The Long Island History Project

Elaine Kiesling Whitehouse knows a good story when she sees it, and those stories often come from history. Writing from an early age, she was intrigued by the signs of the past all around her. There was a WWI era German radio transmitting station across the street and the decaying windmill of a former Gilded Age estate down the block. On today's episode, we discuss Elaine's writing history and how...

Imagine a world with a private airport around every corner and an airplane in every garage. Where your form of ID could just as easily be a pilot's license as a driver's license and your weekend is spent with people with names like "Red" and "Speed" and "Ace". That's the world Walt Winnicki grew up in, learning to fly on Long Island in the early 1950s. And that's the world that Bob Mott and the Ba...

David Morrison knows his railroads, from his six books on LIRR history and stations to his extensive research collection to his years overseeing thirty-nine stations.  With his seventh book due out from Arcadia Press on July 15th, we could think of no better time to sit down with David and get a crash course on the history of the Long Island Rail Road.  Books Grand Central Terminal and Penn Statio...

The life of an actor is never easy, so it's not surprising that many early Broadway stars made a point of vacationing in solitude on Long Island whenever they could. You might be surprised, however, at the prevailing working conditions and labor strugles they were often performing under in early 20th-cenutry theater. While the fast-growing industry was lucrative for producers like the Shuberts and...

Every other year, Preservation Long Island compiles a list of endangered historic places in need of saving. Sarah Kautz, their Preservation Director, joins us to discuss the four sites chosen for 2019. From a family farm in East Patchogue to a life saving station on Fire Island, each of these sites presents a unique case study in Long Island's history and the many challenges involved in preserving...

Islip Town Historian George Munkenbeck provides a look at the amazing Ludlows - the first family of Oakdale, veterans of the Civil War and beyond, and caretakers of St. John's Episcopal Church on Montauk Highway. Louisa, the matriarch, descended from the first Lord of the Manor. Her husband, William Handey Ludlow, was a leading figure in the Democratic Party. One son saved the Constitution, the ot...

Two hundred years ago, the man who broke American poetry forever was born in West Hills, Long Island. His house remains a shrine and place of pilgrimage for fans and poetry lovers from around the world.  Cynthia Shor is Executive Director of the Walt Whitman Birthplace Association. She's responsible for the programming and operations and most importantly, the bicentennial celebrations. On today's...

Erin is the Visitor Services & Volunteer Coordinator at the Long Island Maritime Museum as well as the Museum Educator at the Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum. As such she's perfectly situated to tell us about the current state of museums - and also the varied maritime histories of the North and South Shores. From whales to oysters, from field trips to date nights, there is much to discuss.

Clarence H. Robbins was a master of hounds and horses, a gentleman jockey and trainer, and a member of Brooklyn's Gilded Age elite. Come explore this forgotten Long Island figure with Kate Robbins, wife of Clarence's great grandson. Kate has taken on the mantle of family historian, spending years tracking down everything to do with the Robbins name. The hunt has taken her from the family's early d...

More than a beach or a brand, Southampton has a history that stretches back thousands of years. The coming of English settlers in the 17th century only complicated matters. The coming of the railroad and wealthy New Yorkers in the 19th century led to a Gilded Age enclave of entrepreneurs, socialites, and celebrities. Now known world-wide as an exclusive destination, does that help or hinder preser...

Linda Metzger is the Long Island Genealogist. On today's episode, you'll hear how she turned a hobby into a career working to uncover the lost or simply forgotten stories of people and their lives. 

We've interviewed people who have restored houses and inns and even old race cars but how do you go about restoring a lake? We conitnue our conversation with Evelyn Vollgraff (Lake Ronkonkoma Historical Society) and Danielle Campbell (News 12) to learn how to do just that. Turns out you need a dedicated commmunity, invested local businesses, and a host of helpful politicians. Further Research Lake...

The waters of Lake Ronkonkoma have seen it all: Native Americans, English settlers, Broadway actresses, 20th century resort-goers and automobile racers. No one knows this better than Evelyn Vollgraff, president of the Lake Ronkonkoma Historical Society. Today we dive into the history of the lake, the many myths and legends that surround this very heart of the Island. Joining us again is Danielle C...

Dr. John Strong, professor emeritus of Southampton College, has spent a career pursuing the history of Long Island's Native Americans. His latest achievement is bringing to life the earliest days of American whaling, using what amounts to 17th century spreadsheets. He uncovers an East End in a whaling frenzy. Start-up companies (called whale designs) organized by the promiment familes of the area...

We usher in the holiday season early with this deep dive into the Charles Dickens Festival in Port Jefferson. Five of the driving forces behind the Festival, including four of the actors, tell us what it's like re-enacting the Victorian Era and what Dickens means to them.  Further Research Arts Council Greater Port Jefferson Northern Brookhaven One Life to Give The Brigands Lifetime: One

Kerriann Flanagan Brosky investigates ghosts and other paranormal phenomenon on Long Island. She has long been fascinated with the links between local history and ghostly sightings, weaving the two together in her books.  With her partner Joe Giaquinto, she has investigated and written about Long Island's old buildings and homes and the spirits who inhabit them. Further Research Kerriann Flanagan...

Joe Mandanici describes the 1974 fire at Dowling College in Oakdale from his vantage point as a volunteer firefighter at the scene.

Who knew that firehouses were such deep sources of local history? In the town of Islip, they are overflowing with trophies, photos, devices, and mechanisms going back to the 1800s. There was so much history, in fact, that a dedicated group of firefighters and volunteers spent over two decades making the Islip Town Fire & EMS Museum  a reality. Hear Tom Rinelli, the museum's historian, describe tha...

This is a feed-only episode of the Project, recorded during a podcast workshop at the Rogers Memorial Library in Southampton. We did a few quick takes with the group, asking them about their memories of summer in the area. In my defense, I had been told that blueberries in Southampton were a thing. Many thanks to everyone who attended and I hope you like the results. I look forward to your future...

Matthew Monelione is back to discuss his new fantasy comic book series set in Revolutionary War-era Long Island. If you are a fan of history, JRR Tolkien, or the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, you'll want to check it out. We discuss what it takes to produce an independent comic as well as Matt's on-going research into the Loyalist experience on Long Island. We also pitch a few ideas for new Long Is...

Margo Arceri grew up with history. A native of Strong's Neck in Setauket, she learned early on the stories of Anna Smith Strong and the role she played in the Culper Spy Ring during the Revolution. She got to explore the very coves and inlets that sheltered Brewster Caleb and Abraham Woodhull.  And she heard it all from Anna's great great granddaughter. This is a special cross-over episode featuri...

Behind every great woman stands another great woman and Natalie Naylor is bringing them to light. Her book, Women in Long Island's Past (History Press, 2012), highlights the number of notable women who have achievevd so much on Long Island over the centuries.

PJ Novak wrote the history of Huntington on a postcard. A librarian, archivist and dedicated deltiologist, she is also the author of Huntington from the Postcard History Series of Arcadia Press. On this episode she walks us through the many hamlets and villages of Huntington at the turn of the last century, pointing out the buildings, the bobsleds, and the people who made up the community.  We als...

The Long Island Ducks personified an era and a brand of hockey. From 1959 to 1973, they fought, checked, and slashed their way through the Eastern Hockey League and the Long Island Arena in Commack. If this sounds vaguely familiar, think back to the 1977 film Slap Shot with Paul Newman. Newman's character, Reg Dunlop, was based on the Duck's defensiveman John Brophy. Chrs Vaccaro, head of the Suff...

We've been tracking the history of the Culper Spy Ring for a while on the Project but today we go to the source - two primary sources to be exact. Kristen Nyitray, Director of Special Collections and University Archives at Stony Brook, and Chris Filstrup, former Dean of SBU Libraries, discuss their pursuit and acquisition of two letters by George Washington to Benjamin Tallmadge about the operatio...