Printed on back

" This monument commemorates the founding of Smithtown, Long Island, N. Y. by Richard Smith "The Bull Rider" who was granted in 1665, all the land he could cover on the back of a bull in 24 hours.

Postmarked 1946

No postmark

On back

Smithtown, Long Island

Smithtown, on the shores of the beautiful Nissequogue River, is a settlement that dates back to 1653. It includes in its varied historical background, the site where once stood the home of "Widow Blydenburgh" mentioned in Washington's diary as one of the places he visited in 1790. Located forty-eight miles from New York City, Smithtown offers three public beaches, boating, and good sport fishing

Posted 1907

The Booth and Arthur General Store on Jericho Turnpike (across from where the statue of the bull now stands) at the junction of Route 25A and Jericho Turnpike. It was also called the River Store and was operated by E. L. Arthur.

Ethelbert Arthur, merchant born 1872, and his wife, Ellen, born 1867 were listed in the 1900 census in Smithtown with their children, Ethel, May and Laurence, and Ellen's, mother, Mary Smith, born circa 1819, plus a servant, Daisy Folk. Nextdoor was listed, William Rapier, railroad agent born Kentucy, 1841, his wife, Mary born 1841, their daughter Nettie (?) Pitts widow, and their daughter Bertha, born 1871, and her husband Frederick Booth, merchant, born 1871.

In 1920 Ethelbert Arthur was listed on Main Street as the Smithtown post master. In 1930 Ethelbert Arthur was listed on Landing Ave, Head of the River, as a post master. Ellen and Mae were listed with him.

In in 1910 and 1920 Fredrick Booth was listed on as a lumber dealer. Also listed was his wife, Bertha (and in 1920 a daughter, Dorothy, age 6), and his inlaws the Rapiers.

Both Ethelbert Arthur and Frederick Booth were born in Smithtown.

Here is the picture of the Riverside Garage. This is at the south east intersection of 25 and 25A across from where the Bull Statue stands today. The building to the left of the Riverside Garage still stands today and it is where the bar/gentlemans club is located. This picture is said to have been taken in 1911. If you look towards the right of the photo it has a sign on the tree that points to the Riverside Inn. The Riverside Inn is slightly visable to the left of the Riverside Garage's roof. The building on the far left of the photo (across the street from the Riverside Garage) is the Riverside Store.

According to the guy I got the photo from, he said that the cars have 1912 plates and the car to the far right is a Type I 1910 Locomobile baby tonneau.

Tom Muratore, May 2008

FRANK FRIEDE, ROUTE 25, SMITHTOWN, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK

Address as taken from a Freide's menu of the early 1950's contributed by Joan Rust whose father worked there.

During Prohibition Frank Friede's was a famous speakeasy.

Agnes Land always spoke very fondly of "Friede's". Apparently she and Bud often went dancing and to dinner there in the mid to late 40s.

To see more images and for more information of Frank Friede's Inn go to Friede's Inn

The Riverside Inn and the R.R. Tracks are to the left of the picture.

Railroad service arrived in Smithtown in 1873. Before that the means of transport to New York City was sailing ship, horse or foot. By 1900 there were nine trains daily to the city.

This lovely old postcard of the Smithtown Train depot was shared by Tom Muratore, January 2007 who wrote:

L.I.R.R. Depot, Smithtown. It is postmarked, Smithtown Branch, Oct, 1909. It states, "Cousin John and family Just a line to let you know that we are all well and hope you are the same. Have you heard from Uncle Colman lately Frank"

Posted 1907

In January 2006 Tom Muratore graciously shared several postcard images including this one of the Smithtown train station.

Courtesy of Tom Muratore.

See 1935 Train Schedule

Posted 1911

No postmark

Postmark December 1947

Not posted

Posted 1907

Main St. Smithtown Branch, L. I.

Posted, but not dated

Main St. Smithtown Branch, L. I.

Main St. Smithtown Branch, L. I.

No date.

No date.

From the 1939 Indian (yearbook)

From the 1939 Indian (yearbook)

Posted 1913

Smithtown, L. I.

No postmark

Town Hall on Main Street in Smithtown was designed as a free service by prominent St. James resident and architect, Lawrence Smith Butler. The original building, first occupied in March 1913, was as pictured above. Shortly afterwards a wing was added to the north that included jail cells. An east wing was added in 1930.

No postmark

Photo image postcard of the above card.

This photo postcard is noted "Feather" on the bushes in front of the church. I believe that Feather was the photographer.

Date illegible.

This view is looking west on Main Street between Elm and Maple Avenues

No date.

This must be a World War I monument . World War I was called the World War until World War II.

A circulating library containing 603 books was opened in November 1907 in the house of Judge Lawrence Smith. It was initially opened for three hours three afternoons a week and staffed by volunteers. In 1909 the library moved to other temporary quarters. In 1911 Cornelia Stewart Butler, the widow of Prescott Hall Butler, gave a half acre of property on Middle Country Road in Smithtown Branch opposite the Presbyterian Church on the corner of North Country Road and Middle Country Road. The building, designed gratis by Mrs. Butler's, son the architect, Lawrence Smith Butler, was formally opened in August 1912. In December 1935 there were 15,959 books in the library. In 1952 the building was moved accross the street to the Village Green the site of the present library.

The Richard H Handley Collection of Long Island Americana was donated to the library in 1922.

No date.

Build circa 1725.

Posted 1908

No date.

There is a black and white post card of this same view in the collection of Bud Land's post cards. See below.

This mill was build circa 1829 on New Mill Road.

No postmark

Posted 1907

From a drawing by Edward Lange about 1874

"There were three mills — saw, grist, and fulling mills — at the head of the river. The date of the building of the dam was probably a few years before 1725. According to tradition, the mills were built by George Phillips, son of the first Presbyterian minister at Setauket.

The mills and dam are referred to in Surveys dated 1736. In 1799, Mills Phillips paid to the town £2-12s as quit-rent on the pond.

The property on which the dam and mills were built was part of 500 acres conveyed by Richard Smith, patentee, to his son-in-law, William Lawrence, March 28, 1684, "at the common passage over the River Nissequogue."

The grist mill pictured above was abandoned in 1909 and until 1927 remained untenanted, the old wooden machinery remaining largely intact. Tin this year it was purchased by Mr. T. J. White. Tow years later reconstruction was begun and the restoration was completed in 1930. Since this time it has bee nused as a guest house."

Smithtown Souvenir Program 1936

"I believe the mill pics are the mill(s) owned and or built by the Blydenburghs, as mentioned in the following reference:

(Ancestry.com) search of "Greenville McNeel" revealed ("stories and publications" hits) the source called: book: "Portrait and biographical record of Suffolk County (Long Island) New York : containing portraits and biographical sketches of p...." pp. 1002 and 1003): 1002): "THE BLYDENBURGH FAMILY. Isaac Blydenburgh, great-grandson of Joseph Blydenburgh, the first settler of that name in Smithtown, was born on the Blydenburgh place at the Branch in 1775. He married Susannah Smith, daughter of Job Smith, and moved to Bushey Neck. In 1798 he built the mill and dam at New Mills, in connection with Caleb Smith and Judge Joshua Smith, whose interests therein he and his sons, Richard and Isaac W., afterward acquired,[sic, should be a period] In 1821 he removed to the house on the [p. 1003] hill, at the end of the Neck, which he built in that year and where he died in 1858. His children were: Ebenezer, Richard, Elizabeth, wife of George Phillips; Isaac W., and Ruth, wife of Timothy Smith. "Richard Blydenburgh, son of the foregoing, was born in 1798 and married Ruth, daughter of Judge Joshua Smith, of Hauppauge. In 1827 he, with his brother Isaac W., built a woolen factory at New Mills, which they operated for many years. Richard succeeded his father and brother, Isaac W., in the ownership of the mills and water rights at New Mills, where he died in 1873. He was long a prominent and generous member of the Presbyterian Church at the Branch. Of his children only Benjamin Brewster and Alma Amelia, wife of Maj. John Greenville McNeel, of Texas, lived to maturity. "The mills and water rights passed to his son, Benjamin Brewster, who was born in 1821 in the house of his grandfather, Judge Joshua Smith, at Hauppauge. Most of his life was passed in business in New York. In 1870 he inherited his grandfather's house on Bushey Neck, where he then took up his residence and where he died in 1892. He married Mary Duryee, daughter of John H. Brown, of New York. His children were: John B., Amelia, Anna B., wife of Theron L. Smith; Charles E., who married Isabel Cannon; Henry D., who married Mary Wardwell; Benjamin B., and Morgan B., who married Lucy M. Slade. The mills and property at New Mills are owned by his eldest son, John B., who is a merchant in New York, and his youngest son, Morgan B., now occupies the old place."

I am a historian (native Texan my family first coming to Brazoria County, Texas, in 1831) primarily interested in Brazoria County, TX, and the Jacksonian era. I believe the Presbyterian church shown in your pics is the one that "Old Three Hundred" (i. e., original Texas settler) colonist John Greenville McNeel married Alma Amelia Blydenburgh, as per the following record:

Records of the First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown (175 East Main St.), Suffolk County, New York 11787 - (631)-265-5151 Founded 1675 by Richard Smith on his land in Nissequogue, moved in 1750. The current church dates from 1825.

Greenville McNeel, Brazonia, Texas, m. July 13, 1854, Alma Amelia Blydenburgh

Your site is absolutely wonderful and I so love the beautiful places shown. Thank you so much for your work and for sharing.

Kindest Regards,

Ronald ("Ron") Howard Livingston

No date.

I cannot find Beryl Lake on a current map or the 1950's tax map of Smithtown.

In June 2008 Michael O'Haire emailed to say

"I live on Miller's Pond in Smithtown. I have 2 of the postcards you have on your pages. One is of Miller's Pond, the other is of Beryl Lake. I was told when purchasing the postcards, that Beryl Lake was Miller's Pond"

Not posted

Tom writes:

"This is the post card of Maple Avenue, Smithtown. It is postmarked, July 12, 1910 with a Smithtown postmark. According to the book "Smithtown Looking Back Through the Lens" this photo was taken in 1909 near Bowers Court and is looking towards the North."

Tom Muratore, May 2008

Gus Hubers Rest Camp, Middle Country Road.

Postcard image courtesy of Tom Muratore, January 2007. Tom writes:

"Gus Hubers Rest Camp, Middle Country Road, Smithtown Branch, L.I." It is postmarked from Saint James, August, 1928. It state, "Dear Gus, Just a note to let you know that we are all OK. Hope you are the same. Try to write once in a while. Love Seaver"

Posted 1915

Posted 1914

The Frist Presbyterian Chruch of Smithtown was founded in 1675. The building on the present site dates to 1825.

See Records of the First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown

No date.

This was the church that the Lands attended when they lived in Smithtown.

No date.

Another View of the Presbyterian Church

Posted 1962

The First Presbyterian Church, Smithtown Branch, Long Island founded A.D. 1675. This building was erected 1827, the third of the church.

Photo by R. S. Feather

"This is a postcard of the Smithtown Central Hotel. It was located on the southwest corner of Lawrence Ave and Main Street where the empty lot is next to the Smithtown Movie Theatre is today. This postcard is postmarked May 7, 1908, Smithtown Branch.

Tom Muratore, May 2008

Conklin and Jaynes Gerneral Store, Main Street and Hauppaugue Road (Route 111). It later became the Old Town Theater. It was demolished in 1965. From Smithtown 1665-1965 Tercentenary Souvenir Album and Program.

Jacob B Conklin was a druggist and grocer born circa 1833. He and his wife, Elmira were listed in the 1870, 1880, 1900, and 1910 censuses. His partner was the husband of Etta Jaynes. She was listed as widowed, born circa 18554, a music teacher in the 1900 census on Main Street, Smithtown. She was listed in the 1880 census with her husband who was a grocer, but the ink is very faded and I cannot read his name.

No date.

Date unclear

Posted 1913.

Posted 1912

No date.

Gift of Charlie Edgar

Printed on back: "Owned and operated by the Town, mooring facilities are available for 300 boats."

Posted 1959.

No postmark

Posted 1962

In 1872 the Brooklyn Gun Club purchased Caleb Smith's house and land near the head of the Nissequogue in Smithtown. Fishing, fox hunting and quail and pheasant shooting were popular sports.

The club was renamed the Wyandanch Club in 1893 after a Montaukett sachem. It is now on the list of registered historic places and is known as Caleb Smith S tate Park. Jericho Tnpk. SW of jct. with Meadow Rd., Smithtown (5180 acres, 12 buildings)

George Edgar was a gamekeeper at the Wyandanch Club. See The Edgar Family

"The Boss Long Island Fisherman at Wyandanch Club, Smithtown

Posted 1907

The following post cards may not actually reflect pictures taken in Smithtown but they do reflect the rural nature of the area. Lawrence Czaplysk wrote that in 1941 Smithtown:

"was still mainly a farming area, so you could always make some cash working picking potatoes or other types of farm work."

Posted 1937.

Not posted

Posted 1919

Note: Smithtown, New York, 1660-1929 lists this photo as taken by R. S. Feather in 1917 .

Bud Land had a copy of the photo and he made the following notes about it.

1920 Ford 1st Truck:

• Driver Joe Luisi
• Chief Frank Brush
• Ed Mosley (Note: He was the husband of Adelaide Land)

1920 Ford 2nd Truck:

• Driver Earl Scott
• Carlyle Hodgkinson
• Charles Sturm, Sr.
• Freelan Jones

1919 Ford Hook and Ladder:

• Percy A Land (Note: Smithtown, New York, 1660-1929 lists Frank Valentine as the driver)
• Howard Arthur
• Charles Smith, standing by ladder

At the fire door, Joseph Hastings, boys, Large, Harold Purick, small, Theodore Brush

• The date of the trucks (although the photo is listed as being taken in 1917, the date for the first truck is given as a "1919 Ford")
• Percy Land instead of Frank Valentine

Some Members of the Smithtown Fire Department and the Date They Joined

• Edward Moseley, 3-8-20
• Percy A Land, 3-14-21
• Arnold Land, 9-1-25
• Joseph A land, 7-14-26
• Elbert Land, 2-8-32
• Edgar L Land, 6-12-33
• Donald Land, 5-14-34
• Gerald Land, 6-23-49
• Frank Goehle, 6-3-52

The History of the Smithtown Fire Department, 1956, Smithtown Library, Long Island Room, November 2005

The tower contains a bell for sounding alarms.

In January 2007 Tom Muratore graciously shared several Smithtown images including this one to the Smithtown Hook and Ladder company. Tom writes:

The Smithtown Branch Hook and Ladder card is post marked, Saint James, July 5, 1909. The postcard states, "Am having a fine time. Alfred and Freda."

My dad, Bud Land, had a number of area postcards that he like to have xeroxed and send to people. I only have the xeroxed copies of the following five postcards. I do not know where the originals are.

The Central Hotel was located at what is now Main Street and Lawrence Avenue.

Landing Avenue Bridge

Printed on the bottolm of the front of the card:

Smithtown Hotel
O Schubert Prop.

In October 2005 Dana Rozycki contacted me by email and offered to share the following four fabulous old photos of Smithtown.

Dana said:

My grandfather's family moved to Smithtown in the late 1910s from Brooklyn, and lived there until 1972.

My grandfather was named Lester Spahr, and his wife was Nora. They lived on Meadow Road until the 1940s when my grandfather purchased A.E. Hallock's carriage making shop and house and moved the house to 43 Landing Ave., where they lived until 1972. Also, his cousin William ("Bud") Spahr and his wife Muriel lived at 20 Manor Road for decades.

Spahr Bakery

The Spahr Bakery

The town bakery run by my great grandfather's brother, Henry Spahr. This was located on Main Street in Smithtown. I'm not sure of the exact dates that the bakery was in existence, but it is listed in the 1913 phonebook, so I think this picture is from around then.

Purick' Drugstore

George B. Purick's drugstore on Main Street. George was Harold's father and he operated the drugstore from about 1913 to 1924.

Harold Purick, was one of my grandfather's best friends in high school and for years afterward.

Smithtown Baseball Team

Smithtown Baseball: Smithtown Branch varsity team for the 1924 spring season. My grandfather, Lester Spahr, is seated second from the left. I'm not sure who anyone else is. I believe that the original picture has everyone's name listed on the reverse.

Dana Rozycki

Smithtown Basketball Team

Smithtown Basketball: The 1923-24 basketball team. Again, I'm not sure who anyone is other than my grandfather, who is seated second from the right.

Dana Rozycki

The guy in the front row, glasses, holding ball was Bob Brady, who was from Kings Park. Kings Park didn't have a HS 'til 1928. First graduating class 1932. Before that, Kings Park kids had a choice of attending either Northport or Smithtown Branch high school. Bob Brady (1906-1986) was town Justice of the Peace and later on a councilman. Judging by Bob's DOB, would guess the BB photo ca 1922-24.

King Pedlar, November 2007

After the death of Law Land, Elizabeth Sykes Land moved to Linden Place in Smithtown where she was listed in the 1928 telephone directory. No number was listed so I do not know in which one of the five houses on Linden Place Elizabeth lived.

Vincent House on Hallock Ave. rented by Bud and Agnes Land 1944-1945. Hallock Acres next to William G Jones.

Another wonderful photo shared by Dana Rozycki who says:

This is A. E. Hallock's carriage-making shop and house. I'm not sure where in town this is, but the 1928 Smithtown directory lists him as being in Smithtown Branch. This is the house that my grandfather bought and moved to Landing Ave. in the 40s.

My guess is that this picture is from the beginning of the 20th century, given the dirt road, the lack of electrical poles or wires, and the horse carriage in front of the shop on the right side.

Photo by Morgan Blydenburgh

Built in 1688 by Joseph Blydenburgh, this house sat across from the Presbyterian Church on North County Road. During the Revolutionary War, Ruth Blydenburgh, the widow of Benjamin B. Blydenburgh, ran a boardinghouse/tavern there which was known as the Widow Blydenburg's. On April 23, 1790 George Washington rested and watered his horses at the Widow Blydenburg's. The house was torn down in 1907.

Home of Percy Land and Meta Petermann 101 North Country Road from 1930ish to the mid 1970s.

To see more images of this house go to 101 North Country Road

Photo by R. S. Feather

"Epenetus Smith Inn, stopping place of the FultonFerry-Sag Harbor stage coaches as early as 1772. Now removed to the west side of Hauppauge Road on the chas. D. Miller Estate."

Smithtown Souvenir Program 1936

Epenetus Smith Tavern, 1740, Inn and Stagecoach Stop, 211 Middle Country Road, Smithtown, Long Island, New York 11787

The Town of Smithtown includes the villages of Head of the Harbor, Nissequogue, Village of the Branch and the hamlets of Commack (part in the Town of Huntington and part in the Town of Smithtown), Fort Salonga , Kings Park, Lake Ronkonkoma (part in the Town of Brookhave, Part in the Town of Islip and Part in the town of Smithtown), Nesconset, Smithtown and St James.

Boy Scouts of America Troop 3

The third Boy Scout Troup in Suffolk County was founded in Smithtown 1913-14 by Charles Miller, who was the Scoutmaster for several years. Among the scout leaders were Joseph Land and Allen Land. Allen Land was the Scoutmaster in 1936.

Information from the Smithtown Souvenir Program 1936.

Art writes

"I know that the Shirley Temple movie "Our Little Girl" was released on June 7th, 1935. The raffle tickets say that the raffle is on June 30th, So I can only assume that the raffle was held in 1935. I have no idea who won the contest."

August, 2007

See

• Lydia Law Land in Philadelphia
• Law Land and Elizabeth Sykes for general information on Law and Elizabeth
• Pictures and Maps of where Law and Elizabeth lived and worked in Hauppauge and Smithtown

Percy Land and Meta Petermann

See:

• Percy Land and Meta Petermann for more general information on Percy and Meta
• Pictures and Maps of where Percy and Meta lived and worked in Hauppauge and Smithtown

Bud Land and Agnes Goehle

• Bud Land and Agnes Goehle for more general information on Bud and Agnes
• Pictures and Maps of where Bud Land and Agnes Goehle lived in Smithtown and St James

King Pedlar, a photographer and local Long Island Historian. worked as a psychiatric aide at the Kings Park mental hospital and lived on the grounds for 31 years. He wrote in November 2007 to share some information on Smithtown and Central Islip.

Some Kings Park sites:

Article on Kings Park and Central Islip Hospitals

Kings Park Heritage Museum Pictures and More — Kings Park

Islip.TV Kings Park Video and more

Courtesy of Tom Muratore.

See 1935 Train Schedule