A Day of Introductions
by Emily Markowitz
Today was a series of introductions between us, the students, and the series of water bodies, jetties, and canals leading from Old Fort Pond through the Shinnecock inlet, to the Ponquogue Bridge. I suspect that by the end of the semester, we will get to know these parts of the island particularly well. That is not just because I am part of this class, but also because these areas contain important study environments for the experimental marine science, ichthyology, and chemical oceanography classes that make up my Semester by the Sea program.
As we were passing though the Shinnecock canal, Tara began to tell us about the historic Canoe Place Inn (CPI) that stands adjacent to the canal, She described its long history and standing in the Hampton Bays community. I was curious and looked up the article “Plans To Revamp Canoe Place Inn Stir Groundswell For Restoration Of Historic Structure” posted on May 13th, 2009 by Kelly Carroll on Hampton.com (http://www.hamptons.com/Community/Main-Articles/7419/Plans-To-Revamp-Canoe-Place-Inn-Stir-Groundswell.html#.UiZu9RukozY). Carroll supported Tara’s overview of the famous Inn and listed famous politicians such as Al Smith and Franklin D. Roosevelt and movie stars, including Lucille Ball, Cary Grant, and Gary Cooper, who were prominent guests of the inn and made history here on the East End. Not only has the Inn been standing for over 150 years and in operation for most of that time, but it was also an integral part of the Rum Row operations on Long Island during prohibition. When Tara told us about how CPI had rigged the canal so the boats coming through could drop their illegal goods over the side, into a hatch and ultimately into the CPI’s basement, I was amazed!
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| Locals fishing over the canal’s side. |
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| Students on the R/V Peconic as the vessel goes under bridges in the Shinnecock canal. |
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A birds-eye view of the Shinnecock Inlet.
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Looking out across the short of the Shinnecock Inlet.
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Bryan Berg
by Colleen O’Day
As we sailed across the peaceful Shinnecock Bay, talking with fellow students and observing the many sights of the area, I knew this class was going to be an exciting and educational adventure. Our instructors Kurt and Tara gave us historical trivia about the waters we passed through and the landmarks we passed along the way to our first destination: Shinnecock Inlet. As we disembarked from our boat and settled on the rocky jetty of the inlet, Tara gave us out first in-depth history lesson on the village we currently call home.
The village of Southampton was founded by settlers originating from Conscience Point Massachusetts. They landed on the Island in 1640 and named the town they settled in after the Earl of Southampton. It is the oldest English settlement in the entire state of New York, with the first houses being built near Old Town Pond.
Although the community was strongly influenced and supported by their costal lifestyle, they settles so far back from the bay since they recognized that the sandy beaches were not stable foundations for their homes. With help from the local Shinnecock tribe, the settlers were able to not only make a living but grow their community slowly over time. It did not gain the fame and notoriety it has today until much later.
When you think of the Hamptons, you usually imagine large houses, yachts, and a bunch of snobby rich people, right? It’s okay—everyone thinks that way, but for good reason as those assumptions are largely based in fact (except for the snobby part; the people are very nice here). In the 1920’s the area today known as Hampton Bays was created. It was renamed from the original ‘Good Grounds’ and given a more fancy sounding name to appeal to the rich and famous as a vacationing spot and a place to come to enjoy nature and the ocean. Those who could afford it came to Hampton Bays to enjoy fresh food and the salty air. It is also during this time that the heavy emphasis on art began, and the Hamptons have been known for their love of art ever since.
Southampton and Hampton Bays still keep up with their tradition of fresh food and a love for nature, even in these ever-changing times. You can count the number of fast food places in the town on one hand, and there is still an emphasis on fisheries, friendly restaurants, and a relaxed natural feel. If you’re ever in the mood for a relaxing day of sun tanning ending with a lobster dinner, Hampton Bays is the spot for you.
Be sure to check in next week to see what kind of adventures the class has next!
Until then,
Colleen O’Day
History of a Proud Community
by Kayla Hartigan
It was a beautiful day for a boat tour of the Shinnecock bay area as we listened to our professors Tara and Kurt tell us about the amazing history of the Hamptons and the eastern end of Long Island. One of the major events that have impacted this community was the Great New England Hurricane of 1938, also known as the “Long Island Express.” For its time it was the costliest and deadliest storms taking nearly 600 lives on Long Island and New England when it hit the northeast coast on September 21rst. According to the article, The Long Island Express Hurricane of 1938, September 21, 1938 on the North Shore Wx webpage this storm still remains the paradigm which all other destructive storms for this area are compared to. Storm surges were measured from 12 feet to 25 feet flooding the coastal towns and eradicating buildings. A major factor contributing to the massive damage inflicted upon this area appears to be that most forecasters, as well as the public at large, were expecting an indirect hit from this storm. Up until 2:00pm on the day the storm surged through Long Island this was the common belief. The Weather Bureau had issued a warning stating it was highly probably that the storm would pass over Long Island and Connecticut later that day, but at that time eyewitnesses had already reported seeing the eye of the hurricane near central Long Island.
Looking at the tracking chart above we know the storm started off the coast of Africa, as a majority of the storms hitting the eastern coast do, and gathered strength around the Cape Verde islands. It is believed that cyclonic circulation was first observed at the location of the blue star on the morning of September 13th. Weather experts initially believed the storm would pose a greater threat to Florida extending as far north as New Jersey where it would follow a path moving northeast. In reality, the forward movement of the hurricane shifted rapidly to the left on September 21rst, racing directly toward Long Island. Observed speeds of this monstrous hurricane may have reached as high as 70 miles an hour making it the fastest hurricane ever observed. It hit Long Island during a time in which there was a greater increase in population and property values which contributed to the elevated economic losses caused by the storm. As it states in the article When the Express Came to the East End published in the New York Times by Aileen Jacobson in 2012, the destruction of East Hampton specifically is displayed in an exhibition in the East Hampton Historical Society’s Clinton Academy. 122 enlarged photographs captured by carpenter Earl Gardell and a few from other local sources are shown in the exhibit revealing the hurricane’s impact on this community.
Hope you enjoyed learning about the local history as much as I did!
Best Regards,
Kayla Hartigan
REFERENCES:
“The Long Island Express Hurricane of 1938, September 21, 1938.” North Shore Wx. 8 Sept 2013. Web.
Jacobson, Aileen. “When the Express Came to the East End.” N.Y./Region. The New York Times. 7 Sept 2012. 8 Sept 2013. Web.
A Tour Around the Bays
by Tracey Vlasak
For today’s class we took a boat tour around the Shinnecock and Peconic Bays. We started by taking a boat from the Marine Station. As we were driving around the bay we noticed the side of the bay that belonged to the Shinnecocks was not as developed right along the water like the side that was not owned by them. We took the boat through the canal and stopped and a little beach in the Hampton Bays. There we learned an interesting fact about the jetty there and other jetties in the area. Our professor Tara Rider told us that when building these jetties sometimes old tombstones were used to make them. However these weren’t ordinary tombstones, these were ones that had mistakes on them like the person’s name spelt wrong or the birth date and death date switched. By law these tombstones are not supposed to be visible but when hurricanes or big storms hit they can sometimes move the rocks around and make the tombstones visible. So when walking along the jetty the students were looking out of tombstones.
Once we were finished at this jetty we went back on the boat, through the canal and back into Shinnecock Bay. Our next stop was at the inlet connecting the bay to the ocean. We stopped at the jetty here, had a quick lesson about long shore drift and how the inlet has to be dredged and of course we all kept our eyes out for these tombstones while on the jetty.
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Professor Kurt Bretsch giving the students a brief lesson about long shore drift
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