The Baymen’s Oral History Group
The waters around Long Island were long known for their bounty. Fish and oysters sustained the indigenous population long before the coming of Europeans, who then developed full fledged industries […]
Category: 19th Century
The Pickled City w Paul van Ravestein
Consider the pickle. Whether sour or sweet, sliced or speared, it’s a seasoned veteran vegetable with a story to tell. New York plays a big part in that tale, as […]
Sag Harbor Whalemen’s Songs w Stephen Sanfilippo
Long Island played a major role in the development of whaling in the Americas. Native Americans along the south shore were well practiced in harvesting whales near the coast. They […]
Historic Schoolhouses of Long Island
Today we come to praise the one-room schoolhouse of the 19th century (and some of its earlier forebears). Humble in appearance, these buildings might be easy to overlook but their […]
Robert Anen and Manhasset Oral Histories
The voices of the past are all around us, if you know how to listen. And sometimes those voices are trapped on small thin strips of tape wrapped in cheap […]
Isle of Ever with Jen Calonita
Isle of Ever is Jen Calonita’s newest middle grade novel, a story grounded in the history of Long Island’s North Fork. On today’s episode, Jen discusses growing up on Long […]
Angela Fernandez and Pierson v Post
When Jessie Pierson and Lodowick Post argued over a fox in early 19th century Southampton, they probably didn’t think the resulting court case would echo down the ages. Yet here […]
Whatever Happened to Walt Whitman’s Brain?
The science of the brain was changing throughout the 19th century. Medical researchers were peering ever deeper into cerebral mysteries and one question piqued their interest more than any other: […]
Promoting Long Island: The Art of Edward Lange, 1870-1889
Edward Lange was a German artist who started his career on Long Island in the late 19th century. He meticulously captured the landscape and built environment across the island from […]
The Steamboat Lexington with Bill Bleyer
On a frigid night in January 1840, the luxury steamboat Lexington burned and sank in the middle of the Long Island Sound with over 140 people on board. What followed […]