Printed on back

" This monument commemorates the founding of Smithtown, Long Island, N. Y. by Richard Smith "The Bull Rider" who was granted in 1665, all the land he could cover on the back of a bull in 24 hours.

In June 2015 Connie Curts wrote that the Bull Smith story is a legend. "Historical records prove Richard Smith actually purchased the Long Island land from Lyon Gardiner."

Smithtown, L.I., Posted 1907

The Booth and Arthur General Store on Jericho Turnpike (across from where the statue of the bull now stands) at the junction of Route 25A and Jericho Turnpike. It was also called the River Store and was operated by E. L. Arthur.

Ethelbert Arthur, merchant born 1872, and his wife, Ellen, born 1867 were listed in the 1900 census in Smithtown with their children, Ethel, May and Laurence, and Ellen's, mother, Mary Smith, born circa 1819, plus a servant, Daisy Folk. Nextdoor was listed, William Rapier, railroad agent born Kentucy, 1841, his wife, Mary born 1841, their daughter Nettie (?) Pitts widow, and their daughter Bertha, born 1871, and her husband Frederick Booth, merchant, born 1871.

In 1905 Booth & Arthur advertised:

GENERAL MERCHANDISE

LUMBER, COAL AND BUILDING MATERIALS

In 1920 Ethelbert Arthur was listed on Main Street as the Smithtown post master. In 1930 Ethelbert Arthur was listed on Landing Ave, Head of the River, as a post master. Ellen and Mae were listed with him.

In in 1910 and 1920 Fredrick Booth was listed on as a lumber dealer. Also listed was his wife, Bertha (and in 1920 a daughter, Dorothy, age 6), and his inlaws the Rapiers.

Both Ethelbert Arthur and Frederick Booth were born in Smithtown.

Here is the picture of the Riverside Garage. This is at the south east intersection of 25 and 25A across from where the Bull Statue stands today. The building to the left of the Riverside Garage still stands today and it is where the bar/gentlemans club is located. This picture is said to have been taken in 1911. If you look towards the right of the photo it has a sign on the tree that points to the Riverside Inn. The Riverside Inn is slightly visable to the left of the Riverside Garage's roof. The building on the far left of the photo (across the street from the Riverside Garage) is the Riverside Store.

According to the guy I got the photo from, he said that the cars have 1912 plates and the car to the far right is a Type I 1910 Locomobile baby tonneau.

Tom Muratore, May 2008

FRANK FRIEDE, ROUTE 25, SMITHTOWN, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK

Address as taken from a Freide's menu of the early 1950's contributed by Joan Rust whose father worked there.

During Prohibition Frank Friede's was a famous speakeasy.

Agnes Land always spoke very fondly of "Friede's". Apparently she and Bud often went dancing and to dinner there in the mid to late 40s.

The Riverside Inn and the R.R. Tracks are to the left of the picture.

Railroad service arrived in Smithtown in 1873. Before that the means of transport to New York City was sailing ship, horse or foot. By 1900 there were nine trains daily to the city.

This lovely old postcard of the Smithtown Train depot was shared by Tom Muratore, January 2007 who wrote:

L.I.R.R. Depot, Smithtown. It is postmarked, Smithtown Branch, Oct, 1909. It states, "Cousin John and family Just a line to let you know that we are all well and hope you are the same. Have you heard from Uncle Colman lately Frank"

Posted 1911

No date.

Santa Claus and his reindeer were greeted in Smithtown by approximately 2,000 young and old, who lined the Jericho Turnpike. Colored lights had been strung from the Smithtown Bank to "Nichols and Land's showrooms" and a large Christmas tree in front of the bank was illuminated with colored lights. At Nichols and Lands showrooms each child received a box of candy and an orange and had an opportunity to pet a live reindeer from Icy Cape, Alaska. The American Legion Drum and bugle Corps played seasonal music. Members of the committee that organized the celebration included Joseph A. Land. (Brooklyn Daily Eagle 17 December 1927)

See Norman Land

Posted 1913

Posted 1913

Smithtown, L. I.

No postmark

Town Hall on Main Street in Smithtown was designed as a free service by prominent St. James resident and architect, Lawrence Smith Butler. The original building, first occupied in March 1913, was as pictured above. Shortly afterwards a wing was added to the north that included jail cells. An east wing was added in 1930.

No postmark

Photo image postcard of the above card. Date illegible. This photo postcard is noted "Feather" on the bushes in front of the church. Feather was the photographer. This view is looking west on Main Street between Elm and Maple Avenues.

According to his daughter, Barbara, who wrote to me in January 2012, the Rev. Phillip H. Dodd was pastor of the Methodist Church in Smithtown from about 1938 to 1943. Philip Harrison Dodd was born in Danbury, Connecticut on May 6, 1889. He graduated Wesleyan University class of 1913. He died January 21, 1965 in Connecticut. Rev. Philip H. Dodd and family moved to Cos Cob, Conn. in May 1943.

In February 2012 David Bauer wrote that he was baptized in " the M.E. church that was on the corner of Main Street and Maple (South East corner)." He added:

It was replaced in 1961 (1st service was Thanksgiving) by the church that now stands across from the Smithtown Historic Society office.

The old church was originally built without the bell tower front entrance shown in the pictures.

The stained glass windows were removed from the old church and moved to the new church.

The old church building was torn down in about 1962 and the land was used by Frank Radue to construct a new "modern" supermarket called BLUEJAY MARKET.

This was the second BLUEJAY MARKET with the first being on Lake Avenue in St. James (right across the tracks from the St James train station).

I have the full list of pastors from the opening in the early 1800's until Rev. Bardsley who was pastor when the church changed locations (1961).

I believe the new building land was a strawberry field prior to being home for the new church building.

There were some interior pictures floating around in the church archives. I believe it had a flat "tin ceiling" inside but would not bet my life on that memory.

"the Smithtown M.E. chuch that was torn down in 1962 for the Bluejay Market was originally constructed over by Judge's Lane (other side of the Library) and was moved to the Maple Avenue location down Main Street. They essentially put telephone poles under it and rolled it down the street very slowly while children took turns riding in the building sitting in the pews."

J. Lovejoy 1833 - 34, W. K. Stepford 1834 - 35, John Merwin 1835 - 36, ---- 1836 - 40, Theron Osborn 1840 - 41, S. W. King 1841 - 42, Elbert Osborn 1842 - 44, Nathan Rice 1844 - 45, George Hollis 1845 - 47, Ezra Jagger 1847 - 49, Eben S. Hebbard 1849 - 51, William Gothard 1851 - 53, Joseph Wilden 1853 - 54, Robert Codling 1854 - 56, Daniel James 1856 - 58, Eben S. Hebbard 1858 - 60, William Wake 1860 - 62, Edward K. Fanning 1862 - 65, John H. Stansbury 1865 - 68, Daniel Jones 1868 - 70, Charles Stearns 1870 - 73, P. Morris Terry 1873 - 74, Benjamin Redford 1874 - 1876, William Lawrence 1876 - 77, Siegfried Kristeller 1877 - 79, Charles Stearns 1879 - 12/20/79, William Layton 1/20/80 - 82, Jay A. Churchill 1882 - 85, Joseph Irons 1885 - 87, William E. Smith 1887 - 90, J. N. Crane 1890 - 92, A. C. Morehouse 1892 - 95, John W. Simpson 1895 - 2/13/98, G. B. Cornell 2/13/98 - May'98, William E. Smith May '98 - 1901, R. B. Cuthbert (during Smith's illness), Charles Wilson 1901 - Dec. '01, William S. Harper Jan. '02 - 03, Thomas N. Laine 1903 - 07, James M. Cox 1907 - 10, Clyde D. Baker 1910 - 12, Paul E. Edwards 1912 - 14, Richard S. Povey 1914 - 17, B. C. Miller 1917 - 19, L. A. Guiles May '19 - July 19, Fred Wilcocks Aug. '19 - 23, Daniel C. Dorchester 1923 - 25, Hibert S. Trueman 1925 - 27, Wilmot P. Lord 1927 - 29, Edward A. Jacobsen 1929 - Nov. '35, Herbert K. Robinson Nov. '35 - 37, Philip H. Dodd 1937 - 43, Robert Roy Wright 1943 - 48, Albert E. Morris 1948 - 57, Dwight L. Kintner 1957 - 60, John W. Bardsley 1960 - 83, Arthur G. Barton 1983 - 95, Harold N. Gainer 1995 - 98, Timothy J. Riss 1998 - 2005, Albert Hahn 2005 - 2011, Huibing He 2011 - Present

ASSOCIATE PASTORS OF SMITHTOWN UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Richard Owen Griffith 1967 - 69, Richard G. Phillips 1970 - 71, Trygve Fossen 1971 - 74, Evelyn Newman 1975 - 76, Frank A. Horbert 1977 - 80

List courtesy of David M Bauer, February 2013

Smithtown United Methodist Church 230 Middle Country Rd. Smithtown, New York 11787

No date.

This must be a World War I monument . World War I was called the World War until World War II.

A circulating library containing 603 books was opened in November 1907 in the house of Judge Lawrence Smith. It was initially opened for three hours three afternoons a week and staffed by volunteers. In 1909 the library moved to other temporary quarters. In 1911 Cornelia Stewart Butler, the widow of Prescott Hall Butler, gave a half acre of property on Middle Country Road in Smithtown Branch opposite the Presbyterian Church on the corner of North Country Road and Middle Country Road. The building, designed gratis by Mrs. Butler's, son the architect, Lawrence Smith Butler, was formally opened in August 1912. In December 1935 there were 15,959 books in the library. In 1952 the building was moved accross the street to the Village Green the site of the present library.

The Richard H Handley Collection of Long Island Americana was donated to the library in 1922.

No date.

Build circa 1725.

I cannot find Beryl Lake on a current map or the 1950's tax map of Smithtown.

In June 2008 Michael O'Haire emailed to say

"I live on Miller's Pond in Smithtown. I have 2 of the postcards you have on your pages. One is of Miller's Pond, the other is of Beryl Lake. I was told when purchasing the postcards, that Beryl Lake was Miller's Pond"

63

MILLER'S POND

An artificial pond created by damming the Smithtown Branch of the Nissequogue River, located just south of the business are of Smithtown. The pond is now owned by the Miller family. Originally called Brush's Pond and for a short time named Lake Beryl.

Not posted

Tom writes:

"This is the post card of Maple Avenue, Smithtown. It is postmarked, July 12, 1910 with a Smithtown postmark. According to the book "Smithtown Looking Back Through the Lens" this photo was taken in 1909 near Bowers Court and is looking towards the North."

Tom Muratore, May 2008

Gus Hubers Rest Camp, Middle Country Road.

Postcard image courtesy of Tom Muratore, January 2007. Tom writes:

"Gus Hubers Rest Camp, Middle Country Road, Smithtown Branch, L.I." It is postmarked from Saint James, August, 1928. It state, "Dear Gus, Just a note to let you know that we are all OK. Hope you are the same. Try to write once in a while. Love Seaver"

Posted 1914

The Frist Presbyterian Chruch of Smithtown was founded in 1675. The building on the present site dates to 1825.

See Records of the First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown

No date.

This was the church that the Lands attended when they lived in Smithtown.

"The present edifice on Mayflower Ave was dedicated by the present third Bishop of Brooklyn, Most Rev. Thomas E Molloy, S. T. D. on June 30, 1929"

I lost the source of this quote. MLB

"This is a postcard of the Smithtown Central Hotel. It was located on the southwest corner of Lawrence Ave and Main Street where the empty lot is next to the Smithtown Movie Theatre is today. This postcard is postmarked May 7, 1908, Smithtown Branch.

Tom Muratore, May 2008

My dad, Bud Land, had a number of area postcards that he like to xerox and send to people. I only have the xeroxed copies of some of the postcards. I do not know where the originals are. See more below.

"A token from the Central Hotel in Smithtown. The token is a 5 cent token which could have been exchanged for a drink or a cigar."

Tom Muratore, February, 2010

Conklin and Jaynes Gerneral Store, Main Street and Hauppaugue Road (Route 111). It later became the Old Town Theater. It was demolished in 1965. From Smithtown 1665-1965 Tercentenary Souvenir Album and Program.

Jacob B Conklin was a druggist and grocer born circa 1833. He and his wife, Elmira were listed in the 1870, 1880, 1900, and 1910 censuses. His partner was the husband of Etta Jaynes. She was listed as widowed, born circa 18554, a music teacher in the 1900 census on Main Street, Smithtown. She was listed in the 1880 census with her husband who was a grocer, but the ink is very faded and I cannot read his name.

No date.

No date.

Gift of Charlie Edgar

Printed on back: "Owned and operated by the Town, mooring facilities are available for 300 boats."

Posted 1959.

No postmark

Posted 1962

In 1872 the Brooklyn Gun Club purchased Caleb Smith's house and land near the head of the Nissequogue in Smithtown. Fishing, fox hunting and quail and pheasant shooting were popular sports.

The club was renamed the Wyandanch Club in 1893 after a Montaukett sachem. It is now on the list of registered historic places and is known as Caleb Smith S tate Park. Jericho Tnpk. SW of jct. with Meadow Rd., Smithtown (5180 acres, 12 buildings)

George Edgar was a gamekeeper at the Wyandanch Club. See The Edgar Family

"The Boss Long Island Fisherman at Wyandanch Club, Smithtown

Posted 1907

The following post cards may not actually reflect pictures taken in Smithtown but they do reflect the rural nature of the area. Lawrence Czaplysk wrote that in 1941 Smithtown:

"was still mainly a farming area, so you could always make some cash working picking potatoes or other types of farm work."

Posted 1937.

Not posted

Posted 1919

Note: Smithtown, New York, 1660-1929 lists this photo as taken by R. S. Feather in 1917 .

Bud Land had a copy of the photo and he made the following notes about it.

1920 Ford 1st Truck:

• Driver Joe Luisi
• Chief Frank Brush
• Ed Mosley (Note: He was the husband of Adelaide Land)

1920 Ford 2nd Truck:

• Driver Earl Scott
• Carlyle Hodgkinson
• Charles Sturm, Sr.
• Freelan Jones

1919 Ford Hook and Ladder:

• Percy A Land (Note: Smithtown, New York, 1660-1929 lists Frank Valentine as the driver)
• Howard Arthur
• Charles Smith, standing by ladder

At the fire door, Joseph Hastings, boys, Large, Harold Purick, small, Theodore Brush

• The date of the trucks (although the photo is listed as being taken in 1917, the date for the first truck is given as a "1919 Ford")
• Percy Land instead of Frank Valentine

Some Members of the Smithtown Fire Department and the Date They Joined

• Edward Moseley, 3-8-20
• Percy A Land, 3-14-21
• Arnold Land, 9-1-25
• Joseph A land, 7-14-26
• Elbert Land, 2-8-32
• Edgar L Land, 6-12-33
• Donald Land, 5-14-34
• Gerald Land, 6-23-49
• Frank Goehle, 6-3-52

The History of the Smithtown Fire Department, 1956, Smithtown Library, Long Island Room, November 2005

The tower contains a bell for sounding alarms.

In January 2007 Tom Muratore graciously shared several Smithtown images including this one to the Smithtown Hook and Ladder company. Tom writes:

The Smithtown Branch Hook and Ladder card is post marked, Saint James, July 5, 1909. The postcard states, "Am having a fine time. Alfred and Freda."

In December 2013 Charles Bernard contacted me about the lack of Smithtown Police images on my web site. He provided the following images given him by John Valentine, the director of the Smithtown Department of Public Safely. These images are from an article in True Detective circa 1946-50. Harry E Martinsen was the Smithtown Supervisor at that time. The Smithtown police department was absorbed into the Suffolk County Police Department in January 1960.

FINEST OF THE FINEST

Smithtown, New York, is a dignified, residential municipality. You wouldn't think that it needed much of a police force for all its citizens are law-abiding folk, but it has a nineteen-man force, including Chief, Deputy Chief, Lieutenant and three Sergeants. It has established a record passed by virtually no other law-enforcement group in the entire country, for it has solved every crime that has ever presented itself in the town's entire history - and those crimes range from notorious murders to automobile theft. As a result, its crime rate per capita is the lowest in the U. S. for towns of its size.

Its 16,000 people are spread over a area of 59 square miles, and since many of them are wealthy, the homes are tempting spots for thieves and robbers. Because the population is so dispersed and the area is a quite, uncrowded one, fugitives from crime committed in the more congested metropolitan area hoppe to be able to secrete themselves here easily. But to their grief they find it isn't so. The Smithtown cops always get their man.

Smithtown's "finest" are not only fearless and well-trained, but they have at their disposal in solving crimes one of the finest crime laboratories in the country. They are the only police force of that size in the country to possess the scientific equipment for the detention of deception - everything from a lie detector to instruments for recording and listening purposes.

"Trained to handle all kinds of emergencies, the police work singly, or as a group."

"The "know-how" necessary for making road-blocks and using guns is shown by a few of the men of the police department."

"As the children are released from classes, one of the most pleasant tasks in a policeman's day is escorting them across streets."

"The 19 members, who cover 59 square miles, are a credit to any force."

Smithtown's "Finest" included:

Cy (Cyril) J Donnelly (1909-1982)

Cy (Cyril) J Donnelly (1909-1982) was Smithtown's first police chief and the first Chief Inspector of the Suffolk County Police Department. Cyril J. Donnelly was a law enforcement officer in Suffolk County from 1935 until his retirement in 1972.

Cyril Donnelly was born 18 July 1909 in Scranton, Pa.. He died January 1982 in, Kings Park, Suffolk Co. New York.

In the 1930 census Cyril Donnelly was listed as a 20 year old chauffeur at the State Hospital at Kings Park, Smithtown.

1940: Route 25 A, own $9,000, Cyril "Donnely" M 30 Pennsylvania, town policeman, town officer, income $2,000, Wife Sara Donnely F 27 Ireland Daughter Geraldine Donnely F 3 New York

According to the department of Veteran Affairs he enlisted in the Navy 25 April 1943 and was "released" 7 February 1946. The Suffolk County News carried the story on Friday April 30, 1943.

Cyril J Donnelly, police chief of Smithtown, has enlisted in the Navy and will report for duty tomorrow to begin an eight-week basic course. Chief Donnelly is being given a leave of absence by the Smithtown Town Board. He has been a member of the department for eight years and it head for the past six. Chief Donnelly, who is 33, leaves his wife and two children to keep the home fires buring."

Cyril Donnelly was listed in the 1920 census in Scranton, Pa. with his father, Joseph age 39, an air brake inspector on the Rail Road, his mother, Julia, age 37, and a brother Gerard age 7.

There is a fair amount about him on the internet.

1922: Smithtown - Hebert Adams, age 30, had recently been appointed to the Smithtown Police traffic control force when his motorcycle crashed into an oncoming car. Adams was chasing a speeder in a car that was going east on St. James road. He ended up in Huntington Hospital with several broken bones.

1917: WWI Draft Registration, Herbert Benjamin Adams, 401 W Seventh st., Wilmington, Deleware, dob May 13, 1886, Ordinance Dept USA Artillery Fuse, mother Nancy Adams Smithtown Branch, L. I., tall, medium build, blue eyes, brown hair

1920: River Rd, Smithtown, Nancy Adams 60, widow, Nancy Adams 40, daughter, Charles Adams 47, son, engineer marine, Edward Adams 42, son, janitor bank, Herbert Adams 34, son, laborer building, Emma Adams 37, daughter, all born New York,

1925: Listed with his mother and several siblings on Nissequogue Rd, as a farm laborer.

1940: Nissequogue Road Smithtown, Suffolk, New York Charles Adams 68, laborer, Edmond Adams 59, brother, cashier bank, Herbert Adams 52, brother, single, bus driver, Fanny Adams 65, sister

1945: Death, Herbert Adams, Birth Date: May 1886, Birth Place: Smithtown, Suffolk County, New York, United States of America, Death Date: 1945, Death Place: Smithtown, Suffolk County, New York, United States of America, Cemetery: Landing Cemetery, Burial or Cremation Place: Smithtown, Suffolk County, New York, United States of America Father: Charles Adams Mother: Nancy Adams URL: https://www.findagrave.com/mem...

Nancy Darling Adams:

Daughter of Benjamin Darling and Sarah Jayne, wife of Charles Adams and mother of DeWitt J., Charles C., Joseph E., Fanny, Hattie, Eugenia, Edward J., Nancy H., Emily B., and Herbert B. Adams.

Obituary - Nancy Darling, widow of Charles Adams, died at her home here on Saturday, February 21, aged 79 years. The funeral services were conducted by the Rev. Daniel Dorchester at the Landing M.E. Church on Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock. Interment followed in the Landing Cemetery. Mrs. Adams is survived by eight children, five sons and three daughters. Two daughters, Mrs. George Marsh and Mrs. William Davis died several years ago.

(Long Island Surnames; Long Islander (Huntington), Friday, February 27, 1925, Page: 6) (Find a Grave)

Sergeant "Edward" Anderson was listed on the Smithtown police force in 1939.

Sergeant "John" Anderson was listed on the Smithtown police force in 1940.

Listed with the Smithtown police in: 1935 (officer), 1937 (officer), 1937 (Sgt.), 1939 (Sgt.), 1941, 1942, and 1945 (Chief). He may have replaced Donnelly during the time that Donnelly was in the service.

1925: Geo A Baade 29, carpenter, Ida L Baade 21, wife, Jean M Baade 01, daughter, Ann L Baade 0, daughter, Anne Conklin 59, mother in law, Aanon Johansen 43, boarder, born Norway, carpenter

1930: Landing ave, George Baade 35, carpenter, jobbing, Ida Baade 27 Jean Baade 6 Ann Baade 4 George Baade 1

1940: Landing Ave, Smithtown, George Baade 42, town police, renting, 8th grade, salary, $2,300, Ida Baade 35, Jean Baade 16, Ann Baade 14, George Baade jr 11, Stephen Siska 13, ward of the county, Betty Siska 10, word of the county

William Baker was listed as a officer on the Smithtown police force in 1939 and 1944.

1940: East North Port Rd, William J Baker M 53 New York, patrolman Smithtown, income $1,250, Wife Anna Baker F 48 New York Son William Baker M 27 New York, state trooper, police, New York State, Son Walter Baker M 22 New York, laborer, Son Philip Baker M 20 New York, laborer, Daughter Rita Baker F 18 New York, stenographer, commercial bank, Son John Baker M 17 New York Daughter Marie Baker F 13 New York Son Charles Baker M 12 New York Nephew William Richards M 12 New York Boarder Eugene Fink M 20 New York

1920: William J Baker 34, butcher state hospital, Anna Baker 27, Margaret Baker 9, William Baker 7, James Baker 6, [6/12] Walter Baker 2, [2 5/12] Philip Baker 0, [1/12] Thomas Baker 0, [1/12] Philip Dunphy 56, father in law

1925: Northport Rd., Baker, William age 38, hatter, Anna wife, 33, Margaret 14, William 13, James 11, Walter 7, Philip 5, Thomas 5, Rita 4, John 2

1930: East Northport Road, own $6,000, William J Baker 44, deputy sheriff, Anna Baker 38, Margaret Baker 19, stenographer state hospital, William Baker 17, James Baker 16, Walter Baker 12, Phillip Baker 10, Thomas Baker 10, Rita Baker 8, John Baker 7, Marie Baker 3, Charles Baker 2, William Richards 2, nephew, Robert Brown 9, nephew, Babara Brown 8, niece, Bridget Dunphy 54, aunt

Death: July 6, 1950 (info from his grandson, Charles Gardner, December 2018).

William J Baker, Age: 64, Birth Date: abt 1886, Death Date: 6 Jul 1950, Death Place: Smithtown, New York, USA, Certificate Number: 44637

Miles Borden was listed as a Sergeant in the Smithtown police in 1942, 1943 and 1848. Miles Borden was listed a Lieutenant in 1954, Captain in 1959 and Lieutenant again in 1973.

Sergeant George Borden was listed in the Smithtown police department in 1943.

1930: Kings Park, Burr ave, renting $25, Miles F Borden 24, born Penn, guard utility depot, Bessie Borden 22, Miles Borden 2 and some months, Elsie Borden 1 and some months, Steelman Borden 0

1940: Dawson Street, Smithtown, Miles Bordan 34, patrolman state hospital, Bossie Bordan 32, Meles Bordan 12, Elsie Bordan 11, Steelman Bordan 10, Lee Bordan 8, Noel Bordan 7

Bessie M Borden, Father's Surname: McDowell, Death Date: 25 Jan 1991, Death Place: Sharon, Litchfield, Connecticut, Age: 83 Year, Birth Place: New York, Birth Date: 21 Dec 1907, Marital Status: Widowed, Spouse: Miles, State File #: 01976, Occupation: NURSING, Industry: HEALTH CARE, Education: College, Residence : Deep River, Out-of-State, Florida, Address: 4144 Middlegate Dr.

"Bert" DeArmitt was listed as patrolman in 1931 and 1959.

1940: Own $5,000, DeArmitt, Herbert, age 37, no occupation, no salary, Anne wife age 36, telephone operator state hospital, Herbert Jr. son age 15, Herbert, H father, age 66, taxi driver, Annie mother, age 57,

1930: Cottage Field, Kings Park, rent $20, Herbert De Armitt 56, chauffer, Annie De Armitt 47, Herbert F De Armitt 27, office police, Viola De Armitt 24, secretary office, Arna J De Armitt 26, telephone operator state hospital, Herbert F De Armitt 5, grandson, Ellen Bouton 77, mother in law, attendent state hospital, William Young 45, brother in law, attendent state hospital, Sarah E Young 52, sister in law

Death: Herbert Dearmitt BIRTH: 14 May 1902 DEATH: Dec 1976 - Kings Park, Suffolk, New York, USA

In 1910 Herbert senior was listed as an automobile chauffer. In 1920 he was listed as a chauffer state hospital, as was Herbert junior.

Raymond L'Hommedieu born 17 January, 1890 died while on duty with the Smithtown police force in 1941.

1910: Nessaquague Road, William T L Hommedien 49, foreman private estate, Mary A L Hommedien 46 Ella M L Hommedien 21 Raymond T L Hommedien 20, chauffer private family

In 1917, Raymond L'Hommedieu was a chauffeur for Albert B. Fink of St James. He was married with one child - tall slender brown eyes and brown hair.

Raymond L'Hommedieu was listed as a constable in 1925 (when he was directing traffic) and in 1927, 1929, 1931 and 1932.

In 1929 Raymond l. L'Hommedieu was on the Republican ticket for Smithtown Branch constable. He must have been elected because was listed as a constable in 1929.

1930: River Road, Smithtown Branch, Raymond L'Hommedien 40, chauffer Lumber, Frances L'Hommedien 38, Raymond L'Hommedien 18, Robert L'Hommedien 12, Richard L'Hommedien 10, Francis L'Hommedien 5, Clifford L'Hommedien 4

1940: 113 Oak Ave, Smithtown, Raymond L'Hommedieu M 50 New York, patrolman town government, Wife Frances M L'Hommedieu F 48 New York, Son Robert A L'Hommedieu M 22 New York, sales clerk, grocery, Son Richard L'Hommedieu M 20 New York, driver, ice, Son Francis L'Hommedieu M 15 New York, Son Clifford L'Hommedieu M 14 New York, Next to them, same building, Raymond L'Hommedieu age 28, clerk, lumber, and his wife Florence, 28, clerk insurance

Raymond L L'Hommedieu a 15 year veteran of the Smithtown police department died after his patrol car collided with a truck in April 1941. He was survived by his wife and five sons.

A man identified as Donald E. Rockwood of this city was said to have been seriously burned at Smithtown, L. I., yesterday when his truck was in a collision with a police patrol car being operated by Raymond L'Hommedieu, veteran 51-year-old member of the Smithtown Police Department. The police officer later died in Mather Memorial hospital at Port Jefferson. According to police L'Hommedieu was chasing a speeder along Jericho Turnpike when the accident took place. The impact overturned the truck. (PLATTSBURGH DAILY PRESS, April 19, 1941.

Brooklyn Daily Eagle

POLICEMAN KILLED AS PATROL CAR HITS TRUCK IN SMITHTOWN

A local police office was killed an a truck driver severely burned when a patrol car of the Smithtown Police Department crashed head-on with a truck loaded with 15 tons of potatoes on the Jericho Turnpike near the intersection of North county Road, last night."

Patrolman Raymond L'Hommedieu was reportedly chasing a speeding motorist east when he "swung wide to pass a car" and crashed into the oncoming truck. Both vehicles were overturned and the truck caught fire. L'Hommedieu was taken to Mather's Hospital in Port Jefferson where he died two hours later. The driver of the truck, Donald E Rockwood, was absolved of all blame but he was to be arraigned for "violation of the labor law which forbids a truck operator to operated a vehicle for more than ten hours without a rest." He had told investigators that he had been driving for 19 house with only an hour and a half rest.

His name was spelled in several different ways Marion[m], Miriam[n].

He was born circa 1906 to Adolph and Marie Hesse.

1944:

S. Sgt. Miriam Hesse, better known as "Bub" Hesse of the Smithtown police force was serious wounded in action in France."

He was shot in the left ear by a sniper while his tank outfit was "cleaning up a captured town on Thanksgiving day". He was recovering in a hospital in France. December 1944.

"Mariam A Hesse of Suffolk County enlisted at Fort Jay Governors Island, N Y on 6 April 1942 - occupation, policeman and detective, public service, education grammer school.

Mariam Hesse age 24 was listed with his parents on Smithtown Boulevard, in Smithtown in 1930: Adolph, head own $5,000, born Germany age 67, proprietor gas station, Marie, wife, 67 born Germany, Marian son age 24, born New York, chauffer, highway, Elsie , daughter, age 19, born New York, secretary high school

In 1910 and 1920 Adolph Hesse was a masseur - in 1920 specifically listed as "turkish bath". By 1925 he was listed as owning a garage. In 1925 Marian age 19 was listed as a house mover.

In 1940 Marion Hesse age 34 was listed with is wife Florence age 34 and his sister in law Emma Berry age 39. He owned a house valued at $7,000 on Smithtown Blvd (no number) and was living next to his mother, Marie, who also owned - value $5,000. Marion was listed as a sergeant in the Smithtown Police Dept. His wife, Florence, ran her own restaurant.

M Hesse of the Smithtown police was listed as a lieutenant in 1947 and a Captain in 1959.

Florence Hesse died in Saint James in 1992.

Sgt. Robert Hesse was listed with the Smithtown police in 1936 and 1939.

Sergeant Robert Hesse of the Smithtown police testified in a 1940 trial. (Court of Appeals of the State of New York: People of the State of New York).

1942:

Robert Hesse, sergeant of police, Smithtown police, Smithtown, Long Island, called as a witness in behalf of the People, being first duly sworn by the clerk, Mr. Jehle, testified

Q. How lone have you been a member of the Smithtown police force? A. Five years. New York Court of Appeals. Records and Briefs.

Joseph Jirik was born in New York state circa 1900 to Joseph Jirik born circa 1871 in Bohemia and his wife, Josephine. They were listed in the 1920 census in Smithtown on Mills Pond road as follows, Joseph J Jirik 49, foreman bulb farm, Josephine Jirik 42 Charles Jirik 22, son, brakeman, steam railroad, Joseph Jirik 20, son, stationary (word) shipyard, Anna Jirik 8, daughter, John Jirik 6, son, Emily Jirik 1, daughter, Anna Vojin 67, widow, mother in law.

Joseph age 25 was listed in the 1925 census with his parents as "motor police".

In 1930 Joseph Jirik age 31, was listed at 456 Moriches road, owning a house valued at $15,000. He was listed with his wife Catherine age 37. His occupation was given as "motorcycle cop town".

He was listed as:

• motorcycle officer in 1925 and 1927
• officer and motor cycle officer in 1929
• policeman in 1930.
• "town officer" in 1932.
• patrolman in 1942, 1944, and 1947

Joseph Jirik died in October 1972 in Smithtown.

My dad, Bud Land, had a number of area postcards that he like to have xeroxed and send to people. I only have the xeroxed copies of the following five postcards. I do not know where the originals are.

In March 2010 Susan Carter White Pieroth wrote to say that is the "Old Huntington Mill"

Tom Muratore has generously shared lots of great old Smithtown post cards. Many of them can be seen on this page and related Smithtown pages.

Here are some additional images from Tom.

"A postcard photo of the original railroad tressel that was built by the Smithtown-Port Jefferson Railroad Company in the 1870's that crosses the Nissequgue River near what today is Jericho Turnpike by the bull statue."

Tom Muratore

Landing Avenue Bridge

Printed on the bottolm of the front of the card:

Smithtown Hotel
O Schubert Prop.

An overhead view of the south east corner of the intersection of Jericho Turnpike (Rt. 25) and Smithtown Bypass (Rt. 347). The building on the right is the Shangri- La Drive In Restaurant. The building on the left is the Beacon Motel. Both of these buildings were knocked down years ago and it is now vacant land. Someone dated the post card 3-13-1965.

The back of the postcard states:

SHANGRI-LA DRIVE IN RESTAURANT Charcoal Broiled Burgers - Bar-B-Q Chicken - Sizzling Steaks - Seafood, Fountain Service, All baking done in our own bake ovens. Open year 'round. Phone ANdrew 5-6322.

BEACON MOTEL Free TV and Air Conditioning - 25 Assorted Rooms - Commercial Rates. Open year 'round. Phone ANdrew 5-0602

Jericho Turnpike & Smithtown By-Pass Rd. St. James, Long Island, New York.

Tom writes:

Beacon Motel: The back of the postcard states:

• Beacon Motel
• Cr. Smithtown Bypass & Jericho Turnpike
• 25 deluxe units with baths. Fully air conditioned
• Free Television in each room. Near Lake Ronkonkoma
• and L.I. Sound beaches. Reasonable Rates.
• Open all year
• For Reserverations phone ANdrew 5-0602

My father's name- William D Jempty Sr. Owner of the Beacon Motel 1963-1965? to 1976 Also owner of the Smithtown Motor Lodge on the Smithtown Bypass(I think its an Econo Lodge now) from the date it was built (1970?) to 1973 or 74.

In 1976 Dad sold the hotel to Carl Mueller, my Uncle. The Mueller family (They lived in Smithtown) ran the hotel at least 1987 when my father and I stayed there for a couple of days.

I can tell you a lot of little stuff about the hotel. It had 25 rooms originally 1-12 and 14-26. Rooms 5 and 19 were converted to a office and living quarters for the hotel's live-in caretakers respectively. So in 1976 it had 23 rooms for rent.

Biggest Room in total sq feet- 17 Smallest- 18

Room 10 had a kitchen

Only 3 rooms had two beds in it. All the rest were singles.

The laundry was done in the basement. To get dirty sheets down there, they were dropped through a hole in the 1st floor storage room (back of the hotel located between rooms 16 and 17). Sometimes us kids would drop the stuff on Dad when he was gathering the sheets down below.

In 1965 or 66, the state of New York with plans to put interchange at where 347 & 25 met, condemned the property the Motel was on. Dad expecting some money from the State of NY, signed a contract for the land the Motor Lodge was on. New York State was slow in getting Dad the money and he was teetering close to bankruptcy. An article in the Long Island Press resulted in a phone call from Gov. Rockefeller's office and the check came to my father a few days later.

The state never did anything at the intersection as well as I know. They may even own the land now.

Tom writes:

The Pike Tourist Cabins: The back of the postcard states

• The Pike Tourist Cabins
• 3 Miles East of Smithtown R.R. Station
• On Route 25 - Jericho Turnpike
• Smithtown, Long Island
• Modern Accomodations - Open All Year.

Tom writes:

Yellow Top Farm: This farm stand closed around 2000. There is a World Tile and 7 Eleven on the site. The farm was replaced with homes, a now closed Boulder Creek (across Mt. Pleasant) and condominiums across the Smithtown Bypass.

On the back of the card it states:

Yellow Top Farm Stand
Smithtown By-pass at Mt. Pleasant Road
Smithtown, Long Island, N.Y.
AN5-1663

Don't miss visiting Long Island's most attractive Farm Stand and enjoy farm fresh fruits and vegetables on your dining table.

Open Daily and Sunday
Spring-Summer-Fall
The Barbato Bros.

Printed on front

"Eat at POP'S Snackbar and Buy HONEY at World famous Smithtown Bee Farm, Jericho Turnpike, Smithtown, N. Y. On Long Island the East's Garden Spot"

POP'S incomparable Manhattan Chowder, as only POP makes it. 12 cans $6.60; 6 cans $3.75, prepaid against your check to 3rd zone, excess postage billed. Satisfaction or money back. Sample; 1 can 20 fl. oz. (serves three), only once to each person. Prepaid all U.S. 65c.

Smithtown Bee Farm & Pop's
A.P. Knothe, Apiarist, Prop.
Box 3
Smithtown, N.Y.

On the back of the card:

R&S Sales & Service, Inc.
Factory Authorized Renault Dealer
Parts-Service
1 Mile E. of Shopping Center
Jericho Tpke. Smithtown
ANdrew 5-1717

In October 2005 Dana Rozycki contacted me by email and offered to share four fabulous old photos of Smithtown.

Dana said:

My grandfather's family moved to Smithtown in the late 1910s from Brooklyn, and lived there until 1972.

My grandfather was named Lester Spahr, and his wife was Nora. They lived on Meadow Road until the 1940s when my grandfather purchased A.E. Hallock's carriage making shop and house and moved the house to 43 Landing Ave., where they lived until 1972. Also, his cousin William ("Bud") Spahr and his wife Muriel lived at 20 Manor Road for decades.

Spahr Bakery

The Spahr Bakery

The town bakery run by my great grandfather's brother, Henry Spahr. This was located on Main Street in Smithtown. I'm not sure of the exact dates that the bakery was in existence, but it is listed in the 1913 phonebook, so I think this picture is from around then.

Bradley Harris in Smithtown identifies the people in this image: Henry at the reins, little, Ruth, brother, William, wife, Ada, holding, William jr.

Bradley also wrote that Henry, a German immigrant, learned to bake as a soldier in Cuba during the Spanish-American War.

Noel J. Gish writes in his book about Smithtown that the Saphr baker was located in the Taylor-White house just east of the Smithtown Library on Middle country road. Spahr brought the property from Augustus Silliman circa 1910.

Henry Spahr (1878-1945)

Birth; 1878

1898: Spanish-American War, Spahr Henry, enlisted, age 19, 20 May 1888, Camp Black, NY - Mustered in May 24, 1898, grade private, Company E, 22nd Infantry - Left 23 November 1898 Private, with company at Fort Slocum, NYH. - Remarks: Present muster rolls, June, Aug, and Oct '98 MOR In the settlement for clothing is included the sum of $8.80 the total value of articles furnished him by the State of NY. - Age 19, height 5 ft 4 three quarters inches, grey eyes, light brown hair, born in NYC, occupation, driver, guardian J Dietz, Central Market NY.

Marriage: Ada

Ada Spahr was a member of the Women's Christian Temperance Union and a proponent for Prohibition. The Volstead Act was passed in 1919 and repealed in 1933. Henry Spahr became a Federal Prohibition Agent.

Children:

1. Ruth c 1906

   Ruth Grace Spahr married Ferderick G. Quarterman in Kings Park in August 1931. The bride was a graduate of New Paliz Normal School. A reception was held at the home of the bride. The couple sailed on the Mohawk for Galveston, Texas. They were on their way to Ardmore Oklahoma where the groom was called to be the rector of St. Phillip's Episcopal Church.

2. William c 1908

   Maj. William Henry Spahr married Muriel Brewster Deutzman in May, 1944 in Smithtown.

   In 1944 Maj. Spahr had been stationed in the Panama Canal Zone with the United states Signal Corps.

3. Clinton c 1912

   Clinton Spahr married Averil Courier, daughter of Frank Courier and Ethel Land in 1940

   The had a son, Gary Law Spahr born March 11, 1944 Bay Shore, New York died October 12, 2018.

1910: Main street, Smithtown Branch, Henry F Spahr 31, baker own shop, Ada J Spahr 31, Ruth G Spahr 4, William H Spahr 2

1911: In April a notation in the local paper reported that a large force on men were at work on the property recently purchased by Henry Spahr on the corner of Main street and Maple ave. The Spahr family moved into their new home in May 1911. (The article did not say where the new home was located.)

WWI Draft Registration: Henry Frederick Spahr, Birth 19 Aug 1878 Smithtown Suffolk County, New York, USA Draft Board: 1 Physical Build: Medium, Height: Medium, Hair Color: Brown, Eye Color: Blue, Spouse: Mrs. Ada Spahr

Occupation Prop. Bakery, Main Street, Smithtown Branch

1920: Main street, Henry Spahr 41, bakery, bread and cafe, Ada Spahr 41, Ruth Spahr 13, William Spahr 12, Clinton Spahr 8

1921: August, Henry F. Spahr of Smithtown Branch was appointed a Federal Prohibition Enforcement Agent assigned to the Brooklyn office.

1922: May - Federal Agent Henry Spahr and others made arrests in Bushwick, Brooklyn where everything was "wide open" and people said they had never heard of Prohibition and the Volstead Act. At a saloon on Broadway at Hancock street two score men and women were drinking in the back room at 9 P.M. on a Saturday night. Drinks were 50 cents. The agents sat at a table and order drinks. when they attempted to arrest the bartender (who was also the owner) a fight broke out and extra forces had to be called.

1922: May - Henry Spahr was one of the arresting agents in the case of a man who only spoke Yiddish. The man was the proprietor of an egg and butter store. He was selling "white mule" whiskey made by his wife. The neighbors ratted them out. Both husband a wife were arrested and bail was set at $500 each. A gallon of whiskey was destroyed by the agents.

1924: April, A push cart in Flushing with hot dogs painted under the glass cover actually contained bottles of Scotch. The Scotch was being sold for 40 cents a shot. The cart bore a sign: "Light lunch, soft drinks and ice cream". The ruse was uncovered by agent Herny Spahr and two other agents.

1924: May - Agent Henry Spahr and other agents raided an elaborately equipped distilling plant where the booze was carted out through a 35 foot tunnel from a two story frame house in Brooklyn. The well structured tunnel let from the basement of the house to a garage. The bootleggers would back their trucks into the garage to be loaded. Three 100 gallon copper stills were in operation on the second floor. One man tried to escape by jumping our of a first floor window.

1924: Federal agents drove around Brooklyn in a car full of makeup, costumes, and props. Made up and dressed up they would drive up to a corner, alight as lost citizens, longshoremen, sailors, painters, paper hangers, what-ever and buy a drink in the nearest saloon, make an arrest, drive to a deserted spot, change and repeat the process. During a three week period they made 18 arrests. One of the agents was Henry Spahr.

1925: Smithtown Henry F Spahr 46, Federal Agent, Ada J Spahr 46 Ruth G Spahr 19, in college, Wm H Spahr 17 Clinton S Spahr 13

1925: In March, Henry Spahr and other Federal agents dressed in paint splattered overalls and carrying brushes and cans of paint arrested a bartender in a Greenpoint Brooklyn speakeasy after purchasing a drink for 25 cents.

1925: May - Agent Spahr assisted in a large raid where about $100,000 in liquor was seized in Bensonhurst.

1925: In May 1925 a trail was held in wich the respondents were charged with assault upon Federal Prohibition Agent Henry Spahr and two other agents on April 4, 1924.

"Details of a wild battle, in which a five-foot crowbar, iron pots, pans, dishes, a bred knife, three Federal agents and two respondents on trial figured."

was lain before the court. Agnest Spahe testified that he carried a blue metal .38 calibre colt at all times but did not use it in the altercation in question. Agent Sparh received six stitches on his head as a result of the melee. (Times Union 23 May)

1930: Maple ave., Henry F Spahr 51 Head, Federal Agent, Ada J Spahr 51 Wife, Ruth Spahr 24 Daughter, school teacher, William H Spahr 22 Son, Clinton Spahr 18 Son

1936: Aug, Herny F Spahr was appointed a Prohibition enforcement agent.

1940: Maple ave., Smithtown Branch, Henry Spahr 61 Head, salesman R - coal, Ada Spahr 61 Wife, William H Spahr 32 Son, Actuarial Engineer, Life Insurance

Death, 1945: Henry F. Spahr, Birth Date: 1878, Death Date: 1945, Cemetery: Smithtown Cemetery, Spouse: Ada G. Spahr

Purick' Drugstore

"George B. Purick's drugstore on Main Street. George was Harold's father and he operated the drugstore from about 1913 to 1924.

Harold Purick, was one of my grandfather's best friends in high school and for years afterward."

Dana Rozycki

Posted 1915

Smithtown Baseball Team

Smithtown Baseball: Smithtown Branch varsity team for the 1924 spring season. My grandfather, Lester Spahr, is seated second from the left. I'm not sure who anyone else is. I believe that the original picture has everyone's name listed on the reverse.

Dana Rozycki

Back Row, from the left: R. Olsen (?), Fred Cordis, G. Hubbs, H. Martinson, A.M. Jones (coach) Middle Row: Harold Purick, Lester Spahr, Harvey Deyo, William Spahr, Harold Olive Front Row: (name unknown), Floyd Sanford

Harold Purick was listed in the 1920 census in Smithtown on Landing Avenue with his father, George B a 42 year old widowed drug store owner and his children Harold F age 12 and Ruth F age 10. The family was also listed in the 1910 and 1930 censuses in Smithtown. On this page there are also pictures of Harold as a boy outside the fire house and a picture of Purick's Drug store.

Lester Spahr was Dana's grandfather. Lester and William Spahr were cousins. In 1920 they lived next door to each other on Main Street. Lester, age 14, with his father Fred R, age 43, diver bakery wagon, mother Fannie, age 38 siblings, Violet age 17, Lloyd age 4 years and 7 months. This Spahr family was also listed in the 1910 and 1930 census in Smithtown. See William below.

William Spahr, age 12, with his parents, Henry age 41, bakery, breads and cakes, and Aida age 14 and siblings, Ruth age 13, Clinton age 8. This Spahr family was also listed in the 1910 and 1930 census in Smithtown.

Smithtown Basketball Team

Smithtown Basketball: The 1923-24 basketball team. Again, I'm not sure who anyone is other than my grandfather, who is seated second from the right.

Dana Rozycki

The guy in the front row, glasses, holding ball was Bob Brady, who was from Kings Park. Kings Park didn't have a HS 'til 1928. First graduating class 1932. Before that, Kings Park kids had a choice of attending either Northport or Smithtown Branch high school. Bob Brady (1906-1986) was town Justice of the Peace and later on a councilman. Judging by Bob's DOB, would guess the BB photo ca 1922-24.

King Pedlar, November 2007

Front row, left to right: Fred Cordis, Harold Olive, Bob Brady, Harold Purick, Lester Spahr, William Spahr

Back row, left to right: Coach A.M Jones, F. Cordes, H. Deyo, G. Hubbs, J. Brady, J. Larson, H. Martinson

Dana Rozycki, October 2008

After the death of Law Land, Elizabeth Sykes Land moved to Linden Place in Smithtown where she was listed in the 1928 telephone directory. No number was listed so I do not know in which one of the five houses on Linden Place Elizabeth lived.

Vincent House on Hallock Ave. rented by Bud and Agnes Land 1944-1945. Hallock Acres next to William G Jones.

Another wonderful photo shared by Dana Rozycki who says:

This is A. E. Hallock's carriage-making shop and house. I'm not sure where in town this is, but the 1928 Smithtown directory lists him as being in Smithtown Branch. This is the house that my grandfather bought and moved to Landing Ave. in the 40s.

My guess is that this picture is from the beginning of the 20th century, given the dirt road, the lack of electrical poles or wires, and the horse carriage in front of the shop on the right side.

Photo by Morgan Blydenburgh

Built in 1688 by Joseph Blydenburgh, this house sat across from the Presbyterian Church on North County Road. During the Revolutionary War, Ruth Blydenburgh, the widow of Benjamin B. Blydenburgh, ran a boardinghouse/tavern there which was known as the Widow Blydenburg's. On April 23, 1790 George Washington rested and watered his horses at the Widow Blydenburg's. The house was torn down in 1907.

The Blydenburgh house at Smithtown, where March 9, 1797, Suffolk Lodge was organized. Legend has it that Washington once made his headquarters here. This is an error, though he did stop here in 1791 on a tour of the Island, and probably stayed overnight.

The house of Bro. Thomas Hallock, home of the Suffolk Lodge from 1806 to 1818. It was formerly a Smithtown inn, but is now occupied by Dr. Guy Turrell

Home of Percy Land and Meta Petermann 101 North Country Road from 1930ish to the mid 1970s.

To see more images of this house go to 101 North Country Road

Photo by R. S. Feather

"Epenetus Smith Inn, stopping place of the FultonFerry-Sag Harbor stage coaches as early as 1772. Now removed to the west side of Hauppauge Road on the chas. D. Miller Estate."

Smithtown Souvenir Program 1936

Two hundred and fifteen acres at the head of the Nissiquegue River between Landing Ave and Smithtown Rd formed the estate of Elliott Robins Smith. Elliott R. Smith, born in Smithtown in 1844, was a descendant of the Smiths of Smithtown. In the late 1890 and early 1900s he lived in Japan and was involved in the tea importing business. In 1910 he and his wife, Marcia, AKA Minnie, were listed in the Federal Census on Nissiquogue Road near Turnpike Road in the Village of Smithtown.

In November 1913 the 216 acre Elliott R. Smith Estate at "Smithtown Landing" was sold to Alonzo Potter (NYT). By 1917 Alonzo Potter had torn down the old wooden house and built a large brick Georgian house designed by Peabody Wilson & Brown (NYT & AF).

In 1919 the property was known as "River Head Farm".

In 1925 Alonzo Potter sold the property to Gerald Dahl. According to the Suffolk News Gerhard Dahl paid $180,000 for the property.

"The Potter estate, which consists of upward of 100 acres, a twenty-five-room house, formal gardens and extensive stables, has been one of the show places of this section for the last ten years. It is on King's Park Road near the Nissequogue River, and has been occupied by Mr. Potter and his family as a Summer residence and during the hunting season."

New York Times, May 21, 1925

The house was razed in 1979. The area now encompasses part of the Suffolk County's Blydenburgh Park and a residential housing.

"Entrance Front of House of Alonzo Potter, Esq., Smithtown, New York"

"Entrance Hall and Stairway and Antique Italian Mantelpiece in the library

House of Alonzo Potter, Esq., Smithtown"

Garden and Service Wing

House of Alonzo Potter, Esq., Smithtown"

Cottage on the Estate of Gerhard M Dahl, Smithtown, Architectural Forum, October 1927, Peabody, Wilson & Brown, Architects

Alonzo Potter was born June 6, 1872 in Newport Rhode Island the son of Horatio Codman Potter and Elizabeth Rogers Jacobs Potter. Alonzo Potter graduated Yale class of 1894

ALONZO POTTER

Residence, Smithtown, Long Island, New York. Business, Blair & Company, Inc., 24 Broad Street, New York City.

ALONZO POTTER, who was born June 6, 1872, in Newport, Rhode Island, comes of a distinguished family of bishops, being the grandson of Alonzo Potter, third Bishop of Pennsyl- vania, and grandnephew of Horatio Potter, Bishop of New York. He is the son of Henry Codman and Eliza Rogers (Jacobs) Pot- ter, who were married in 1857, and also had four daughters. His father was born May 25, 1834, in Schenectady, New York; grad- uated at the Theological Sem- inary of Virginia in 1857, and then entered the ministry of the Protestant Episcopal Church, being Bishop of New York from 1887 until his death on July 21, 1908, in Cooperstown, New York. He received the following honor- ary degrees: M.A. 1863, S.T.D. 1865, and LL.D. Union College 1877; S.T.D. Trinity College (Hartford, Connecti- cut) 1884; LL.D. Cambridge University (England) 1888; S.T.D. Harvard 1890; S.T.D. Oxford University (England) 1892; D.C.L. Bishop's Col- lege (Canada) 1893; LL.D. Yale and University of Penn- sylvania 1901; and LL.D. St. Andrews 1905. Our classmate's mother was born June 7,1832, in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania, and died June 28, 1901, in New York City. William Boyd Jacobs, Yale 1846, was her brother. Bishop Potter later married Mrs. Elizabeth S. Clark.

Potter entered Yale from St. Paul's School, Concord, New Hampshire. He received a first dispute appointment in Junior and Senior years; was on the Junior Promenade and the Triennial committees; and belonged to He Boule, Psi Upsilon, and Scroll and Key. After graduation he spent a year with the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad. He was then connected with the banking firm of J. P. Morgan & Company until 1902, when he transferred to the banking and brokerage firm of William Solomon & Company. In 1905 he was admitted to the firm, and when the business was taken over by Blair & Company, Inc., he became a director of the new corporation. He is a trustee of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children, the New York Orthopaedic Dispensary Hospital, and the Bowling Green Neighborhood Association, and a director of the Big Brother Movement. He is a member of the Protestant Episcopal Church, and a Republican. His clubs are: the Knickerbocker, the Racquet and Tennis, the Yale, the City Midday, the National Golf Links, and the St. George's Golf, being treasurer of the last mentioned. He has attended four reunions: the Sexennial, the Quindecennial, the Vicennial, and the Twenty-five Year. During the war he was chairman of the finance committee of the North Suffolk County (New York) Chapter of the American Red Cross, chairman of the North Suffolk County Liberty Loan Committee, and a member of District Committee No. 6, Second Federal Reserve District. He was married January 28, 1903, in New York City, to Elsie M., daughter of H. I. Nichols. They have four children, all born in New York City: Henry Codman, born November 13, 1904 (Yale 1926); Joseph Earl Sheffield, born May 12,1907; Margaret, born January 5, 1912; and Cary, born June 4, 1915. .

At the marriage of their daughter, Peggy, in 1934, Mr. and Mrs. Alonzo Potter were listed as living in Manhattan and the "Harbor House" St. James.

In 1919 Dr and Mrs Fellowes Davis were listed at "Harbor House", St James. Dr. Fellowes Davis died at this summer home in St James in September 1934.

1992 Government Printing Office listed "Case-Whittemore-Windels Moriches Road 1930 - 802-10-4.5 "Harbor House" (Ford, Butler, Oliver)

"Harbor House" is currently listed in the Register of Historic Places as the George C. Case Estate on Spring Hollow Road (The next road north of Cord Wood).

Harbor House (added 1993 - Suffolk County - #93000701) Also known as George C. Case Estate Spring Hollow Rd., Nissequogue (219 acres, 2 buildings, 1 structure) Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Event Architect, builder, or engineer: Ford, Butler, and Oliver Architectural Style: Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals Area of Significance: Entertainment/Recreation, Social History, Architecture Period of Significance: 1900-1924 Owner: Private

"Harbor House" build circa 1909 was designed by Lawrence Smith Butler.

By the mid 1930s the family were vacationing in the Hamptons.

Alonzo Potter died August 30 1957 at his estate in Quogue, Long Island.

Gerhard Melvin Dahl was born in Wisconsin in 1874.

"Gerhard Melvin Dahl, '96, was born at Ft. Howard, Wisconsin, June 8th, 1874; son of a very prominent Lutheran minister. Received his preparatory education in the Stoughton High School, St. Olaf s College Northfiekl, Minnesota. Entered the University of Wisconsin in fall of '94 with class of '96. Columbian Law School."

The Shield, Volume 11 By Theta Delta Chi, 1895

The 1920 census listed the Dahls on Park Avenue Manhattan, two servants, no children.

"DAHL, Gerhard Melvin, 57 Broadway; res. 1000 Park Ave.. New York, N. Y. Banker; b. Fort Howard, Wis.. June 8, 1870; P. Theodore H. and Lena (Gjersten) Dahl; L. L. B. L'nlv. of Wisconsin, 1896; Theta Delta Chi; m. Stevens Point, Wis., June 5, 1900, Georgeanu Cate; practised law in Wis., 1809-1900; District Attorney of Portage County. Wis., 1902-06: practised law in Cleveland, Ohio, 1906-10; Commissioner City of Cleveland, 1010-12; v.-pres. Electric Bund and Share Co., New York, until Jan., 1017; v.-pres. and dir. Chase National Bank, Chase Securities Corp'n, Foreign Credit Corporation; dir. Ala. Power Co., Ala. Taction. Light and Power Co., American Foreign banking Corporation, Cuba Cane Sugar Corp., Duquesne Light Co., Electrical Utilities Corporation, International Motor Co., International Motor Track Corporation, Lehigh Power Securities corporation, National Cloak and Suit Co., American Ship and Commerce Corporation, American Ship and Commerce Navigation Co., Philadelphia Company. During war period was Deputy Fuel Commissioner for New York State; chmn. Atlantic Division second war fund, American Red Cross Campaign, speaker for Liberty Loan campaign; decorated, 1921, by Japanese Emperor with the Third Class of the Order of the Rising Sun; honorary degree of M. A. from Univ. of Wisconsin, J tine. 1921. Recreations: (Jolf. riding. Clubs: Greenwich Country, The Apawnmis. Racquet and Tennis. Metropolitan, Union League, University (Cleveland), Recess, City History, Indian Harbor Yacht, Riding Club, Seavlew Golf, Greenwich Riding Association Everglades."

Who's who in finance and banking By John William Leonard, 1922

In 1924 Gerhard M Dahl was named in several newspaper articles in connection with the murder of a 25 year old New York "butterfly" from Texas named Louise Lawson. The murder and related robbery were never solved.

Gerhard M Dahl, Kings Park Road was listed in the 1928 Smithtown Phone book.

"Gerhard Melvin Dahl, argumentative, square-jawed chairman of Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit (subway), who astonished his squalling stockholders four months ago by cutting his salary from $135000 to $90000.."

Time snippet view, 1933

"Sued, Gerhard Melvin Dahl, 57, chairman of New York's B. M. T. (subway); by Marion Roach. Atlanta divorcee: for $100,000, charging that he had publicly beaten, kicked, stripped her in his Smithtown. L. I. home and at a nearby inn; in Manhattan.

Gerhard and Georgeanan Cate Dahl lived in North Conway, New Hampshire by April 1949 when Georgeana Dahl died there April 20th, 1949.

This is one of my personal favorites. My grandmother, Meta Land, lived a short distance west of this stand. When I was a kid we would take at least two trips from New Jersey to "the Island" every summer. A highlight of these trips was a walk to the frozen custard stand.

Thanks to Susan Pieroth for sharing this image.

"White's Pond near Frank Friede's, October 1953 "

Allen Land is the fifth from the right in the first row. In the last row from the right are Ruth Crane (later O'Berry) and May Moseley (the daughter of Addie Land and Edward Moseley).

Helen Land is seated in the first row, forth from the right.

There are two Moseleys in this picture: Nathan seated first on the right, first row, and Dorothy Moseley, fifth from the right in the last row. Percy Land's sister, Addie, was married to Ed Moseley. I do not know if either or both of the Moseley children in this photo were cousins.

Arnold Land is dead center in the back row. Helen Land is in the frond row, third from the left.

For more images of Smithtown High School go to Smithtown High School

Written on the back by Helen Land: Henry Simkatis, Helen Land, Grace Courier, Violetta Graham, Mary Allen, Gilbert Lyon (Principal), Elsie Hesse, May Moseley, Marie "Hauseler", Ed "Kozlick", Virginia "Micchice", Isabel Lawrence, Edith "Wanser", John Faxon (space) Louis Gould, Louise Ulrich, Muriel Ludder , Mayone Deutzman

Helen Land, Grace Courier, and May Moseley were cousins.

1. Henry Simkatis BIRTH: 15 Aug 1911 DEATH: 2 Jan 2003 - Smithtown, Suffolk, New York, United States of America CIVIL: New York
2. Helen Land born 1910. See Helen Land
3. Grace Courier born 1911, died ???
4. Violetta Graham born circa 1912
5. Mary Allen
6. Gilbert Lyon (Principal), born circa 1894
7. Elsie Hesse
8. May Moseley born May 1, 1910 married died May E Bennett March 6, 1990 St Petersburg, Fla.
9. Marie Hauseler
10. Ed Kozlick
11. Virginia Mirchice
12. Isabel Lawrence
13. Edith Wanser
14. John Faxon
15. Louis Gould
16. Louise Ulrich
17. Muriel Ludder
18. Marjorie Deutzman

There were 20 students in the Smithtown High School class of 1929. Not everyone made the trip to Washington. What is impressive in this images is there are only 3 male students to 14 females. The class was actually composed of 5 males and 15 females.

Marjorie Deutzman, Grace Courier, Louis Gould, May Moseley, and Muriel Ludder were in the 1929 graduating class picture.

Camp 1927, Ruth Palmer, Anita Smith, Irman Conn, Ruth Crane, Grace Courier, May Moseley, Louis Gould

Irman Conn a graduated with the Smithtown High School class of 1930.

Ruth Palmer, Grace Courier, Louise Ulrich and Ruth Crane

The Port Jefferson Echo listed the following 20 graduates of the class of 1929 from Smithtown High: Mary Allen, Grace Courier, Ruth Crane, Marjorie Deutzman, John Faxon, John Flynn, Robert Germond, Lois Gould, Violetta Graham, Marie Hausler, Elsie Hesse, Edward Koslik, Helen Land, Isabel Lawrence, Muriel Ludder, Virginia Micciche, May Moseley, Elsie Schwanzer, Henry Sinikatis and Louis Urlich.

Boy Scouts of America Troop 3

The third Boy Scout Troup in Suffolk County was founded in Smithtown 1913-14 by Charles Miller, who was the Scoutmaster for several years. Among the scout leaders were Joseph Land and Allen Land. Allen Land was the Scoutmaster in 1936.

Information from the Smithtown Souvenir Program 1936.

In March 2010 Raymond Larsen, an Eagle Scout from Troop3 of Smithtown, NY. wrote to say:

" The Scout Troop 3.. Was founded in 1910, we do have proof.. We were originally Troop 1 and had changed to Troop 3 after the creation of the Suffolk County Scouting Council. If you wish to have any more information about the Troop, you can check out our website at Scout Troop 3.. Its a little old site but has an entire history section.. The Troop is still going, and is one (if not THE) oldest continuos ran troop in the North East... And we are about to Celebrate our 100th anniversary!"

"In 1931 Joseph Land took over leadership of the Troop. Some time later he passed on leadership of the Troop to Mr. Frank Corbani, who had a son in the Troop who was later to become the Scoutmaster."

"In 1936 Mr. Stevenson relinquished his title to Allen Land, another former Scout. The Troop Committee consisted of five members, of whom Rev. Raymond H. Case was Chairman. Mr. Land Continued as Scoutmaster until sometime in the early 1940's when he passed on the responsibility to Rev. Case. This change took place at about the same time as the sponsorship of the Troop changed."

To see more on Joseph Land go to Joseph Land.

To see more on Allen Land go to Allen Land.

Art writes

"I know that the Shirley Temple movie "Our Little Girl" was released on June 7th, 1935. The raffle tickets say that the raffle is on June 30th, So I can only assume that the raffle was held in 1935. I have no idea who won the contest."

August, 2007

"Ad for the Smithtown Movie Theatre for the Marx Brother's "A Day at the Races". This movie was made in 1937."

Tom Muratorre

Tom Muratore graciously shared this ad for Tobacco Road. He is not sure of the year.

Tobacco Road by Jack Kirkland was based on the novel by Erskine Caldwell.

Tobacco Road opened on Broadway in December 4 1933 and closed May 31 1941. There were revivals on Broadway from: Sept 5, 1942 to October 3, 1942, Sept 4, 1943 to October 30, 1943 and March 6, 1950 to March 18, 1950. Wendell K Phillips, Dorothy Patten, Kathleen Bolton and Jim Moreno were not listed in any of the opening night casts.

Wendell K Phillips was in at least 23 plays on Broadway between 1933 and 1972. Dorothy Patten was in at least 20 plays on Broadway between 1929 and 1957. Kathleen Bolton was in at least three plays on Broadway from 1948 to 1951. Jim Moreno was listed in one Boadway production in 1951. None of them were listed in "Tobacco Road".

Vivian Swenson was born in Brooklyn in 1913. Her family moved to Smithtown around 1916.

A letter written by Vivian Swenson date unknown:

Dear Gordie,

Strange that you should ask me to write about myself for I really have very little to say. I seem to have forgotten a great many things and neither Pop nor Mom ever said much about our lives.

I've often wondered why Pop came to America in 1910 and cannot understand why they were engaged for 6 years. He came shortly after he had been to Hamburg, Germany to learn bricklaying and plastering but was a groundkeeper, chauffeur and handyman on some estate out beyond Riverhead. I always thought Gardner's Island but that is an assumption. He worked in Brooklyn during the winters and in 1911 sent money to Sweden for Moms fare. She came over on the Drotningholm, on one of the worst seas at that time. Over 2 weeks it took for the ship to reach New York. Pop met her in Ellis Island where Mother had to stay in quarantine for a period of time, as was the custom in those days. She then became a helper in the kitchen and later became the head cook for Standford White, the well known architect who was later shot. The cut glass pitcher and 3 glasses (there were 6) were wedding presents from the Whites.

Pop and Mom were married November 23, 1912 and I was born June 17, 1913. We lived in Brooklyn on Prospect Avenue near 4th Avenue and visited Prospect Park very often. The few pictures I have as a child are in Prospect Park. Herbie was born September 18, 1915 in Wyckoff Street in Brooklyn which I believe is near 4th Avenue also. Fourth Avenue sticks in my mind clearly for it was there we visited over a small grocery store when we came in from Smithtown to visit Gus Pearson. We also visited Ruth Pearson's family in Fort Hamilton which is also near a park. Later Ruth moved to Annadale Staten Island.

When and why we moved to Smithtown I don't know but believe it was around 1916. Mom, Herbie, and I lived alone for a long time while Pop was working in Wilmington due to the war. Pop was drafted for World War I but never became active for the war ended the following week after he got his draft papers. A few things in Brooklyn I remember was going to the grocery store and buying skim milk (just like water) in a tin pail and Mom stopping by and picking up a tin pail of beer for Pop. In Smithtown we lived near a neighbor who apparently had a mentally retarded child and I was never allowed to go outside my yard. However, Mom took us for short walks down the stream and in the woods across from our rented house. At Christmas time we always cut down a prickly cedar tree and picked creeping ground pine for decorating the table and a wreath for the door. Mom was very artistically inclined in her early days of my childhood, also a beautiful singer. Many of the arias I know of operas were learned from hearing her sing the tunes. Never many words. Pop and she went to many operas when they lived in Brooklyn. We also had a garden which I don't remember, but do remember Mom making sauerkraut in a big barrel. These barrels were gotten by buying flour and sugar and later used for preserving - even salt pork. Both of these commodities were used very sparingly for times were really very bad and we were very poor. However I can never remember being hungry or dirty. Mom knitted a great many dresses, sweaters and pants with elastic around the knee edge. She also sewed by hand my dresses and undergarments. We also had a large outdoor storage where all root vegetables were kept under sand and straw. We walked 2 miles each way each afternoon just before dark to get our milk fresh from the cow.

I don't know why we moved but suspect it was due to the mentally retarded child, but we moved around 1917 or 1918 to a two family house. Can only remember two things there - having a parrot and Uncle Tage coming home with Louis Brenson in a beautiful 4 door Buick touring car. This must have been nearly 1918-1919. At this place we had lots of neighbors with whom we exchanged Saturday and Sunday dinners with entire families - sometimes the Brensons, Nelsons, Larsons, Lyjungrens, Andersons, Pearsons, Johnsons, Lindstroms, Mordands, and the Berensteins stopped here. This lasted for many years - but somehow when each got a step up in the world they stopped. When we finally lived on Oak Avenue in our brick house around 1928, it were only the Lindstroms, Lyjungrens, and Brensons that came. However when they all built their houses, each helped the other. Pop built all the chimneys and fireplaces, Louis Brenson the fine carpentry, Ollie Lindstrom the rough carpentry, and Lyjungren the cabinetry. It was around 2 to 3 miles to Smithtown and each Sunday I walked to Sunday school. When it came time for me to go to school Pop and Mom bought Huntings house around 1919. It was an 1844 house. I lovely house I really loved it - with 2 acres of land in the heart of the town of Smithtown. They paid $5,000 for it, a lot of money and in 1929/30 they sold it for $20,000. It was just before 1928 that we built and moved into the brick house in time for Thanksgiving.

While living on Main Street we raised many kinds of vegetables. Herbie and I had a small garden in the far corner near our neighbor Mr. Brown - a delightful man who was a house painter but of "Pilgrim Ancestors." We had a big strawberry patch which always had strawberries in time for my birthday, a delicious white cake and white frosting with strawberries arranged beautifully on top. We had potatoes, pumpkins, turnips, all kinds of cabbages, beans, corn, asparagus, etc. Along with vegetables we had at least 5 or 7 different apple trees, apricot, quince, pear and oxford cherries as big as a nickel both golden and black (bing), wild cherries, gooseberries, raspberries, and blackberries. These trees made an impression on me for we gladly helped Mother can these for we were allowed to climb deep into the trees and pick them. Great fun, especially the cherries for we ate as many as we picked. We also had geese, ducks, chickens, and one pig. The pig was a pet and followed us all around. The geese were very unfriendly to all our friends and loved to peck at their ankles. We had an old barn too, with a small pen for each hen to lay its eggs and of course the long rails built like stadium seats so the droppings could fall which was a nasty chore to clean up and place in the garden. There was a small lean-to where we kept our first car. An American Austen coupe. What fun we had in that car. Too bad Mother burned all those pictures. The barn also had a second story where we kept straw and hay which someone hauled in and gave us. Just outside this barn was an apple tree - a beautiful climber. We used to see how high was could get up and jumped into the hay before it was stored in the barn. We could also jump from the top of the barn door into the hay pile. Loads of fun. On this property was a lovely round garden pagoda. We called it our play house. It was about 10' or 12' tall with seats all around the inside. Many a picnic and meal Mother used to let us have out there. The yard in front was enclosed with a white picket fence with two openings. A large gate for the road and a small swinging gate for the walk to the front porch and two doors.

Herbie and I had very few toys. I can only remember a funny wagon for Herbie and a doll for me. We had a grey cat and later received a police dog called Radio. Of course the parrot was fun for it swore in Spanish like a drunken sailor. It was my seafaring chef Uncle Sjunne that gave it to us. He was a great prankster. He came about once a year to see us. Always with lots of money and when he had spent it all - off to sea he would go. Two things I remember about him; whenever he cam he always baked bread for us. He never baked one, but about 2 dozen loaves so we had to give them to all our neighbors. Second thing I remember, he went down to the local saloon about a good mile near the railroad station (Reilly first, called Shuberts later) got drunk, bought a pig from another drunk, stopped by the Brown's Hardware store, bought a wheelbarrow and wheeled the pig home to us. I can clearly see this and remember it for I laughed long and hard for I thought it was funny. Mother didn't and up to my room I was sent after first receiving a spanking. Discipline was strict and children should be seen and never, never heard from.

Around the time of the World War and living on Main Street, I remembered having a lady by the name of Agnes live upstairs in one of the bedrooms. It was she who took care of us when Pop got so sick with the "flu" in Wilmington that Mother went down to care for him. When she returned I can still see her walking on the sidewalk and Agnes and I running to help her for she was so sick. How we managed to let Pop know, I don't know for Agnes left - Uncle Sjunne arrived before Pop and left when Pop came. Then it snowed and froze. Herbie and I played out in the snow. Herbie got sick. So sick that I remember the doctor using a word I had never heard before, "crisis." If he made the crisis that night he would live; he did. It rained and refroze the deep snow. Pop and I went outside in front of the house and built a snow house at least 8' high by cutting blocks. It was his way of keeping me out of the house while Mother who was just recuperating could care for Herbie. That snow house was the envy of everyone. It lasted well into the spring for we had several snows, plus rains, and hard frost which kept it in shape.

In September of 1919, I started school which was hard for me. I had to sit in the very front row and my teacher's name was Miss Howell whose sister and brother-in-law were Judge and Mrs. Blackman. They lived 2 miles from us. Herbie and I walked each evening with Mother, later by ourselves, to get the dairy milk. We had lots of fun doing this and I guess this must have been the time I became interested in trees and flowers. I knew where every black walnut was, hickories and chestnuts. I had many older friends on the route, whom I spoke to and they helped me in many ways.

For a 6 year old girl not able to speak but a very few words, we spoke only Swedish fluently, school was difficult. We had about 20-25 children of whom almost 40% graduated with me from Senior High. They were mostly Jews, Hebrews, Italians, Germans, Negroes, and very few American. Winter time was terrible as I remember the smells were awful. Of course I contributed a little too with my camphor bag hung around my neck under my dress to keep the bugs and germs away. Each nationality had their own preventions including garlic.

My second grade teacher was a Mrs. Butler who was a terrible teacher. Two things I remember Ð each morning she stood on a stool and placed about the blackboards on two sides of the room, maxims. We were to learn them and know their meanings. I could never learn them correctly and always thought they had a double meaning. For this I was punished by being slapped across my knuckles with a ruler, and at times I had to go to the principal's office for crying and explain to him my problem. She even hit me for not writing Palmer Method for I wrote with my fingers stiff.

At third grade, all second, third, and fourth graders were transferred from the old brick school building which housed all grades 1 through 12 to a Quonset type long narrow building with 2 rooms. All second and part of third grades were together and other half of third and all fourth were together. Here I met Dorothy Booth, she was in 2nd grade and I in 3rd grade. We became friends and later that year she and I were put into the 3 and 4 grade rooms - she skipping second grade and I guess I became a little brighter. We spent 2 years in that room and I have only sad memories of that because we had reading out loud and of course with my accent and difficulties in spelling, reading, and pronunciation it was hard. However I managed to keep up grade wise.

In 5th grade we were to return to the old brick building but another similar building was erected for 5th and 6th. Life improved this year. We had a teacher by the name of Pearl Dorn. A young college girl with a great understanding for students and teaching. She helped me. I became one of the top notch students - either Dorothy or I were #1 even though my reading out loud was not the best and I couldn't memorize very well. She also taught me to draw and color. So I became one of the students who printed and made posters for events at the old brick building.

Sixth grade was passable, still remained 1 or 2 in class but had a teacher that tormented me because of my Swedish ancestors. This was terrible. She later got fired for making fun or ridiculing foreign students. Miss Dorn was given sixth grade and a new 5th grade teacher was hired. Now from first grade through sixth grade I can remember very few activities but after school play I can remember.

------

Unfortunately Vivian did not finish this letter. All we know about her high school years was that she was a member of a very good basketball team. During her school years her father worked as a bricklayer in NYC on big hotels, etc taking the early morning train to the city and getting home about 8pm. He was a masonry supervisor on the Empire State Building built in 1929 and thereafter took the family back to visit Sweden. In 1931, Vivian entered Cortland State Teachers College in Cortland, NY for their four year Physical Educatino course, graduating in June 1935. While in college she worked as a waitress in a dining facility next door to her sorority house and sometime during her college years, Pop quit working in NYC and did work around the Smithtown area building Chimneys and other brick work. When Vivian was about to graduate from Cortland and her regular date was away doing his bar exams in NYC, she needed a date for her graduation dance. Her sorority sisters persuaded her to ask me as a "blind date" to this dance. We had a very good time and this started a courtship that lasted for more than five years - until we were married December 28, 1940.

• Cumo Swenson age 43, mason born Sweden, Suea age 42, born Sweden, and their children Vivian, age 16, and Herbert, age 14, were on Karl Moor (near Landing Ave) in the 1930 census. In the 1940 census Cumo bricklayer age 52, and Svea age 51, were on Oak Avenue.
• Dorothy Booth was born circa 1914, the daughter of Fredrick and Bertha Booth and the granddaughter of William and Mary Rapier. They were on Landing Ave in the 1920 census. Frederick Booth was in the lumber business.
• 1930 census lists Emil Nelson, carpenter, age 50, Amanda age 54, Adolph age 29 and Carl next to Victor Anderson, age 43, carpenter, Karen age 39, Thelma age 17, Clarence age 15, Winthrope age 14, Lillian age 10 , Louis Brentson, carpenter, age 46, Lora age 34, Robert age 11 and Eleanor age 6 and Axen "Lgungres", carpenter, 52, Maria Lgungres 52, Elsie Lgungres 19, Olaf Lindstrem, carpenter, age 51, Ellen age 42, Kenneth age 11 all on _erry Road Smithtown Branch. All the adults were born in Sweden, Norway or Denmark.

The Town of Smithtown includes the villages of Head of the Harbor, Nissequogue, Village of the Branch and the hamlets of Commack (part in the Town of Huntington and part in the Town of Smithtown), Fort Salonga , Kings Park, Lake Ronkonkoma (part in the Town of Brookhaven, Part in the Town of Islip and Part in the town of Smithtown), Nesconset, Smithtown and St James.

Fort Salonga Post Office shared by Chris Kozel, February 2010.

See

• Lydia Law Land in Philadelphia
• Law Land and Elizabeth Sykes for general information on Law and Elizabeth
• Pictures and Maps of where Law and Elizabeth lived and worked in Hauppauge and Smithtown

Percy Land and Meta Petermann

See:

• Percy Land and Meta Petermann for more general information on Percy and Meta
• Pictures and Maps of where Percy and Meta lived and worked in Hauppauge and Smithtown

Bud Land and Agnes Goehle

• Bud Land and Agnes Goehle for more general information on Bud and Agnes
• Pictures and Maps of where Bud Land and Agnes Goehle lived in Smithtown and St James

King Pedlar, a photographer and local Long Island Historian. worked as a psychiatric aide at the Kings Park mental hospital and lived on the grounds for 31 years. He wrote in November 2007 to share some information on Smithtown and Central Islip.

Some Kings Park sites:

Kings Park Heritage Museum Pictures and More — Kings Park

Courtesy of Tom Muratore.

See 1935 Train Schedule

Dominique Maciejka shared the following Youtube videos about Smithtown:

Village of the Branch with Brad Harris

Smithtown History with Bard Harris

Home Page of Susan Carter White Pieroth