Book Discussion: Local History

New date!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
10 a.m. to noon
Stage Room

Mark your calendars for the new date of the local history book discussion. As an exciting addition to the program, local historian Richard Wines will join us. Mr. Wines will speak about the history of Community Volunteerism in the Riverhead area. This will be followed by a group discussion. Sign up for the program and pick up a copy of the suggested reading, Journey Through Time: The Riverhead Bicentennial 1792 -1992, edited by Barbara Austen, at the Adult Reference Desk.

Check the upcoming July/August newsletter for more information about this and other reading programs. In the meantime, sign up for the next book discussion, Blue Highways: A Journey into America by William Least Heat-Moon. This will be held Wednesday, June 30, 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. In this classic true story, Heat-Moon recounts his unforgettable adventures traveling the nation's backroads, including through parts of Long Island. A true American experience.

Local History Book Stop

Walk into the past this spring, armed with one of these historic walking guides. It's the perfect time of year to take a stroll and soak up the atmosphere of one of the City's five bouroughs.

In Walking Brooklyn: 30 Tours Exploring Historical Legacies, Neighborhood Culture, Side Streets, and Waterways, native New Yorker Adrienne Onofri leads thirty urban treks, from the heart of downtown, over the Brooklyn Bridge, and out to the resurging East New York.

Get to know Manhattan better with Secret New York: Exploring The City's Hidden Neighborhoods by Michelle Haimoff. Best explored on foot, the City's distinctive neighborhoods provide ample opportunities to immerse yourself in the culture and history.

Greenwich Village Guide: Sixteen Historic Walks Includes Soho Tribeca And The East Village by Fred W. McDarrah and Patrick J. McDarrah introduces you to old and new Greenwich Village with its famous streets and rich past. Although this book was written in 1992, much of it is still relevant today.

Author Stephen A. Plumb recaptures some of the excitement and colorful history of New York's memorable people and their historic residences in Notable New York: The West Side & Greenwich Village: A Walking Guide To The Historic Homes of Famous (and Infamous) New Yorkers. From Bing Crosby to Babe Ruth, architectural historian Plumb puts a human face and history on otherwise unknown buildings.

For the armchair traveller or walking enthusiast who wants to step out of the City, Queens is an excellent alternative. The Neighborhoods Of Queens by Claudia Gryvatz Copquin captures the unique character of each area--Astoria, the Rockaways, Flushing, and more.

Look for these books on the April "Spring Fever" display, near the Circulation Desk. For walking and hiking closer to home, visit The Green Spot wall for information, or ask a reference librarian.

Local History Book Stop

Chartered in 1834, the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) is the oldest American railway still operating under its original name. There are a number of pictorial histories of the LIRR, but Long Island Rail Road by Stan Fischler combines classic and modern photos with a sweeping written history of this legendary line.

The Long Island Rail Road: A Comprehensive History by Vincent F. Seyfried is a well-researched book highlighting the age of expansion of the railroad from 1863 to 1880. In addition, it contains some rare archival photographs.

For pictorial works, try Long Island Rail Road by Fred Kramer. This series of photographs captures the steam-to-diesel transition east of Jamaica. From Arcadia Publishing comes Revisiting the Long Island Rail Road 1925-1975 by David Keller and Steven Lynch and Long Island Rail Road Stations by David D. Morrison and Valerie Pakaluk. Both books present a collection of photos with detailed captions.

Authors Ron Ziel and George H. Foster researched the LIRR firsthand, walking the right-of-ways and riding the trains, from switch engines to parlor cars. For their book Steel Rails to the Sunrise: The Long Island Railroad, they searched every town on the railroad lines. With the help of active and retired railroaders, they unearthed rare photographs and fascinating anecdotes that are a vital part of the history and romance of this unique railroad.

Local History Book Stop

From 1640 to 1918, Long Island's inhabitants actively participated in the whaling industry. For Candlesticks & Corset Stays: Long Island's Yankee Whalers by Laurence Cone provides an historic look at whaling in and around Cold Spring Harbor. Mark Well the Whale! Long Island Ships to Distant Seas by Frederick P. Schmitt recreates the Golden Age of whaling in this area, while Whales and Whaling: Sag Harbor, New York, edited by George A. Finckenor, provides insight into the topic with documents from a whaling fleet.

Descendants of these formidable whaling clans, the bay fishermen, also play an important role in the historic fishing culture of Long Island. Men's Lives: The Surfmen and Baymen of the South Fork by Peter Matthiessen captures the lifestyle of this waning three hundred year old society of the commercial fishermen on the east end of Long Island. The hardcover version of the book contains black and white illustrations of another bygone era.

Local History Book Stop

For those who enjoy Halloween and a good scare or two, the library has some creepy new books just for you. Long Island ghost lecturer and author Kerriann Flanagan Brosky, with the help of paranormal investigator Joe Giaquinto, entertains and provides historic insights into Long Island's haunted history.

Brosky's first book, Ghosts of Long Island: Stories of the Paranormal, captures the real-life ghost stories surrounding Long Island homes and businesses, based on interviews with real people! Ghosts of Long Island II: More Stories of the Paranormal focuses on the spiritual aspect to a greater degree, according to Brosky, while providing an understanding of our Native American past.

Spooky Creepy Long Island by Scott Lerfebvre is somewhat lighter fare with thirty-five haunting tales of Long Island's supernatural history. From the infamous Amityville house to asylums, and creepy lighthouses, Lerfebvre provides a brief overview for the curious reader, or for those wishing to explore some actual haunted sites.

Visit our "thrilling, chilling, and terrifying..." display with the bat for more scary stories and strange phenomena. (On display through October 2008)

Local History Book Stop

With summer on the wane and fall approaching, now is a good time to enjoy some of the pleasures of the North Fork. And there's more than just pumpkin picking! Whether or not you're a wine aficionado, a trip to the local vineyards can be a relaxing "day-cation."

To get in the mood or just to be an armchair traveler, read The Vineyard: The Pleasures and Perils of Creating an American Family Winery by Louisa Thomas Hargrave. In 1973, along with her husband, Hargrave purchased a run-down 1680 potato farm and began growing wine grapes on the North Fork when most experts said that it was impossible. About this book, author Hugh Johnson says, " You don't look for covered wagon stories as close to home as this, but everyone who plants a new vineyard is a pioneer..." This memoir got excellent reviews from Riverhead patrons who have already read the book.

John Ross has been a professional chef and restaurant owner on the North Fork of Long Island for over 30 years. His book, The Food and Wine of the North Fork: Historical Anecdotes and Recipes, provides a different look at the area. Ross takes readers on a nostalgic tour of North Fork restaurants from 1870 to the present, complete with photographs.

For more information on North Fork wines, vineyards, dining, and lodging, drop by the Reference Desk and browse through a reference copy of Guide to Long Island Wine Country by Peter M. Gianotti, published by Newsday Books.

Local History Book Stop

Whether you've joined the Adult Summer Reading Club with its local history theme, or just a want to learn more about the Island, here are a few choices from our suggested local history reading list.

TR's Summer White House - Oyster Bay by Sherwin Gluck reveals the intriguing story of the first peacetime relocation of the Executive Branch of the United States Government to Long Island. Throughly researched, this book recreates the summers of 1902 through 1908 when President Theodore Roosevelt and his staff governed the United States from Oyster Bay.

Up-Lot Reveries: An Oral History of the North Fork by Maria Parson is a patron favorite. It captures the flavor of the area and brings together eyewitness accounts of everyday life in bygone days as well as some of the more dramatic events that occurred. Conversations with long-time residents make the history of the North Fork come to life.

Visit the Reference Desk to get an updated list of local history books for suggested reading and see our local history display.

Local History Book Stop

Long Island is famous for more things than just duck! During the Revolutionary War, the island was a hotbed of intrigue centering around a famous spy ring. At least two books have been written about these heroes who helped win the war. Both are available at the library.

The Culper Spy Ring by Lynn Groh is the lesser known of the two and is suitable for both teens and adults. Benedict Arnold, Major Tallmadge, and Washington himself stride through these pages--but most fascinating of all are the Long Islanders who risked everything for the future of their country.

Based on the remarkable new research of the author Alexander Rose, Washington's Spies: The Story of America's First Spy Ring takes us beyond the battlefront into the shadowy world of double agents, triple crosses, covert operations, and code breaking. The gunrunning, the kidnappings, and the defections are all part of this noted author's riveting narrative.

Local History Book Stop

Readers and genealogical researchers alike will be fascinated by two books authored by local area resident Clement M. Healy and published by Arcadia Publishing, under the Images of America imprint. This series features local history books filled with photos and drawings, supported by written information. Healy's subject is cemeteries in the Township of Riverhead and surrounding areas.

North Fork Cemeteries includes Riverhead area cemeteries with some of the photos provided by Riverhead Free Library and the nearby Suffolk County Historical Society. Published in 2005, this book covers everything from the founding the cemeteries to close ups of a tombstone of a Civil War soldier. The Library can assist researchers who wish to contact the various cemeteries, which are overseen primarily by cemetery associations. A year later, South Fork Cemeteries was published. Both books are available for check out at the Library.

Local History Book Stop

Tour Long Island with George Washington; take a jaunt to Rockaway in 1793, or travel the LIRR in 1890. Journeys on Old Long Island: Travelers' Accounts, Contemporary Descriptions, and Residents' Reminiscences 1744-1893 edited by Natalie A. Naylor takes you back as travelers and others describe their environment and the social customs of the period.

Historical and Descriptive Sketches of Suffolk County with a Historical Outline of Long Island by Richard M. Bayles covers the discovery of Long Island by the Dutch, the colonial and revolutionary periods, and the founding of towns as well as the Native American tribes. A chapter on the history of Riverhead is included.

Local History Book Stop

Do you want to know more about where you live? The Library has a selection of books about Riverhead and the rest of Long Island. Some of these books are housed in the Long Island Room, where they are available for reading. However, many other books about Long Island can be checked out. In this column, we will feature local history books. Here are a few that we recommend:

Seeking the Past: Writings from 1832-1905 Relating to the History of Riverhead

Edited by Tom Twomey

This illustrated book provides a collection of local histories including official and unofficial documents relating to the Township of Riverhead. Great for history buffs and amateur historians. Available check out, or you may purchase it at the Public Information Desk.

Riverhead: The Halcyon Years 1861-1919

by Thomas M. Stark

Written by a local Supreme Court judge, this book, with historic black and white photographs, covers commercial, agricultural and social development in the Township of Riverhead.