Bellport is a well preserved historic south shore village that is one of the stars of the south shore estuary. Settled in the 16th century by English settlers, it was best known for its salt hay that grew on the nearby marshlands. The small village was isolated until the Long Island Railroad brought residents from […]
Tommy Stewart: Decoy Carver/Shorebirds Tommy was inspired working with wood as a young boy from his grandfather, Dave, and his father, Russell. Together they made silhouettes, whirligigs, and bird houses. As a young boy, Tommy spent many summers studying birds and fishing at his grandfather’s home on the water in southern New Jersey. Making their […]
George Rigby, Jr. — Master Fisherman, Duck Hunter and Decoy Carver George Rigby was born in Bay Shore, Long Island, the descendant of several generations of baymen and duck hunters. His great grandfather and grandfather worked on the bay during the late 1800s and early 1900s in Canarsie near Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn either harvesting […]
Fire Island The history of Fire Island is a long and complicated one, beginning with its Native American settlements. Local indigenous peoples harvested shellfish and finfish including migrating whales, traditions that were shared and passed on to new European immigrants who settled in Bay Shore, Moriches, and other shoreline communities. To protect regional commerce the […]
Western Suffolk Western Suffolk: Bay Shore, Oak Beach, Gilgo Beach and Fire Island Bay Shore Settlement of the Bay Shore area began in the early 1700’s when John Mowbray received a royal patent and concluded negotiations with Native Americans for the land on May 9, 1721. The deed specified that Mowbray had possession for the neck […]
Summer Bungalows Since the 1870s out of town residents have built summer homes along the south shore, in order to escape the oppressive heat and high population density of New York City. The most popular communities for summer homes were Freeport, Point Lookout, Long Beach, Babylon, Oak Beach, Fire Island, Bay Shore, Patchogue, Blue Point, […]