Dear Carl, Just a card showing you what sort of a place I live in. Write again, Pal, Bob Robert E. Hale sent this postcard in October 1944 from Montauk to his pal Carl, stationed on Manus Island off northern Papua New Guinea, during World War II, while both men were serving in the U.S…. Read more »
Joyous, I heard, while slowly borne along, From wakening birds, the early burst of song, Upspringing like a morning hymn, to rise And mingle with the worship of the skies. -J.A. Ayres, The Legends of Montauk, 1849 This time of year, the dawn chorus of birdsong combines mating, territorial, alarm, and location vocalizations from resident,… Read more »
There was a surprisingly glamorous whiff to fish on Montauk Harbor in the 1970s and early 1980s. The commercial dock, Gosman’s retail and wholesale seafood operation next door, the new Dock restaurant next door to that – for many, work was hard and physical, and opportunities to kick back were most welcome. These photos come… Read more »
Celebrate National Library Week with us by listening to stories from our oral history collection about the library’s history and the people involved over the years. This year’s National Library Week theme is “Find Your Joy.” We find joy in our community––in our founders, patrons, and dedicated volunteers who have helped our library grow from… Read more »
In the 1910s and 1920s, tea rooms and tea houses dotted America’s new motorways, providing tea and light refreshments to traveling tourists. On the eastern end of Long Island, motorists driving through Montauk could find refuge at the Weeweecho Tea House situated on the southern bluffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. At that time when Montauk… Read more »
Montauk is known for its cheerful community events and celebrations. Even in the off-season, events like the St. Patrick’s Day parade sponsored by the Montauk Friends of Erin and the annual Turkey Trot draw crowds from across Long Island and New England. At last week’s East Hampton Town Board work session held at the Montauk… Read more »
Head outside and rejoice in the melting snow like these youths photographed sloshing about in the slush on the grounds of the Montauk School. Equipped with calf-high boots and peacoats, these Montauk students took to the playground to seesaw, slide, and horse around as teacher Mrs. Joyce chaperoned and captured their playfulness on black-and-white film. … Read more »
Let’s take a break from our winter-themed posts. We could all use a respite from the below-freezing temperatures, incessant winds, and piles of snow still lining the sidewalks, driveways, and playgrounds. Fast forward to summer. Strap on your Mary Janes and get your favorite striped T-shirt out of storage. We’re going fishing with this young… Read more »
This week’s chilly weather gave us a taste of the biting temperatures and harsh winds our Montauk ancestors experienced in winter. With lower recorded temperatures and less forestation and development hindering the wintry maritime winds, Montauk must have felt uninhabitable to year-round families struggling to stay warm. “All of the local bays and harbors are… Read more »
Two years into World War II, “tin fish,” a non-threatening nickname for torpedoes, became the prevailing fish running in Montauk’s Fort Pond Bay. What was once a bustling fishing village, still in recovery from the 1938 hurricane, was now occupied by a US Naval Torpedo Testing Range. The US Navy started construction of the torpedo… Read more »