Yaphank Historical Societ.Y Newsletter

Transcription

1 Yaphank Historical Societ.Y Newsletter "Historic Yaphank - Where the rast Greets the rresent" Jul,y-August, 2009 Robert Hawkins House P.O. Box 111 Yaphank, NY \ Meetings Third Thursday of the month, 7:30pm at the Hawkins House Upcoming Events Saving the Samuel and Eliza Norton House Presentation by Karen Mouzakes, Historian General Meeting Thurs, July 16, 2009 Community Yard Sale Sat, July 25, 2009 No Rain Date Tricia Foley Book Signing Sun, August 9, 2009 Fall Appraisal Tea Sat, September 26, 2009.YHS 35th Anniversary Sun, October 11, 2009 Treats for Tots Fri,October30,2009 Sat. Oc:tnhP-r Board of Directors President - Helen Kalbach Vice President - Ralf Petersen Treasurer - Audrey Kessler Recording Secretary - Kay Donaldson Corresponding Secretary Linda Petersen Librarian - Bob Judd Historian - Karen Mouzakes Curator - Susan Maresco 3-Yr. Trustee - Kathleen Schmidt 2-Yr. Trustee - Tricia Foley & Donna Trusnovec 1-Yr Trustee - Lucille Stroud & Bob Kessler In this,from issue: the Historian... page 2 Messa!!e from the President Our Community Yard Sale will be Saturday, July 25, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on the grounds of the Hawkins House. There is no charge to vendors but please contact Ralf Petersen, , for details. There is no rain date. The Society is launching Yesteryear's Treasures. Treasures should be "better" quality items of small furniture, lamps, china, paintings, figurines and the like. Please contact Sue Maresco, the Society Curator, at , regarding items for donation. Items will be accepted throughout the year. The Election of Officers will take place at the General Meeting on Thursday, August 20. Elsewhere in this newsletter you will find the offices open for election, the nominations form and the list of eligible members. As always, nominations from the floor will be accepted. Marie Desch is Chair of the Nominations Committee this year, so please thoughtfully consider the positions for which you may be nominated when she calls. Attendance is required at a monthly Board Meeting the first Thursday of the month, and the General Meeting on the third Thursday of each month. Without enthusiastic, caring volunteers the Society could not function. Please be sure to mark this date on your calendar! Summer Sunday Tours began on Sunday, July 12 and will end on Sunday, August 30. Docent guided tours are available from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. and there is always something happening at the Hawkins House. On Sunday, August 9, the Society will host a book signing celebrating Tricia Foley's latest book, At Home with WedQwood: The Art of the Table. Books will be available for purchase. Tricia will be at the Hawkins House from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. to personally sign your copy. Light refreshments will be served. Be sure to join us for this celebration! On Sunday, October 11, at 4:00 p.m., you are invited to the Hawkins House as we celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the Yaphank Historical Society. We will have a special presentation and an opportunity to reflect on 35 years of preserving history and houses. Look for further information about this event in our next Newsletter. We look forward to seeing you during the Summer... h"ek M~tJ,/, ;Ofl-rff~C

2 Yaphank Historical5ociet'y Newsletter page 2 Looking Back A few weeks ago I opened an old tan briefcase and found the minutes, correspondence of the: and unused stationery Yap~ c~ ofco-rnm.e.rces I Y\.(/. Yaphank, Long Island, N.Y. In one folder I found the incorporation papers dated July 12, 1957, and filed by attorney, Harold R. Hudson, who was a member. There was also a booklet entitled "Organizational Structure of the Chamber of Commerce" put out by the Chamber of Commerce of the United States, Washington, D.C. Page 17 of the booklet was marked and underlined. It described the two categories of membership: "Class 1, commercial members shall consist of factories, utilities, banks, stores of all kinds and professional men. Class 2, known as civil shall consist of retired farmers, retired businessmen, educators and all other persons imbued with the community spirit and desirous of doing their bit toward m3.king this community a better place to live." It should be noted that Class 1 members got two votes and Class 2 members were entitled to one vote. There is no publishing date on the booklet, nor is there any mention of women. Taped to the inside cover of the booklet is a newspaper article dated April 9, 1959, which tells of Governor Rockefeller proclaiming April as Chamber of Commerce Week. The article notes that this is the first time that the Chamber of Commerce Movement in New York State has been given recognition. It appears that now the Yaphank Chamber of Commerce, Inc. feels a part of this movement. The minutes and correspondence were dated from and proved to be an interesting read. The Chamber of Commerce worked in conjunction with the Middle Island Rotary Club to secure a Brookhaven Town Beach at the Upper Lake and protested when the Town proposed burning the Sweezy-A vey House at the time the Town Beach was finally established in Yaphank's Chamber-of Commerce" established the first Community ChristrtiaStiine-Smg-afthefirehouse"ih They established the first Business Scholarship Award at Longwood, and sponsored Boy Scout Troop 79. They were also a bunch of fun guys. They celebrated Oktoberfest at the German-American Settlement League Club House and held Installation Dinners at the Lakeview. I came across a letter to Guy Lombardo asking for a list of the summer's events at the Jones Beach Theater and another letter that requested thirty tickets. The last of the minutes ends in The Yaphank Chamber ofcom.n1erce seems to have become dormant. In a separate folder I found a letter written four years later on October 1, In this letter the Chamber's old secretary Herb Kennedy says, "With the present, and planned, expansion in the Yaphank area it is believed that now is the time for our Chamber of Commerce to be revitalized." He continues that, "A good Chamber of Commerce can be a decided asset in the future planning of our community."

3 Yaphank Historical Societ.Y Newsletter page; A preliminary meeting was scheduled for October 10, 1975, at the German-American Settlement League Club House, Siegfried Park, Yaphank at 8 p.m. The letter was apparently sent out, for on another paper I found handwritten notes of the meeting. Herb listed the initials and some names of those who attended: H.H. P.S. Mike S. Ernst W. H.K. C. Cook They agreed to meet again on November 21 at 8:00 p.m. Letters would go out again saying that they were going ahead. Plans for a luncheon meeting in the future "to get more members into the fold" were discussed. That is where the story ends. There is no other record. Did the Yaphank Chamber of Commerce meet that November? It seems odd that such a meticulous secretary as Herbert C. Kennedy would not continue the record. Can you help us solve the mystery? Do you know about the Yaphank Chamber of Commerce? Call if you can add to the history of this once thriving organization. Note: Herbert C. Kennedy was Secretary of the Yaphank Chamber of Commerce from 1966 through Herb and Ruth Kennedy moved to Florida in the 1980s. Before they left, they gave the records of the Yaphank Chamber of Commerce to the Yaphank Historical Society. The minutes of the meetings and the correspondence have been in our archives. They are now being digitally scanned for preservation. ai~liit;~-mr:_ii.-n~ri#h~;:e~~t"d:~r~=:~es-c::i'-:=l~~ In-,'photo'- above.:!irs., John W!1lker' a"nd',.henry _'Heu.senBuUel ~.. ~ f-j..f' '1\.\"iJ::t. '" '-Photos'by John C.~'alk~

4 Yaphank Historical5ociet!j Newsletter page + 5th Annual Community Yard Sale Saturday, July 25 10:00 a.m. --4:00 p.m. Docent guided tours of the Robert H. Hawkins House started on July 12 and will continue through August 30. The tours are from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Still looking for recipes for the Yaphank Historical Society Cookbook. Please feel free to drop off or send in your favorite recipe, including a little bit of information about yourself and the origin of the recipe. We are still interested in building a nice collection. The Bank of the River Gift Shop remains open. We look forward to seeing you on Thursdays from 11 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Come to the Hawkins House and browse the many treasures. Why not come and explore this beautiful treasure? The Robert Hewlett Hawkins House was built in 1850 and stands on its original site. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The house is in the Victorian Italianate style.

5 Yaphank Historical Societ~ Newsletter page 5 YAPHANK HISTORICAL SOCIETY ELECTIONS NOMINA TIONS PRESIDENT: VICE PRESIDENT: :;... "." t- RECORDING SECRETARY: CORRESPONDING SECRETARY: TREASURER: _ LmRARIAN: _ 1 YEAR TRUSTEE (2 POSITIONS): _ 2 YEAR TRUSTEE (2 POSITIONS): _ PLEASE MAIL IN YOUR NOMINATIONS BY AUGUST 5, 2009, OR LEAVE THEM IN THE NOMINATIONS BOX, WHICH WILL BE ON THE FRONT PORCH OF THE HAWKINS HOUSE.

6 Yaphank Historical Societ.Y Newsletter page 7 Attention - Local Businesses If you are interested in having your business card printed in If the Yaphank Historical Society newsletter, you may do so for a $50 donation per year. Please leave a phone message at the Hawkins House at We support our local businesses! Don Cerce (631) D.C. PLUMBING & HEATING Yaphank Beautification Committee P.O. Box 671 Yaphank, New York Lie. & Insured Lie. #3453-P P.O. Box 2 Yaphank, NY Edythe Davis Co-Chairs: Linda Petersen (631) (631) Wholesale Stand (631) Joe Jim Retail Home (631) LlC 965E J. HOLOLOB ELECTRIC PUMPKIN PATCH FARM STAND Indusbial-Residential-Commercial Wiring Farm Fresh Vegetables 142 Long Island Ave. Yaphank, NY Don & Pat Allen, Owners Eastport, NY (631) Yaphank, NY (631) YAPHANK GARDENS, LLC James & Reagan Hololob, ONners Commercial Office Rentals 128 Main Sl Yaphank, NY (631) Global Investigations and Background Servk:es Florida PI# C-2OOOO32 Global Investigations Inc.. NewYorl< P\# PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR Stoneybrook W. Pkwy SUIte 125 Wl111erGarden. Florida Steve Trusnovec Fax <12a3 128 Main Street PO Box 241 Yaphank. New York Fax

7 2009 MEMBERSHIP DRIVE **Reminder** Dues are presently payable. Join the YAPHANK HISTORICAL SOCIETY by paying dues for the current interested, please complete and send in the form to: year. If you are Yaphank Historical Society P.O. Box 111 Yaphank. New York Please enroll me as: ( ) Active Member ( ) Contributing Member ( ) Life Member ( ) Patron Member ( ) Benefactor Member $10.00/person - $7.50/Senior Citizen (62+) $15.00/couple - $12.50fSenior Couple (62+) $25.00 $75.00/person - $50.00(Senior (62+) $ $ Name Address Telephone # Town State Zip Code NOTES: The Society would like to conduct more of its business through its website, which is up and running at Please update your address with us by completing the above form and returning it to the Society. Local Businesses Continued August A. Stahl Private Investigator Ucensed and Bonded astahi3@optonline.net Hours