Back in the day, the proprietors of East Hampton made a living not so much by planting crops as by sending livestock to graze on 800 acres of pasture in Montauk. Renting the land together and co-managing the cattle, sheep, and horses, they also built three houses: one at what is now Hither Hills,… Read more »
“Montauk Point, Long Island,” by Charles Parsons. Article printed in Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, September 1871. First page of article, showing woodcut illustration of the Montauk Lighthouse, Al Holden Collection, Montauk Library Archives. Please note: This article is in the public domain, and can be accessed for free. See web address below. This September marks the 150th… Read more »
No, these cowpokes aren’t headed to the Surf Lodge. They’re hot to trot to Deep Hollow Ranch instead ̶ after meeting up with some livestock about to arrive on the Long Island Rail Road. Cattle drives were an enduring part of Montauk’s history starting in the 17th century. Its grazing pastures were used to bulk up… Read more »
Photograph of sheep at Second House, John Van Siclen collection, donated by James Schwartz. For more than two centuries, sheep and cattle were driven to and from Montauk during the months of March and December. The keepers who tended the livestock in Montauk lived in three houses, two of which still exist today, Second House… Read more »