This is the message on a 1925 Valentine’s Day postcard sent to my mother in Port Jefferson. Mom was born in November 1914, so she was ten years old when she received the postcard. The front of the card shows a cherub with pots of heart flowers. The address on the postcard was simply addressed to her at “Port Jefferson, L.I.” This particular postcard was sent from Brooklyn, NY. Mom kept only a few valentine postcards. The majority of the valentine messages she kept were cards in the shape of the figure or image.
In the first three decades of the 20th century, Valentine’s Day figure and image cards were favored over postcards, especially by children. In my mother’s case most of these cards were put in envelopes and hand-delivered to the mailbox on the street or to the front door by their neighborhood friends. This makes it difficult to know what year the cards were sent. The presence of a few postcards with 1920s postmarks helps, especially as my mother kept both the postcards and the cut out cards in the same box.
Greetings cards became a world-wide phenomenon. This remarkable development was fueled by the postcard’s convenience and cost. The postcard was, before the wide-spread use of the telephone, the quickest means of making contact with a friend, relative or tradesman.
Interestingly, within a century, the personal computer, through the use of the internet, would begin to fill the same need. The only major difference being that, at the end of the 19th century, everyone had mail delivery, whereas at the end of the 20th century personal computers and the internet were not yet in every home.
Many greetings cards such as these were saved and placed in postcard albums. Today they provide us with a glimpse of life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Beverly C. Tyler is Three Village Historical Society historian and author of books available from the Three Village Historical Society, 93 North Country Rd., Setauket, NY 11733. Tel: 631-751-3730. www.TVHS.org
Map courtesy National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
Three survivors of 'Wanderer' (L-R) Cilucangy (Ward Lee), Pucka Geata (Tucker Henderson), Tahro (Romeo)
1857 mess kettle used to feed 'Wanderer' slaves on Jekyll Island. Photo by William B. Minuse
By Beverly C. Tyler
A few years ago, on the eve of the celebration of Martin Luther King’s birthday, my wife and I watched the DVD movie “Amazing Grace,” based on the story of how a few dedicated men and women in England, at the beginning of the 19th century, ended the British slave trade. As dramatic as the story was, I was equally impressed by one of the special features, a tour of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. One of their on-line exhibits notes, “The transatlantic slave trade was the largest forced migration of people…which brought millions of Africans to America.”
One of the main concerns of the Freedom Center is that around the world, “there are estimated 21 million to 45 million people trapped in some form of slavery today… more than at any other time in human history.” A film, special feature or website is no substitute for an actual visit to the Freedom Center and other museums and historical societies that tell stories of our history, culture, diversity and the challenges we face.
There is a darker side to the diversity of our community. It has many facets, including stories of our enslaved people and our community’s part in the slave trade. One story begins here in East Setauket, along Shore Road, overlooking Setauket Harbor.
Joseph Rowland built theschooner-yacht “Wanderer” in 1857 for Colonel John D. Johnson, a member of the New York Yacht Club and a wealthy sugar planter from New Orleans. Johnson raced the schooner and won every race until the yacht club disallowed “Wanderer’s” participation due to her size and speed. Angered, Johnson and “Wanderer” left New York in late spring 1858 for a tour of the south, including Charleston and Savannah. At every port “Wanderer” was widely acclaimed.
During that tour Johnson sold “Wanderer” to William C. Corey and soon after she appeared in Port Jefferson. She was fitted out for the slave trade, probably at the yard of J.J. Harris. With installation of large water tanks and the appearance of the schooner “Charter Oak” outside the harbor with more supplies for “Wanderer”, S.S. Norton, surveyor of the port, became suspicious and notified federal officials in New York. The revenue cutter “Harriet Lane” intercepted “Wanderer” off Old Field Point and took her in tow to New York over Corey’s loud protests.
Corey glibly talked himself free and “Wanderer” was allowed to leave for Charleston, SC where the real owner Charles Augustus Lafayette Lamar surfaced. Lamar, staying in the background because of his previous connection with slavers, obtained customs clearance for her. They completed fitting out for the slave trade and sailed for Africa.
Slavers were rigged to outrun the slave squadrons of Great Britain and America, both of which were trying to stop the now illegal slave trade. On the west coast of Africa, “Wanderer” took aboard some 600 enslaved Africans and sailed for America. They were laid down side by side alternating head and feet, chained wrist to ankle, and kept there for days without sanitation.
On the evening of November 28, 1858, “Wanderer” landed 465 Africans on Jekyll Island, Georgia. The rest had died during the voyage and were unceremoniously tossed over the side. Most of the Africans suffered from diarrhea, dietary deficiencies and skin diseases. They were sick, tired, needed rest, care and good food to recover, but had to be dispersed as soon as possible to avoid Federal questions about their status. A camp was set up and Dr. RobertHazelhurst, married to the sister of John and Henry DuBignon, owners of Jekyll Island, checked every African and none died in his care.
“Wanderer” was seized by Federal authorities, but the Africans, now on Georgia soil, a slave state, had been quickly sold at auction. There was outrage in the U.S. Congress but little, if anything, was done, less than two years before the start of the Civil War.
The real story of “Wanderer” is about the enslaved African people who survived and thrived. Cilucangy, (SIL-U-CANNY) who learned basket weaving from his mother was taken from field work when his talent was recognized. Ward Lee, his American slave name, and his wife and many of their descendants lived their lives in Aiken County, SC not too far from where he was first enslaved. They raised four children and many of their descendants moved north settling in New York and on Long Island. These included 87-year-old Ocea Lee-Barnes, a resident of Hempstead, Long Island when she was interviewed in 2008 at a “Wanderer” survivor reunion on Jekyll Island. Cilucangy told his story in 1908 to an anthropologist from the University of Chicago. He dreamed of returning to Africa and died ten years later without fulfilling his dream.
As of March 2024, the state of Georgia has identified at least 67 of the 409 captive men, women and children who were illegally smuggled aboard “Wanderer.” Cilucangy’s sons moved north, grandson William moved to Brooklyn. In the 1980s, his great-great granddaughters were named the Doublemint Gum Twins. Today the family includes teachers, lawyers, and guidance professionals. Margaret Higgins, another great-granddaughter of Cilucangy, lived in Nassau County and her grandson is named Alexander Cilucangy Valenti.
Many enslaved Africans from “Wanderer” remained in the coastal areas of South Carolina and Georgia with a number being sold to plantations and individuals around Brunswick, Georgia and Jekyll Island. From December 1858 until the start of the Civil War, newspapers followed the destinies of some “Wanderer” enslaved Africans who were discovered in all the states of the lower south. Partly as a result of enslaved Africans landing on Jekyll Island, the Buchanan administration (1857-1861) strengthened the African squadron by adding steamers of war and permitting closer co-operation with the British.
In 1861, “Wanderer” was seized by the federal government and used as a Civil War gunboat. She was creditedwith capturing four prizes. After the war the U.S. Navy sold her to private owners who ran her aground on Cape Maisi, east of Cuba, on January 21, 1871 and she was a total loss.“The Last Slave Ships – New York and the end of the middle Passage,” a 2020 book by John Harris, tells the story of New York City’s extensive involvement in the slave trade.
Extensive research on shipbuilding in the Three Village area and Suffolk County was conducted over many decades by local writer and historian William B. Minuse (1908-2002). His research on “Wanderer” included a trip to Jekyll Island, Georgia where he was able to photograph items such as the mess kettle used to feed the enslaved Africans after they arrived on Jekyll Island.
Author Beverly C. Tyler is Three Village Historical Society historian and author of books available from the Three Village Historical Society, 93 North Country Rd., Setauket. Tel: 631-751-3730. http://WWW.TVHS.org
Photo of Gould General Store taken circa 1890. Photo courtesy of Three Village Historical Society.
By Beverly C. Tyler
The post office in Stony Brook has a long history of service to the community. Until the 20th century, the postmaster was the only person authorized to handle letters and write money orders. Each rural post office had one representative of the postal system, the postmaster, who was appointed by the president of the United States with the advice and consent of the Senate.
A postal system existed in Massachusetts as early as 1639. In 1672, New York Gov. Lovelace established service between New York and Boston along the future Boston Post Road. Benjamin Franklin was appointed Postmaster General for the British Colonies in America in 1753 and served until 1774, when he was dismissed by the Crown. He was reappointed by the Continental Congress in 1775 and served for 15 months, establishing a sound postal system. The U.S. postal system was created when Samuel Osgood was appointed the first Postmaster General on Sept. 26, 1789.
A portion from the 1873 Atlas from Beers, Comstock & Cline, showing Stony Brook Village. Photo courtesy of Three Village Historical Society.
The first Stony Brook postmaster was Nathaniel Hallock. According to National Archives records, he was appointed on March 21, 1826, and served until June 24, 1836. Little is known about Hallock or his post office, but it was likely part of a general store, as was typical of post offices on Long Island in the 19th century.
The cost of posting a letter weighing less than 1 ounce was six cents until 1847, when stamps were first issued. Letters were single sheets of paper folded, addressed, and delivered for six cents within 30 miles. Beyond 30 miles or for heavier letters, the cost increased slightly, with a maximum charge of 25 cents for a letter traveling more than 400 miles. For example, a letter sent to “Mr. William S. Mount – Stony Brook – Long Island – N.Y.” in 1841 from Monticello, Georgia, was marked, folded, sealed, and addressed in the customary manner of the time.
The second Stony Brook postmaster was James N. Gould, who was appointed in 1836 and served until 1861. He was reappointed on March 29, 1867, and served until 1870. Gould owned and operated a general store, which was located just north of where the Reboli Center now stands. The store was demolished before 1900, as was Gould’s home, which stood just north of the store. Both were removed to make way for the village improvements in the 1940s by Ward Melville.
According to local lore, it was said to be impossible to ask for any item James Gould didn’t have in his store. On a bet, a customer once asked for a pulpit, and Gould amazed everyone by producing one from the store’s attic.
The third postmaster, Edward Oakes, began his service in 1861 as the Civil War began at Fort Sumter. He served until 1867, when James Gould resumed the position. During this period, the post office introduced the money order system in 1864 to allow soldiers to send money home. Only the postmaster could process money orders, as he was the sole postal employee.
Oakes’ general store was located north of Gould’s store and home, on the west side of the business triangle along what was then Main Street. Residents recalled a long horse block in front of the store where men gathered for evening chats. Oakes served as postmaster again from 1870 to 1885. During this time, the store was known as “Oakes and Topping,” later “Topping and Smith,” and eventually, around 1901, “E.E. Topping.”
William O. Gould succeeded Oakes as postmaster in 1885, taking over his father’s general store. He served until 1889, during which time the post office expanded its services. In 1885, the special delivery service was introduced, allowing for prompt mail delivery, which marked a shift from the rural post office’s general store model to independent operations.
From 1889 through the end of the century, Stony Brook had five postmasters. John W. Copley was appointed in 1889, followed by David R. Rayner in 1892. Charles J. Williamson succeeded Rayner on Aug. 4 of that year. William O. Gould returned as postmaster in 1893. On May 1, 1895, Nellie E. Smith became Stony Brook’s first female postmaster. In 1898, Daniel W. Arnold became postmaster, serving for less than two years.
The turn of the century brought stability to the post office as it continued to grow and adapt to the needs of the community.
Beverly C. Tyler is the Three Village Historical Society historian and the author of books available from the Three Village Historical Society, 93 North Country Road, Setauket. Tel: 631-751-3730.
Postcard photo, circa 1935, showing the view up Christian Ave, from Main Street. The second Stony Brook Post Office is pictured to the left of the firehouse. Photo from Beverly C. Tyler
By Beverly C. Tyler
As detailed in my article on Nov. 7, 2024, the first Stony Brook Post Office built specifically for postal use was located on Main Street, a few hundred feet north of where the Reboli Center stands today.
As World War I approached, Stony Brook saw a new postmaster. Nellie E. Lempfert began serving the community on Jan. 24, 1913. According to Olga Reboli, she was a very nice person and a good postmaster.
Mrs. Reboli also recalled that Nellie Lempfert had an ice cream parlor before becoming postmaster. It was next to the big building on the corner near Mr. Rogers’ plumbing shop.
In 1913, Mrs. Reboli, then 12 years old, and her sisters would occasionally spend a nickel on ice cream at Mrs. Lempfert’s store. “We didn’t have a nickel to spend very often,” she said, “but it was always a special time to remember.”
The first Stony Brook Post Office, now located at 44 Cedar Street. Photo by Beverly C. Tyler
The Stony Brook Post Office was also remembered by Orietta Peterman, who shared her vivid recollections of working there.
“Mrs. Lempfert was the postmaster, and I went to work there in October 1913,” Ms. Peterman explained. “I was married in 1917, and my husband went off to World War I. He left in 1919.” (Note: Charles C. Peterman was inducted into the U.S. Army in December 1917 and served in Europe from March 1918 until his discharge on Feb. 2, 1919.)
When Ms. Peterman started at the post office, there were only two workers, and only one person worked at a time. “On Mondays, I had to be in by 6 o’clock to get the morning mail off, all by myself,” she said. “If anyone came in to buy stamps, I did that. If someone wanted a money order, I did that too. We didn’t even have a safe until a year or two later. When the post office started growing, they finally bought a safe to keep the money in.”
She described her postmaster’s schedule, explaining that Mrs. Lempfert would probably arrive around 8 o’clock. She stayed to help with the morning mail before heading home. “I was there most of the time, earning $5 a week for a 14-hour day,” she said.
The space itself was challenging to work in. Ms. Peterman remembered that the post office wasn’t used very long and was already outgrowing its capacity. “Two people were always in the way. There were no facilities, no water. If we needed water, I had to fetch it from a spring near the Sherry house. For hot water, we used a kerosene space heater with a tea kettle on top,” she explained.
“In winter, there was a coal stove that needed tending daily,” she added. “I handled all the cleaning, and since there was no electricity, I cleaned lamp chimneys and filled the lamps.”
Parade in Stony Brook marking the end of WWI. Percy W. Smith driving the Ford with his son, Percy Roger Smith, about 2 ½ sitting on his right. Photo courtesy of Three Village Historical Society
Reflecting on her experience, Ms. Peterman said she did everything under heaven. “I never had a coffee break in my life. I worked there for seven or eight years, with no vacation and no paid days off. Even on the day I got married, I was docked. That’s how liberal they were.”
On April 29, 1922, Louise E. Wells was appointed the next postmaster of Stony Brook, operating from the same building. Miss Wells married Charlie Williamson in 1926 and remained postmaster until mid-1932. Olga Reboli remembered her fondly and said Mrs. Williamson was also a very nice person. The couple had two daughters, Louise and Madeline.
In the early 1930s, a new post office was built next to the old firehouse on Christian Avenue. Though not much larger, it offered more modern facilities.
The old post office wasn’t forgotten. By 1922, it became a butcher shop for Percy W. Smith and later served as the office for L.C. Clarke Co. In 1925, Olga Reboli worked for L.C. Clarke Real Estate and was photographed in front of the building.
The venerable old structure was eventually moved in the 1940s and repurposed as a home. It now resides at 44 Cedar St. in Stony Brook, just north of Hollow Road.
Beverly C. Tyler is an author and historian with the Three Village Historical Society. For more information, visit www.tvhs.org.
The first building in Stony Brook built for exclusive use as a post office. Before then the post office was usually located in a local general store. It was moved to Cedar Street when Ward Melville reorganized the Stony Brook village area. Courtesy Emma S. Clark Library
By Beverly C. Tyler
The first postmaster in Stony Brook in the 20th century was Ralph M. Sammis, appointed on April 16, 1900. He served for 12 years. That same year, Sammis built a home at 77 Hollow Road. According to research by Barbara and Greg Allard, while the house was being built, Sammis and his family rented what is now the Country House Restaurant.
Ralph and Julia Sammis had three children: Anna, Morton, and Mildred. Morton and Mildred were born in the northeast bedroom of the new house on Hollow Road. According to family stories from Anna Sammis, when Morton was born, the family cat gave birth to a litter of kittens under the same bed.
The family’s privy was accessed by a path from the back door, covered by a grape arbor pruned by Julia Sammis each year on Washington’s Birthday. They also maintained a garden with raspberries, blackberries, and grapes, with Ralph planting and Julia tending to the plants. Julia Sammis was known locally for her pickles and preserves.
The Sammis house also played a role in the “Great Stony Brook Post Office Robbery of 1911,” as described in an article by R. Morton Sammis, editor of The Independent Press of Stony Brook, in the Aug. 15, 1952, issue. The post office, then located on Main Street near the current Reboli Center, was situated next to Dr. James A. Squire’s home.
In his article, R. Morton Sammis wrote about his father’s observations during this period, describing how “there was a brick-and-concrete post near the post office windows, and Father noticed someone leaning against it, watching the back room of the post office. From this vantage point, a man could see Father wrapping the money and stamps in a large package we called ‘the bundle.’”
Morton continued, explaining that his father “started home, and the man followed him at a distance… Two days later, a man appeared at our house, wanting to demonstrate furniture polish. He insisted on entering, but once inside, he seemed more interested in observing the layout of the house than his product.”
“That night,” Morton recalled, “Father took ‘the bundle’ home and left it on the table with his coat and vest over it… Later, he took ‘the bundle’ upstairs with him. In the middle of the night, Mother woke him, saying, ‘There is someone in the house!’ Then, we heard the sideboard door squeak, and a flashlight lit the upper hall. Hearing us awake, a loud ‘meow’ came from outside—a signal to the man inside.”
Although the robbers didn’t get “the bundle,” they did steal Dr. Squire’s horse and buggy, later abandoning them in the Islip Cemetery. Following the attempted robbery, Post Office officials issued a stern warning that all money and stamps must remain on post office premises, and Sammis would be held accountable if they were stolen while in his possession. Morton noted that his father, aware of both the rule and the thieves’ interest in “the bundle,” made sure to leave it at the post office.
But that wasn’t the end of the robbers’ attempts. Morton continued in his article, writing, “One morning about a month later, Father arrived to find the safe blown open and its contents gone. Horse blankets belonging to Dr. Squire were wrapped around the safe and soaked, likely at the creek, as one blanket was found too heavy to carry.”
This time, Morton noted, the robbers attempted to escape using Dr. Squire’s early Model T Ford Roadster. However, Dr. F. Duane Squire had turned off the gas line that night due to a leak. “Once again, the robbers resorted to ‘Old Doc’s’ horses, escaping with all the money and stamps,” Morton wrote. “They later abandoned the team on the south side, and Howard E. Dickerson drove Dr. Squire to retrieve it. Later, Post Office officials notified Father that they had captured the culprits.”
Beverly Tyler is a historian with the Three Village Historical Society and author of books available from the society, located at 93 North Country Road, Setauket, N.Y. For more information, visit www.tvhs.org.
A model of the bark Modesta, Capt. Rowland’s last command. Mary sailed on the 'Modesta' to exotic ports in Africa, the Mediterranean and South America. Photo courtesy of Bev Tyler
By Beverly C. Tyler
“I manage to go on shore more or less in every port and learn the different manners and customs of different nations and the works of God and man, both nature and art. I find much to amuse, edify and interest us, and see what so many travelers pay large sums for, while Henry makes a living and the brig is our hotel and even what is much better, our home.” — Mary Rowland, January 1873
In the graveyard of Setauket Presbyterian Church, near the center rear, lie the graves of Captain Henry L. Rowland (1827-1876) and his wife, Mary Satterly Rowland (1832-1908). The couple’s farm was situated south of their final resting place, between Main Street and Setauket Harbor. Today, Setauket School faces what was once the Rowland farm.
Children of Capt. Henry and Mary Satterly Rowland – Woodhull, Mary Emma and Henrietta.
Mary is one of the women featured in the Three Village Historical Society’s Spirits cemetery tour. Her life, like that of many women who lived in the area and traveled the world, remains largely unknown. A portion of Mary’s tumultueous sea adventures is documented in the book “Hen Frigates” by New Zealander Joan Druett.
“At 4 a.m., tacking on shore,” Mary Rowland wrote in 1856, “the vessel was rolling and pitching badly.” Everything below was “upside down, and there is no rest or peace to be had. Worst of all, one could hardly keep in bed, especially on one tack; when I sit down, I must of necessity take the floor for a sofa.”
Despite the hardships, Henry and Mary spent over 20 years living aboard three different sailing ships that traveled the world, carrying cargo from port to port. The couple’s children grew up on these ships, built in East Setauket, and one of them, Woodhull, was born on board.
“The captain’s wife gave birth to a child,” reads the logbook entry of the brig Thomas W. Rowland for October 21, 1857, near the island of Abaco. Mary Rowland’s two daughters, Henrietta and Mary Emma, were sent between decks with their dolls to play while Henry delivered the baby boy, christened Woodhull.
During the American Civil War, Captain Henry Rowland’s bark Glenwood sailed under sealed orders, with its destination (Pensacola, to deliver supplies to the troops) unknown until the orders were opened. The voyage south was traumatic; the vessel was struck twice by lightning, resulting in the death of one crew member. Mary’s youngest child, Willie, fell ill with yellow fever as they neared Pensacola Bay. All night, as they lay hove to near Santa Rosa Island, she fought for her son’s life while cannonballs from Confederate and Union gunships screamed overhead. When the battle was over, the Glenwood had survived unscathed but the little boy was dead.
Cover of “Hen Frigates” by Joan Druett
The diaries, journals, letters and artifacts of Setauket wives Mary Satterly Rowland, Mary Swift Jones and Ellen Elizabeth Jones, along with the logbooks of their captain husbands, are part of the collection at the Three Village Historical Society. These materials, donated by local residents and relatives, provide valuable insight into the lives of women at sea aboard wooden commercial ships. These women, along with their children in many cases, traveled the world with their husbands and fathers. Their experiences are part of the many stories told in the Society’s exhibition, “The Sailing Circle: 19th Century Seafaring Women from New York.”
The two Marys are featured in Hen Frigates along with many other women and children whose adventures make for fascinating reading. They are also included in the exhibit catalog The Sailing Circle, available in the society gift shop.
“Hen Frigates” by Joan Druett, available at the Emma S. Clark Library, is a seafaring book packed with intriguing details about shipboard life during the 19th century, when wooden ships and their crews journeyed along the North American coast and around the world. More than just a book about families at sea, Hen Frigates covers in dramatic detail the growth of American maritime commerce in the 19th century.
One of the most interesting aspects of local history is its connections to larger realms of people and events. Our community is linked in many ways to our region, nation and the world—a reality that has persisted throughout our history. The Three Village community is wonderfully rich in both natural and man-made resources that illustrate and exemplify these connections.
Beverly Tyler is an author and the historian for the Three Village Historical Society, located at 93 North Country Road, Setauket. Visit www.tvhs.org for more information.
A view of the Seat of the Hon. Selah Strong Esq., St. George’s Manor, Suffolk County, Long Island. NOTE: This is the house built by William “Tangier” Smith. Photo from B. Tyler
By Beverly C. Tyler
She was baptized Martha Tunstall on July 2, 1652, daughter of Henry Tunstall of Putney, Surrey, England. She moved with her family to Tangier, Africa, where she married William Smith. From her marriage on Nov. 26, 1675, until her death in Setauket in 1709 at 57, Martha led a life dedicated to her husband, family, business interests and community. She gave birth to 13 children, buried seven, and journeyed from Tangier back to England, to Ireland for a birth, and finally to America. She raised her family in primitive conditions, assisted her husband in his business dealings, often during his long absences, and became respected as lady of the manor. Widowed at 52, Martha successfully managed her husband’s business interests, including offshore whaling, and became a well-regarded community leader.
Historian Kate Strong as a young girl with her dog on the steps of her home on Strong’s Neck. Photo from B. Tyler
Lady Martha Smith, as referred to in many documents, is not listed in The Encyclopedia of Women’s History in America or Long Island Women: Activists and Innovators, both excellent books on overlooked women. However, she was a woman of wealth and influence on Long Island, especially in Setauket and Mastic, where she and William “Tangier” Smith resided.
Colonel William “Tangier” Smith was born in Feb. 1654. Tangier, a key port, was abandoned and burned by England in 1683. William arrived there at 20 and married Martha a year later. He became mayor on Nov. 11, 1682. The couple returned to England in 1683 and, in 1686, sailed from Ireland to America. They arrived in New York in the fall of 1686 with their two children, 7-year-old Henry and 5-year-old Martha. A third child, Hibernia, had died at sea, the couple’s fifth child to die. Three of their children, Elizabeth, John, and William Jr., died in Tangier. Their second William Jr. and Mary died in London.
In New York City, Martha gave birth to Jeane in Dec. 1687. William bought land in Setauket, “Ye Little Neck,” and the south shore. By 1689, the family had moved permanently to Setauket. Martha gave birth to William that March, followed by Gloryana the next year, then Theodocia, who died at 15 days old. Two years later, their last child, Charles Jeffery, was born.
In Setauket, William and Martha moved from their first house near the Woodhull homestead to the Neck, where they built St. George’s Manor. Martha managed the home while William expanded his land holdings. In Oct. 1693, he received a patent from Gov. Fletcher for land bordered by Carmen’s River and Forge River, between Middle Country Road and the Atlantic Ocean. This, combined with previous purchases, created the Manor of St. George. By 1697, he added land extending to Southampton and Southold. The family spent summers at a second manor house on Smith Point, returning to Setauket for the rest of the year. With the 1693 land acquisition, William and Martha became lord and lady of the manor.
As detailed by Kate Strong, “In 1675 (in Tangier), Colonel William Smith began entries in what is now called The First Pigskin Book. The first entry was his marriage. He then recorded baptisms and some deaths of his many children. Writing only on one side of the page, his wife, Martha, turned the book upside down and wrote in her recipes.”
Strong listed a few recipes, including: “To make pancakes—take the yolks of six eggs, add one white, one pint of cream, half a pint of sack, nutmeg, a little salt, and some sugar. Make the batter of a reasonable thickness, work in some flour, and fry them.” Martha also included medicinal recipes: “For a sore throat—take rue, pound it fine, make a poultice, about an inch thick, and lay it on the throat. It is a sure cure. You may sprinkle it with brandy.”
“She was not too busy to enjoy riding with her husband,” Strong related. “I imagine they had fine horses. Their saddles were covered with velvet, hers a side saddle of course.”
When William died in 1705, their children included Henry, later second lord of the manor, age 26; Mrs. Martha Heathcote, 23; Jeane, 17; William Henry, later to inherit the south shore manor, 15; Gloryana, 14, who later married the Rev. George Muirson; and Charles Jeffery, who died of smallpox in 1715 at 11. Lady Martha now had to raise her family and manage her late husband’s holdings and businesses.
Entries in the Pigskin Book recorded Indian whaling crews and whale oil and bone quantities. As noted by Dr. John Strong, “From 1696 until 1721, the Smiths used the book to track Native Americans working for their whaling company. Lady Martha Smith, for the 1706-07 season, made a net profit of 120 barrels of whale oil from 180 barrels—a sizable profit.”
“Offshore whaling was a fine business in those days, and Madam Martha had her own whaleboat,” Strong wrote. “The crew was mostly Indians. She kept records in a second pigskin book, which was almost lost in the San Francisco fire. A family member had taken it west. During the fire, a gentleman found it in a trunk, examined the contents, and returned the book to its owner.”
As noted in Bellport and Brookhaven (1968), “The Lady Martha was remarkable, managing both the vast estate and whaling business successfully.” Kate Strong observed, “Fifteen Indians, the whaling crew, are listed by name; their wages and the charges against them for shot, powder, rum, coats, britches, etc. She must have had trouble controlling them, as there are complaints, such as, ‘He [Will Bene] got nothing this season, stayed away 10 days to see his Shua. Was a great loss to me.’ But there were cheerful entries too: ‘I thank God, my company killed a yearling whale. Made 27 barrels ogle.’”
Early settlers recognized Martha’s prominence, noting that “at the table, no woman except Madam Martha Smith was to sit.” She died five years after her husband on Sept. 1, 1709, and was buried beside him on a spot overlooking the bay at St. George’s Manor.
Beverly Tyler is Three Village Historical Society historian and author of books available from the Three Village Historical Society, 93 North Country Rd., Setauket.
Setauket High School seventh-grade class as pictured in the 1951 Sachem Setauket School yearbook.
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Setauket High School yearbook,1951 Sachem, which includes grades one through 12. The school opened in 1911 and closed in 1951.
The new Setauket Junior High School as pictured in the 1953 students autograph book.
Setauket High School seventh-grade class as pictured in the 1951 Sachem Setauket School yearbook.
By Beverly C. Tyler
My neighbor, whose brother-in-law graduated from Setauket High School 73 years ago this month, gave me his copy of the “1951 Sachem,” the yearbook of that class — the last class to graduate from Setauket High School. There were just 12 in the class of ‘51, four girls and eight boys. The junior class of ‘51, set to graduate in ‘52 with 12 students, five girls and seven boys, would have to go elsewhere to complete their senior year, most likely to Port Jefferson.
The yearbook shows individual pictures of each member of the senior class and group pictures of sixth grade through the junior class. After pages dedicated to the graduating seniors, the booklet includes photos of the sports teams and seven other school activities, followed by advertisements from local businesses supporting the publication of the yearbook.
However, this isn’t a story about the class of ‘51 or ‘52. This is a story about my class, the seventh grade in 1951, destined to graduate in June 1953 from the new Setauket Junior High School. The picture shows 20 of 21 students, with only Patricia Hart absent. My class photo included
and our teacher, Mr. Good.
I don’t remember if Mr. Good taught the seventh grade the year before, but I believe he was gone the next year. In the 1951-52 school year, we spent most of the year at the old school, located on the south side of Route 25A, on the hill above where the stores, including the Village Chemist, are today. My class was on the second floor of the old wooden school building in the northeast corner room.
Mr. Good was a very no-nonsense teacher who had a humorous side that almost none of us appreciated. He told us, very proudly, that his foot was exactly twelve inches in length and intimated that if he had any troubles in the classroom, he could put his foot where it would do the most good. Mr. Good could also throw an eraser with pinpoint accuracy and did so with some frequency before the majority of students got to know him better.
One of the classmates I got along well with was Abigail Pope. She was a budding artist and loved to draw, which she often did during classes that didn’t interest her. Paying strict attention to the lesson at hand was absolutely necessary in Mr. Good’s classroom, and Abby had been presented with an eraser at least once before she was called to the front of the classroom.
I don’t know what she did that drew Mr. Good’s ire, but it could easily have been one of her very artistic nude drawings, which she often did. In front of the entire class, Mr. Good had Abby put out her right hand, palm up, and struck it with a ruler more than once. I remember that Abby never made a sound in response.
The best students in my class were Naida Hutchinson, Sarah Sells, Linda Schnee, and Everett Hart. Everett, who we called Bub, was also the best athlete. Margaret Jarvis was the cutest girl. All of this is, of course, subject to the passage of time and memory. Phyllis Schmeelk lived on a farm at the intersection of Bennett Road and North Country Road. What made it special for me were the horses in her side yard, right along the road. Katherine Bossey was a friend who often told me things I needed to hear. Her father ran a variety store in East Setauket. I once stole a baseball from the store, and Kathy set me straight. I always appreciated that from her.
John Emma’s father, Joe, was a barber. His shop was along East Setauket’s Main Street. I think at the time the family lived upstairs — I believe I got my first haircut there. My father took me, and when it was my turn, Mr. Emma put on a special seat that went across the arms of the barber chair to raise me to the proper level. It was a special day a few years later when I sat up in the chair as tall as I could and was told I didn’t need the booster chair anymore.
Larry Payne and I talked a lot about people in the community, and I remember Larry taking me down the hill from the old school to the small house just behind the stores at the corner of Main Street and Station Road — currently Gnarled Hollow Road. This was the home of Sarah Ann Sells. Mrs. Sells always offered us a peanut butter sandwich. She really seemed to enjoy being visited by kids from the school. When we moved to the new Setauket School and away from downtown East Setauket, some friendships seemed to change, and I don’t remember visiting Mrs. Sells or walking downtown at lunchtime or after school.
Jean Lewis lived on her family farm on Hub Road in South Setauket. The special feature of the area was Lewis’s Pond, where we would often ice skate in the winter, as it froze much earlier than the mill ponds in Setauket. Jean often invited some of her classmates to her home after skating, and I remember going as often as I could.
Jerry Gerlach was my best friend from the class, but the ones I hung out with most of the time after school and on weekends were all living on my street or close by, including Don Macauley, Paul Acker, Jackie Bennett, and Gene Cockshutt. We explored the woods around our houses, played stickball on Main Street at a time when few cars disturbed our games, rode our bikes all over the area, and spent a lot of time on and in the two mill ponds.
Moving to the new Setauket School was a pleasure for us. Everything was new and colorful and all on one floor. Each classroom had a door that opened directly to the outdoors. The students even helped by carrying books to the new library and classrooms. We were not just moving; we were helping. There were probably things we missed about the old school, but we said goodbye and embraced the new with enthusiasm.
Beverly Tyler is Three Village Historical Society historian and author of books available from the Three Village Historical Society, 93 North Country Rd., Setauket, NY 11733. Tel: 631-751-3730. http://WWW.TVHS.org
The Smith/Swift/Tyler/Davis house in 1900. Photo courtesy of Beverly C. Tyler
Annie, Carrie and Corinne Tyler about 1935. Photo courtesy Beverly C. Tyler
The Tyler Brothers Store. Photo courtesy of Beverly C. Tyler
By Beverly C. Tyler
The Smith/Swift/Tyler/Davis house, built about 1740, was home to many generations. On June 1 and 2, the house at 97 Main Street in Setauket will function as the central hub for Gallery North’s 20th Annual Wet Paint Festival. The history of the house itself, as well as the families who have lived there, is a representation of the story of the growth of the Three Village community; of farming, transportation, commerce and trade.
The original section of the house was constructed with white oak timber framing. Over the frame and on the floors were white pine boards; on the roof were red cedar shingles. These were the trees found locally and used to build most colonial-era buildings in this area. For more than 100 years, this was a farmhouse on an active farm with many out-buildings. In the original house there were two rooms on the first floor and three bedrooms on the second floor.
As a family home and farm, many generations of two prominent families lived here. Amos Smith and his wife Juliana Hawkins raised five children, born between 1773-1785. When Amos died intestate in 1799, an inventory of his home and farm included household goods, farm tools and farm animals. Their son, Walter Smith and his wife, Elizabeth Ellison, raised five children here, born between 1811-1825.
About 1831, Joseph Swift purchased the house and farm. Joseph and his wife, Amelia Bacon, raised nine children here, born between 1832 and 1851. Joseph’s eldest daughter Eliza married Charles B. Tyler, my great-grandfather, in 1851. Charles purchased the house and farm in 1854 and raised nine children here, born between 1851 and 1870. Charles’ wife Eliza, their unmarried daughters, Annie and Corinne, and one of Charles’ granddaughters, Carrie, lived here until their deaths in 1924, 1941, 1943 and 1947, respectively. The house and property then passed to Carrie’s half brother Beverly Griffin Tyler, his wife Blanche and their three children. When Blanche Tyler Davis died in 2016 in her 102nd year, ownership passed to the Three Village Community Trust, who will preserve the home and property, including Patriot’s Rock, in perpetuity.
The Tyler Brothers General Store stood on the corner of the property, just north of the house, where it served the community as a post office and store for more than 50 years. The store was run by Charles B. Tyler and his brother Israel. Israel lived in East Setauket along what is now Gnarled Hollow Road and he served as Setauket postmaster for most of the years between 1870 and 1897. Both men were schooner captains who traveled up and down Long Island Sound and the U. S. East Coast carrying commercial cargo and passengers. Their knowledge of trade routes and sources of supply contributed to their success as general store owners.
The original house served well for the large families who lived there; however, by the last decades of the nineteenth century, with American industry providing more and more labor-saving devices for the home, change and growth was inevitable. In 1889, an addition included a formal dining room and two additional bedrooms. Over the years, the use of a kitchen had changed from a central fireplace to a summer kitchen, separated from the house. Finally, about a decade before World War I, that structure was moved and attached to the house as a “modern” kitchen with an ice box, a large coal stove and other appliances. All of these changes were implemented, not by the men, but by the women who remained in the home after most of Charles and Eliza’s children had moved on.
Following the deaths of Israel in 1895 and Charles in 1899, Charles’ wife, Eliza, sold the general store to her children, Corinne and Annie Tyler, for one dollar. Corinne ran the general store. Annie was Setauket’s postmaster from 1897 until 1915.
Lucy Hart Keyes remembered that when she was six or seven and going to the school on the Village Green, she would walk home, stopping first at the post office. “They were such nice ladies. Miss Annie took care of mail … Miss Annie used to make money orders and everything. Miss Corinne took care of the store. They kept it open even during lunch–Miss Corinne and Miss Annie switched. It was open until after mail at night… We used to trade with Sears and Roebuck and Montgomery Ward. It came in the mail.”
Lucy recalled that Corinne’s brother Henry Tyler helped her at the store. “Momma and Poppa bought all theirgroceries there. We bought canned goods, salt pork, potatoes, bread and even bananas in later years. We were a big family and we were always down there. Sometimes Poppa paid once a week. They kept track of it and I could get anything. They never asked questions.”
Lucy remembered a candy case in the store which contained a number of selections. “You would get 4 or 5 round things for a penny. JawBreakers, 3 or 4 for a penny, and stick candy was a penny a stick.”
By the 1920’s, the appeal of the local merchant who carried all the staples needed by the local family was decreasing. The variety of products was increasing by leaps and bounds, and the small country store could not keep pace. Chain food stores with quantity buying were able to offer lower prices and wider selections. In East Setauket the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (A & P, established 1859) was getting a large share of daily trade with advertisements in the local papers listing prices such as “New Potatoes 5 lbs-15¢, Grandmother’s BREAD Small Loaf 5¢-Large Loaf 8¢.” (“Port Jefferson Times’’ – July 7, 1927).
“After being established in the grocery business at Setauket for more than 60 years, the familiar old corner store, known as Tylers’ grocery store, near the lakes, closed out their stock last week and have discontinued business. . .” (“Port Jefferson Times” – April 1927).
Beverly Tyler is Three Village Historical Society historian and author of books available from the Three Village Historical Society.
Rev. Gregory Leonard speaking at the 2016 Order of St. Luke Conference. Photo courtesy Beverly C. Tyler
By Beverly C. Tyler
On Sunday, April 14, members of Bethel AME Church in Setauket and the Three Village community came together to celebrate the ministry of Rev. Gregory Leonard who retired in 2020, after twenty-six years as pastor of Bethel AME Church.
I first met Rev. Leonard at the funeral for the Mother of Bethel AME Church, Lucy Agnes Keyes, who died on Friday, September 16, 1994. This was his first funeral at Bethel AME and he said something about getting his feet wet at Bethel or starting here by jumping into the fire. Interesting choice of words, as he soon became the chaplain for the Setauket Fire Department. Mrs. Keyes’ Going Home Celebration was on September 20, 1994.
Rev. Leonard’s extensive community service included serving as chaplain of the Long Island State Veterans Home at Stony Brook University, and the development of Hobbs Farm in Centereach. My wife Barbara noted at the celebration, “My association with Bethel Church and Pastor Leonard began through the Order of St. Luke-a Christian healing ministry. He became one of our two chaplains. Services rotated monthly amongCaroline Church, St. Cuthbert’s in Selden and Bethel.” For us it was a chance to add Christian friends and worship in different ways.
“One of our cherished times was when Pastor Leonard was the spiritual leader for our regional retreat called A Quiet Walk with Jesus. The format was four short talks by the leader who then gave us points for meditation in the quiet times that followed each talk. Pastor Leonard was perfect for this. He had previously attended several of these retreats very quietly. We knew that he would be a wonderful leader, but others were very pleasantly surprised by the leadership of this quiet but dynamic man.”
It was in the spirit of William Sidney Mount that the Bethel AME Church, Setauket and the Museums at Stony Brook held “A Community Coming Together” in the Art Museum on Sunday, February 25, 1996. The reception featured the exhibition, William Sidney Mount: Music is Contagious, plenty of good food — courtesy of Bethel AME — good company, and a few descriptive comments on Mount and on the Three Village Community.
Rev. Leonard, pastor of Bethel AME, opened and closed the museum’s event with an emphasis on the strengths of neighborhood and family, and how important it is to work at getting to know other people in the community-thus adding to the strength of community bonds.
This emphasis of family and community was on display during the Sunday service at Bethel AME on April 21 as well as at the luncheon and talks in honor of Rev. Leonard. Speaker after speaker spoke about his spiritual leadership and his humility.
As detailed in Bethel AME’s celebration program, “Rev. Leonard built strong ties, bonds and personal relationships with co-workers, community and congregation members. He recalls that his proudest moments during his ministry at Bethel Setauket came in working with members of his leadership team, the congregation and community groups such as Building Bridges, Order of Saint Luke, the Setauket Fire Department and the Vets home.”
Beverly Tyler is Three Village Historical Society historian and author of books available from the Three Village Historical Society, 93 North Country Rd., Setauket, NY 11733. Tel: 631-751-3730. http://WWW.TVHS.org
