Local History

Information, News, and features from Montauk Library’s local history collection.

Throwback Thursday — 1970s Play & Stay

Throwback Thursday — 1970s Play & Stay

  After Ruth Woodrow died in 1983, Bessi Hochstein wrote a letter to the East Hampton Star describing her memories of boarding at Mrs. Woodrow’s cabins in Shepherd’s Neck. “The first time I was in Montauk was early spring, 1979, the year before I entered college,” she wrote, “I came, like hordes of others my… Read more »

Throwback Thursday – In Its Wake

Throwback Thursday – In Its Wake

After a bright and fair morning on September 21, 1938, an unexpected Category 3 hurricane made landfall on Long Island around 2 pm. With no cause for alarm, the New York Times’s forecast for the day read “Rain, probably heavy today and tomorrow, cooler.” No one had predicted the storm to take its path north… Read more »

Throwback Thursday — The “Pelican”

Throwback Thursday — The “Pelican”

  The man clamming in the foreground of this photograph was known as Augustus Petitpas in his native Nova Scotia, and as Ben Pitts in the United States. The beached boat listing behind him in Lake Montauk was known as the “Pelican,” an open party boat that Long Island Rail Road passengers would eagerly jump… Read more »

Throwback Thursday – Remembering the ‘Amistad’

On that day, August 25, they wandered from one isolated dwelling to another, frightening most residents but managing to purchase two dogs, a bottle of gin, and some sweet potatoes with the Spanish gold doubloons they had found aboard the ‘Amistad.’ — Mutiny on the Amistad In August of 1839, nine Africans came ashore at… Read more »

Throwback Thursday — Not Dry at All

Throwback Thursday — Not Dry at All

If you don’t know what a cow shoe is, you may want to get educated at “How Dry We Weren’t,” a hands-on exhibit presented by the Montauk Historical Society at the Carl Fisher House. The answer is concealed behind a little door – with a crystal pull, of course, this being the decadent 1920s –… Read more »

Throwback Thursday — Welcome the Monarchs

  ‘Tis the season to keep a sharp eye for those big, beautiful, brave but vulnerable butterflies – the monarchs. Monarchs are important pollinators as well as indicators of the overall health of other species and their habitats, migrating thousands of miles each year over several generations and as many as 100 miles in one… Read more »

Throwback Thursday – One Smart Move

Throwback Thursday – One Smart Move

Given the price of land today, a waterfront building is more likely to be replaced with something grander than moved from one spot to another. Back in the day, though, homes and even restaurants (like Trail’s End) in the old fishing village on Fort Pond Bay were moved to other places like Shepherd’s Neck and… Read more »

Throwback Thursday – Color Our World

Montauk’s past and present history is painted with verdant parks and preservations, a blend of historical and modern architectural styles, shorelines glittering with seaglass, plentiful marine life, vivid sunsets, and colorful characters that make our community so unique.  Aligning with our Summer Reading Program’s theme, “Color Our World,” we used AI software to transform black-and-white photographs… Read more »

Throwback Thursday — Bounce, Bounce, Splash!

Throwback Thursday — Bounce, Bounce, Splash!

Built in 1929 and designed by Walker and Gillette, the Montauk Tennis Auditorium boasted tennis courts, a boxing ring, a stage, and seating for thousands of Montauk Manor guests and their friends. It was — like the manor, the Protestant and Catholic churches, the school, the golf club, surf club, yacht club, polo fields, and… Read more »

Throwback Thursday — The Things We Keep

Throwback Thursday — The Things We Keep

Do you have a drawer or shoebox that has become a catchall for collecting nostalgic items (think postcards, flyers, brochures, ticket stubs, newspaper clippings, menus, etc.) that have significant personal meaning? Maybe you have them on view, stuck to your fridge, a daily reminder of a memorable moment in your life.  Without our community of… Read more »