Dean Phillippe, originally from Kansas City, Missouri, enlisted in the Air Force in the early 1960s to get ahead of a draft, completing basic training in Texas before being assigned to the 773rd Radar Squadron in Montauk.
He traveled to Montauk by train, spending New Year’s Eve stranded at Penn Station after missing his connection. “The next morning, I get to Montauk, and they stop the train. I get off the train. There’s nothing there.”
First shocked by the desolate area around the train station, Dean came to appreciate the landscape. His appreciation grew into a lifelong commitment to preservation and interpretation of Montauk’s history, centered on parklands and the archaeology of the Montaukett within Montauk County Park.
Two years ago, Lori Hubbard interviewed Dean over the course of four interviews. Each segment brings to light different topics of Dean’s life, career in the Suffolk County Parks Department, and research into the Montaukett Tribe of Indians.
The interviews are now available on New York Heritage Digital Collections, and a few clips and highlights are posted below.
In part two of the interviews, Dean shares the history of Samson Occum, a Mohegan clergyman and writer, who came to the East End of Long Island from Connecticut to teach the Montauketts. He married Mary Fowler, a Montaukett, and lived near Big Reed Pond with the Fowler and Pharaoh families, in an area that would later be included in Montauk County Park.
When Dean became Superintendent of Montauk County Park in 1974, he developed trails that would honor and highlight the Indigenous history of the area. He is most proud of the trail system from East Lake Drive to the former Indian Village. Dean goes into detail about the development of the parklands in part three.
Part four expands further on the Indian Village, daily life of the Montauketts, archaeological discoveries by Ed Johannemann and Ron Wyatt, native structures, the expansive trail network, tours, and educational programs led by Peggy Joyce and Marge Winski throughout the park.
If you enjoyed these clips, check out the full interviews on New York Heritage Digital Collections, encompassing over five hours of recordings.
The Montauk Library Archives extends a thanks to Lori Hubbard and Dean Phillippe for contributing their conversations to the library’s oral history program.
Reply or Comment