Fall 2017

Freeport Historical Society & Museum 350 South Main Street, Freeport, NY 11520 Phone: (516) 623-9632 Web: www.freeporthistorymuseum.org Email: fhs@freeporthistorymuseum.org Blog: freeportlihistory.blogspot.com Digitization: www.nyheritage.org Become our friend on Facebook

Officers and Trustees 2017 President and Curator Cynthia Krieg 1st Vice President Marty Himes 2nd Vice President Lorraine Avitabile Treasurer Ruth Sandhaas Corresponding Secretary Marianne Endo Recording Secretary Jeanne Booth Archivist Regina G. Feeney Genealogist Carol Poulos Patrice Benneward Miguel Bermudez Mary Ellen Bolognese Rita Carter Peter Crisci Paul Eberst Regina Feeney Mary Hessel Tom Hessel Jack Holly

Ellen Kelly William Nelson Jose Ortiz Helen Razzano Denise Rushton Camilla Wier Frank Young (emeritus) John Zaluski

President’s Message

Fall 2017 Newsletter Calendar of Events October 4

Presentation-Prohibition & Temperance movements in Freeport Freeport Memorial Library, 7:00pm

October 7

Walking tour of the Nautical Mile Sea Breeze Park, 11:00am

October 11

Presentation-History of Prohibition in Freeport Freeport Memorial Library, 7:00pm

October 18

Presentation-The Jews of Freeport Freeport Memorial Library, 7:00pm

October 25

Presentation-Don’t know much about Freeport Freeport Memorial Library, 7:00pm

October 28

Yard sale 207 Pennsylvania Avenue, 10am to 3pm

November 5

Dedication plaque for Trustee Gail Nelson Museum, 3:00pm

November 26

Museum closes for season

1892-2017: Freeport is 125!

INCORPORATION “The People of Freeport, by a vote of 214 to 132, have decided to incorporate the village.

There was a large turnout at the election on Tuesday, 346 votes being polled. Great interest was manifested by both sides, but those in favor of the improvement kept the lead all day. The canvass was conducted in a very friendly and neighborly way, and those who held exactly opposite views expressed them in a gentlemanly way. The majority is quite decisive, and much larger than either side expected Supervisor Smith and Town Clerk Curley acted as Inspectors of Election and the certified returns have been filed according to law in the County Clerk’s office (Queens County at that time).

Within forty-five days, the charter election takes place, and it quite probably that before long a great majority of those who voted “no” will be well pleased.

HURRAH FOR FREEPORT EDITOR OBSERVER – I am proud of the village of Freeport! It is the only Long Island village, so far as I have heard, that voted for incorporation on the first legal election, and shows that Freeport is more progressive, more wide-awake, and less obstructive than the other villages. I noticed that a large proportion of our most active business men worked heartily for it and I think the owners of two-thirds of the real estate in the limits voted for it. Also, I think that if more time

has been taken to discuss the matter so that all could thoroughly understand what they were and prosperously.” voting for, the majority would have been more than twice as large. Any how, hurrah for Freeport, best town in the county! Now the next thing will be to choose discreet d economical men for Village trustees, and everything will go along harmoniously (from Southside Observer, Friday October 21, 1892) The active business men who worked so hard to incorporate the village were: William Foreman, Charles L. Wallace, William G. Miller, Samuel R. Smith, Carmen Cornelius, George Wallace, H. P. Libby, Hiram R. Smith, ,Platt Conklin, John J. Randall, George W. Bergen, George van Riper, Asa Nichols, Nelson Smith, Louis Ross, Foster Sprague, D. Brown, Horace Secor Jr., George P. Bergen, F. E. Story, R. H. Mayland, Stephen Lewis, William Patterson, and Carmen Smith.

Members of the committee developed a map that showed the boundaries of Freeport in 1892; those boundaries were: 200 ft. north of Seaman Avenue, the Hempstead Babylon Turnpike bordering the east, south of Atlantic Avenue and west boundary was Milburn Creek.

An election for officers were held on November 29, 1892 and the following were elected: Carmen Cornelius, President; Raynor R. Smith, Trustee; Henry Mead, Trustee; H. Asa Nichols, Trustee; Daniel B. Raynor, Treasurer; and Mitchell W. Smith, Collector.

Freeport Historical Society Box 323 Freeport, NY 11520

Non-profit Postage PAID Freeport, NY Permit No. 915

Fall 2017 Newsletter

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New presentation History of Temperance & Prohibition movements in the Village of Freeport, October 4.

This lecture will explore temperance reform in Freeport in the decades before Prohibition. Nineteen twenties Freeport is known for rum running and speakeasies. Less is known about the local support for prohibitory measures. This presentation will cover the evolution of temperance in New York State, the role taverns played in Freeport’s history, the establishments of temperance organizations, and how Freeporters responded to anti-liquor legislation.\ Encore presentations History of Prohibition in Freeport, October 11.

During Prohibition, Freeporters often violated the law through the illegal consumption of alcohol and by participating in rum-running activities. We will discuss the history of the local temperance movements as well as the unintended consequences of Prohibition, including the federal income tax and local support of Long Island’s Ku Klux Klan. This program will incorporate material from the archives of the Freeport Memorial Library and the Freeport Historical Society, including images of a recently discovered speakeasy and copies of Prohibition era arrest records.

The Jews of Freeport: A brief history of early Jewish culture in the Village of Freeport, October 18.

This program, co-sponsored by the Freeport Historical Society and Baldwin Daliya Hadassah, seeks to explore the history of Jewish contributions to New York’s second largest incorporated village.

Don’t know much about Freeport? October 25.

Think you know Freeport? Come to this program and test your knowledge of local history. Learn where long disappeared golf courses were located, why fire hydrants are painted different colors, and why old maps show Randall Park in north Freeport.

Nautical Mile walking tour with John Zaluski October 7 at 11:00am, Sea Breeze Park (rain date October 8) Put on your walking shoes we are going for a stroll. Our trustee John Zaluski is conducting a walking tour that will begin at Sea Breeze Park. We will make our way up Woodcleft Avenue to Front Street. Topics will highlight pre-1980 Woodcleft Canal and the Nautical Mile.

Thank you!  Ajab “Woody” Woodson for his electrical help with our outdoor outlets.  Marty Himes for mowing the museums lawn.  Denise Rushton for tending the museum’s garden.  Ellen Kelly for planting the beautiful flowers.  Friends of Freeport for doing the museum’s Fall cleanup.  Environmental Landscaping for doing the Spring cleanup.  Jack Holly for arranging AHRC to clean the interior of museum.  Lorraine Avitabile for running the ice cream social.

Yard sale October 28 from 10:00am to 3:00pm 207 Pennsylvania Avenue Come join us in a yard sale hosted by Mary and Tom Hessel. Lots of goodies to buy!

Plaque dedication for Trustee Gail Nelson November 5 at 3:00pm, Museum’s backyard Come celebrate Gail Nelson’s life with a plaque dedication at the butterfly bush planted in her honor.

New members: Carrie Mason-Draffen Mary Ellen Cantanno

Meredith & Jason Nolley Cecile McCook

New life member: Paul Eberst

Donations:  Mary Ann Hohensee in memory of Henry & Cookie Altengarten.  Mary Ann Damo in memory of Fred Schmidt.

CAKELESS BAKE SALE No trouble, No cooking, No fuss! Just mail a donation to us! THANK YOU This is our major fund raiser to help pay for the upkeep of the Museum. All contributions are tax deductible.

Name________________________________________________________ Address_______________________________________________________ Contribution $____________________ Please make check payable to “Freeport Historical Society” Mail to: Ruth Sandhaas, 20 Arizona Ave., Rockville Centre, 11570