S. Baumann, Inc. was a furniture store located at 52-54 South Main Street. The store also had a location at 267 Front Street, Hempstead. In 1936, the Freeport location was constructed in what was described as an "ultra modernistic building."
Source:
"Baumann's of the Future in Freeport." Nassau Daily Review. July 1, 1936, 18. Accessed April 23, 2018. fultonhistory.com.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, April 23, 2018.
St. George's Hotel (also known as the St. George's Inn) was located on the northeast corner of Bayview Avenue and Atlantic Avenue in 1914. In 1906, this hotel was called the Clows Hotel.
Sources:
"Freeport 1914." Atlas of Nassau County, Long Island. E. Belcher Hyde.
The Montauk Business Directory of Long Island: Queens Nassau and Suffolk Counties. New York: Mort F. Levy Publishing Co., Inc., 1913.
"Southern Part of Freeport, 1906." Atlas of Nassau County, Long Island. E. Belcher Hyde.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, October 10, 2017.
St. Marys Place was called Sigmond Lane before 1916.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 18, 2016.
Salt hay is a wild high grass that grew in meadows near the bays and other waterways. Consisting of sedge and various other species, salt hay was used to thatch roofs, bank foundations, fill mattresses, preserve ice, and feed livestock. In Freeport, areas of salt hay were often referred to as “cow meadows,” and in the 17th century the lands were set aside as common grounds. The Town of Hempstead regulated the time and methods for harvesting the hay, and early pioneers had to pay the town to harvest the hay. These proceeds were used to improve local waterways. Hay harvest or "marshing season” usually occurred in September and cutting of salt hay outside this period was prohibited. Salt hay was cut and loaded onto flat scows known as “hay boats.” Daniel M. Treadwell recalled in his book, Personal Reminiscences of Men and Things on Long Island, the hay harvest began on the on the Tuesday after the second Monday in September.
Some contemporary histories of Freeport claim that cattle were brought to the salt hay or to cow meadows to graze. However, earlier histories support the fact that the salt hay was cut and transported away from the meadows by boats and wagons. Much of the salt hay was located on meadows that were on islands or in areas not easily accessible by roads or paths.
See Also:
Sources:
Metz, Clinton E. [letter to the editor]. The Leader. November 11, 1971, 4. Accessed December 28, 2021. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1971-11-11/ed-1/seq-4/.
Tredwell, Daniel. Personal Reminiscences of Men and Things on Long Island. Brooklyn, NY: Charles Andrew Ditmas, 1912.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 30, 2021.
Samet's Specialty Shop sold women's and children's clothing. This store was located at 69 South Main Street.
Source:
Voyageur, 1928 (Freeport High School Yearbook).
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 23, 2016.
San-Bar Restaurant was originally located at 436 Woodcleft Avenue. After a fire in 1957, San-Bar owner, Walter Vogt, reopened his restaurant at 255 Hudson Avenue. The Woodcleft location later became The Beacon and, later, Murray's Surfside 6.
Vogt's plans to build a 52-unit hotel and restaurant in 1961 on the Hudson Avenue site never came to fruition.
In 1962, chef Tommy Marcinek, hostess Midge Swanson, and Bill Vogt partnered and formed the San-Bar Restaurant Corporation. Betty Crayton and Pearl Goldwasser became the new owners of the San-Bar in 1966.
In 1955, the Hudson House restaurant was located at this address. 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.
Click here for images of the San-Bar Restaurant.
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/.
"In the Spotlight." The Leader. November 21,1963, 1. Accessed November 3, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1963-11-21/ed-1/seq-1/.
"New Luxury Hotel To Be Constructed in Freeport." The Leader. August 31, 1961. Accessed November 3, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1961-08-31/ed-1/seq-1/.
"News and Views." The Leader. August 18, 1966, Page 15. Accessed November 3, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1966-08-18/ed-1/seq-15/.
"One Fireman Overcome In San-Bar $15,000 Fire." The Leader. December 5, 1957, 16. Accessed November 3, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1957-12-05/ed-1/seq-16/.
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, November 3, 2017.
Updated by Regina G. Feeney, October 11, 2018.
Municipal Sanitation collection began in 1921. Garbage collection was provided by Clarence Williams (who headed the Village Highway Department) and Lewis Brothers, which was a private carting company. Approximately, 2,290 Freeport homes were visited each week for pickup. Originally, three trucks were used to gather Freeport's refuse. Homeowners were required to comply with eight rules and regulations: 1. Collections will be made each week. 2. Garbage includes ashes and household refuse. 3. No receptacle shall be over three cubic feet in capacity. 4. All receptacles should be placed near rear or side of house. 5. No garbage receptacles should be placed on the street or sidewalk. 6. Receptacles shall be limited to two to each family. 7. Garbage will not be removed from cellars or outhouses. 8. All receptacles shall be covered.
Before 1921, homeowners and businesses hired private companies to remove garbage and ashes, as well as clean cesspools. Local carting companies included the Cosmopolitan Sanitary Co., located on Main Street and scavenger companies run by Moses Jarvis and Frank LaFata. In 1907, these private carters were required to be licensed with Town of Hempstead Board of Health. To keep the public from dumping refuse in the street, Freeport passed Village Ordinance No. 9 which made it unlawful "to throw, place or deposit any coal ashes, stone, rubbish, paper, garbage, tin cans, or refuse matter upon any road, avenue, lane or street in the Village of Freeport." In 1909, Henry E. Ryder was appointed inspector to enforce compliance with Village Ordinance No. 9.
In 1907, the local board of health licensed Rural Sanitation Co. to remove refuse and ashes from the Freeport public school, local fire houses, and village offices. In some cases, ash and other refuse was used as landfill. In 1916, the Board of Health approved the use of a swamp behind the home of A.G. Henderson, located at the corner of North Main Street and Grand Avenue, to dump ashes and cans. Throughout Freeport and the surrounding areas, dumping grounds were established. In 1914, an acre of land owned by Charles Abrams in Roosevelt was leased by the Village of Freeport as a dump. Another dumping area was located on East Merrick Road. In the 1970s, a homeowner on Hampton Place found a long-buried trash dump on his property which contained 470 bottles, one of which dated back to 1874.
The Village began discussing the construction of a municipal incinerator in 1924. The following year, the State Division of Sanitation recommended that the village close the dump on East Merrick Road and build an incinerator to handle the disposal of trash. In 1926, the Village purchased three acres of land on Merrick Road to build an incinerator for garbage.
In 1972, the Village of Freeport along with the Freeport Commission for the Conservation of the Environment sponsored a pilot project for the voluntary recycling of newspapers. Homeowners were encouraged to leave newspapers at curbside on scheduled days for pickup. This program was canceled in December 1974 and a newspaper dumpster was installed on Ocean Avenue and Sunrise Highway. Due to the cost and complaints about the unsightly conditions of the receptacle, the dumpster was removed in June of 1975.
Freeport gave up its municipal sanitation service in 1979 when it contracted with Five Counties Carting Corp. There was a public outcry in September 1986 when the board voted to end rear yard pickup (except if the homeowner was willing to pay $10 per month for this service). The board reversed its decision on rear yard collection the following December. Rear yard pickup officially ended when curbside collection began on February 29, 1988. Recycling began on a voluntary basis on June 1, 1988. To encourage residents to recycle, containers for newspapers, glass bottles, and metal cans were placed at the Village Transfer Station at 175 Albany Avenue. Mandatory newspaper recycling went into effect on January 1, 1989. The Village's Transfer Station ceased public operation on February 10, 1990. Materials that were excluded from curbside pickup were permitted to be brought to the Town of Hempstead Transfer Station located at 1600 Merrick Road, Merrick.
Click here for images related to Freeport Municipal Sanitation.
See Also:
Sources:
"Board Approves Mandatory Newspaper Recycling Evening Commercial Pickup." The Leader. November 17, 1988, 3. Accessed June 28, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1988-11-17/ed-1/seq-3/.
"Board of Health." Nassau County Review. August 25, 1916, 1. Accessed June 29, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1916-08-25/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Curbside Pick-up Starts Monday." The Leader. February 25, 1988, 3. Accessed June 27, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1988-02-25/ed-1/seq-3/.
"Curbside Pickup to Begin in Freeport." The Leader. December 24, 1987, 1. Accessed June 29, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1987-12-24/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Five Counties Only Garbage Bidder." The Leader. April 10, 1986, 1. Accessed June 25, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1986-04-10/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Freeport Board Hopelessly Divided." The Nassau Post. May 2, 1914, 4. Access June 25, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071434/1914-05-02/ed-1/seq-4/.
"Freeport Garbage Dump Criticized by State Officials." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. August 29, 1925, 3. Accessed June 28, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/58258613/?terms=Freeport%2BGarbage%2BDump.
"Freeport is Joining the Recycling Age." The Leader. April 21, 1988, 4. Accessed June 27, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1988-04-21/ed-1/seq-4/.
"Freeport Receives Incinerator Plans; Acts on New Lights." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. October 11, 1924, 3. Accessed June 28, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/58087679/?terms=Freeport%2BReceives%2BIncinerator%2BPlans.
"Freeport to Keep Private Carter." The Leader. September 18, 1986, 1. Accessed June 26, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1986-09-18/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Freeport Trustees Organize." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. March 25, 1903, 9. Accessed June 29, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/53406375/?terms=%22ordinance%2Bno.%2B9%22%2Bfreeport.
"Garbage and Ash Collection Started." The Freeport News. August 5, 1921, 1. Accessed June 29, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071012/1921-08-05/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Garbage and Ash Matter Discussed." Nassau County Review. June 11, 1920, 5. Accessed June 29, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1920-06-11/ed-1/seq-5/.
"Incinerator Site Bought in Freeport." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. June 12, 1926, 24. Accessed June 29, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/57480655/?terms=Incinerator%2BSite%2BBought.
Metz, Clinton E. "It Happened... Years Ago!" The Leader. December 13, 1979, 10. Accessed June 29, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1979-12-13/ed-1/seq-10/.
"Newspaper Pickup Cancelled." Village News. December 1974, 3.
"Ordinances, Rules and Regulations, 1907." Nassau County Review. July 19, 1907, 8. Accessed June 29, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1907-07-19/ed-1/seq-8/.
"Recycling Dumpster to Go." Village News. June 1975, 2.
"Recycling Underway at Transfer Station." The Leader. June 2, 1988, 1. Accessed June 25, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1988-06-02/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Rules and Regulations for Removal of Garbage." The Freeport News. July 29, 1921, 1. Accessed June 25, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071012/1921-07-29/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Take Trash to Merrick Facility." The Leader. February 1, 1990, 2. Accessed June 27, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071065/1990-02-01/ed-1/seq-2/.
"To Recycle Newspapers." Village News. August 1972, 3.
"Village Ordinance." Nassau County Review. January 27, 1899, 2. Accessed June 29, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1899-01-27/ed-1/seq-2/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, July 2, 2018.
See:
Scarlata Building Corporation was a construction company that developed the area of Randall Avenue situated between Bayview Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue in 1929. Originally, the company planned to construct 50 adjoining brick houses with garages accessible from driveways located between every fifth or sixth house. This plan was ultimately rejected by the Village. That same year, Scarlata invested $300,000 in the construction of "high class" detached homes on Randall Avenue. Frank A. Keogh served as real estate agent for this development. Conrad Scarlata, president of Scarlata Building Corporation described the homes by saying, "Every convenience for the comfort of the wife is my first consideration, the latest household appliances are being installed. I invite the men to inspect the construction of homes during their erections. The location of this development on Randall Avenue makes it convenient to the station, schools and village."
Sources:
"$400,000 Building Plan Dropped as Freeport Objects." Brooklyn Times Union. March 2, 1929, 26. Accessed April 16, 2021. newspapers.com.
Scarlata Building Corp. [advertisement]. The Nassau Daily Review. September 14, 1929, 2. Accessed April 16, 2021. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071428/1929-09-14/ed-1/seq-2/.
"Scarlata Firm Picks Freeport." The Nassau Daily Review. May 18, 1929, 3. Accessed April 16, 2021. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071428/1929-05-18/ed-1/seq-3/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, April 16, 2021.
Scenic Pier is located at the south end of Woodcleft Avenue. The pier was constructed by the Atlantic Construction Company and was dedicated on October 17, 1997.
Sources:
Braun, Norma and Bill Braun. "New Scenic Pier at Waterfront." The Leader. August 28, 1997, 2. Accessed May 12, 2021. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071065/1997-08-28/ed-1/seq-2/.
Schofer, Laura. "Dedication of New Pier." The Leader. October 23, 1997, 1. Accessed May 12, 2021. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071065/1997-10-23/ed-1/seq-2/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 12, 2021.
See:
Hyman Schloss (1870-1947) was a prominent merchant in Freeport. Born in Russia, Schloss immigrated to the United States. He settled in Freeport around 1890. Schloss' store was at one time the largest department store in Freeport. Around 1909, this store was the first on Main Street to install gas lamps in front of the building. His store was also the first to produce window displays and install electric lighting inside the building.
Schloss was a charter member of the Wide Awake Engine Company No 1 of the Freeport Fire Department as well as a charter member of the Freeport Exempt Firemen's Association. Schloss was also a charter member of the Sunrise Lodge (Masons) and a charter member of the Elks Club. He was a director of Citizens National Bank. Schloss belonged to many organizations, including: the LIGHTS Club, Tuscan Fellowcraft Club, the Freeport Chamber of Commerce, and the Lodge of the Rebekahs.
Schloss lived at 131 South Grove Street (now Guy Lombardo Avenue) with his wife, Lillian. They had two sons: Dr. Mervin L. and Lawrence Schloss. In 1978, Dr. Mervin L. Schloss donated to the Freeport Memorial Library a carillon sculpture and plaque in honor of his parents.
Sources:
"Freeport May Get Street Lamps by Extra Light Fund." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. July 28, 1929, 18. Accessed July 11, 2016. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/59860012/?terms=hyman%2Bschloss%2B%22hyman%2Bschloss%22.
"Hyman Schloss, 80, Freeport Merchant." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. December 27, 1947, 6. Accessed July 11, 2016. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/52878127/?terms=%22Hyman%2Bschloss%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 11, 2016.
Phoebe Scholey (1877-1959) was born on April 22, 1877 to Robert Jefferson Wright and Mary Jane (nee Perley) in Manhattan. He father was a commissioner of the Department of Corrections and Charities for the City of New York.
Scholey moved to the village when her husband, Reverend Charles Herbert Scholey, accepted the post as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Freeport. After her husband’s death in 1911, Scholey became more involved in civic activities. In 1921, Scholey became the wife of Irving Gatter, a partner in the real estate firm, Gatter and Sons.
In 1918, along with Anne Raymore, Scholey was appointed as a police officer to aid in enforcing a curfew ordinance which had been passed by the Freeport Board of Trustees. She was also appointed as a deputy sheriff. In addition, Scholey was a member of the Neighborhood Workers of Freeport as a social worker.
Scholey was later hired under Daniel Morrison, Town of Hempstead (some sources say Nassau County) overseer to the poor as well as a former Freeport president, in 1919 to work in the Welfare Department to place homeless children in foster homes, and rose to the position of Assistant to the Overseer of the Poor. Upon Morrison’s death in 1923, she served unofficially as the overseer until a replacement was named. Later, she was charged with the responsibility of arranging hospital care for Nassau County residents who were on welfare. She served as a delegate to the New York State Republican Convention; reportedly, in 1921, she was the only woman to serve in that capacity.
Scholey retired from this work in 1937 after a bad fall adversely affected her ability to get around. After her retirement, she increased her involvement in the Salvation Army, for which she had previously served as treasurer, and the Freeport Women’s Christian Temperance Union.
The Scholeys had one child, a daughter named Edith, who later made her home on East Avenue in Freeport with her husband, John Armstrong. Scholey passed away in 1959; she was buried in Flushing Cemetery in Queens County, NY.
Sources:
“No Overseer To Be Named By Town Board.” Daily Review. June 23, 1923, 1. Accessed April 7, 2018. http://fultonhistory.com.
“Welfare Worker, Retiring After 18 Years, Won’t Knit.” Nassau Daily Review-Star. November 18, 1937, 16. Accessed April 7, 2018. http://fultonhistory.com.
“Nassau Republican Delegates Elected.” Brooklyn Daily Eagle. August 10, 1921, 4. Accessed April 7, 2018. http://fultonhistory.com.
“Gatter-Scholey.” Brooklyn Daily Eagle. October 21, 1921, 9. Accessed April 9, 2018. http://fultonhistory.com.
Researched by Denise Rushton, April 25, 2018.
The Schooner Restaurant and Lounge (colloquially called the Schooner) opened at 435 Woodcleft Avenue in 1971. Frank Fineo and Ted Gaeta (circa 1896-1989) were partners in the restaurant. The Freeport Chamber of Commerce began holding its weekly luncheons at the Schooner in 1972. Fineo and Gaeta once owned the property bounded by South Ocean Avenue, Miller Avenue, Richmond Avenue, and Manhattan Avenue. They sold it to a developer who used it to build the Wharfside Condominiums at 725 Miller Avenue.
In 2010, the Schooner opened Cabana 435, an outside bar. Hurricane Sandy caused significant damage to the Schooner Restaurant. The building, deemed unsafe by an inspector, was eventually torn down.
Before the Schooner opened, 435 Woodcleft Avenue was occupied by Mark's Restaurant (owned by Mark Hroncich), which became Renee's Woodcleft around 1946, and the Ship's Inn beginning in the 1950s. In the 1920s, the site was the location of a dock owned by Captain John Carcich.
Click here for material related to the Schooner.
See Also:
Sources:
"Mark Hroncichs Celebrate Golden Wedding at Dinner." The Leader. March 13, 1958, 5. Accessed April 6, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1958-03-13/ed-1/seq-5/.
Merritt, Jim. "Summer Scenes: A Mile-long on Freeport's Canal." Newsday. June 7, 2010, B2.
"Notes from Norma." The Leader. October 07, 1971, 9. Accessed April 2, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1971-10-07/ed-1/seq-9/.
"Notes from Norma." The Leader. December 30, 1971, 9. Accessed April 2, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1971-12-30/ed-1/seq-9/.
Ramos, Victor Manuel. "Sandy: A Tide of Troubles." Newsday. November 8, 2012, A28.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, April 6, 2019.
See:
See:
Davidsen, Arthur F. (Astrophysicist)
Kapor, Mitch (coming soon)
Lynch, William A. (Atomic Scientist)
Ross, Kathy (coming soon)
Mirto Scopinich (also known as Mike) (1898-1986) was a founder of the Freeport Point Shipyard on Woodcleft Avenue.
Scopinich was born in 1898 in Mali Losinj, a community located along the Adriatic Sea that was under Austrian Hungarian rule. In 1918, this territory became part of Italy and was known as Lussinpiccolo. After World War II, Yugoslavia took control of the area and in 1991, Mali Losinj became part of Croatia.
Scopinich lived in Freeport from 1919 to 1975 when he retired to Florida.
Freeport Point Shipyard, a Scopinich family business, built many varieties of watercraft including yachts, police boats, United States air-sea rescue boats and British Royal Navy patrol boats during World War II. During Prohibition (1920-1933), Freeport Point Shipyard built both rumrunners and Coast Guard rumrunner chasers.
In addition to the Freeport Point Shipyard, Scopinich was a former owner of the Nassau Yacht Basin in Freeport and the Channel Marina in Lindenhurst, NY. He was a member of the Freeport Yacht Club and the Freeport Elks Club.
See Also:
Sources:
Ancestry.com.
"Mirto Scopinich, 88." Newsday. October 30, 1986, 42.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 4, 2021.
James W. W. Scott (1836-1912) was the owner and proprietor of the Scott's Hotel located on South Main Street. Scott was born in New York City and was a captain of the Metropolitan Police force. After his retirement, Scott came to Freeport around 1884 and established a hotel. He was a descendent of Civil War general Winfield Scott. His wife, Lydia H. Scott, pre-deceased him.
After his death in 1912, Scott left his property in trust to the executors of his estate, Ashton Parker and Sidney H. Swezey, for the education of his grandniece, Gladys B. Lawrence.
See Also:
Source:
"Freeport." South Side Messenger. December 6, 1912, 1. Accessed September 30, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn96083504/1912-12-06/ed-1/seq-1/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, September 30, 2016.
Reverend Dr. Reginald Heber Scott (1880-1959) served for 42 years as the pastor of the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration and was also a civic leader in Freeport. Reverend Scott was born in Norwich, Ontario, Canada and was named for Bishop Reginald Heber of India. He attended Trinity College (Hartford, CT), the Berkeley Divinity School (New Haven, CT), and Columbia University where he received a Doctorate of Sacred Theology in 1954. Scott was ordained in Hartford where he served for two years before moving to Brooklyn in 1914. He was the curate of Christ Church in Williamsburg, Brooklyn for ten years.
While under Reverend Scott's leadership, Transfiguration moved from its original wooden building to a larger brick church in 1951. A firemens' memorial window is located in the new church.
In 1954, Bishop James P. DeWolfe awarded Reverend Scott the distinguished service cross of the diocese.
Reverend Scott was a former president of the Long Island Clerical League and former secretary of the Archdeaconry of the Protestant Episcopal Churches of Long Island. He was the chaplain of the Freeport Fire Department for 28 years (he joined Truck Company No. 1 in 1919). He was on the board of the Freeport Memorial Library during the construction of the first library building, which was dedicated in 1924. Scott was a founder and the first president of the Freeport Interfaith Clergy Council, and chaplain of Spartan Masonic Lodge.
Reverend Scott lived with his wife, Amelia (nee Doughy), at 314 Pine Street. They had two sons, William and John. Reverend Scott died in 1959 at the age 78 and is buried in Greenfield Cemetery, Uniondale, NY.
Click here for images related to Reverend Scott and the Church of the Transfiguration.
Sources:
"Reginald Scott, Retired Rector." The New York Times. February 13, 1959, 27.
"Rev. R.H. Scott, 78, Episcopal Rector Here for 42, Dies." The Leader. February 19, 1959, 1. Accessed May 31, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1959-02-19/ed-1/seq-9/.
Research by Regina G. Feeney, June 3, 2017.
Scott's Beach, originally call Dick Smith's and, later, Ocean View, was a section of property located on Meadow Island. The island is located on the Atlantic Ocean and Swift Creek, between Freeport and Point Lookout. "Uncle" Dick Smith purchased a house on the island from John C. Raynor and began a hotel business with his wife, Mary Ann. The hotel was later operated by their daughter, Mary Elizabeth, and her husband, Andrew J. Scott.
It is said that Uncle Dick was the first to plant oysters in the South Bay in an area known as "Trump's Hole." In addition to the 20-room hotel built by Smith, his daughter also built a cottage. Other residents included T. P. Elderd of Hempstead and Adam Pfleging of Garden City. Also on the Island, were the Prospect Gun Club (run by Captain Abe Smith, son of Dick Smith) and the Point Comfort Hotel.
By 1903, the Long Beach Transportation Company established ferry service to the island.
In 1900, a survey map of Scott's Beach was completed that included 800 proposed plots. However, they were not advertised for sale until 1913. Alvin G. Smith, the original surveyor of this development, wrote a letter in 1913 to E. A. Dorlon, the auctioneer, regarding the sale of the plots. He pointed out that a number of sections (blocks 7 to 10 inclusively) had been lost in storms since his 1900 evaluation of the land and rendering of same.
Construction of a deep water canal across the island was slated to be completed in the spring of 1914. The land was never developed.
Click here for images of Scott's Beach.
See Also:
Sources:
"The Pioneer Boniface of the Old South Beach." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. September 13, 1903, 46. Accessed November 27, 2016. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/53407638/?terms=scott's%2Bbeach.
"Scott's Beach." Nassau County Review. August 8, 1913, 2. Accessed November 27, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1913-08-08/ed-1/seq-2/.
Scott's Beach Absolute Auction Sale (advertisement). South Side Messenger. August 22, 1913, 5. Accessed November 27, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1913-08-22/ed-1/seq-5/.
"Selling Lots at Scott's Beach." Nassau County Review. August 29, 1913, 1. Accessed November 27, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1913-08-29/ed-1/seq-1/,
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, November 27, 2016.
Scott's Hotel was located on South Main Street south of Atlantic Avenue. It is believed that this hotel operated as far back as 1837. It was owned by James W. W. Scott and his wife Lydia E. Scott.
Scott's Hotel was a favorite stopping place for bicyclists and automobilists. Langdon D. Abrams served as a bartender at the hotel in 1902. It was said that its dinners were famous on the south shore. The hotel's property consisted of 22 acres with a barn, sheds, and a dock. Mr. Scott died in 1912.
In 1913, Scott's Hotel became the Filardo Hotel.
Click here for images of the Scott's Hotel.
See Also
Sources:
"For Sale or To-Let." Nassau County Review. November 8, 1912, 6. Accessed September 30, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1912-11-08/ed-1/seq-6/.
1914, Freeport (Southeast Section, East of Sportsman Canal) [map]. E. Belcher Hyde.
High Hill Beach Ferry Co. [advertisement]. Nassau County Review. July 4, 1913, 4. Accessed May 21, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1913-07-04/ed-1/seq-4/.
James W. W. Scott (obituary). Nassau County Review. October 11, 1912, 12. Accessed September 30, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1912-10-11/ed-1/seq-12/.
"James W. W. Scott Stricken." South Side Messenger. November 12, 1909, 1. Accessed September 30, 2016.
Lant, J. H. Directory 1901-1902 (Freeport, General and Business Directory), 55.
Metz, Clinton E. "It Happened... Years Ago." The Leader. April 30, 1987, 9. Accessed June 15, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1987-04-30/ed-1/seq-9/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, September 30, 2016.
Updated by Regina G. Feeney, May 21, 2019.
Updated by Regina G. Feeney, June 15, 2019.
Sea Breeze Restaurant (also known as Sea Breeze Hotel and Otto's Sea Breeze) was located at 810 Miller Avenue. It was opened around 1916 as a hotel by Henry Lampe (1876-1961). In the 1910s, this may have been the site of Emile (Emil) Schmidt's Fishing Station.
During Prohibition, the Sea Breeze operated as a hotel. In 1928, a fire destroyed the original building which was considered a local landmark. Two years later, a new building was opened. It was reported that "Otto" and "Han"s formerly of the Silver Wave, were hired as chefs.
After Lampe retired in 1934, the Sea Breeze was run by Otto Kunz Sr., and later Otto Kunz, Jr. (circa 1937-2017)
The Sea Breeze Restaurant seated 200 people in its three dining rooms, cocktail bar, and outdoor patio. In the 1960s, the Sea Breeze employed 40 people including maitre d', Carl Koch; head chief, Leon Glow; head bartender, Henry Scharpenberg (Hank Sharpie); Herman Woldner, greeter; and Henry Graswald, waiter. It had a private dock for its boat,The Tourist, which took patrons out for private cruises.
In 1975, Sea Breeze became the Harborview Restaurant after it was sold to Robert and Anthony Zambardi. A plan to create the Harbor Lights condos on the site, which included 91 units on 3.34 acres, failed after vocal criticism from residents.
Around 2008, the site of the restaurant became Sea Breeze Park.
Click here for images related to the Sea Breeze Restaurant.
Sources:
"Altshul's Choice." Newsday. August 16, 1962, 50.
"Board Weighs Harbor Lights Condos." The Leader. September 15, 1988, 1. Accessed August 2, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1988-09-15/ed-1/seq-1/.
Boccella, Kathy, "Neighbors' Fight for Old Freeport." Newsday. October 19, 1988, 37NE.
Emile Schmidt's Fishing Station [advertisement]. New York Press. March 30, 1912, 6. Accessed April 21, 2018. fultonhistory.com
Hager, Fred. "Our Town." The Leader. October 16, 1969, 2. Accessed April 21, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1969-10-16/ed-1/seq-2/.
Harborview Restaurant [classifieds]. Newsday. November 29, 1981, D1.
Rader, Barbara. "The Food Guide to Freeport." Newsday. October 16, 1976, 1A.
"Sea Breeze Celebrates 35th Year of Success." The Leader. June 25, 1964, 4. Accessed April 21, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1964-06-25/ed-1/seq-4/.
Vasil, Eddie. "News and Views. The Leader. June 8, 1961, 6. Accessed April 21, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1961-06-08/ed-1/seq-6/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, April 21, 2018.
Updated by Regina G. Feeney, August 3, 2019,
The Sea Edge Rod and Gun Club was organized in 1914. Its clubhouse was to be located on Meadow Island near the Prospect Gun Club (though its exact location is unknown). Its directors included Albert E. Sykes, William Charlick, D. R. Harvey, E. J. Jennings, Joseph L. Adams, Ralph Schneider, J. Doushkesms, Joseph Katz, William Brewster, George Boehm, Charles D. Winfield, Arnold J. Leslie, Samuel R. McCullough, Emil Standing, and Theodore Martine. An article published in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported the club was incorporated in March 1914 and reported its directors as Albert E. Sykes, Samuel R. Harvey, and Joseph L. Adams.
Source:
"New Gun Club." Nassau County Review. May 15, 1914, 6. Accessed March 19, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1914-05-15/ed-1/seq-6/.
"Sea Edge Rod and Gun Club." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. March 21, 1914, 4. Accessed March 19, 2019. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/54331995/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, April 2, 2019.
Seaman Avenue was named for the Seaman family. They were original in Freeport as well as other areas of Long Island.
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, May 28, 2016.
Hideo (Harry) Sekine (also known as H. H. Sekine) (1897-?) was possibly the first Asian American to graduate from Freeport in 1919. Born in Japan in 1895, Sekine immigrated to the United States in 1913 and lived with his uncle Ioji B. Sekine, who was a Japanese born business owner. Sekine lived at 312 Locust Avenue. He was treasurer of his senior class. He later married Cherry Blossom Goda (circa 1903-1980) who was identified in the census as his uncle's sister-in-law. In 1941, he was the plant manager of the I. Sekine Company of Maryland.
Sources:
Ancestry.com.
Freeport High School Alumni Directory, 2004.
"140 Employes [sic] of Brush Firm Get Full Pay." The Baltimore Sun. December 25, 1941, 22. Accessed October 24, 2018. newspapers.com.
The Student. April-May 1919. Accessed October 19, 2018. https://cdm16694.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15281coll12/id/17647/rec/1.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, October 24, 2018.
Ioji B. Sekine (1880-1949) was a Japanese born business owner who lived at 312 Locust Avenue. Sekine visited the United States in 1906 and started a toothbrush import business in New York City. He served as an interpreter to two Japanese sailors who became lost in Freeport in 1917. He lived in Freeport with his British-born wife Constance (circa 1878-1957), her father Frederick Beer, his nephew Hideo Sekine, and a sister-in-law Cherry Blossom Goda (circa 1903-1980).
In 1928, he established a factory in Baltimore which made toothbrushes. In December 1941, after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, the government closed the factory for several weeks in order to investigate the company. At Christmas, Sekine insisted that his 150 workers got paid in full for the time they lost. The factory was re-opened and enlarged for wartime operations. Unfortunately, Sekine was arrested in Freeport and incarcerated for a period of time at Fort Meade as part of government sponsored war-time internment of Japanese Americans.
After Sekine's release, he presented the Freeport Red Cross with a station wagon in 1944. The following year, he presented Freeport High School with two $1000 scholarships that were given to two deserving students.
Sekine received patents for a style of toothbrush in 1936 and 1938.
Sekine died from a stroke at the age of 70.
Sources:
Ancestry.com.
Cherry Blossom Sekine [obituary]. The Evening Sun. December 31, 1980, 1933. Accessed October 24, 2018. newspapers.com.
Constance Sekine [obituary]. The Evening Sun. May 17, 1957, 45. Accessed October 24, 2018. newspapers.com.
"Ioji B. Sekine, 70, Dies at Freeport." The Evening Sun. September 6, 1948, 18. Accessed October 19, 2018. newspapers.com.
"Japanese-American Was Quickly Interned." Newsday. December 7, 1986, 4.
"Japanese Sailors Get Lost." Nassau County Review. February 16, 1917, 1. Accessed October 19, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1917-02-16/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Sekine Gives Suburban to Red Cross Branch." The Leader. January 13, 1944, 1. Accessed October 19, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1944-01-13/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Two Scholarships Await Fpt. H.S. Pupils." Newsday. January 4, 1945, 12.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, October 24, 2018.
Selnada, possibly the first deep sea party fishing boat in Freeport, was one of the best known boats along the south shore of Long Island. She was originally constructed as a sloop-rigged sailing yacht for Major J. Fred Ackerman of the Atlantic Yacht Club. Though Ackerman owned another boat named Selnada in the late 1890s, the Freeport Selnada was mostly likely built in 1903 by William P. Kirk of Toms River, NJ and designed by Henry J. Gielow. The boat was named for Ackerman's daughters, Selma, Naida, and Dagma.
The Selnada was purchased by Captain William Carman around 1908 soon after she had won a race from New York to Bermuda. Carman added a motor and a mast on the stern, In addition, a pilothouse was constructed atop the existing cabin and the bow was altered. The Selnada was approximately 70 feet long and could carry 90 fishermen.
During her career, the Selnada was involved in a number of sea rescues. In 1910, she helped rescue six people from a 15-foot launch in heavy seas near Jones Inlet; that same year the Selnada picked up two people adrift on a disabled dory; in 1918, she rescued two aviators who crash landed three miles off of Point Lookout; in 1935, she came to the aid of the Atlantic when a rogue wave knocked a number of its passengers overboard; and in December of that year, she rescued five from a crippled craft stuck in rough seas.
After William Carman died in 1929, his son, Mort, became the captain of the Selnada. Arthur J. Denton was the ship's first mate from 1910 until his death at the age of 60 in 1933. When Mort died in 1937, brother Leon "Wink" Carman, Sr. took the helm.
The Selnada met her end during the Hurricane of ‘44 when her moorings broke and she was blown onto a meadow near Sea Dog and Cinders Creeks. When 70-foot tug failed to get the Selnada off the marsh, the Camans stripped the boat and set her on fire.
See Also:
Sources:
"A. J. Denton, Boat Officer, Is Buried." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. September 5, 1933, 20. Accessed https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/59974613/?terms=selnada&match=1.
"An Ancient Relic of Freeport Waterfront, the Selnada Is Accepted as an Institution in the Angling Realm." The Nassau Daily Review. July 31, 1935, 13. Accessed May 28, 2021. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071428/1935-07-31/ed-1/seq-13/.
"Capt. Mortimer Carman." The New York Times. December 21, 1957, 23.
"Forty-Five Foot Water Line Cruiser Designed by Henry J. Gielow for Major J. Fred Ackerman of the Atlantic Yacht Club." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. March 15, 1903, 51. Accessed May 28, 2021. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/53406137/?terms=selnada&match=1.
"In Nassau County 25 Years Ago." The Nassau Daily Review. May 23, 1928, 4. Accessed May 27, 2021. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071428/1928-05-23/ed-1/seq-4/.
"Picked Up Adrift at Sea." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. November 30, 1910, 20. Accessed May 27, 2021. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/53948454/?terms=selnada&match=1.
Scopinich Jr., Fred. “Memories of Freeport’s Waterfront.” The Leader. August 30, 2007, 8. Accessed May 28, 2021. https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071065/2007-08-30/ed-1/seq-8/.
"'Selnada' to Sail for 35th Year With a Carman at the Wheel." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. February 20, 1938, 20. Accessed May 27, 2021. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/52658307/?terms=selnada&match=1.
"6 Rescued in Jones Inlet." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. August 3, 1911, 2. Accessed May 27, 2021. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/54442065/?terms=selnada&match=1.
Verity, Wilbur R. (Captain). "The Party Boat Salnada" [sic]. The Long Island Forum. September 1976, 202.
"Veteran Selnada to Begin Party Fishing Season." Brooklyn Eagle. June 8, 1940, 20. Accessed May 27, 2020. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/686207963/?terms=selnada&match=1.
"Wave Drowns 2 on Fishing Boat." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. August 23, 1935, 20. Accessed May 27, 2021. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/685975919.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 28, 2021.
Sewers came to Freeport in the first half of the twentieth century. The first mention for a planned village-wide sewer system occurred in 1909 when it was proposed by local resident George Christians. Christians, in late September 1909, organized a meeting at the Sigmond Opera House to discuss the need for a local sewer system. The meeting, which featured William Wallace Young, a New York City sanitary engineer, addressed about 75 residents. After the meeting, thirty-six taxpayers signed a petition asking for the appropriation of $1,000 to pay for a map of the proposed eight miles of sewers. When a special election was held on October 4, 1909 concerning the appropriation of money to produce a sewer map, the proposition failed. Of the 242 total votes cast, 137 were against the proposal, 106 were in favor, two ballots were blank, and one ballot was defective. Newspaper accounts of the vote made mention that women were allowed to vote in this election; Mrs. Henry C. Schluter was the first woman to cast a ballot. The engineering firm Smith & Malcomson presented a plan at for an up-to-date sewage disposal plant at a village board meeting in 1912. The $400,000 cost would be offset by an average $12 per house tax increase.
In 1916, Mayor Roland M. Lamb appointed a committee to investigate the need for sewer system in Freeport. The committee included John D. Gunning (chairman), William H. Patterson, Daniel Morrison, Alvin A. Sealey, Arthur Nosworthy, Frank H. Stevens, Werner Nygren, and Edward S. Keogh (secretary). This committee reported that Freeport had 1788 cesspools, 951 grease traps and 758 privies. Committee members presented arguments for and against the sewer system. Once again, Freeporters voted against sewers. However, they agreed to appoint a committee of 12 to pursue a study of sewer systems over a five year period.
President (Mayor) Raymond J. Miller expressed his concerns about the lack of a sewer system during a meeting of "First-Class Villages of New York State" in Albany in 1924: "Freeport is very badly in need of sewers and the proposition has been voted on several times, but has never carried. While the property owners will not vote for sewers, they seem ready and willing to vote favorably on permanent roads." Miller also mentioned that sewer pipes would have to be placed in the middle of the street since water mains are located on the north and west sides of streets and gas mains run on the south and east sides of streets. That same year, Freeporters rejected plans for municipal sewers for a third time.
Finally, on August 24, 1926, a proposition was adopted at a special village election for the construction of part of a sewer system at the joint expense of the village (77%) and the properties that benefited from the system (23%). The cost of the system was estimated to be $585,000 and included 56,221 feet of trunk sewers and a sewage treatment plant. Nicholas S. Hill, Jr. was selected as the project engineer. Between 1927 and 1928 a pumping station, treatment plant and a portion of the trunk sewers were constructed. In 1929, the original design of Freeport sewers was revised by Baldwin & Cornelius Co., Inc. At this time, Freeport was divided into seven lateral districts.
Tragedy struck on August 30, 1927, when Kenneth Douglas, a sewer inspector, died of asphyxiation while inspecting a sewer line at the intersection of Sunrise Highway and Bayview Avenue. William Kamser, Douglas' assistant, was overcome by the gas as well but survived.
Residents living below Atlantic Avenue relied on cesspools until the late 1940s. It is important to note that southern portion of Freeport was not part of the Incorporated Village of Freeport until 1930. By 1946, the pollution was such a problem in Freeport that the South Shore Yacht Club was unable to get a bathing permit. A referendum for the installation of a southern sewer system failed in 1947 but another referendum was passed in 1948. Those living in the southernmost sections of Freeport had to wait until the early 1950s, when the construction of pumping station was completed.
In 1979, Freeport began to connect its sewerage disposal system with that of Nassau County.
Click her for images related to sewers.
See Also:
Sources:
"Considering Sewer Plans." Nassau County Review. September 3, 1909, 1. Accessed May 24, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1909-09-03/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Discussing Sewer Map." Nassau County Review. October 1, 1909, 1. Accessed May 24, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1909-10-01/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Freeport People Vote Down Sewer; Scout Pollution." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. January 27, 1916, 19. Accessed May 29, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/55573521/?terms=sewer%2Bfreeport.
"Freeport Sewer Meeting." South Side Messenger. October 1, 1909, 1. Accessed May 24, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn96083504/1909-10-01/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Freeport Sewer Pacts Signed." Newsday. February 15, 1979, 26.
"Freeport Plans Sewage System." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. May 9, 1912, 6. Accessed March 18, 2024. Newspapers.com.
"Gas Kills Freeport Sewer Inspector." The New York Times. August 30, 1927, 10.
"Interesting Meeting on Sewer Question." South Side Messenger. September 17, 1909, 1. Accessed May 24, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn96083504/1909-09-17/ed-1/seq-1/.
"L.I. Villages Vote $1,000,000 to Get Big Improvements." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. March 19, 1924, 3. Accessed May 24, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/60013628/?terms=incinerator%2Bfreeport.
McKeeman, E. C. "Operation of Freeport, Long Island, Sewage Treatment Plant Before and After Improvements." Sewage Works Journal. Vol. 15, No. 5. September 1943, 828-838.
Potter, Alexander. Report to the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Freeport, L.I. On a System of Sewerage and Sewage Disposal for the Village. November 13th 1913. [Available by appointment only].
"Proposed Freeport Sewers." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. September 20, 1909, 20. Accessed May 24, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/53884594/?terms=freeport%2Bsewers.
"Remarks on the Sewer Question." South Side Messenger. October 1, 1909, 4. Accessed May 24, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn96083504/1909-10-01/ed-1/seq-4/.
"Sewer Map Not Wanted." Nassau County Review. October 8, 1909, 1. Accessed May 24, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1909-10-08/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Speed Work on 600-G Freeport Sewer." Newsday. October 5, 1949, 39.
"So. Freeport Sets Mar. 16 Sewer Vote." Newsday. February 6, 1948, 9.
"State Health Dept. Orders Freeport to Install Sewers." Newsday. July 9, 1946, 17.
"Verified Reports of the Freeport Sewer Commission." The Nassau Post. January 21, 1916, 6. Accessed May 29, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071434/1916-01-21/ed-1/seq-6/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 21, 2018.
Updated March 18, 2024, Regina G. Feeney.
Shark tournaments have been organized in Freeport since the 1970s. These tournaments have been sponsored by the Freeport Hudson Anglers, Lou's Fishing Station, Kaysee Marine, and the Woodcleft Fishing Station.
The Freeport Hudson Anglers began their tournament in 1972 with registration at the Mako Marine headquarters located at 117 Hudson Avenue. The purpose of this yearly event is encourage rod and reel angling, good sportsmanship and fair competition; while aiding marine science. Shark specimens are collected for research and laboratory study. Immature sharks that are caught are tagged and released back to the ocean. In 2017, it was reported that all the shark meat was donated to soup kitchens and local churches in Freeport and some of the money raised was donated to various charities throughout Long Island. In 1975, the entry fee was $35 per boat and the first prize winners received 60 percent of the fees collected. In 2017, the tournament was held at the Guy Lombardo Marina.
The Charvin Open Shark Tournament began in 1972 and was run by Lou's Fishing Station. Beginning in 1980, the tournament angler who brought in the most unusual species of fish received the Dick Shaw Memorial Trophy. No mention of this tournament is mentioned in the media after 1990.
The Kaysee Shark Tournament began in 1984 by Kaysee Marine, located at 6 South End Place. No mention of this tournament is mentioned in the media after 1988.
The Woodcleft Shark Tournament began around 1990 and is sponsored by the Woodcleft Fishing Station.
Sources:
Braun, Bill and Norma Braun. "Woodcleft Shark Tournament." The Leader. July 15, 2004, 4. Accessed January 17, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071065/2004-07-15/ed-1/seq-4/.
Loney, Julie. "Two Hundred Boats Expected at 45th Annual Shark Tourney." The Leader. June 15, 2017, 12. Accessed January 17, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071065/2017-06-15/ed-1/seq-12/.
Schlichter, Tom. "Fishing Report: Kids Out of School? Fish Are Schooling." Newsday. June 20, 2008, [np].
"Shark Tournament." The Leader. July 21, 1977, 21. Accessed January 17, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1977-07-21/ed-1/seq-21/.
"Summer Events." The Leader. June 13, 1985, 8. Accessed January 17, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1985-06-13/ed-1/seq-8/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, January 17, 2019.
Shea Court was named for Sylvester Shea who was a postmaster, Village trustee and Village clerk.
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, May 28, 2016.
Sylvester Patrick Shea (1866-1944) was the village clerk from 1902 to 1922. He was appointed postmaster for the Village of Freeport in 1921, replacing the previous postmaster, B. T. Smith.
Shea was a captain of Ever Ready Hose Company No. 1 from 1905 to 1909.
Click here for images related to Sylvester P. Shea.
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.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, July 19, 2016.
Shell Road was renamed Hanse Avenue in 1916.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 18, 2016.
Sherman Brothers' A-Deal Super Mart was located at 84-86 South Grove Street (now Guy Lombardo Avenue). In 1948, the business was known as A-Deal Super Mart. The following year, the words "Sherman Brothers'" was added to its name.
Sources:
A-Deal Super Mart [advertisement]. The Leader. October 21, 1948, 20. Accessed March 30, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1948-10-21/ed-1/seq-1/.
Sherman Brothers' A-Deal Super Mart [advertisement]. The Leader. March 3, 1949, 16. Accessed March 30, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1949-03-03/ed-1/seq-1/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney. March 30, 2018.
The Ship's Inn restaurant was located at 435 Woodcleft Avenue. It was owned by Al Skaaland. The Ship's Inn opened in the 1950s and was renovated in 1964. Previously, it was Mark's Restaurant and Renee's Woodcleft. It became the Schooner Restaurant in 1971.
See Also:
Schooner, Restaurant and Lounge
Sources:
"Mark Hroncichs Celebrate Golden Wedding at Dinner." The Leader. March 13, 1958, 5. Accessed April 6, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1958-03-13/ed-1/seq-5/.
Vasil, Eddie. "News & Views." The Leader. December 17, 1964, 1, Accessed April 6, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1964-12-17/ed-1/seq-1/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, April 6, 2019.
Alonzo Hilton Shockley Jr. (1920-2014) was an educator and civil rights advocate who joined the Freeport School District as the coordinator of state and federal aid in 1966. Later, he became the first African American to be elected to the North Babylon Board of Education, which was a predominantly white district.
Born in Delaware, Shockley described himself as being the fourth generation of educators and clergy. He was in the Army during WWII, and served in Italy and North Africa. He attended Delaware State College and earned a Masters' degree from Michigan State University. Shockley was the principal of Paul Lawrence Dunbar Elementary-Junior High School in Laurel, DE. His attempts to enroll his daughter in a whites-only high school ultimately cost him his job and led him to move to Long Island in 1960. Shockley was a sixth-grade teacher in the Plainview-Old Bethpage district and became an assistant elementary school principal in Wyandanch.
In 1964, after being appointed coordinator of Nassau County's Office of Economic Opportunity, Shockley developed the county's first Head Start program.
In 1979, Shockley was able to secure $157,248 from the Office of Education to create computerized instruction programs in the Freeport School District.
Shockley was on the board for Hi-Hello Day Care Center. He played the organ and was a gifted tenor. It was said he travelled the world with the choirs of the United Methodist Church of Babylon and Port Jefferson. Shockley also once served as an international polling supervisor for a general election in Bosnia.
Shockley retired from the Freeport School District in 1985. He and his wife, Novella, had three children. Shockley died at the age of 93 in 2014.
Sources:
Ancestry.com.
"Federal Funds to Help School Computers." The Leader. July 26, 1979, 1. Accessed November 21, 2022. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1979-07-26/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Getting Ready for Next Season." The Leader. June 21, 1979, 2. Accessed November 21, 2022. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1979-06-21/ed-1/seq-2/.
"Head Start Is His Kind of Operation." Newsday. June 7, 1965, 11C.
"LIer to get NY Integration Job." Newsday. January 3, 1964, 15.
"Nassau Aide to Quit for Freeport Job." Newsday. August 16, 1966, 12. Accessed November 17, 2022. Newspapers.com.
"Alonzo Shockley, 93, Rights Activist," Newsday. March 9, 2014, 40.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, November 23, 2022.
Shore Haven was developed around 1900 by the Warranty Realty Company (115 Broadway, NY / 896 Broadway, Brooklyn). In 1900, plots sold between $95 and $125.
In 1903, the property was developed as Residence Park.
See Also:
Sources:
"Building at Freeport." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. November 28, 1903, 17. Accessed July 18, 2017. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/53624136/?terms=%22russell%2Bpark%22.
Shore Haven [advertisement]. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. June 4, 1900, 11. Accessed July 18, 2017. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/50391309/?terms=%22shore%2Bhaven%22.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney June 2, 2016.
See:
Sidewalks were the subject of early Village of Freeport board business. On January 9, 1893, village ordinances adopted included a rule that sidewalks were to be shoveled after each snowfall, were to be kept in general repair and to be kept clear of weeds and stumps. Those failing to comply were issued a $1 penalty. In April of the following year, bicycle riding on sidewalks was forbidden. In 1897, the Queens County Review remarked, "Freeport is renowned for its beautiful sidewalks, especially in muddy weather."
The Nassau Country Review, in August 1900, commented on the need for better sidewalks near the railroad station, claiming "Well paved, neatly kept sidewalks, particularly near the depot, excite interest and travelers desire to know more concerning a village where such conditions prevail." The following November, property owners with broken sidewalks were notified by the Village that if they did not repair their sidewalks, "that the work would be done by the village and be charged against the property."
In 1916, village residents voted in favor of spending $1,500 on the construction of 20 miles of granitoid sidewalks in Freeport.
Axel S. Johnson, who ran a sidewalk construction business (Johnson's Cement Walks) at 128 North Main Street, received many of the contracts to construct sidewalks in Freeport.
Sources:
A. S. Johnson [advertisement]. Nassau County Review. December 08, 1911, 2. Accessed May 25, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1911-12-08/ed-1/seq-2/.
Cacciatore, Anna Jean. The Village of Freeport, New York The Municipal Government In Its Formative Years, 1892-1897. Uniondale: NY, Hofstra University, 1961.
"Freeport Ruling Makes Sidewalks Compulsory Now." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. October 30, 1927, 114. Accessed May 25, 2017. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/57395716/?terms=%22Ormond%2BPark%22%2Bfreeport.
"Local." Queens County Review. January 22, 1897, 3. Accessed May 25, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071432/1897-01-22/ed-1/seq-3/
"Must Fix Sidewalks." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle." November 12, 1900, 9. Accessed May 25, 2017. https://www.newspapers.com/image/50362362/?terms=sidewalks%2Bfreeport.
"Sidewalks." Nassau County Review. August 17, 1900, 1. Accessed May 25, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1900-08-17/ed-1/seq-3/.
"Twenty Miles of Sidewalks." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. April 16, 1916, 40. Accessed May 25, 2017. https://www.newspapers.com/image/55354578/?terms=sidewalks%2Bfreeport.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 9, 2017.
Abraham Siegel (1894-1966) was owner of A. Siegel and Co., a paint store located at 99 South Main Street. Siegel moved to Freeport from Greenpoint, Brooklyn in 1916 at the age of 22. That same year he founded A. Siegel and Co. as a paint and wallpaper store that was originally located at 81 South Main Street. The store opened on January 29, 1916. J. Wesley Miller joined the company in 1919 after selling his own decorating and painting business.
In 1923, Siegel helped found the The Freeport Federal Savings and Loan Association, which later became the South Shore Federal Savings and Loan Association. For the first 10 years of its existence, the bank operated out of the paint store.
Siegel married Martha (nee Goldstein) in 1916; the couple resided at 211 Pine Street with their three children.
The Leader once referred to Siegel as "Mr. Freeport" due to his many affiliations with many local clubs and organizations. He was involved in the founding of Congregation B'nai Israel and served as a trustee. He organized the Justice Lodge of B'nai B'rith. Siegel was a charter member of the Freeport Chamber of Commerce. He was a life member of the Elks Club and Sunrise Masonic Lodge. Siegel served as Freeport parks commissioner from 1936 to 1948. He was also the founder and a past president of the Paint Dealers' Institution of America. In 1959, he became the Massapequa Chamber of Commerce president.
Siegel died at the age of 72 at Nassau Nursing Home.
Click here for images related to Abraham Siegel.
Sources:
"Abe Siegel Will Become Massapequa Chamber of Commerce President." The Leader. June 18, 1959, 1. Accessed August 14, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1959-06-18/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Announcement." Nassau County Review. December 5, 1919, 1. Accessed August 14, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1919-12-05/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Abraham Siegel, at 72; LI Banking Executive." Newsday. September 6, 1966, 57.
"Freeport." Nassau County Review." January 28, 1916, 1. Accessed August 14, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1916-01-28/ed-1/seq-1/.
Vasil, Eddie. "News in Views." The Leader. June 11, 1964, 4. Accessed August 14, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1964-06-11/ed-1/seq-4/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, August 15, 2018.
Charles Anthony Sigmond (1881-1963) was a real estate agent who developed most of Russell Park. He also built the Sigmond Opera House on South Main Street. Sigmond married Natta Stromberg, the widow of John Stromberg. He operated a hotel at Point Lookout and was a social manager at the Fountain Inn in Lynbrook. Sigmond was a charter member of the Freeport Elks Club ,as well as served for six years as a Village trustee. He was a member of Wide Awake Engine Company. He lived with his second wife, Edith, at 63 Jay Street.
Click here for images related to Charles Sigmond.
Sources:
"Fire Department Elections Held." Nassau County Review. April 10, 1908, 1. Accessed December 14, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1908-04-10/ed-1/seq-1/.
Krieg, Cynthia J. and Regina G. Feeney. Freeport. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2012.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 14, 2016.
Sigmond Opera House opened on February 6, 1909 and was known for its first-class vaudeville acts and, later, motion pictures. Located on South Main Street, it was owned by Charles A. Sigmond. The theater featured six dressing rooms and retiring rooms located upstairs. It had a green and gold interior and featured two boxes located on either side of the stage. The theater could seat 1,000 people. The building featured a two-story front entrance that was in the shape of a horseshoe.
In 1912, the Sigmond Opera House became the Colonial Theatre. The following year, the theater was purchased by D. S. Dubroff of Brooklyn and was renamed the American Theatre. The building burned down on October 31, 1923. At the time of its destruction, the theater was owned by Mark Levy and Michael Hirschal.
Click here for material related to the Sigmond Opera House.
See Also:
Sources:
"Freeport American Theatre Burned to the Ground." The Daily Review. January 31, 1924, 1. Accessed January 17, 2018. fultonhistory.org.
"Friday, October 3, 1912." Nassau County Review. October 3, 1912, 8. Accessed January 17, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1913-10-03/ed-1/seq-8/
Krieg, Cynthia J. and Regina G. Feeney. Freeport. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2012.
Sigmond Opera House [advertisement]. Nassau County Review. January 22, 1909, 8. Accessed January 2, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1909-01-22/ed-1/seq-8/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, January 17, 2018.
Sigmond Street was named for Charles Sigmond who was involved in real estate and was a Village trustee. He also owned the Sigmond Opera House located on Main Street.
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, May 28, 2016.
Sigmond Lane became St. Marys Place in 1916.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 18, 2016.
Harvay D. Sinkler was the relocation director for the Freeport Urban Renewal Agency beginning in the late 1960s. Sinkler attended South Carolina College and the Farmingdale Agricultural Institute. In 1952, she opened an employment agency at her home at 17 St. John's Place. For 12 years, the Harvay D. Sinkler Employment Agency specialized in domestic, catering, mechanical, and sales jobs. That same year, Sinkler was appointed to the celebration committee for the 60th anniversary of the incorporation of the Village of Freeport.
Sinkler served on the executive board of the PTA in Freeport and Roosevelt and was a founder of the United Action Front in Freeport. She also sat on the executive board of the Economic Opportunity Council, and was a member of the East Central Civic Organization and the Neighborhood Civic League.
In 1961, the Central Nassau Club of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Clubs, Inc., presented Sinkler with their Human Relations Award. Sinkler was honored for work on the Freeport Housing Project and with church, civic, P.T.A., and other community organizations. In the 1950s, when public schools closed in Prince Edward County, VA, rather than integrate them, many black children were left with no schools to attend. Sinkler was part of a group of Long Islanders, who along with the South Nassau Unitarian Church in Freeport, collected school supplies for these disenfranchised African American students.
Sources:
"Mrs Harvey (sic) Sinkler Presented Human Relations Award." The Leader. June 22, 1961, 9. Accessed February 3, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1961-06-22/ed-1/seq-9/.
"Mrs. Sinkler Opening Employment Bureau." The Leader. September 18, 1952, 3. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1952-09-18/ed-1/seq-3/.
"Source of Supply." Newsday. January 16, 1961, 23.
"Village Profile: Urban Renewal Relocation Director." Village News. January, 1969, 4. Accessed February 4, 2018. https://cdm16694.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15281coll12/id/17405/rec/4.
"Village to Observe Its 60th Anniversary." The Leader. September 11, 1952, 3. Accessed February 3, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1952-09-11/ed-1/seq-3/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, February 1, 2018.
Dr. Curtis T. Skeete (1890-1977) was one of the first African Americans to practice medicine in Nassau County. Skeete was born in Barbados, attended Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, and graduated medical school at Tufts University in 1925. Three years later, Skeete opened a medical practice in Freeport.
Skeete later moved to eastern Long Island and became affiliated with Southampton Hospital and Central Suffolk Hospital in Riverhead. In order to help African American migrant workers, Skeete helped organize the eastern Long Island branch of the NAACP in 1946. He served as president of this organization until 1952.
Skeete and his wife, Myrtle, moved to Riverhead in 1942.
Sources:
Curtis T. Skeete [obituary]. Newsday. July 24, 1977. 27.
Domatob, Jerry Komia. African Americans of Western Long Island. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2002.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, February 5, 2018.
Slavery began on Long Island in 1654 when Nathaniel Sylvester moved from Barbados to Shelter Island, bringing with him enslaved people. By 1695, nearly half of the 2,100 enslaved people in New York lived on Long Island.
In 1657, English Quaker leader George Fox began calling for the outlaw of slavery. By 1783, most Quakers on Long Island had freed their slaves. New York State began to abolish slavery in 1799. Legislation granted freedom when they reached the age of 28; female slaves were freed at the age of 25. A 1817 New York State law ended slavery 10 years later in 1827.
Primary documents about enslaved people in Freeport have yet to be uncovered. However, there is anecdotal material about slavery in what is now Freeport. In the recollections of Freeporter Daniel Tredwell, he described a family manuscript he remembers seeing as a child. The “Old Farm Diary,” as it was called by the Tredwell family, was written between 1720-1744. According to Tredwell, the manuscript mentioned the names of enslaved people who lived on his family's homestead (near Milburn Pond today). Tredwell also recalled a building on the family property that he described as the “old slave quarters.”
Another source indicating potential slavery in Freeport can be found in unpublished research by Village Historian, Clinton E. Metz. While researching a mill at the head of the Freeport River, Metz found evidence that a former owner of the mill did have slaves. Around 1780, Merrick-born Stephen Hewlett was owner of the mill and according to the 1790 census, Hewlett had eight enslaved people. However, is not known if any of these enslaved people ever worked in the Freeport mill.
Freeport had at least two residents who had been formerly enslaved in the South; Sarah A Myers and Henderson McLean.
See Also:
Sources:
Griswold, Mac K. The Manor: Three Centuries at a Slave Plantation on Long Island. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2013.
Koenig, Melissa. "How Slavery Changed the Face of Long Island," LI Herald.com. November 27, 2019. Accessed March 1, 2023. https://www.liherald.com/stories/how-slavery-changed-the-face-of-long-island,120342.
Wagner, Stephen. Slavery on Long Island. Hofstra University (n.d.). Accessed March 1, 2023. https://www.hofstra.edu/pdf/library/libspc_soli.pdf.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, March 2, 2023.
Slocum's Boatyard was established by Henry M. Slocum (1913-1953) at 200 Woodcleft Avenue. In 1937, the boatyard launched a 29-foot thin-keeled sailing sloop owned by Norman C. Bates. The sloop, christened the Pagan, took the boatyard 18 months to construct.
During World War II, Slocum made life rafts and life saving equipment in a plant located Newberryport, MA. He is often erroneously credited with inventing the Mae West life jacket; however, he did receive a patent in 1942 for a battery powered red light that attached to life jackets and served as a signal beacon, which undoubtedly saved countless lives. His wartime inventions made him very wealthy.
In 1946, Slocum started Slocum Industries, Inc. at 195 Woodcleft Avenue. His showroom sold outboard motors, parts and accessories, as well bicycles and scooters for children. He had a home on Pennsylvania Avenue in Freeport, as well as one in Oakdale, NY.
Slocum was part of a famous trio of motorboat racing champions from Freeport, the other members of which were bandleader Guy Lombardo and marine engine designer and seller, Joseph Van Blerck, Jr.
After a reversal of fortune, Slocum took his own life at the age of 40. He is buried in Greenfield Cemetery, Uniondale, NY.
Sources:
Krieg, Cynthia J. Freeport's Nautical Mile Historical Sites [unpublished].
"Sailing Sloop Hits the Waves." Nassau Daily Review-Star. July 28, 1937,5. Accessed August 31, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031113/1937-07-28/ed-1/seq-5/.
"Slocum Found Dead In Oakdale Garage." The Leader. June 25, 1953, 1. Accessed September 3, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1953-06-25/ed-1/seq-1/.
Slocum Industries. Inc. [advertisement]. Nassau Daily Review-Star. May 24, 1946, 25. Accessed September 3, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031113/1946-05-24/ed-1/seq-25/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, April 20, 2021.
Captain Abram Bedell Smith (1856-1945), better known as Captain Abe Smith, was born in Brooklyn but lived most of his life in Freeport. For many years he was associated with the oyster industry, a lucrative business at the turn of the century. Later, Smith became the manager of the Prospect Gun Club on Meadow Island.
In later years, Captain Bedell was known for his gatherings of old timers at his "Old Oyster House" located on Hanse Avenue.
Smith was married to Henrietta (nee Pearsall) (1859-1937) for 61 years. The couple lived at 29 Bedell Street and had seven children: Mervin, Harold L., Stanley, Clifford, Clyde, Elizabeth (Brower), and Gladys (Briggs).
Smith died a few months before his 90th birthday. He is buried with his wife in Greenfield Cemetery, Uniondale, NY.
See Also:
Click here for images related to Captain Abe Smith.
Sources:
"Freeport Old Timer Dies in 89th Year." Nassau Daily Review-Star. December 8, 1945, 17. Accessed June 13, 2022. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031113/1945-12-08/ed-1/seq-17/.
Hanning, Leo P. "March Holds No Terrors for Cap'n Smith." Newsday. March 24, 1945, 2.
"Mrs. Abram B. Smith." Nassau Daily Review-Star. October 21, 1937, 29. Accessed June 13, 2022. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031113/1937-10-21/ed-1/seq-29/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 13, 2022.
Smith & Bedell was a drug store located at the intersection of South Main Street and Church Street on what was previously the site of Freeport's first school house. It was opened by Charles P. Smith (1871-1965) around 1890. Smith later formed a partnership with Charles W. Bedell (circa 1865-1908) and the store would later become Smith & Bedell. In February 1908, the store was chartered by the State Department of New York and was reported to have $10,000 in capital stock. In addition to Smith and Bedell, V. W. Smith of Far Rockaway was named as a director. The store introduced new features such as an ice cream counter and sold medical equipment.
On July 4, 1902, the cannon "Trubia," a Spanish-American War trophy, was dedicated by Freeport's Grand Army of the Republic. It was installed in front of the Smith & Bedell store.
In 1922, ownership of Smith & Bedell was taken over by G. Watson. In an advertisement, the establishment was said to be Freeport's oldest drug store. In the 1940s, the drug store was known as Schlesinger Pharmacy.
Click here for images of Smith & Bedell.
See Also:
Sources:
Charles W. Bedell obituary. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. April 15, 1908. Accessed November 24, 2017. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/53801030/?terms=%22Charles%2Bw.%2BBedell%22.
Krieg, Cynthia J. and Regina G. Feeney. Freeport. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2012.
"Queens and Nassau." South Side Signal. July 19, 1902, 2. Accessed November 24. 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031038/1902-07-19/ed-1/seq-2/.
Smith & Bedell [advertisement]. Daily Review. April 28, 1922, 3. Accessed November 24, 2017. fultonhistory.com.
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg and Regina G. Feeney, November 24, 2017.
Smith & Post sold Buick automobiles in 1928. The dealership was located at 10 East Merrick Road.
Source:
Voyageur, 1928 (Freeport High School Yearbook).
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 27, 2016.
B. T. Smith managed the Central Hotel in Freeport in the 1880s. He was also an early postmaster in Freeport.
Click here for images related to B. T. Smith.
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.
Charles D. Smith established the Queens County Review in 1895. After the formation of Nassau County in 1899, the newspaper became the Nassau County Review. Smith sold the paper to Smith Pearsall for $200 in 1902.
Smith also owned a shoe store, had an interest in real estate, and was a member of the Freeport Board of Education in the 1900s. Smith lived at 191 West Merrick Road.
See Also:
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.
Hodges, Arthur Lewis. Long Island's Greatest Newspaper. NY: Nassau Daily Review, 1931.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 30, 2016.
Updated by Regina G. Feeney, June 13, 2023.
Clifton Smith graduated Freeport High School in 1999. He attended Syracuse University. Smith played linebacker and fullback for the Washington Redskins (2003) and Cleveland Browns (2006).
Source:
Voyageur, 1999 (Freeport High School Yearbook).
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 16, 2016.
Clifton B. Smith (1903-1996) was a long serving member of the Freeport School Board of Education. Born in Brooklyn, Smith moved to Freeport at the age of three. After graduating Freeport High School in 1922, he was hired as an account executive at the Francis I. duPont investment firm in Hempstead. Smith retired from the firm in 1970. He co-founded the New York Securities Traders Association, and also served as its treasurer.
Smith served on the Freeport School Board of Education from 1936 to 1957. He was a member of the Spartan Lodge F. & A.M., Southwest Civic Association, Rotary Club, Freeport Fire Department, Freeport Exempt Firemen's Association, and trustee of Hose Co. #4.
Smith died at the age of 93 at the Masonic Home in Utica, NY. He is buried in Greenfield Cemetery, Uniondale, NY.
Source:
"Clifton B. Smith, 93, Served on Freeport School Board." Newsday. November 29, 1996, A85.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, November 9, 2019.
The Smith Family Cemetery was established by George Smith in the nineteenth century. This private family cemetery was located on Merrick Road just west of Guy Lombardo Avenue. The burial area was about 50 x 500 feet in size and included about 25 internments. On the west-center of the plot was an apple tree under which George Smith and his wife, Amy, were buried. George died on January 5, 1865 at the age of 83; Amy died later that year on March 5 at 82 years of age. The cemetery included simple tombstones with each deceased person's name, age, and date of death inscribed. Others buried here were: Lemuel, Oliver, Carman, Willett, Benjamin, Amy, Elizabeth, and Millicent; Velina Caxton (d. 1859, age 16) – stepdaughter of Oliver Smith; George D. Smith and his wife, Alice Ann; Jacob Smith (George's brother); Valentine L. Smith (d. 1894) and Clara and Amy – daughters of Alfred and Lydia Ann De Mott. Other burials were unmarked. [Please note: since there was no official records for this cemetery, names and dates have not been verified and may differ from source to source].
The Smith Family Cemetery eventually became part of Carman Cornelius' property. The land was purchased by Henry L. Crandall in 1900 and the bodies relocated to Greenfield Cemetery.
Sources:
"Local." Nassau County Review. March 30, 1900, 3. Accessed January 24, 2020. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1900-03-30/ed-1/seq-3/.
"No Room for Their Dead." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. March 25, 1900, 6. Accessed January 9, 2017. http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/50385249/?terms=smith%2Bburial%2B%22Velina%2BCaxton%22.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, January 9, 2016.
Updated by Regina G. Feeney, January 24. 2020.
,
Franklin P. Smith operated a dry goods and grocery store in Freeport during the 1860s and into the 1880s. The store was located at the northwest corner of Main Street and Merrick Road.
Click here for images related to Franklin P. Smith.
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.
George Bennett Smith (1870-1945) (also known as G. Bennett Smith) was born in East Rockaway. He was associated with the automobile industry in Freeport.
In the late 1890s, Smith was a competitive cyclist and competed in many events along Merrick Road. He was also president of the Freeport Bicycle Club. Smith won second prize in a one-third mile race at Madison Square Garden. Smith's interest in bicycles developed as he grew up in Bellmore. He would cycle between Bellmore and his uncle's grist mill near Wantagh, often racing the Long Island Rail Road trains. In 1895, he broke a New York State record by riding five miles in 12 minutes and 18 seconds on a six lap track at the New York Polo Grounds.
In 1896, Smith owned the Freeport Bowling Alley located at "Van Riper's Block" (on South Main Street, probably near Pine Street). The following year, he was sold, rented, and repaired bicycles from this location. Smith also managed the Freeport Athletic League as well as organized and managed its baseball team, which won the South Side League championship in 1904. He was able to secure the championship by convincing four players from the New York Giants, including famed pitcher Joe McGinnity, to play for Freeport.
It is believed that Smith owned the first automobile in Freeport, a White Steamer. In 1900, it was reported that Smith drove to Brooklyn, a distance of 25 miles. The trip, that included several stops, took one hour and 45 minutes. Smith may have been the first automobile distributor on Long Island, outside New York City.
A 1907 advertisement shows G. Bennett Smith's Fulton Street (now Merrick Road) store selling Edison phonographs and Columbia gramophones. Beginning in 1907, Smith sold Fords, Studebakers, and Cadillacs.
Smith's Freeport Garage was located at 23 East Merrick Road (at the corner of Henry Street). Behind this location, Smith ran a gas station with a machine shop, a repair department, and a body, tire, and paint shop.
Beginning in 1937, Smith worked for the maintenance division of the Nassau County Department of Buildings. Smith was a member of the Freeport Elks Club, South Shore Yacht Club, the Freeport Republican Club, the Freeport Exchange Club, and the Freeport Methodist Church. He was also a director of Citizens' National Bank.
Smith lived at 153 South Long Beach Avenue with his wife, May. They had a son, George, and a daughter, Jona. Smith died in his 75th year and is buried in Greenfield Cemetery, Uniondale, NY.
Click here for materials related to G. Bennett Smith.
See Also:
Sources:
"The Cycle Path." Queens County Review. September 4, 1896, 2. Accessed April 18, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071432/1896-09-04/ed-1/seq-2/.
Freeport Bowling Alley [advertisement]. Queens County Review. December 4, 1896, 2. Accessed April 17, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071432/1896-12-04/ed-1/seq-2/.
Freeport Bowling Alley [advertisement]. Queens County Review. February 12, 1897, 2. Accessed April 17, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071432/1897-02-12/ed-1/seq-2/.
G. Bennett Smith [advertisement]. The Student. January-February 1907, 28.
G. Bennett Smith bicycles [advertisement]. Queens County Review. April 9, 1897, 2. Accessed April 17. 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071432/1897-04-09/ed-1/seq-2/.
"George B. Smith, Car Dealer 40 Years." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. October 20, 1945, 8. Accessed April 18, 2019. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/52851343/?terms=george%2Bbennett%2Bsmith.
"G. Bennett Smith -- Sportsman of 30 Years Ago." The Nassau Daily Review. January 2, 1937, 9. Accessed April 18, 2019. fultonhistory.com.
"Local." Queens County Review. December 10, 1897, 3. Accessed April 17, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071432/1897-12-10/ed-1/seq-3/.
Krieg, Cynthia J. and Regina G. Feeney. Freeport. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2012.
"Queens and Nassau." South Side Signal. September 24, 1904, 2. Accessed April 17, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031038/1904-09-24/ed-1/seq-2/.
"Queens Borough." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. December 4, 1900. Accessed April 12, 2019. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/50363990/?terms=%22bennett%2Bsmith%22%2Bfreeport.
"To Discuss Base Ball." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. March 24, 1904, 10. Accessed April 12, 2019. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/53411003/?terms=%22g.%2Bbennett%2Bsmith%22.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, April 18, 2019.
George D. Smith managed a hotel in Freeport in the 1880s.
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.
Hale Smith (1925-2009) was a jazz pianist and classical composer. Born in Cleveland, OH in 1925, he studied piano at the age of seven and played the mellophone in his high school band. At 16, his musical talent attracted the interest of Duke Ellington. He was drafted in the Army in 1943 and began arranging music for touring shows in Florida and Georgia.
After leaving the military, Smith studied piano with Dorothy Price and composition with Marcel Dick at the Cleveland Institute of Music. He earned a bachelor’s degree in 1950 and a master’s in 1952. In 1958, Smith came to New York and was active as a music editor for music publishers, as a jazz arranger, and as a teacher.
Smith became the founding chairman Smith of the Freeport Arts Council (later the Long Island Arts Council at Freeport) an organization organized in 1974 to encourage cultural activities among students and community members across Long Island. Smith was a professor at C.W. Post and the University of Connecticut. He retired from teaching in 1984.
Smith said of himself, “I’m one of America’s most famous unknown composers.” His compositions have been played by the Detroit Symphony, Louisville Orchestra, National Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Cincinnati Symphony and the Royal Philharmonic. Smith worked with jazz greats Dizzy Gillespie and Chico Hamilton. He and his wife Juanita moved to Freeport in 1963. He died in 2009.
See Also:
Long Island Arts Council at Freeport
Source:
Hale Smith Obituary. Newsday. December 1, 2009, A44.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 16, 2016.
Updated by Regina G. Feeney, May 1, 2023.
Hiram Raynor Smith (1860-1925) was born in Merrick and was a member of one of the oldest Smith families on Long Island. His parents were Nelson H. and Catherine Smart Smith. He was educated at the Freeport Academy and went to a business college in Brooklyn. When he returned to Freeport, he worked in his father's general store. He went to New York and became a partner with George B. Raynor in the flour, grain, and commission business. Smith became a member of the Produce Exchange. He traveled extensively through the west for business. In 1890, at the formation of the Bank of Rockville Centre, Mr. Smith was made the cashier and worked his way up to president of the bank. He married his wife Carrie (1859-1949) in 1892.
Smith was a chief of the Excelsior Hook and Ladder Company, superintendent of the Sunday school at the Methodist Church, and served on the board of education. As president of the school board, he laid the cornerstone for the new public school on Pine Street in 1893. In 1901, he was commodore of the Hempstead Bay Yacht Club, which was located on Elder Island. Additionally, he was a member of the Methodist Church, the Osceola Council of the Odd Fellows, a charter member of the Order of Good Templars and owned one of the largest yachts in the HBYC fleet.
He was part of the committee involved in the incorporation of Freeport and he served as Village president from 1906 to 1907. He was also instrumental in the development of the Milburn Country Club, which was located in northwest Freeport. Smith’s name is on the charter of the Freeport Public Library (later the Freeport Memorial Library) because of his involvement in the founding of this institution. Finally, he was the supervisor of the Town of Hempstead.
Smith collapsed and died while giving historical recollections to the Bank of Rockville Centre Trust Company.
Smith lived on North Bergen Place. He and wife are buried in Greenfield Cemetery, Uniondale, NY.
Click here for images related to Hiram R. Smith.
See Also:
Sources:
"Hiram R. Smith Drops Dead at Bank Exercises." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. January 2, 1926, 22. Accessed November 30, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/57545510/?terms=Hiram%2BSmith.
"Hundreds in Tribute at Service to Supervisor Hiram R. Smith." The Hempstead Sentinel. January 7, 1926, 26.
Krieg, Cynthia J. and Regina G. Feeney. Freeport. Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2012.
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg and Regina G. Feeney, June 27, 2016.
Updated by Regina G. Feeney, November 30, 2018.
J. H. Smith owned a harness shop in Freeport during the 1880s.
Click here for images related to Smith's Harness store.
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.
Nelson H. Smith operated a dry goods and grocery store in Freeport during the 1880s. The store was located on the south side of Fulton Avenue (now Merrick Road). His son was Hiram R. Smith, who was the sixth president (mayor) of Freeport.
Click here for images related to Nelson H. Smith.
See Also:
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.
Olive Post Smith (1903-1993) was the daughter of Jacob Post who was an early developer of Freeport and president of three local banks. The "Olive Building" at the intersection of Sunrise Highway and South Main Street is named for her. Olive Post was a graduate of Adelphi College, where she was a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority. She had studied law at Cornell University and taught kindergarten, mostly at the Grove Street and Bayview Avenue schools. When she married George Porter Smith, a concert violinist and a founder and conductor of the Nassau Philharmonic Orchestra, her father gave her a fieldstone French style house on Lena and West Woodbine Avenues as a wedding present. Olive Smith took over the Jacob Post Real Estate firm after her father’s death in 1964. She had a summer home in Lake George, belonged to the Lake George Association, and worked on behalf of preservation of the Adirondacks. She died at the age of 90 in 1993 and is buried in Greenfield Cemetery.
Click here for images related to Olive Post Smith.
See Also:
Source:
"Obituaries." The Leader. August 5, 1993, 14.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 18, 2016
Raynor Rock Smith (1785-1869) was a native of Freeport who risked his life to rescue eight persons from a ship named the Mexico, which was wrecked near Long Beach on January 2, 1837. Captain Smith, along with his sons, dragged his boat from Raynortown (now Freeport) and across the bay. Tragically, 112 people, most of whom were Irish immigrants, perished due to the wreck of the Mexico. The victims are buried in a mass grave in the Rockville Cemetery.
Captain Smith's heroism was rewarded with a gift of $350 and a silver tankard with an inscription that read:
"PRESENTED TO RAYNOR ROCK SMITH, OF HEMPSTEAD SOUTH, LONG ISLAND.
BY A NUMBER OF HIS FELLOW CITIZENS, OF THE FIFTH WARD, OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK,
AS A TOKEN OF REGARD FOR HIS NOBLE DARING, PERFORMED AT THE PERIL OF HIS LIFE,
IN THE SAVING OF EIGHT PERSONS FROM THE WRECK OF THE "MEXICO" ON THE SECOND OF JANUARY, 1837."
Captain Smith is buried in Greenfield Cemetery, Uniondale, NY.
The Freeport Recreation Center, located 130 East Merrick Road, is known as the Raynor Rock Smith Building.
See Also:
Sources:
"The Drowned of the Mexico." The Long-Island Star." January 9, 1837, 3. Accessed November 16, 2016. https://bhs.newspapers.com/image/118040319/?terms=mexico.
"Encouragement to Bravery and Humanity." The Long-Island Star. February 2, 1837, 2. Accessed November 16, 2016. https://bhs.newspapers.com/image/118040396/?terms=raynor%2Br.%2Bsmith.
"Frightful Shipwreck." The Long-Island Star." January 12, 1837, 2. Accessed November 16, 2016. https://bhs.newspapers.com/image/118040330/?terms=%22raynor%2Br.%2Bsmith%22.
Mattson, Arthur S. Water and Ice: The Tragic Wrecks of the Bristol and the Mexico on the South Shore of Long Island. Lynbrook, NY: Lynbrook Historical Society, 2009.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, November 5, 2016.
Samuel Rock Smith (1862-1931) was a prominent businessman and civic leader in Freeport. Born in Merrick, to Carman and Ruthella Smith, he was educated at the Freeport Academy, the Rockville Centre Institute, and New York University. He began his career working for the newspaper, the South Side Observer in Rockville Centre. At the age of 20, he went to North Dakota where he started a store and later a bank. After returning to Long Island, he founded the Far Rockaway Bank in 1888 which eventually became the Bank of Long Island.
Smith was an outspoken opponent of the trolleys in Freeport. When a crew from the Freeport Railway Company came to a street adjacent to his property around midnight in April 1913, Smith drove to Jamaica to obtain a temporary injunction from Supreme Court Justice J.C. Van Siclen. He returned home at 4 a.m. and stopped the construction.
Smith married Ella Boynton (1862-1930) in 1885. They had two children, Harold W. and Marjorie After his first wife died, he married Edna Wallace Stong (1888-1965) in 1931.
For many years Smith served as president of the Freeport school board and as chairman of the Freeport Memorial Library Committee that helped raise funds to build the original library building.
Smith was a member of the Methodist Church, the Spartan Lodge, Sons of the Revolution, and the Hempstead Bay Yacht Club.
Smith died in a Brooklyn hospital at the age of 69. At the time of his death, his estate was worth $500,000.
Click here for images related to Samuel R. Smith.
See Also:
Sources:
"His Midnight Order Stops Trolley Work." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. April 28, 1913, 4. Accessed October 13, 2020. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/54233062/?terms=%22his%2Bmidnight%2Border%22.
Samuel R. Smith [obituary]. The Nassau Daily Review. September 30, 1931, 6. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071428/1931-09-30/ed-1/seq-6/.
"Samuel R. Smith, L.I. Banker, Dies In His 70th Year." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. September 28, 1931, 3. Accessed October 13, 2020. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/57577383/?terms=Samuel%2BR.%2Bsmith%2Bdies.
"Samuel R. Smith Rites Thursday." The Nassau Daily Review. September 29, 1931, 1. Accessed October 13, 2020. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071428/1931-09-29/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Smith Will Filed Totals $500,000." The Nassau Daily Review. October 27, 1931, 3. Accessed December 3, 2020. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071428/1931-10-27/ed-1/seq-3/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 3, 2020.
T. Benson Smith (1880-1928) was a Freeport postmaster and a local real estate broker.
Smith was a descendant of the Rock Smith family and was born on October 28,1880 in Freeport to George B. and Mary (nee Flynn) Smith. Educated in the Freeport schools, Smith took law courses at New York University. Soon after, he engaged himself in Freeport's real estate business. In 1905, Smith married Virginia E. Smith. The couple had two children: George G. and Virginia M. The family made their home at 69 Lena Avenue.
In 1912, Smith organized the Freeport Ice and Fuel Corporation. Four years later, Smith became secretary and treasurer of the Stephen P. Pettit Corporation, which was a real estate company.
Smith was an organizer of the Citizens National Bank and also served as the bank's director. He was a member of the Freeport Elks Club. Smith, identified as a "staunch Democrat", served as chairman of the Nassau County Democratic Party.
Smith died at Saranac Lake, NY at the age of 48 after a prolonged illness. He is buried in Greenfield Cemetery, Uniondale, NY.
See Also:
Sources:
"Former Postmaster of Freeport Dies." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. May 28, 1928, 19. Accessed June 12, 2017. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/59999066/?terms=%22T.%2Bbenson%2Bsmith%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.
T. Benson Smith Obituary. The New York Times. May 29, 1928, 25.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 12, 2017.
Walter R. Smith (1851-1925) was a boat builder in Freeport. His father, William Rock Smith, was a pioneering boat builder in Freeport and his paternal grandfather was Raynor Rock Smith (1785-1869).
In 1887, Smith built two oyster boats, one for Richard Bedell and the other for Smith & Rider of Freeport. That same year, he began construction of a 30 ton capacity sloop for his father.
Smith filed a lawsuit against the City of Brooklyn after a pond on his property dried up in 1894, 1895, and 1896. Smith used this pond for boat building and harvesting ice in the winter. The siphoning of water from the pond was done by the Brooklyn Water Works. Smith was eventually awarded $1,800 in damages.
In 1904, Smith added brass railings to five boats owned by William Wrightmeir of New York: The Foxy Grandpa, Emma, Norma, Carrie Gull, and Lizzie R. That same year, he overhauled the yachts Idle Hour owned by George Barber of Baldwin, and the Caribel owned by Hiram R. Smith, as well the sloop Moslen owned by the Prospect Gun Club.
Around 1906, Smith purchased the Smith family homestead from the other heirs of the estate of William R. Smith. The homestead included land located at Seaman Avenue and North Main Street leased by the Freeport Athletic Club.
See also:
Sources:
"Boat Building at Freeport." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. March 13, 1904, 47. Accessed June 5, 2019. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/53410736/?terms=%22boat%2Bbuilding%2Bat%2Bfreeport%22.
"A Young Boat Builder." Brooklyn Times Union. August 13, 1887, 1. Accessed June 18, 2019. newspapers.com.
"In Nassau County 25 Years Ago." The Nassau Daily Review. December 3, 1931, 17. Accessed June 18, 2019. fultonhistory.com.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 18, 2019.
William R. Smith (1818-1893) (also known as "Daddy Bill") was a pioneer boat builder in Freeport. His home and boatyard were located on North Main Street near Dean Street.
Smith was the youngest child of Raynor Rock Smith and his first wife, Ruth Whaley. Raynor Rock Smith, known as the hero of the Mexico, helped rescue people from this sinking ship near Long Beach.
Smith's farm was located on both sides of what is now North Main Street with Seaman Avenue on its northern boundary. His home, located on the west side of North Main Street faced south with its gabled end facing the road. The house had four chimneys and a large central hall.
It is believed that Smith established his boat building operation around 1875; the Mary R, named for his wife, was the first boat he constructed. Smith's boatyard was located on the east side of North Main Street, opposite his home. Though more than a mile from the Freeport River, this location was close to woods that gave Smith a supply of the white oak lumber he used to build his boats, sloops, and schooners. It was said that he soaked his lumber in water for periods up to a year, which made the wood pliable when wet and extremely hard once it dried. It was also reported that the bowsprits of Smith's ships reached into the road. When completed, boats were moved down Main Street using cradles, planks, rollers, grease, ropes, and horses. It would take several days to move the boats to Freeport River where they were floated during high tide.
The ships Smith built included: the Democrat, Annie R., Enterprise, and Walter R. In 1946, the Enterprise and Annie R. were still in use.
In addition to ships, Smith constructed wagons. He built two open wagons, both of which seated two people, in 1888.
Around 1908, some of the Smith property was sold to William G. Miller and Valentine G. Walters for development.
Around 1911, part of Smith's property was purchased by the Columbian Brass Foundry (later, the Columbian Bronze Company). Columbian Bronze was said to have used part of the old barn that was located on the Smith's boat building property. 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.
Click here for images related to William R. Smith.
See Also:
Sources:
"Freeport Notes." Brooklyn Times Union. February 24, 1888, 1. Accessed June 18, 2019. newspapers.
Smith, Julian Denton. "Freeport's Earlier Days" [speech given to the Exchange Club]. June 9, 1971.
Metz, Clinton E. "Yesteryear." The Leader. October 2, 1969, 9. Accessed May 13, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1969-10-02/ed-1/seq-9/.
Metz, Clinton E. "Yesteryear." The Leader. September 18, 1969, 3. Accessed June 4, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1969-09-18/ed-1/seq-3/.
Metz, Clinton E. "Yesteryear." The Leader. October 2, 1969, 9. Accessed June 4, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1969-10-02/ed-1/seq-9/.
"William Rock Smith's." The Sentinel. October 19, 1893, n.p. Accessed June 4, 2019. fultonhistory.com.
"A Vanishing Landmark." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. January 4, 1908, 17. Accessed May 15, 2019. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/53877651/?terms=vanishing%2Blandmark.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 29, 2019.
Snake Alley was an unofficial name given to a street most likely located in the Bennington Park section of Freeport. Walter Whittaker, a Freeporter who died in France during World War I, listed his address as "Snake Allie' [sic] on his draft card. Notice of his death was sent to his mother at an Alexander Avenue address. Reference was also made to Snake Alley in the newspaper report of a self inflicted shooting by a 28 year old painter by the name of William Vogel. In the news article, Snake Alley was said to be "east of the village."
See Also:
Source:
"Police Say Vogel Shot Accidently." The Nassau Post. May 04, 1917, 1. Accessed July 13, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071434/1917-05-04/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Walter Whittaker." World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Fold3.com.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, July 17, 2018.
Updated by Denise Rushton, July 23, 2018.
Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Club (also known as the Soldiers and Sailors Welfare Club) was located at 392 South Grove Street (now Guy Lombardo Avenue) at the corner of Carman Street. It opened on March 29, 1919. The club was run under the auspices of the Soldiers Welfare Association. The president of the Soldiers Welfare Association was Mary Zalzer of 101 Wallace Street.
The club was reported to be the first memorial in Nassau County to World War I veterans. All men who had seen service in wars in which the United States was involved were eligible to be members. Membership in the organization was free. Applicants were required to show their discharge papers. The club also provided rooms for returning military personnel.
The clubhouse also served as the headquarters to the Marquis de Lafayette Garrison, No. 72 Army and Navy Union. Organized under Captain W. Atwood French, the union was organized in Freeport in 1917 with the purpose of fostering "fraternal feelings between men in all branches of the [military] service."
The clubhouse was described as having 16 rooms and sat on an acre of land.
Sources:
"Capt. French Organizes Veterans of All Wars." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. February 9, 1919, 65. Accessed May 17, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/56907191/?terms=%22soldiers%2Band%2Bsailors%2Bmemorial%2Bclub%22%2Bfreeport.
"Install Officers of the New Garrison." South Side Observer and Nassau Post. April 4, 1919, 12. Accessed May 17, 2018. fultonhistory.com.
"Memorial Club Open." Nassau County Review." May 23, 1919, 1. Accessed May 17, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1919-05-23/ed-1/seq-1/.
Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Club [classified advertisement]. South Side Observer and Nassau Post. May 16, 1919, 4. Accessed May 17, 2018. fultonshistory.com.
"Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Club." Nassau County Review. December 20, 1918, 1. Accessed May 17, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1918-12-20/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Soldiers Welfare Association." Nassau County Review. March 21, 1919, 8. Accessed May 21, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1919-03-21/ed-1/seq-8/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 21, 2018.
South End Place was called Harding Court until 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.
See:
South Shore Federal Savings and Loan Association was established in 1923 as the Freeport Federal Savings and Loan Association. The bank had an office at 47 West Sunrise Highway in Freeport, as well as branches in Massapequa and East Meadow. In 1954, the Freeport Federal Savings and Loan Association officially changed its name to South Shore Federal Savings and Loan Association.
The first successful robbery of the bank took place in December 1956. The robber, claiming to have a gun, stole $4,960 from teller Joan Santamaria. In 1952, robbers attempted to safe crack the bank's main vault after cutting through a staircase. The robbers fled, leaving their tools, when they heard footsteps.
The bank's motto was "A Safe Haven for Savings", and its symbol was a sea horse.
The bank was acquired by Empire of America FSB in 1982.
Click here for images of South Shore Federal Savings and Loan Association.
Sources:
"Fast-Working Thief Gets 4Gs In Bank Heist." Newsday. December 14, 1956, 4.
"Nassau Banks Open, Plan New Branches," Newsday. November 11, 1954, 32.
South Shore Federal Savings & Loan Association [advertisement], The Leader. November 4, 1954, 31. Accessed April 24, 2017, http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1954-11-04/ed-1/seq-31/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, April 24, 2017.
South Shore Telephone Company was organized in September 1897 with a capital stock of $2,000. Its directors included: George W. Bergen, John J. Randall, William G. Miller, Henry P. Libby, William D. Carter, Charles D. Smith, and George P. Bergen. Henry P. Libby was South Shore Telephone Company's first president, George W. Bergen served as vice president, and William G. Miller was the treasurer. The company's goal was to provide telephone service for Freeport and the adjoining towns. The first switchboard was located in the tailor shop of Charles Schneider. He was paid $100 per year to serve as a telephone operator. By October, the company had 40 connections in Freeport, 30 in Rockville Centre, and 15 in Baldwin. Cost for telephone service was $15 per year. In 1903, the telephone company's lines ran from Manhattan to Montauk.
Other early switchboard operators included Sarah Combs, along with her daughters Willa (McKay) and Edith, who ran the switchboard from their house. Sarah son's, Clifford, recalled the switchboard sparking during thunder and lightning storms.
In 1906, the South Shore Telephone Company merged with its rival, the New York and New Jersey Telephone Company.
See Also:
Sources:
Metz, Clinton E. Freeport As It Was. Freeport: NY, 1976.
"Rockville Centre." Queens County Review. October 8, 1897, 3. Accessed April 17, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071432/1897-10-08/ed-1/seq-3/.
"South Shore Telephones." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. September 4, 1897, 2. Accessed April 17, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031151/1897-09-04/ed-1/seq-2/.
South Shore Telephone Co., [advertisement]. Queens County Review. October 1, 1897, 2. Accessed April 17, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071432/1897-10-01/ed-1/seq-2/.
"South Shore Telephone Co." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. December 27, 1903, 10. Accessed April 18, 2017. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/53857284/?terms=%22south%2Bshore%2Btelephone%2Bco%22.
Willa McKay Obituary. Newsday. July 8, 1982, 33A1.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, April 20, 2017.
The South Shore Yacht Club was incorporated in 1907. Its directors included Charles H. Southard, James Dean, Daniel Morrison, and Reuben Hartt. That same year, they bought 200 feet of land on the west bank of Randall Canal from John J. Randall. The club adopted a triangle flag with a white diamond on a blue field. By June 1907, the club had 105 members. Charles H. Southard was the club's first commodore. The club's tennis courts were located across the street from the clubhouse.
In August 1908, the clubhouse of the South Shore Yacht Club, was officially opened. It was located at 180 Westside Avenue.
The clubhouse was rebuilt in 1946 after a fire burned down the original building in March of 1945.
The club went bankrupt in the summer of 1973. The property was purchased by the Sea Crest Construction Corporation, owned by Fred and Joseph Scalamandre and became the Salty Bay Yacht Club. The building was destroyed by fire in 1993.
Click here for images related to the South Shore Yacht Club.
See Also:
Sources:
Nassau County Review. June 28, 1907, 1. Accessed June 20, 2018.
"New Clubhouse Opened." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. August 30, 1908, 29. Accessed June 30, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/53148865/?terms=%22south%2Bshore%2Byacht%2Bclub%22%2Bclubhouse.
"New Officers for the Chamber." The Leader. March 28, 1974, 1.
"South Shore Yacht Club." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. June 18, 1907, 23. Accessed June 20, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/57652456/?terms=%22south%2Bshore%2Byacht%2Bclub%22.
"Yachtsmen to Build." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. June 28, 1907, 24. Accessed June 20, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/57654990/?terms=%22south%2Bshore%2Byacht%2Bclub%22.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 21, 2018.
Updated by Regina G. Feeney, September 7, 2021.
South Side Baseball League (also known as the South Side Base Ball League and the South Side Base-Ball League) was organized in 1887 and included baseball clubs from the south shore of Long Island. It was said that the League's purpose was for "the improvement of the game." The original league included the following teams: Seminoles of Bellmore; Observers of Rockville Centre; Mohawks of Freeport; and Maroons of Freeport. The officers were George Wallace, President; Dr. J.H. B. Denton, Vice President; Charles Horsfall, Treasurer. The Seminoles were the first champions.
In 1888 the League reorganized with the following clubs: Athletics of Freeport; Domestics of Far Rockaway; Live Oaks of Oceanside; Observers of Rockville Centre; Resolutes of Hempstead; Seminoles of Bellmore; and Siacs of Woodhaven. The officers were: George Wallace, President; J. B. Merrell, Vice President; C. H. Haynes, Secretary; and Dr. J. H. B. Denton, Treasurer. Later in the season the Atlantics of Jamaica were admitted to the League. The Domestics won the championship in this season.
In 1889, the League agreed that the players had to reside in Queens County (there was no Nassau County until 1899). The teams included: Atheneums of Rockville Centre; Domestics of Far Rockaway; Live Oaks of Oceanside; Resolutes of Hempstead; Seminoles of Bellmore; and the Siacs of Woodhaven. Umpires for the season were: John Mutter (Woodhaven); F. Jay Bedell (Freeport); Daniel Noble (Long Island City); and J. Mulford Doxsey (Pearsalls). The Domestics won their second championship that season.
At a meeting of the league in 1899, bylaws were adopted and the matter of umpires was discussed. The league agreed that the home team would pay the umpires $2.
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle newspaper provided a $30 silver cup to the league champions.
In 1915, the teams included: Freeport; Freeport Elks; Merrick, and Rockville Centre.
See Also:
Sources:
"In Sporting Circles." Nassau County Review. March 31, 1899, 3. Accessed January 13, 2022. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1899-03-31/ed-1/seq-3/.
"Local." Nassau County Review. May 12, 1899, 3. Accessed January 13, 2022. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1899-05-12/ed-1/seq-3/.
"Local." Nassau County Review. November 16, 1900, 3. Accessed January 13, 2022. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1900-11-16/ed-1/seq-3/.
"Lost in the Box." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. April 1, 1889, 1. Accessed January 13, 2022. Newspapers.com.
"News from the Ball Players." The Sun. November 10, 1888, 3. Accessed January 13, 2022. Newspapers.com.
"South Side Base Ball League." Nassau County Review. July 14, 1899, 2. Accessed January 13, 2022. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1899-07-14/ed-1/seq-2/.
"To Begin Soon." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. March 27, 1889, 1. Accessed January 13, 2022. Newspapers.com.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, January 24, 2022.
South Side Herald was a short-lived newspaper in Freeport during the early 1920s.
See Also:
Source:
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 29, 2016.
South Side Hospital (Southside Hospital) was opened on April 19, 1909 in a house leased on South Ocean Avenue. It was described as having beautifully laid out grounds and a spacious barn for an ambulance and horses. The hospital was opened as a private sanitarium for the physicians along the south shore from Patchogue to Valley Stream. It had 30 to 40 beds.
The first patient of this institution was William Luyster of Hempstead. Dr. Lanehart served as head physician and Miss Pix was head nurse. Two other nurses included Miss Kelly and Miss Pearson. George Howard Randall, Mrs. Edwin Carman, and Mrs. Bertha Knobel were active in fundraising for this institution.
The South Side Hospital closed around 1910 after another hospital opened in Hempstead.
See Also:
Sources:
"Hospital a Surety." Nassau County Review. April 2, 1909, 1. Accessed June 14, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1909-04-02/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Hospital in Freeport?" Nassau County Review. March 26, 1909, 1. Accessed March 26, 1909, 1. http://www.nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1909-03-26/ed-1/seq-1/.
Nassau County Review. April 23, 1909, 1. Accessed June 14, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1909-04-23/ed-1/seq-1/.
"South Shore Hospital." Nassau County Review. June 25, 1909, 1. Accessed June 14, 1909. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1909-06-25/ed-1/seq-1/.
South Side Messenger. October 15, 1909, 4. Accessed June 14, 2016. http://www.nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn96083504/1909-10-15/ed-1/seq-4/.
South Side Messenger. October 22, 1909, 4. Accessed June 14, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn96083504/1909-10-22/ed-1/seq-4/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 16, 2016.
The South Side Observer was a newspaper owned by Freeporter, George Wallace. Published in Rockville Centre, this newspaper was founded between 1863 and 1865, by John H. Reed, as a four-page six-column weekly and called The Picket. In 1870, Reed sold the paper to Wallace for $400. Wallace enlarged the size of the newspaper and also changed the name of the newspaper to the South Side Observer. The first issue published under Wallace was in November 1870. The newspaper was published in Freeport for two yeas before moving back to Rockville Centre.
In 1873, Charles L. Wallace, a younger brother, was admitted to partnership in the publishing business; their company was called Wallace Brothers. The following year, George Wallace passed the editorial responsibilities to Charles. Around the early 1880s, the newspaper was enlarged to nine columns. It was the first newspaper in the Town of Hempstead to move from a hand press to a cylinder press to print its newspapers. It was Republican in politics and local in coverage.
See Also:
Source:
History of Queens County New York with Illustrations, Portraits, & Sketches of Prominent Families and Individuals. New York: W. W. Munsell & Co., 1882.
Hodges, Arthur Lewis. Long Island's Greatest Newspaper. NY: Nassau Daily Review, 1931.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 25, 2016.
South Side Railroad Company was incorporated on March 23, 1860, though much of its construction was delayed until after the Civil War. In 1866, the South Side Railroad Company began building a line from Jamaica to Rockville Centre. By 1867, the line was extended to Babylon. Beginning on May 3, 1876, this line was operated under lease to the Long Island Rail Road Company. Foreclosure of the South Side Railroad prompted its sale to Southern Rail Road Company on October 16, 1874. On March 22, 1880, the railroad was sold to the Brooklyn & Montauk Rail Road Company. This company merged with the Long Island Rail Road on October 5, 1889.
On the evening of Monday, September 23, 1867, the South Side Railroad locomotive Charles J. Fox was the first locomotive to reach Freeport. In addition to speeches and music, an arch over the railroad was constructed to welcome the locomotive. In 1872, it was reported that fourteen tons of oysters were shipped in one day from Freeport via the South Side Railroad. In August 1876, a South Side Railroad locomotive, known as the Fire Island Express, derailed near Freeport with 400 passengers. No deaths were reported.
Freeport was believed to have one of the original railroad stations, most likely constructed between 1867 and 1868.
Sources:
"The Freeport Oyster Trade." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. February 26, 1872, 4. Accessed December 14, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031151/1872-02-26/ed-1/seq-4/.
Seyfried, Vincent F. The Long Island Rail Road: A Comprehensive History, Part One. Garden City: NY, Vincent F. Seyfried, 1961.
Smith, Mildred H. Early History of the Long Island Railroad; 1834-1900. Uniondale, NY: Salisbury, 1958.
"South Side Railroad." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. August 26, 1873, 4. Accessed December 9, 2016. http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/50390650/?terms=freeport.
"South Side Railroad." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. September 24, 1867, 3. Accessed December 14, 2016. http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/50504912/?terms=%22south%2Bside%22%2Bfreeport.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 14, 2016.
Southard & Moore was an undertaker located at 24 West Merrick Road in 1913. The firm was established in 1909 by Charles C. Moore of Freeport and John Southard of Seaford and Brooklyn. Southard & Moore buried Freeport World War I casualty William F. Downs after his remains were returned to the United States in 1921.
Obituaries mentioning Southard & Moore stop after 1926.
Sources:
The Montauk Business Directory of Long Island: Queens, Nassau and Suffolk Counties. New York: Mort F. Levy Publishing Co., Inc., 1913.
"Pay Last Honors to Sergt, Downs." The Daily Review. May 31, 1921, 1. Accessed January 24, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071431/1921-05-31/ed-1/seq-1/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, October 1, 2016.
Updated by Regina G. Feeney, January 24, 2017.
John Wesley Southard (1906-1965) served as principal of Freeport High School from 1952 to 1965. He graduated Freeport High School in 1924 as the first four-letter athlete in the high school's history. He received his bachelor's degree from Springfield College and his master's degree in education from Columbia University. Southard returned to the Freeport schools as a track coach. In 1931, he became the director of athletics. He later was appointed the principal of the Grove Street elementary school and then vice principal of the high school.
During World War II, Southard was a Lt. Commander in the U.S. Navy. In charge of amphibious landing craft, he took part in the invasion of Iwo Jima .
Southard is credited with implementing honors and accelerated classes, programmed mathematics, expanding the business program and providing students with a modern fully equipped language laboratory.
He was a member of the American Legion, Sons of the American Revolution and a board member of the Methodist Church.
He died of a heart attack at the age of 59 at his home at 240 East Dean Street.
Sources:
Obituary of J. Wesley Southard. The Leader. December 9, 1965, 11.
Obituary of J. Wesley Southard. Newsday. December 6, 1965, 97.
Voyageur, 1966 (Freeport High School Yearbook).
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, August 2, 2016.
A Spite Fence (or spite wall) is a superfluous structure used to annoy a neighbor and block the view from his property. There have been at least three spite fences erected in Freeport.
In 1910, Dr. Myrick, a local dentist and village trustee erected a 15 to 16-foot fence between his home at 348 South Main Street and the home of Dr. and Mrs. Evans at 350 South Main Street. Edith and Thomas Evans renovated their home to include many windows for Gertrude's art studio. She claimed she needed the natural light for painting. However, Dr. Myrick felt the windows allowed the Dr. and Mrs. Evans to spy on his family. No mention of this spite fence can be found in newspaper articles after 1910.
A spite fence was erected between the homes of Eugene and Rose Helland of 224 North Columbus Avenue and Irving and Lizzie Bedell of 220 North Columbus Avenue. The fence was erected in 1912 after Rose had Lizzie arrested for "malicious mischief." According to newspaper accounts, ashes that Lizzie threw out landed on clothes drying on a line on the Helland's property. While burning garbage, Lizzie further soiled the Helland's clothing. Judge Edwards threw out the case. Soon after the incident, the Bedells erected a fence but removed it when a survey showed that it cut off three feet of their own property. A second eight-foot high fence was constructed by the Hellands. According to the media, Eugene and Irving, who both worked for S. T. Post, remained on good terms; their sons, James Bedell and Wilfred Helland also remained friends.
In 1920, A. S. Brown who lived at 150 North Main Street put up a 14 foot lattice fence between his house and his estranged wife, Irene, who lived next door. Brown erected the fence after his wife hired a carpenter to shingle one side of her house, and the carpenter used Brown's property without permission to access the outside of his wife's house.
See Also:
Sources:
"Dr. Myrick's Big Fence Proves a Bar to Art." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. November 14, 1910, 10. Accessed August 13, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/53944987/?terms=myrick%2Bevans%2Bfence.
"Big Spite Fence Grows; Divides Freeport People." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. May 16, 1916, 18. Accessed August 13, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/55315592/?terms=Myrick%2Bevans%2Bfence.
"14-Foot Fence Bars his Wife." Brooklyn Times Union. October 13, 1920, 1. Accessed October 2, 2019. newspapers.com.
"Freeport." South Side Messenger. November 18, 1910, 8. Accessed August 14, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn96083504/1910-11-18/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Freeport News." Nassau County Review. November 18, 1910, 1. Accessed August 13, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1910-11-18/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Local Topics." Nassau County Review. December 2, 1910, 1. Accessed August 14, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1910-12-02/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Mrs. Evans May Use Ax to Remove High Fence." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. November 16, 1910, 5. Accessed August 13, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/53945326/?terms=myrick%2Bevans%2Bfence.
"Spite Fence Climax of Neighbors' Feud; Husbands Friendly." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. March 15, 1913, 4. Accessed August 13, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/54222431/?terms=Freeport%2B%22spite%2Bfence%22.
"Spite Fence War with Few Odd Features." The Daily Standard Union. March 16, 1913, 3. Accessed August 13, 2018. fultonhistory.com
"Wrangle Over Fence." Nassau County Review. October 15, 1920, 7. Accessed October 2, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1920-10-15/ed-1/seq-7/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, August 14, 2018.
Updated by Regina G. Feeney, October 2, 2019.
Spite House (also referred to as the Miracle House) is located at 146 West Lena Avenue. This house was built as a result of a real estate dispute between John J. Randall and the Warranty Realty Company, which developed over the placement of the roadways in the area. In 1902, Lena Avenue stopped at Long Beach Avenue. East of that street both firms engaged in furious competition to develop the land as they each saw fit. The Warranty Realty Company wanted to extend Lena Avenue west in straight line so it could gain maximum space for new lots. This plan would cut the size of Randall's proposed lots to the south. Randall felt that this would make his lots less desirable. This led Randall to erect a house said to have been “built in one day.” However, it is doubtful that construction of the house was this quick. Most likely, it was framed and partially shingled within 24 hours. A roadside marker was erected on the property in 1999 calling the house "The Miracle House." The marker misidentifies the date of construction of the house as 1906.
Click here for images related to the Spite House.
See Also:
Sources:
"Mr. Randall's Spite House." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. March 5, 1902, 8. Accessed October 3, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/50416975/?terms=%22spite%2Bhouse%22%2Brandall%2Bfreeport.
"Spite House Must Come Down." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. March 6, 1902, 8. Accessed October 3, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/50416995/?terms=%22spite%2Bhouse%22%2Brandall%2Bfreeport.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, October 4, 2018.
Sport Lovers' Nook was the headquarters to the Freeport Athletic Association located at 460 South Main Street. It was also associated with the Freeport Gun Club located at 500 South Main Street. It offered food and entertainment along with fishing, boating, and other sporting pursuits.
Land adjoining the Freeport Gun Club and bordering the Freeport Creek at the foot of South Main Street was purchased in 1921 by Rudolph “Ruddy” Domschke. Domschke, along with Albin Johnson, Amos Pearsall, Joseph Shay and Harold Walker, were the founding members of the Freeport Gun Club when it was re-established in December 1920 (the original club was founded in 1896).
Domschke immediately started renovating and extending the fishing station that already stood on the property, and added docks as well. The building became the clubhouse for both the Freeport Gun Club and the Freeport Athletic Association. The opening of the Sport Lovers Nook in September 1921 was marked with dancing, fireworks and other entertainment. The property had 600 feet of water front that included a swimming beach. An advertisement from around 1921 purported that the facility was planning to add lawn tennis courts, a baseball field, 50 and 75 foot indoor rifle ranges, fly-casting contesting grounds, a billiard parlor, sail boats, polo ponies, and a refrigerating plant for its fishing station. It is not known if any of these amenities were added.
Domschke added five bungalows to the property. These bungalows were first used, along with a large tent, by firemen from out of town who were in Freeport for the Jubilee Convention week in August 1922. After the firemen returned home, the bungalows were leased by Lively Cinema Advertising System, Inc. for the purpose of making films in Freeport.
The facility later became the Blue Goose Inn.
Al Grover purchased 500 South Main Street in 1969 and created Al Grover's High and Dry Marina on the site.
See Also:
Sources:
1930-1931 Freeport Phone Book.
"Sports Lovers' Nook." The Freeport News. September 2, 1921, 6. Accessed March 20, 2019. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071012/1921-09-02/ed-1/seq-6/.
Sport Lovers' Nook [advertisement]. Newspaper unknown. N.D. Accessed March 20, 2019. fultonhistory.com.
Researched by Denise Rushton and Regina G. Feeney, April 2, 2019.
Sportsman's Harbor was a residential development created by the John J. Randall Company in 1922. The plots for his development were on East Channel (west of East Avenue), Gordon Channel (west of Gordon Place), Emories Channel (west of East Avenue), and Emories Basin. The original streets in the development included: East Street (now Arthur Street), Lennox Place (now Garfield), and Gordon Place. All the homes were advertised as waterfront property with "direct connection with the Great South Bay and Atlantic Ocean." Sections of the development were restricted to residential development while others allowed for business use.
Source:
Sportsman's Harbor [advertisement]. The New York Herald. August 6, 1922, 5. Accessed January 2, 2018. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045774/1922-08-06/ed-1/seq-69/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, January 2, 2018.
Chauncey T. Sprague (sometimes spelled Chauncy) (1838-1904), born in Milburn (now Baldwin), NY, was closely associated with the oyster industry in Freeport. When he was 19, Sprague became a blacksmith. He later worked in sailing and fishing industries. About 1878, Sprague became an oysterman. It was reported that he made two shipments of oysters per week to hotels and restaurants in New York City.
Sprague married Ann Augusta Duryea (1843-1924) in 1864. He was active in the Republican Party and was a member of Freeport's board of health. He served as a director of the Freeport Bank and the Freeport Land Company. Sprague was president of the Freeport Gun Club, a charter member of the Excelsior Hook and Ladder Company No. 1, and a member of the Freeport Club.
Sprague died of a heart attack in 1904. He was originally buried in the Freeport Cemetery and his body was reinterred in the Greenfield Cemetery, Uniondale, NY.
In the 1940s. Chauncey T. Sprague's oyster house on South Main Street became the restaurant and later antique shop, The Old Oyster Wharf.
See Also:
Sources:
Chauncey T. Sprague [obituary]. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. May 4, 1904, 10. Accessed January 31, 2019. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/53413646/?terms=chauncey%2Bsprague.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, February 4, 2019.
Stadium Drive was dedicated in the fall of 1990. It was constructed on property that once included the Freeport Stadium.
See Also:
Source:
"New Police." The Leader. October 4, 1990, 12. Accessed June 16, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071065/1990-10-04/ed-1/seq-12/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 16, 2018.
The Stadium Tavern was located at 154 South Main Street and was originally owned by George Morrison. It received a liquor license in March 1948 and had the slogan "Where the Elite Meet." In 1951, Frank and Catherine (Kay) Heines of 329 South Bayview Avenue assumed ownership of the tavern and they advertised it as "A Mecca for Good Food and Drink." The following year, bartender George Lake was arrested for serving a 16 year old a beer. The establishment was known as O'Shaughnessy's Stadium Tavern in 1966. In 1988, the Stadium Tavern, along with Wigan's Pub (20 Brooklyn Avenue) were raided and seized by federal and local drug enforcement agencies. The Stadium Tavern and the building in which it was located, were confiscated from owner William Hearst after the raid.
Sources:
"Freeport Bars Seized in Raid." The Leader. September 29, 1988, 1. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1988-09-29/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Held for Serving Beer to Youth 16." Newsday. February 9, 1952, 4.
Stadium Tavern [advertisement]. The Leader. May 25, 1950, 14. Accessed December 6, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1950-05-25/ed-1/seq-8/.
Stadium Tavern [advertisement]. The Leader. October 18, 1951, 14. Accessed December 7, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1951-10-18/ed-1/seq-8/.
Stadium Tavern [legal notice]. The Leader. March 11, 1948, 15. Accessed December 6, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1948-03-11/ed-1/seq-8/.
"Trawler to Drag Bay In Hunt for Beckmann." Newsday. January 10, 1961, 5.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 7, 2017.
Stanton Park was an area in north Freeport near the Milburn Creek. The area included the Kissing Bridge and was a favorite place for picnics. Though its boundaries are not clear, early newspapers articles suggest this area was in Roosevelt and may have included or was adjacent to parts of Baldwin and Stearns Park.
Click here for images related to Stanton Park.
Click here for images related to the Kissing Bridge.
Source:
"The Taxpayers Be Hanged." Nassau County Review. May 12, 1911, 4. Accessed July 9, 2020. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1911-05-12/ed-1/seq-4/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, July 10, 2020.
Hugo Stearns (1866-1942) came to the United States from Germany in 1888 and began a business career which culminated in his control of the ostrich feather market. Around 1905, he purchased a large tract of land in Freeport along Pennsylvania Avenue. His plan was to create one of the finest and most exclusive residential parks on Long Island. No expense would be spared to achieve this goal. He laid out many streets and residential plots with extensive landscaping. He took care not to uproot the existing trees and shrubbery. Long driveways were also part of his plan.
At some point, his friends prevailed on him to sell them some of the property. By 1925 there were 35 expensive and stylish homes in Stearns Park This club colony was one of the show places of Freeport. The west side was surrounded by the golf course of the Milburn Country Club located at Brookside Avenue and Milburn Creek. The entrance to Stearns Park was about two blocks north of Seaman Avenue on Pennsylvania Avenue. He and his wife Erna (1885-1968) lived at 426 and later, 378 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Mr. Stearns retired in 1928 and devoted his full time to his first love – writing. He published a book of poetry and the flyleaf described him as having been “born in Westphalia where he spent much of his youth writing short stories and loafing behind the scenes in theatres and circuses."
Another claim to fame for Hugo Stearns was that the Queen of England sent him a gift in recognition of his efforts in promoting the ostrich feather business.
He died in the early 1940s and his wife died on July 28, 1968.
Click here for pictures of Stearns Park.
Book of Poetry by Hugo Stearns.
See Also:
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, May 23, 2016.
Stearns Park was developed by Hugo Stearns in 1905. It was reported that the property was originally was comprised of eight farms including the Dykeman,Willis, and Shabold farms. His plan was to create one of the finest and most exclusive residential parks on Long Island. No expense would be spared to achieve this goal. He laid out many streets and residential plots with extensive landscaping. He took care not to uproot the existing trees and shrubbery. Long driveways were also part of his plan. At some point, his friends prevailed on him to sell them some of the property.
Around 1916, Stearns laid out a 9-hole golf course on 100 to 160 acres of land that extended almost to Grand Avenue in Baldwin. Originally, the golf club was supposed to be called the Nassau Country Club or the South Side Country Club. But when the deal fell through, the course was purchased by golf enthusiasts for $250,000 and called the Manhattan Country Club (later the Milburn Country Club).
By 1925, there were 35 expensive and stylish homes in Stearns Park. Owners included those in business and the arts like radio personality Gabriel Heatter and advertising executives Ed Wilson and Wallace H. Campbell, and Charles Martin of the Equitable Life Insurance Company. A notable visitor to Stearns Park was Lou Gehrig. The famed Yankee's first basemen's wife, Elinor Grace Twitchell, was related to residents of Stearns Park. Twitchell's aunt and uncle, Blanche and Gene Austin, lived at 435 Pennsylvania Avenue. The Austins hosted the Gehrig's wedding reception in 1933. Gehrig, "an enthusiastic fisherman" came to Freeport on several occasions to fish from local charter boats.
On October 21, 1939, Stearns put the last 48 lots up for public sale.
Click here for the website and contact information for the Stearns Park Civic Association.
See Also:
Sources:
"Active Home Buying Continues in These Progressive Communities." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. November 1, 1936, 48. December 20, 2017. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/52661930/?terms=%22morton%2Bdevelopment%22%2Bfreeport.
"The American Home of the Future." The New York Times. January 16, 1916, XX4.
"Freeport to Have Fine Golf Course." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. January 21, 1917, 38. Accessed October 25, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/55290070/?terms=freeport%2Bto%2Bhave%2Bfine%2Bgolf%2Bcourse.
"Lou Gehrig Death Stuns Nassau; Star Was Frequent Visitor Here." Nassau Daily Review-Star. June 3, 1941, 1. Accessed October 25, 2018. fultonhistory.com.
"South Shore Home Sites Offered at Auction Sale." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. October 15, 1939, 46. Accessed October 25, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/52615621/?terms=%22south%2Bshore%2Bhome%2Bsites%22%2Bstearns.
Stearns Park [advertisement]. The Daily Review. July 22, 1921, 3. Accessed August 7, 2020. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071431/1921-07-22/ed-1/seq-3/.
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg and Regina G. Feeney, May 31, 2016.
Updated by Regina G. Feeney, December 20, 2017.
Updated by Regina G. Feeney, October 25, 2018.
Updated by Denise Rushton, January 15, 2019.
Updated by Regina G. Feeney, August 7, 2020.
Captain James Stefano (circa 1926-2014) was a local boat builder in Baldwin and Freeport. Stefano graduated from Baldwin High School in 1943 and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He attended Villanova University and was a Jones Beach lifeguard. He learned boat building while working at Freeport Point Shipyard and was mentored by Sam Verity, a noted local boat builder. Stefano established the Colony Cove Boat Shop in Baldwin in the 1950s. He later moved the boatyard to Cary Place in Freeport where it remained for 20 years.
Stefano was known for his skill in constructing his version of the Verity Skiff, a lapstrake open boat which featured 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, and surf rescue boats of its own design for municipal 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.
Stefano held a United States Coast Guard Master's license for over 50 years. He delivered yachts to various ports throughout the Eastern Seaboard. In the 1980s, Stefano coached the Baldwin Bay Colony Rowers. This team won the International Lifeboat Race every year between 1981 and 1986. The women's team placed first in 1985 and 1986. Stefano also worked as a marine surveyor.
Sources:
"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.
Harry Peyton Steger (1883-1913) was a short story editor, a member of the literary staff at Doubleday, and the literary executor for the writer O. Henry (Sidney Porter). Steger was a graduate of the University of Texas and attended Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. He also worked for several British newspapers, including the London Daily Mail. After returning to the United States, he began working for Doubleday, Page, and Company. Shortly before his death, Steger edited an eight volume set of the writings of O. Henry.
Steger was a member of the Long Island Press Association and, in 1912, he joined the Freeport Elks Club.
Steger, his wife, Dorothy, and his stepson, Theodore lived on Nassau Avenue.
Steger died at the age of 29 of a kidney ailment exacerbated from a fall from a car on New Year's Day.
Click here for the writings of Harry P. Steger.
Sources:
"The Elks." Nassau County Review. March 15, 1912, 8. Accessed September 1, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1912-03-15/ed-1/seq-8/.
Obituary of Harry P. Steger. Nassau County Review., January 10, 1913, 5 http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1913-01-10/ed-1/seq-5/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, September 2, 2016.
Steinberg Photo Studio was the official photographer for the Freeport High School yearbook in 1927. This photography studio was located at 83 South Main Street.
Source:
Voyageur, 1927 (Freeport High School Yearbook).
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 23, 2016.
Stevens Street was named for Frank Stevens who was a trustee of Freeport.
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, May 28, 2016.
Florencia "Fuzzie" Stewart (also known as Florence Stewart Walker) was the owner of Fuzzie Red Carpet Restaurant located at 38 West Sunrise Highway. Stewart opened this cocktail bar and cabaret in August of 1962. Before changing the name, the restaurant was known as Kayatt's Red Carpet Restaurant. Stewart's sister Lee sometimes served as a hostess.
Stewart was born in Washington, DC, and was the youngest of three children. Her father, Reverend J. Perry, was the founder of Guildfield Church. In 1942, Stewart came to New York to attend Long Island University in Brooklyn. She later entered into the field of medical record sciences. She studied at St. Mary's Hospital, Brooklyn School for Medical Records Librarians, and received additional training in medical nomenclature at St. Vincent's Hospital, New York. For eight years, Stewart was the chief medical records librarian at the Astoria General Hospital. She then became the assistant librarian at the Department of Hospitals in New York City. In 1953, Stewart represented the City of New York at the International Conference of Medical Records Librarians in Boston.
Stewart opened her first business, Fuzzie 1 Cocktail Lounge, in St. Albans, Queens in 1958. She came to Freeport in 1962.
Stewart was a member of the American Association of Medical Records Librarians. In 1963, Stewart served as the first treasurer of the Freeport-Roosevelt Chapter of the NAACP, an organization she helped establish. The Leader featured Stewart in an article entitled "Woman of Many Talents," in 1967. Stewart was active the Freeport Chamber of Commerce, servings as the chairperson for the Chamber's annual Fashion Show and Cocktail Party in 1968. That same year, she was the recipient of the Duryea Orchid Award, which was a floral tribute bestowed on deserving women in recognition of their community service.
Stewart's restaurant catered to all races and hired diverse musicians. In a 1966 Newsday article, Stewart recounted an experience with a piano player who came to her establishment looking for work. He assumed he would not be hired because he was white. Stewart then asked the musician, "What color do you play in? Red, blue, or green?
She married musician (Irving) Kirby Walker in 1967. The following year, the couple opened a restaurant called the Elegante, which was located at 338 Nassau Road in Roosevelt, NY.
Stewart later opened the Red Carpet Travel Service out of her home at 79 Taylor Avenue, Roosevelt, NY. After Stewart's husband died in 1972, she moved to Georgia. In 1975, she started Enterprise Travel Service, Inc. Due to the success of the 1977 mini series Roots, based Alex Haley's book, Stewart's travel agency began taking African Americans to West Africa for African heritage tours.
Click here for images related to Fuzzie's.
Sources:
"Brotherhood of Bitterness." Newsday. January 8, 1966, 10W.
"Chamber of Commerce Plans Cocktail Party." The Leader. February 15, 1968, 12. Accessed February 15, 1968, 12. Accessed February 13, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1968-02-15/ed-1/seq-12/.
Elegante [advertisement]. The Leader. March 14, 1968, 12. Accessed February 13, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1968-02-22/ed-1/seq-1/
"Florence Stewart Walker: 'Woman of Many Talents.'" The Leader. March 30, 1967, 15. Accessed February 13, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1967-03-30/ed-1/seq-15/.
"Following the 'Roots' Trail." Newsday. April 24, 1977, A64.
"Fuzzie Introduces Noted Stylist." The Leader. August 1, 1963, 1. Accessed February 13, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1963-08-01/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Fuzzie Offers Top Theatrical Talent." The Leader. January 9, 1964, 3. Accessed February 13, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1968-02-15/ed-1/seq-12/.
"News and Views." The Leader. February 22, 1968, 1. Accessed February 13, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1968-02-22/ed-1/seq-1/
"News and Views." The Leader. April 6, 1967, 1. Accessed February 13, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1967-04-06/ed-1/seq-1/
"News Briefs." Newsday. October 4, 1963, 19C.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, February 13, 2018.
James Esmond Stiles (1889-1960) established Long Island's first daily newspaper, The Nassau Post, in 1914. In 1918, he purchased The South Side Observer. He merged the two newspapers to create The Observer-Post. In 1920, he combined The Observer-Post with the Nassau County Review and the Hempstead Inquirer. The resulting paper was the Nassau Daily Review.
In 1933, Stiles acquired the Nassau Daily Star, which was a competing newspaper published in Lynbrook. The he combined the Nassau Daily Review and the Nassau Daily Star in 1937 to create The Nassau Daily Review-Star. In the 1940s, the newspaper had a peak circulation of over 40,000 subscribers. The newspaper was eventually sold to Newspaper Enterprises, Inc. in 1949. Stiles remained on board as editor until the company went out of business in 1954.
Stiles was born in Saratoga Springs, NY and came to Freeport with his family as a child. While a student at Freeport High School, he managed the advertising department for the school's literary magazine, The Student. He also started a publication called The Tattler. He graduated as class president in 1909. Stiles attended Wesleyan University. He later became the manager and publisher of Freeport High School's Alumni Record.
Stiles was the first president of the County Federal Savings and Loan of Rockville Centre. He was a trustee of Adelphi College, the treasurer and director of Roosevelt Raceway, and president of the New York State Publishers Association. Stiles also served as a director the the Nassau County Historical Society.
He died at his home in Lloyd Harbor in 1960. He and his wife Florence are buried in Greenfield Cemetery, Uniondale, NY.
Click here for images related to James E. Stiles.
See Also:
Sources:
Alumni Record. Freeport, NY: Freeport High School, 1911.
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.
"J. E. Stiles Dies; Founded 1st LI Daily." Newsday. August 5, 1960, 7.
Uhlan,Edward. Dynamo Jim Stiles: Pioneer of Progress. New York: Exposition Press, 1959.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, July 1, 2016.
**The Small Fry Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge was located at 35 North Main Street. Opened in 1948, it was advertised as "Freeport's newest and nicest eating place." Its motto was "The name to remember for a fish fry that you will never forget." In 1949, a deluxe dinner cost as little as $1.50.
In 1950, the Small Fry became the Freeport Manor.
Click here for material related to the Small Fry.
Sources:
The Small Fry [advertisement]. The Leader. October 28, 1948, 6. Accessed June 28, 2021. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1948-10-28/ed-1/seq-6/.
The Small Fry [advertisement]. The Leader. February 24, 1949, 8. Accessed June 28, 2021. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1949-01-13/ed-1/seq-1/.
Vasil, Eddie. "Man About Town." The Leader. November 30, 1950, 5. Accessed June 29, 2021. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1950-11-30/ed-1/seq-5/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 29, 2021.
Stillwell Place was named for Edwin Stillwell who owned property on South Main Street and Bedell Street. Stillwell was involved in the ice business.
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, May 28, 2016.
Stirling Place was named for Albert Meister's construction company, Stirling House Builders. Albert Meister developed Meister Beach.
See Also:
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, May 28, 2016.
Stonehurst is the name of the house located at 314 South Ocean Avenue. Built by Benjamin Homan around 1901, this shingle-style home includes field stone accents, a magnificent chimney, and several outer buildings. The original property included 1.5 acres.
In 1913, Max Grifenhagen purchased the house as a summer residence. He was the noted sheriff for New York County, an alderman, and a city registrar. His wife, Carrie, lived here until her death in 1942.
The house later became a 13-bedroom rooming house. In 1977, the Village of Freeport tried to ban rooming houses by the year 1987. In 1981, the owner of 314 South Ocean Avenue, Richard M. Jones, filed suit against the ban. This house remained a rooming house until 2014.
Click here for images of Stonehurst.
See Also:
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg and Regina G. Feeney, June 15, 2016.
Stone's Orpheum Airdome, an open air theater located on South Main Street and Merrick Road was originally known as Stone's Orpheum Theatre in 1910. The theater, operated by Louis P. Stone, opened as Stone's Orpheum Airdome on May 30, 1913. The first movie shown there was entitled A Mother's Way. Admission was five cents for children and 10 cents for adults.
In 1915, Stone's Orpheum Airdome became the Japanese Garden.
See Also:
Sources:
"Freeport." South Side Messenger. September 23, 1910, 1. Accessed January 16, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn96083504/1910-09-23/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Freeport News." Nassau County Review. September 23, 1910, 1. Accessed January 16, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1910-09-23/ed-1/seq-1/.
Japanese Garden [advertisement]. Nassau County Review. May 21, 1915, 8. Accessed January 16, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1915-05-21/ed-1/seq-8/.
Stone's Orpheum Airdome [advertisement]. Nassau County Review. May 30, 1913, 8. Accessed January 16, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1913-05-30/ed-1/seq-8/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, January 16, 2018.
Stokes Avenue was named for M. E. Stokes who was a real estate developer.
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, May 28, 2016.
Stop & Shop supermarket was located in the Meadowbrook Commons shopping center; the store was located on East Sunrise Highway, adjacent to the Meadowbrook Parkway. It was originally a Foodtown supermarket. In 2016, Target opened in this location.
Sources:
Al-Muslim, Aisha. "Stop & Shop to Close Freeport Store in February." Newsday. January 14, 2016, np.
"Meadowbrook Commons Update." The Leader. June 7, 1990, 12. Accessed November 10, 2017, 12. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071065/1990-06-07/ed-1/seq-12/.
"Roundabout Freeport." The Leader. July 26, 1990, 6. Accessed November 10, 2017, 6. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071065/1990-07-26/ed-1/seq-6/.
"Target Opens in Freeport." The Leader. October 20, 2016, 1. Accessed November 10, 2017. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071065/2016-10-20/ed-1/seq-1/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, April 15, 2018.
Dorothy Storm was the thirty-first mayor of Freeport (1985 to 1993). She was the first woman to hold this office.
Storm was preceded by William H. White and succeeded by Arthur Thompson.
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, May 29, 2016.
Strassle Brothers Garage provided general auto repairs, storage, and emergency towing. This company was located at 55 East Merrick Road.
Source:
Voyageur, 1928 (Freeport High School Yearbook).
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 27, 2016.
See:
Sturgeon was a 45 foot diesel fishing boat that was built and used in Freeport. This trawler was constructed in 1945 and was one of the first non military boats constructed by the Freeport Point Shipyard after World War II. Captain Ben Bracco was at the helm of the Sturgeon for many decades. Weather permitting, the Sturgeon sailed from Woodcleft Canal everyday at 4 a.m. to fish 12 to 15 miles outside of Jones Inlet. The boat would bring carry between 900 and 1,000 lbs. of fish back to the docks behind Captain Ben's fish market.
The Sturgeon was demolished in 2001.
Click here for images of the Sturgeon and Sturgeon II
See Also:
Sources:
"Down to the Sea." The Leader. January 20, 1972, 12. Accessed June 2, 2021. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1972-01-20/ed-1/seq-13/.
"Say Goodbye to the Sturgeon." The Leader. July 5, 2001, 4. Accessed June 2, 2021. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071065/2001-07-05/ed-1/seq-4/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, June 2, 2021.
The Suffrage Movement was first reported in Freeport in 1896 with a meeting of the Queens County Political Equality League. Susan Bergen, a prominent Freeporter, served as the organization's vice president; her daughter, Annie V. Secor, was its treasurer. Years later, in 1912, suffragists visited the village. A four-mile suffrage parade from Mineola to Hempstead took place on May 24, 1913. This parade was organized by Rosalie Jones, a Long Island socialite; as a suffrage leader, she visited Freeport frequently. Eighty-five-year-old Rhoda Glover, a Baldwin resident and ardent suffragist, participated in the procession. On August 7, 1913, members of the New York Suffrage League recruited new members in Freeport and Long Beach. The following year, local newspapers dubbed May 2nd as "Independence Day for Women."
The Freeport Suffrage Club was organized in 1914. Florence Conklin Carman, wife of Dr. Edwin Carman, was the organization's secretary (later that same year, she would later resign after she was tried for the murder of Louise Bailey). The Women's Suffrage Club of Freeport was formed in 1915. Soon after, dissension amongst the membership caused the group to split and Freeport's Equal Franchise Club emerged. Suffragists from Freeport, Port Washington, and Hempstead were invited to march in the Southern New York Volunteer Firemen's Association parade in Hempstead in June 1915. The anti-suffrage movement was organized under the name, "Association Opposed to Women Suffrage." Both the pro and anti suffrage movements became very active in Freeport and the surrounding communities when an equal suffrage amendment appeared on the New York State ballot on November 2, 1915. In Freeport, the measure failed by 109 votes; it was also defeated throughout the state.
In 1917, the New York State Woman Suffrage Party supported equal franchise in local newspaper advertisements. In the Town of Hempstead, 3,838 people voted in favor of suffrage and 3,172 voted against it. This measure passed and the state Constitution was amended making New York the first eastern state to grant women the right to vote.
Freeporter Carrie Flint, wife of Mayor Flint, was president of the Women's Suffrage League in 1914.
Click here for material related to suffrage in New York State.
Click here for images related to suffrage on Long Island from the Library of Congress.
See Also:
Sources:
"Elections in Freeport." Nassau County Review. November 5, 1915, 1. Accessed August 31, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1915-11-05/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Freeport." South Side Messenger. July 05, 1912, 5. Accessed August 30, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn96083504/1912-07-05/ed-1/seq-5/.
"Long Island Vamps Parade: Suffragists Take Part Also in Hempstead Procession." The New York Times. June, 11, 1915, 15.
"Milburn." Queens County Review. June 5, 1896, 3. Accessed August 30, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071432/1896-06-05/ed-1/seq-3/.
"Mrs. Carman Quits the Suffrage Club." The New York Times. December 19, 1914, 8.
"Miss Rosalie Jones." Nassau County Review. May 16, 1913, 1. Accessed September 2, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1913-05-16/ed-1/seq-1/
"Nassau Suffragist Parade." Nassau County Review. May 30, 1913, 4. Accessed September 2, 2016.
"Recruiting Suffragists in Freeport."The Nassau Post., April 25, 1914,1. Accessed August 30, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071434/1914-04-25/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Suffragists to Visit Freeport." Nassau County Review. July 25, 1913. 1. Accessed http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1913-07-25/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Suffragists Well Pleased." Nassau County Review. November 5, 1915, 1. Accessed September 1, 2016. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071433/1915-11-05/ed-1/seq-1/
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, September 2, 2016.
See:
Governor's Boss (movie)
Sunshine Marina was located on South Main Street on the Hudson Channel. Edward J. Warnke was the proprietor. It was reported that the Sunshine Marina was the site of the first annual Freeport Boat Show.
Sources:
"Round-About." The Leader. October 1, 1987, 6. Accessed May 11, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1987-10-01/ed-1/seq-6/.
Sunshine Marina [advertisement]. The Leader. July 7, 1960, 5. Accessed May 11, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071064/1960-07-07/ed-1/seq-5/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 11, 2018.
Sunshine Park was a development created in the 1920s by the Stephen P. Pettit Company. Streets in the boundaries of the development included the eastern portion of Ray Street and South End Place (originally Harding Court).
.
Sources:
Stephen P. Pettit Company [advertisement]. The Daily Review. April 5, 1921, 3. Accessed May 11, 2018. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071431/1921-04-05/ed-1/seq-3/.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, May 11, 2018.
Sunrise Building (also referred to as the Frankel Building) was located at 65 Sunrise Highway (southwest corner of Sunrise Highway and Guy Lombardo Avenue). The building, owned by Joseph Frankel, was built in 1927. It included 11 stores and offices on the second floor. It was reported that the Sunrise Building represented an investment of $250,000.
Early tenants included the Marigold Tea Room and Lamb & Jansen Dredging Co., Inc.
In 1929, Frankel threatened to sue the Village of Freeport for $20,000 over a large mudhole that developed in front of his building due in part to the construction of Sunrise Highway.
A fire in July 1939 caused $75,000 in damages and injured 49 firemen. At the time of the blaze, occupants of the Sunrise Building included Lee's Opticians, Lieberman's Stationery and Sporting Goods Store, Friedman Pharmacy, and the Keystone and Varnish Company.
See Also:
Sources:
"49 L.I Vamps Felled at Big Freeport Blaze." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. July 19, 1939, 3. Accessed August 31, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/52636192/?terms=%22sunrise%2Bbuilding%22%2Bfreeport%2Bfire.
Lamb & Jansen Dredging Co., Inc. [advertisement]. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. July 23, 1927, 7. Accessed August 31, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/59844820/?terms=%22louis%2Bfrankel%22.
"Mudhole Row Roils Well of Freeport Town Peace." Daily News. November 6, 1929, 739. Accessed August 31, 2018. newspapers.com.
"$250,000 Business Block." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. March 6, 1927, 48. Accessed August 31, 2018. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/59844820/?terms=%22louis%2Bfrankel%22.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, August 31, 2018.
Sunrise Tavern was a bar and restaurant located at 5 Broadway. The proprietor was G. F. Cooke. A 1928 advertisement in the Freeport High School yearbook states its motto as "Where the High School Students Eat."
Source:
Voyageur, 1928 (Freeport High School Yearbook).
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, December 27, 2016.
Sunrise Trail originated in 1922 when the Long Island Hotel and Restaurant Association (later the Long Island Association) began using the phrase to describe east and west roads on Long Island. That year, the association distributed over 500,000 copies of a brochure that included maps and listings of hotels and restaurants to aid motorists and promote tourism on Long Island. In an advertisement in the New York Herald, the association called for people to "Hit the Sunrise Trail" and described Montauk Highway, North Country Road, and Middle Island Road as being part of "The Sunrise Trails."
That same year, the Long Island Rail Road and the Long Island Real Estate Board created their own brochure entitled Suburban Long Island: The Sunrise Homeland. The original brochure was 136 pages long and it described the 125 towns within New York City's commuting zone. The brochure aimed to entice city residents to purchase homes on Long Island.
Frank G. Holly, proprietor of the Holly Arms Inn in Hewlett and president of the Long Island Association, is credited with coining the name Sunrise Highway in the 1920s. Constructed on top of the water conduit pipes that were laid along Long Island's South Shore, the road had been previously referred to as Pipeline Boulevard. His push for the name change led to his nickname "Sunrise."
The Long Island Association was renamed the Long Island Chamber of Commerce in 1926. The Chamber continued to publish Long Island the Sunrise Homeland. From 1939 on, the brochure was published by the Long Island Association (the Chamber changed their name back to the Long Island Association in 1936). The publication ceased in the 1950s.
In 1928, the Village of Freeport adopted a village seal, designed by local artist Louis F. Fleming, that included the phrase "Freeport - Nassau County - New York - The Heart of the Sunrise Trail - Incorporated 1892."
Click here to see the library holdings for Long Island the Sunrise Homeland.
See Also:
Sources:
"Booming Long Island." The New York Times. November 12, 1922, 14.
"Facts about Long Island Related in Chamber Book." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. May 18, 1930, 44. Accessed October 8, 2019. https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/59895357/?terms=facts%2Babout%2Blong%2Bisland%2Brelated.
Long Island Hotel and Restaurant Association [advertisement]. New York Herald. April 30, 1922, 54. Accessed September 19, 2019. newspapers.com.
"Sunrise Homeland." Brooklyn Times Union. July 17, 1927, 12. Accessed October 8, 2019. newspapers.com.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, October 8, 2019.
Sunset Avenue was located east of South Main Street below Atlantic Avenue. In 1924, the street was made part of Ray Street.
See Also:
Source:
Village of Freeport Board Minutes, 1924.
Researched by Regina G. Feeney, February 4, 2019.
Robert J. Sweeney was the twenty-ninth mayor of Freeport (1961 to 1973).
Sweeney was preceded by William F. Glacken, Sr. and succeeded by William H. White.
Click here for images related to Robert J. Sweeney.
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, May 29, 2016.
Swezey Avenue was named for Sidney Swezey who served as Village counsel and police judge. Swezey also served as president (mayor) of Freeport from 1917 to 1918. The street sign is currently misspelled (Sweezey).
See Also:
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, May 28, 2016.
Sidney H. Swezey was the thirteenth president (mayor) of Freeport (1917 to 1918). Swezey came to Freeport in 1900 and was a prominent real estate lawyer with offices on Railroad Avenue. During World War I, he was president of the Canteen of the War Camp Community Service Club that provided entertainment, food and solace to service men stationed at Mineola.
Swezey was preceded by Ernest R. Randall and succeeded by Robert G. Anderson.
Click here for images related to Sidney H. Swezey.
See Also:
Researched by Cynthia J. Krieg, May 29, 2016.
