Welcome to Nassau County, New York
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The Creation of Nassau County
The small rural towns in Nassau County eagerly awaited New Year's Eve in 1899 and the beginning of the 1900s. Frank Margot of Plainview witnessed the great celebration as the new year was rung in and "the large pickle and cabbage salting factories set up a din with their whistles blowing a full blast and run by steam. There were whistles blowing at at the brickyard and the church bells rang for hours." It was a particularly memorable time for residents of the towns of Hempstead, North Hempstead and Oyster Bay, since the end of the old year marked Nassau County't first year of existences as an independent county. Less than two years before, on January 22, 1898, a public meeting had been called at Allen's Hotel in Mineola to discuss the creation of a new county. The hotel was crowded as P. Halstead Scudder called the meeting to order and indicated the alternatives that faced the residents of the towns. The possibility of annexation to Greater New York was dismissed, to the cheers of the audience, as entirely out of the question. Another, the idea of creation a new county by combining Queens County's easter towns with different towns of western Suffolk, seemed unlikely of adoption. Scudder concluded that the organization of a new county was the only solution to the problem which confronted them.
Before the general discussion began, the meeting choose officers, headed by Benjamin D Hicks of North Hempstead as chairman. Hicks had been a leader in previous attempts to create a new county. For his long years of work in striving for an independent county he deserves to be called the Father of Nassau County. A popular and successful Quaker banker, he was an intelligent and active partisipant in all types of community improvement, Archer B Wallace, son of the assemblyman, was chosen secretary of the meetings. Discussion began after J B Coles Tappen of Oyster Bay made the motion:
Resolved that it is the sense of this meeting that the towns of Hempstead and Oyster Bay withdraw from the county of Queens, and that a new county to include the said towns be formed. A few dissidents took up the question of alternative actions. North Hempstead resident W W Cock favored annexation to Suffolk County while John H Carll wanted to join New York City, but neither proposal received support. Inclusion of Huntington and Babylon in a new county was urged by Fred Herzog, Sr., of Oyster Bay. General James Pearsall of Glen Cove, who had been a member of the assemble in an attempt twenty years before to create a new county, declared it would be impossible to get such a measure through the legislature. Many of those in attendance felt, with Edward N Townsend of Hempstead, that "the county would be an inexpensive on to govern." James H Ludlam of Oyster Bay also stressed the economy aspects, indicating people from his area wanted lower taxes. In appropriate Long Island fashion, D N Munger closed the subject by stating that "they should consider not what should be taken in but what barnacles should be taken off."
The chairman called for a vote and Mr. Tappen's resolution was carried with only a few dissenting votes. James Ludlam of Oyster Bay then offered a motion which was unanimously adopted, as follows:
Whereas, It is for the best interest of the citizens of the towns of Hempstead, North Hempstead and Oyster Bay to withdraw from the county of Queens.
Resolved that......Supervisors Underhill, Smith and Denton be requested to obtain authority....to expend a sum, not exceeding $250. for each town in defraying any expenses.....in drafting and preparation of suck bills, as may be necessary to corry into effect the desire of the people to have a county free from entailing alliance with the great city of New York.
To pursue the action a committee was appointed composed of the following: P Halstead Scudder of Oyster Bay, Lott Vanderwater and William G Miller of Hempstead, Joseph H Bogert and Wilbur Lewis of North Hempstead, James Pearsall and James H Ludlam of Oyster Bay. The meeting closed with the proposal of several names for the count including Matinecock, Norfolk, Nassau and Bryant. Thus began the final and successful attempt to create Nassau County.
From the Book Nassau, Suburbia, USA, Edward J Smits copyright 1974
Towns
Towns are up for adoption, if you would like to help put information on line, please e-mail me
Albertson |
Alden Manor |
Alden Terrace |
Baldwin |
Baxter Estates |
Bellerose |
Bethpage |
Brookville |
Carle Place |
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Cedarhurst |
East Rockaway |
East Williston |
Floral Park |
Flower Hill |
Fort Salonga |
Franklin Square |
Freeport |
Garden City Park |
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Gibson |
Glen Cove |
Glen Head |
Glen Oaks |
Glenwood |
Glenwood Landing |
Gordon Heights |
Green Acres |
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Hempstead Gardens |
Herricks |
Hewlett |
Inwood |
Jericho |
Kensington |
Kings Point |
Lakeland |
Lakeview |
Lattingtown |
Lawrence |
Levittown |
Locust Valley |
Lynbrook |
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Malverne |
Manhasset Hills |
Manorhaven | Massapequa |
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Merrick |
Mill Neck |
Mineola |
|
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Muttontown |
New Cassel |
New Hyde Park |
Oceanside |
Old Bethpage |
Old Westbury |
Plainview |
Plandome |
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Roosevelt |
Roosevelt Field |
Roslyn |
Roslyn Heights |
Russell Gardens |
Saddle Rock |
Sea Cliff |
Seaford |
Searingtown |
Stewart Manor |
Syosset |
Uniondale |
Valley Stream |
Wantagh |
Westbury |
Williston Park |
Woodbury |
Woodmere |
. | . |
Submit or View: Bible Records, Biographies, Deeds, Land Records, Obituaries, Pensions, and Queries, and Wills.
New** Project that I am working on Transcribe obituaries from Newsday, the Long Island Newspaper and Some from the Connecticut Post Obituary Index |
New** CHURCH RECORDS of Nassau County |
Links to NY Area
Aviation in Hempstead My own page of history on Hempstead Plains
Bayside Historical Society Off site, Bayside, New York and it's history
Castles in the United States An interesting Off site on Castles all over the United States
Cemeteries in New York Off site, has many, many photos of all over
Census on Line Off site, with links for census in United States and Canada
Huntington Historcial Society Off site, The Huntington Historical Society 209 Main Street, Huntington,
ISTG Passenger lists updating daily, great site for ships and passengers
John F. Kennedy International Airport Off site, for travel plans, airfair, things to do in the Long Island area
Long Island Rail Road Historical Society LIRRHS Off site, Railroad historical society focusing on the history of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal Railroad (BEDT), and the Degnon Terminal Railroad.
Nassau County Government pages Off site, The official home page of Nassau County.
Nassau County Library System Off site, A listing of Libraries on line in Nassau County
National Iwo Jima Memorial Monument Off site, Erected by the Iwo Jima Survivors Association, Inc. Newington, Connecticut In memory of 6821 of their comrades who gave their lives at Iwo Jima. Inscribed on the base are the 100 names of those from Connecticut.
New York Civil War Regiments Online Off site, Great site for NY Civil War, lots of information on the New York Regements
e Iwo Jima New York Genealogical and Biographical Society Off site The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, popularly known as the "G & B," was founded in 1869. As a non-profit educational institution, our purpose is to collect and make available information on genealogy, biography and history, particularly as it relates to the people of New York State. To carry out our purpose, we maintain one of the principal genealogical reference libraries in the United States, publish periodicals and books, conduct educational programs and provide other services."
New York State Archives Off site, Everything you wanted to know about the New York State Archives
New York State Newspaper Project Off site, Newspapers are listed by City within the County of Publication
NewYork State Vitals Off site, Where and how to obtain Records
Nassau County, New York FOP Lodge 69 Off site, The largest FOP Lodge serving the New York/Long Island area. Membership open to all law enforcement officers in the New York City and Long Island area. In operation since 1915
New York Newspapers On site, a collection of early and still operating Newspaper of Nassau County
Newsday (Newspaper) Off site, The Newspaper choice of Long Island
OfficialCitySites.org Off site Features essential information about the community including street maps, demographics, census information, and governmental information.
Olive Tree Off site, Genealogy Loyalists Lots of muster rolls and lists for this period. Worth checking!
Planet Earth (mega info) Off site, has loads of information
Port Washington News Off sitePort Washington, New York, US, an Anton Community Newspaper, covers news, sports, opinion and events in the local community.
Queens Public Library Off site, The Official Site for the Queens Public Library, how to reach them
NEW!!!Veteran's Memoral Page (Obits) On site, my page dedicated to the Men and Women who served our County
Copyright 1999 Terasa Ahlgren
Page Created 9/19/99
Up Dated March, 2001
Space for this page has been generously donated by
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