On the corner of Main Street and Carl Fisher Plaza, White’s Pharmacy was a magnet for Montauk kids in the 1930s, ‘40s, and ‘50s. For starters, it had a soda fountain and a great view of any action that was going down in town. “What the liquor store is now was Dick White’s drug store,”… Read more »
Montauk’s first Blessing of the Fleet – born as the “Blessing of the Boats” – was in 1956 and the brainchild of Vinnie Grimes, a charter boat captain and Navy veteran who’d seen Portuguese tuna fishermen blessing their boats before they headed out to sea on the West Coast. “It is an old European custom… Read more »
One of seven children, Sarah (King) Tuthill was sent at age 6 to Montauk to live with Loretta Dickinson, a friend of her mother’s who lived in “better circumstances” and had indicated that “she would like to have one of the girls.” In an oral history interview in 1967, when she was 81, Sarah… Read more »
IYKYK. JK about “If you know you know.” We know which local girls are in this photo and are more than happy to share that information. But first consider identifying them on your own. Two clues: The young ladies were wearing flapper costumes for a production of the “Baker’s Roaring ‘20s Scrapbook” at the Montauk… Read more »
Although cyclists ride year-round, springtime is the season associated with outdoor athletics. This photograph from the collection of Al Holden was donated with the information, “Bike race start at Gosman’s.” Although undated, most likely this photograph was taken in the late 1970s. George Watson, owner of the Dock, began launching annual athletic events from his… Read more »
“I love Montauk and don’t want to see it ruined,” said an advertisement in the July 16, 1970, issue of the East Hampton Star. The ad included a mail-in coupon for donations to the Concerned Citizens of Montauk, a group that had recently formed to resist a proposed 1,500- home development of Indian Field. April… Read more »
Vanished, it would seem, are the days when admission to any event cost less than ten dollars, as it did when Frank Borth designed this $1.75 ticket to tour the Montauk Lighthouse. A professional illustrator, he was a true friend to the Montauk Historical Society as well as other community organizations, including the fire department,… Read more »
Nestled within a residential area off Second House Road, one of the few maritime grassland remnants in New York persists. Montauk Mountain Preserve is a modest 11-acre parcel rich in history and biodiversity. The Nature Conservancy has preserved it through a series of acquisitions and donations made in the 1980s and 1990s. A .5-mile trail… Read more »
According to the Society for the Preservation of Irish Soda Bread – yes, there is such a thing! – Irish soda bread was born of necessity during the potato famine. Ireland was importing a soft type of wheat from America, and yeast was difficult to obtain. Adding baking soda (also called bread soda) to… Read more »
We could all use some good role models … and guess what? We’ve had plenty of local heroes we can celebrate and perhaps even emulate on February 26, which is Set a Good Example Day. First is Richard Gilmartin, seen in front of the Montauk Lighthouse in the photo above. A dedicated historian and sport… Read more »