 1938, 8.
"Nine More Bodies Found at Beaches." The New York Times. September 25, 1938, 35.
"Resort is Wrecked." The New York Times. September 23, 1938, 1.
"Streets Become Canals in Hurricane; Tide Razes Boardwalks, Piers." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. September 22, 1938, 9. Accessed July 11, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/55277497/?terms=freeport%2Bhurricane.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, July 13, 2018.
The Hurricane of 1944 (also referred to as the Great Atlantic Hurricane) impacted Freeport on September 14, 1944. At the time, it was said to be the worst storm to hit Long Island since the Hurricane of 1938. In 1944, Newsday reported that Freeport was one of the hardest hit communities on Long Island's South Shore. Though Freeport's waterfront fared well, centrally located areas on Ocean Avenue, Randall Avenue, Brooklyn Avenue, and Long Beach Avenue lost power due to fallen trees. The Freeport Police Department also lost power and its communication system during the storm. However, it was reported that continuous light and power was supplied to the Columbian Bronze Company on North Main Street.
The Freeport Fire Department dispatched a floodlight truck to the Freeport Hospital to supply power and light to the institution until normal service could be restored. Patrolmen were posted in front of several stores on Main Street and Sunrise Highway where windows of businesses were blown in.
One death in Freeport was attributed to this hurricane. Hanna Knopfle, 87 years old, died as the result of falling in her house at 101 Nassau Avenue.
Sources:
"Freeport Heavy Storm Loser on S. Shore." Newsday. September 15, 1944, 2.
"Hurricane Sweeps Nassau." Newsday. September 15, 1944, 2.
"75% of Nassau Still in Dark After Storm." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. September 18, 1944, 3. Accessed August 29, 2017. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/52897627/?terms=hurricane%2Bfreeport.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, September 18, 2017.
Hurricane Carol hit Long Island on August 31, 1954. According to Newsday, "Live wires crackled on the wet streets, trees block main roads and chimneys were blown down in Freeport." The only boats from Freeport's fishing fleet that reported damage were those that were in Point Judith, RI when the hurricane passed. Though south Freeport flooded, there was little damage to the waterfront. The Village reported that a roof ventilator was damaged at Pump House #5.
Sources:
Brophy, Arnold. "Hurricane Smashes LI." Newsday. August 31, 1954, 1.
Cornish, Dick. "A Line on Fishing." Daily News. September 3, 1954, 170. Accessed August 31, 2022. Newspapers.com.
Village of Freeport Board Minutes, 1954.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, August 30, 2022.
Hurricane Connie impacted Freeport in August 1955. It was reported that wind gusts up to 60 miles an hour. Though south Freeport did not have to be evacuated, a "lake" was created on Brooklyn Avenue from west of North Main Street almost to Wallace Street; it extended north along North Ocean Avenue, reaching Village Hall. Numerous fallen trees were also reported throughout the village, as well as several automobile accidents, none of which resulted in personal injuries.
Click here for images related to Hurricane Connie.
Source:
"Freeport Mops Up After 12-inch Rain Over the Week End." The Leader. August 18, 1955, 1. Accessed August 24, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1955-08-18/ed-1/seq-1/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, August 29, 2017.
Hurricane Donna made landfall in Freeport on Monday, September 12, 1960. It was estimated that between 550 and 1,000 Freeport Electric customers had power interruptions during the storm (less than 10% of the total number of customers). Power was restored to most Freeporters by Tuesday. In a "Memo from the Mayor", written by William F. Glacken and published in The Leader, he publicly thanked the linemen and other employees of Freeport Municipal Light and Power for so quickly restoring electric service to the Freeport community.
In southern Freeport, the highest tides prior to 1960 were recorded.
A bucket brigade, composed of local residents, failed to extinguish a fire on Garfield Street that was caused by the storm.
Sources:
"Donna Hits Freeport Electric Service." The Leader. September 16, 1960, 16. Accessed August 28, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1960-09-15/ed-1/seq-16/.
"Donna's LI Visit Costs Millions." Newsday. September 13, 1960, 1.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, August 28, 2017.
Hurricane Sandy (also referred to as Superstorm Sandy) hit Long Island on October 29, 2012. Damage in the Village of Freeport was extensive. Many homes were flooded in the southern part of Freeport. Falling trees caused much damage in the northern section of the Village.
Click here for images of Hurricane Sandy.
Sources:
"Hurricane Sandy Wreaks Havoc in Freeport and Baldwin." The Leader. November 1, 2012, 1. Accessed January 24, 2023. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071065/2012-11-01/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Freeport Rec is Hurricane Relief Center." The Leader. November 15, 2012, 1. Accessed January 24, 2023. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071065/2012-11-15/ed-1/seq-1/.
"The Nightmare That Never Ends." The Leader. November 8, 2012, 1. Accessed January 24, 2023, 1. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071065/2012-11-08/ed-1/seq-1/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, January 24, 2023.