HomeMy WebLinkAboutSouthold A Great Destination 1994$OUTHOLD
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BEFORE THE RAILROAD
Prior to 1844 when tho railroad was built, if a North Fork resident wanted to travel to
the "city'* (by which he meant Brooklyn). he could choose between taking a ship or riding a stage
coach, Although, depending on wind and tides a ship might well be faster, in winter overland
was the only possibility.
The first commercial stage coach line serving the East End of Long Island started
operation in the 1820's. The first vehicles were primitive wooden boxes with leather curtains to
keep out the dust and the elements. Passengers sat on backlass wooden benches that they
reached by clambering over the driver's seat and the beaches behind. Teams of horees pulled the
coaches in sta~es, usually to an inn that was a sponsor of the enterprise. The total lravel time
(barring the likely posmbdlty of accident or breakdowo) was about 29 hours from Riverhead
along the Middle Road to Brooklyn. The cost was three dollars one way.
Before the stage coaches, mail was carried weekly by horsemen. Obtaining. the mail
contract was an important source of r~vanue for the coach lin~s. Gradually coach service became
as firequent as three times each week and mail service thereby improved. Soon a letter sent from
Mattituck to the Hamptons would arrive one week sooner because it no longer needed to go via
lamaics. Nonetheless the totel postal receipis for l~ttituck, Cutcho~ue and Southoid in 1829
were about $53.00.
By the 1830's the vehicles used on the coach line were vaslly improved. Some form of
suspension was introduced, alertE with the side door. To aid travellers using the coach line, local
coach service was developed. Unfon'vnately, there were few local roads and most road surfaces
were covered with deep sand.
It was only when the railroad arrived in 1844 thai public roads began to be built. Most
of the roads near the train stations (Pike Stree~ and Love Lane in Maltituck for instance) date
from the 1860's. As contact with the city via train became a business of hours instead of days,
the truck farming indus~ grew and the side roads developed. Farmers went seining ~vew May
for menhaden, small fish that swam into the bay in huge schools. The fish were spread on the
fields to ripen before being plowed under es fertilizer.
This then wes the travel vista for the mid nineteenth centory - train tracks surrounded by
prospering small farms and the pervasive aroma of putrefying fish. Nonetheless, the .ch.ange
brought by the railroad was to be cataclysmic.
Barbara Micheison
Nassau Point
S°-uth°ld ' -~each f
Mo t e I "wi~r, the Beach Lovers stay"
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This event is jointly hosted by the MTA/LIRR and the Southold Town Transportation
Committee. Both organizations are indebted to the following for their voluntary
contributions to this event:
Long Island Railroad - provision of club cars and scheduling a special run, without
which the unique setting of this Symposium would not be
possible;
American Legion, Burton Potter Post # 185 - Afternoon Reception
Antoaia Booth - Southold Town Historian
East End Seaport and Marine Museum
Ea~ter~ Suffolk BOCES, H.B.Ward Teehnleal Center - printing of this Journal
llargrave Vineyard
Local Talent, hie. - baked goods, salads, and set up
Long lslnnd Railroad Museum
Panl Kgei[in~ P & E Graphics - design and contribution of the Journal cover
Stetiington Deli - sandwiches
Snann Snnl;~lippo - Suffolk County Historical Society
Wiekham's Fruit Farm - apples and apple cider
The Southold Transportation Committee also wishes to thank the business community of
the North Fork for underwriting the cost of producing this journal, thereb, y actively
supporting the concept of an improved transportation network for Southoid Town.
TRANSPORTATION CONCERNS OF THE NORTH FORK
Each year thousands of seasonal residents visit the North Fork of Long Island
seeking to enjoy coastal waters, beaches and the pastoral landscapes of agricultural lands,
gardening centers, wineries, and horse farms. Tourism provides a stimulus to local
business economy which increases the quality of life for local residents. Over the past
five years, however, concern for local resources and rural ambiance has grown among
the majority of citizens. People are anxious to see their rural way of life preserved, but at
the same time allow for growth in the local economy.
As tourism becomes a more important industE¢, there will be a substantially
increased need for more efficient, convenient, cost-effective forms of transportation.
With a 3-fold increase in the population base during six moths of the year, North Fork
roadways are moving toward the saturation point and the subsequent gridlock is bad for
local business. The local goal is to increase transportation efficiency and create attractive
alternatives to individual automobile travel on the North Fork.
Over the past eighteen months, a Transportation Committee (jointly established
by the North Fork Planning Conference and the Southold Stewardship Task Force) has
developed a Transpomfion Cor~ Coneept which focuses on the following:
* Organize a mulfi-faeeted public transportation system to facilitate travel and
safety between local points of interest in Southoid Town.
* Develop a network of trails to accommodate hikers, bicyclists, and boaters in a
safe, environmentally friendly way.
* Establish a lodging, food, travel service at transportation hubs, and perhaps in
other convenient locations throughout the town; encourage businesses which
support the needs of "alternative" travelers.
The Department of State of State of New York State awarded a $50,000 grant
(funded by the New York State Department of Transportation) to Southold Town in
March 1994 to initially assess the designation of New York Route 25 from Laurel to
Orient as a State Scenic Byway. The assessment is to include the integratiot~ of other
county and local highways into the Byway Management Program. This is the first phase
of a multi-phase project to designate the corridor and develop a comprehensive
management plan to maintain its scenic, historic, recreational and rural characteristics.
Once designated as a State Scenic Byway, additional program phases for resource
protection, tourism development and recreation will be undeRaken.
After some negotiations, the Transportation Committee was able to expand the
scope of the scenic byway corridor to include the whole of the North Fork bordered on
the North and South by recreational trails and traversed by two historic transportation
links: the old King's Highway (NY Route 25) and the Long Island Rail Road. The
management plan will now also address agricultural and water-based resources, public
recreation, commercial centers, and tourism markets. In addition, opportunities will be
identified for: traffic and safety improvements; tourism and economic development;
access to the coastline and recreation; scenic, natural, and cultural resource protection;
and educational and interpretive signs.
The Program will suggest State and local means of enhancing the scenic byway
image and continuity in the traveling experience. The byway-corridor planning should
identify projects within the hamlets, integrate transportation improvements for bicyclists
and pedestrians, and find linkages to transportation provided by the railroad and ferries.
It will also involve addressing environmental problems in areas adjacent to the corridor,
particularly stormwater impacts in coastal waters.
The Department of State is interested in an innovative transportation model with a
corridor management framework which possibly could be transferred to other locations
on Long Island. Southold Town has been selected to lead this initiative.
Based on these developments, the Town Board of the Town of Southold, by
unanimous resolution on April 5, 1994, charged its newly-constituted Southold
Transportation Committee (formerly an ad hoc committee), to "Present...a Transportation
Model, including a comprehensive scenic byway/corridor management plan, which
addresses the use and protection of local resources, and their impact on town residents,
for recreational and economic benefit through an innovative road-rail-trail-waterways
network while maintaining the scenic, historic, and rural characteristics of the Town, as
well as to guide its subsequent implementation."
The Southold Transportation Committee is now calling for a Transportation
Symposium to explore the road-rail-trail-waterway linkages to provide direction to a
much needed traffic survey.
Southold Transportation Committee:
NeboySha R Brashich, Chairman
Michael Acebo
Robert Bayley
Margaret Brown
Robert W. Brown
Victor Brown
Gail F. Horton
Barbara Michelson
Merlon E. Wiggin
L:VfflRUDE
(516) 765.1600
RICHARD WHEELER
WHEELERS GARAGE
Gener81 Mlintenence & R~ira
of C~r. & Trucke
47055 Route 48
8outhoM. NY 11971
Phone 765-3542
Res. 765-3088
THE TRANSPORTATION - PLANNING NEXUS
Every weekday mol'ninE; we get up end go to work by one form of trensportation or another.
On weekends and vacations, we travel from home to other destinations usually by car.
Trensportetion is such en ingrained feature of our daily lives that we sometimes need to be
reminded that it is and has been a powerful "shaper' of our physical enviroranent.
In Southold Town, winch included all of the towns of Shelter Island end Riverhead until
1730 and 1792, respectively, the pattern of land settlement was greatly influenced by
geography and the transportation modes of the time. The Indians travelled by foot nad canoe.
The early settlers pretty mueh did the same, althongh some may have had wagons and horses
or cattle and somewhat larger boats.
The first major roads in the founding hamlet of Southold led from harbors or docks to homes,
farms and businesses further inland. With a few exceptions, today's State Route 25 follows
for the most part the path of an old inghway, that was proposed in the early 1700s, and
constructed over a period of many years. Known alternatively as the King's or the Queen's
Highway, it was really nothing more than a series of dirt roads that meendered around
swamps and through unpopulated woods from one settlement to another across Long Island,
until it reached the East River across from New York City, another seaport that was
otherwise more easily reached by boat. Until the advent of the railroads in the early 1800s,
waterborne transportation was the most cost and time efficient way to move large quantities
of goods and people.
As the Town grew, the economic activity at Founder's Landing in Southold shifted eastward
towards deeper waters that didn't freeze during the winter months. The rise of Graenport
Village from the hamlet of Winter Harbor, then Sterling to a bustling seaport with a long and
illustrious ship-building history is most directly attributable to its deep water harbor and the
fact that waterborne shipping of people and goods was the primary mode of transport of the
time. The building of the railroad to Greenport in 1844 simply augmented the Village's
position by making it a major railroad-steamboat transportation link between New York City
and Boston.
However, the clear economic advantages of railroad transport soon led to the construction of
a direct NYC-Boston line and the volume of sinpping through the Village began to decline.
On the local level, people got around town by foot, on horse end by boggy and even on
bicycles until the early mid- 20th century when the automobile became an affordable mode of
transport for the average citizen.
Today, automobiles and tracks are the dominant means of moving people and goods into and
throughout Town. But, due to geosrapby, waterborne transit is still with us: as seen in the
ferry to Shelter Island, and the Cross Sound feny to Connecticut at Orient Point. The main
east-west route of State Route 25 was supplemented in the late 1960s by the construction of
County Route 48, a four lane divided inghway that basically bypasses the hamlets end SR25
to provide direct access from the Orient ferry to Sound Avenue and the Long Island
Expressway in R/verhead to the west. Railroad use has declined to a fraction of what it was
in its heyday: of all the hamlet train stations in Southold, only the Cn'eenport station binlding
has survived intact to this day. Summer weather is the harbinser of a steady stream of cars
(
brinBin8 people in~o and around Town. As the wine indosh'y has ~rown, the tourist season
has expanded into the fall harvest season.
Southold Town is at a crossroads, and we have to decide which path to take. Although
population ~rovah durin~ the decade 1980-90 was a modest 3.5%, it typically has been
~rowing an average of about 14% per decade since the 1950s with a hish of 26% during the
1960s. If all the vacant land in Southold is developed in accordance with i~s present zoning,
we can expect the present year-round population of approximately 20,000 to mom than
double. While we are many years away from renchin8 saturation population and in fact, are
working to preserve more farmland in an effort to rodtme that fmal number, we nevm~heless
must face certain facts. The existi~ network was never intended to handle the volume of
traffic that will inevitably ensue as the population oontinuos to increase, whether that
population is year-round or seasonal.
The Townspeople have made one thin8 clear - they cherish Southold's character, which
reflects its agricultural, maritime and New England cultural haritege. The Town's road, rail,
bus and ferry network still reflects the water-borne focus of its earlier days. But,if we
continue down the cur~nt path of ever-increasing automobile traffic, and declining use of bus
and rail transit, we are setting the stage for the conversion of our two lane country roads into
four lane highways, we are creating the need for more and larger municipal parking lots, and
more traff~c lights. Ultimately, the demands of the automobile will fomc a change to a more
suburban road network, and in so doing we are sure to destroy the small-town character of
the hamlets over time. This is not the vision the Townspeople have for the future of
$outhold.
So the challenge we face is how to improve the flow of people and goods in a way that
respects the traditions of the Town's past. while acocmodetin~ the reality of present
transportation 'lifestyles'. The path we have chosen to take is to leverage the inherent
potential of the existing transportation network by use of creative linkages and the packaging
of alternative transport modes. This approach will require our best creativity, innovation,
computer technolosy, Ip'ass-roots support, govermnentel backing, and entreprenurial spirit. For
today, as we near the end of one century and the beginning of another, we are attempting to
maintain a traditional 18th century small-town land use pattern in the face of a 20th century
mode of transport that has spawned the radically different land use pattern we call suburbia.
At today's Symposium, all of the essential human ingredients are present: creative and
innovative minds, supportive citizens and governmental officials and entreprenurial
businessmen. Our hope is that this Symposium will provide the right chemistry for the
desired product: a better transportation network within the next decade for Southold Towl~
Valerie Scopaz
September 30, 1994
Wohether it's the breathtaking beauty
f Long Island, or the charm and history of
New England, let Cross Sound Ferry take you
On Long Island, the ferry is located near the
historic maritime village of Greenport and in the
heart of Wine Country on the North Fork.
In Connecticut, Cross Sound Ferry is located
near a variety of popular family attractions like
the Mystic Seaport Museum, and Mystic
Marinelife Aquarium. Cross Sound Ferryis your
gateway to all of this and more!
Plus, SAVE HUNDREDS OF MILES OF
DRIVING while you enjoy a scenic cruise across
majestic Long Island Sound.
Sailing year-round between Orient
Point, LI andNew London, CT
Since 1975
For r~e~io~s ~1 lt~om~lo~, c~ll: ($1~)
Road Deli
The Byrnes Family
Deli
765 -4110
Open: 4:30 AM - 3:00 PM Monday. Saturday; 4:30 AM - 2:00 PM Sunday
CAMP CEDAR DESIGN
Architecture/Design
(516) 477-5024
Robert T. Bayley. AIA
Shirley J. Ricketts
150 Lakeview Terrace
P.O. Box 595
East Marion. New York 11939
ELEVEn
DBA 7oEleven Store
The Southland Corporation ' '
Marilyn & Mickey Dunn
Franchisees
56480 Main Rd.
Southold, NY 11971
(516) 765-1400
Casual count~ dining at Its best...
in a warm and Inviting settlngl
The restaurant
local people come back to
a~aln and azain
(Now celebrating our 9th season)
FFOLLIST RS
RESTAURANT
Main Road, Southold o765-5113
LOBSTERS · LOBSTERS · LOBSTERS
(The best Manhattan dam chowder around!)
Wide variety of appetizers, generous sandwiches
burgers and qulches available for light dininglll
"King Cut" Prime Rib Friday and Saturday nights
I IIII Illl:l|tll'lll]l Ilfil I~111
Non-stop serving dally beginning 11:30 a.m. (Sunday noon)
through lunch and dinner.
Opea Year Round
--.~ PATRICIA PUGLIESE
PROPRIETOR
Brewer Yacht Yard at Greenport
MANHANSET AVE., GREENPORT, N.Y.
When traveling the waters of Southold town, your stop for all your
boating needs. The security and safety of a deep water harbor and
the most modern facilities in our Town.
180 Slips
20 ton and 70 ton Lifts
Swimming Pool
Salmnmncler Cafe
Quality Mech-nical Work
Phone (516) 477-9594
I.~undry Room
AWL GRIP Paint Specialists
haling Systans and Rigging
Courtesy Van
Wooden Boat Repair and
Construction
Fax (516) 477-1150
THE AMEBICA~ CUP CHSLL~NGE
The America's Cup Defense for the 1930 races placed many local men in the forefront.
Captain George H. Monsell of Greenport was chosen by Harold S. Vanderbilt to be the Sailing
Master of the new boat Enlt~dse. Han3, Klefe of Greenpon was appointed first mate; John
Muir of East Marion was Sailing Master of the L. Francis Herreshoff designed Whidwlnd, and
Ed Dennis of Greenport had been Sailing Master of the boat V-,fie.
The entire crew for the l~n~,~dse was assembled in Greenport in early April of 1930.
The Enltq~ise was built in Bristol, Rhode Island but the defender's tender Bystander was built
in Brigham's Shipyard, Greenport.
The F.n~nise was of a new, radical design called J Boat These boats raced off
Newport, Rhode Island. The En~m~ise was selected to defend the America's Cup in 1930 and
proudly won it with four straight victories.
In 1934 and again in 1937 many local men from the Southold/C-reenport area helped to
successfully defend the Cup. Captain George H. Monsell continued to be Sailing Master in the
1934 and the 1937 series on the boats named 'l'ne Rainbow and The Ranger.
James I. Monsell
Greenport
NORTH FORK ROAD DEVELOPMENT
Sparked by Ihe Cycling Craze 1890 - 1910
The earliest transportation arteries on the North Fork were trails connecting one Indian
seffiement to another. The principal trails extended East-West following the lined shape of the
North Fork. Many of these paths have been subsequently widened to form important roads one
of which, route 25 - commonly called the King's Highway - extends from Brooklyn, in the West,
to Orient Point in the East.
Within each settlement smaller paths ran in all directions, the broadest and most travelled
being those which led to the shore, the spring or the fishing ground. These paths were generally
only two feet wide since Indians seldom walked side by side. Overhead, the path was always
cut back far enough to permit clearance for carrying big bundles or a canoe.
There were more North-South trails in pre-colonial and colonial times because of the
greater need to connect the two major water bodies which surround the North Fork - Long Island
Sound to the North and Peconic Bay to the South. These water bodies assumed great importance
as food sources. In Mattituck, for example, there was an important path known as Canoe Path
which connected Mattituck Inlet on Long Island Sound with James Creek on the bay.
The first roads in the Town of Southold were referred to in the early court records as
"Trodden Paths". Little more than extensions of early Indian trails, the paths, scarcely two feet
wide, took the course of least resistance through the wooded upland, or hugging shore and
meadow when undergrowth made the going impossible. Trod smooth, first by the Indian, then
by the feet of the first settlers or horseback riders, these paths led to Riverhead.
At first highways were established in different towns according to the necessities of the
people in those towns, without reference to the convenience of the people elsewhere. And, the
irregularity of these roads was such that guides were necessary in some cases to conduct strangers
from place to place. The first steps designating and laying out a system of highways were taken
in 1703, but the resulting roads were barely passable. Then in 1713 commissioners were
appointed to lay out public roads which became known as the Queens Highways.
By the year 1735, probably every village on Long Island was counec~ed, if hot on the
highway, by a road leading directly to it. This allowed the West End to readily do business with
Brooklyn while at the East End the ports were easily accessible.
In 1764 the main roads, especially those on the shore lines acquired additional importance
as the roads over which the mail was transported bi-monthly on horseback. This introduction of
mail-can'ier service first prompted the question of public roads being associated with the poll tax.
About 1gl0 turnpike road building first began to obtain a foothold in the counUy. Toll
bridges were also introduced in connection with the turnpike system and quite a number of these
were erected in Flushing, Williamsburg, Gowanus, Sag Harbor, and Coney Island.
About the middle of the century a new development in road building was inaugurated by
the introduction of the plank-mad system. This seemed to afford a quick, cheap solution to the
road system in Eastern Long Island. However, when it soon became apparent that these roads
were impractical, the mania subsided almost as rapidly as it had arisen.
The introduction of the bicycle, and the cry raised in its early days by the League of
American Wheeeiman between 1880 and 1890, led to a revival of interest in good roads
throughout the state. In that movement Long Island was particularly active and. her system of
roads soon became recognized as among the best in the metropolitan district.
The bicycle craze swept the country. Everyone, it seemed, had to have a bicycle. It now
became the dull of the Commissioner of Highways to see to it that bicycle paths were available
and usable. A tax of $2.50 a year was charged each owner. This tax helped to maintain the
bicycle paths.
During the year 1894 more than 20,000 license tags were issued in Suffolk County to
bicycle owners - nearly one third of the population. Noting an item from the 'limes in 1894:
"Greenport is bicycle mad. It is estimated there are at least one thousand wheels ridden through
the streets every day. At night the principal thoroughfares swarm with the many colored bicycle
lights. Bells ring continuously as the jolly boys and girls meet. Altogether for the number of
inhabitants no other place on Long Island can boast of as many bicycle riders as Greenport.'
The bicycle might have been the start of the woman's rights movement, for it was
acceptable for a woman to use a bicycle and young people went cycling together. For these rides
women wore voluminous skim, the "Gibson Girl" blouse, an upswept hairdo covered with a veil,
and high laced shoes. The bicycle was the chief means of transportation, next to the horse and
bugt~, for courting.
The bicycle brought a transportation revolution. The machine introduced a transition
period between the horse and carriage and the automobile which helped Americans make the
switch from animal power to mechanization. Many of the traffic laws today began in the bicycle
era. The Good Roads Movement, an aspect of transportation in the 1910% and 1920% began with
the bicycle. The belief that local government should get involved in road improvements was
strengthened by the League of American Wheeiman, and the belief that a National Highway
System with good, smooth roads would improve the economy can also be attributed to the early
cyclists.
Robert Bayley - East Marion
Victor Brown - Greenport
SUNRISE COACH LINES, INC.
W. Front Street, Gmenport
Five Star Service
Serving Long Island since 1937
LONG ISLAND'S NEWEST, MOST MODERN MOTORCOACHES.
· Charter service · Escorted Tours · Daily service from Long Island's
North Fork and Shelter Island to and from NYC.
800-527-7709 516-477-1200
,'Received®ayment,........~~ ................................................ ~"o,~ ~h
BUSES
Sunrise Coach Lines, Inc. has maintained an excellent reputation in the industry in
providing motorcoach service to the Town of Southold for over 50 ye. ars. Robert Brown
Senior founded the lines in 1937 with one bus and one car. Over the years, this family
owned business has grown into a fleet of over 50 school buses (several are
handicap/wheelchair accessible), 10 touring coaches, 8 club Vans as well as a fleet of
transit buses. The Brown family is committed to customer satisfaction and passenger
safety with the most technologically advanced, well maintained touring coaches
available.
Sunrise Coach Lines, Inc. provides several services. A New York Line Run
service was developed to service the needs of tourists and the local community. In 1988,
the charter operation expanded to include quality escorted tours. Charter and tour
services are available throughout the continental USA and Canada. The most recently
added service includes a Foxwood Casino Line Run. Sunrise is prepared to meet the
needs of a rapidly growing industry.
Robert Brown
Cutchogue
Riverhead
369-TAXI
369-8294
MARIA'S
TAXI
24 Hour Service
"Good Reliable Service At Economy Prices"
Greenpo~
Radio Dispatched
477-0700
CalveAon
Brentwood
434-TAXI
434-8294
chahged from train to's~h~p at ~the.~l?i~d Dock. (Suffolk County Historical Society).
Mercury Outboard Motors
Mercruiser
Sales & Service
Force Outboards
Parts & Service
New & Used Boats
ALBERTSON MARINE
EAST MAIN ROAD
SOUTHOLD · N.Y. 11971
(516) 765-3232
CHARLES WITZKE FAX: (516) 765-5126
IDWELL
VINEYARDS
KERRY M. BIDWELL
PREMIUM WINES FROM THE NORTH FORK OF LONG ISLAND
ROUTE 45, CUTCHOGUE
~ YOR~K 11935
TEL: 516-734-5200
FAX: 516=734-6763
AMBROSE R. TERP
®
516-734-6768
II.P.S. SHIPPING
SHAKLEE NUTRITIONAL PRODUCTS
Box 943, Griffin Street, Cutchogue, N.Y. 11935
CROSS SOUND FERRY SERVICES
Cross Sound Ferry Services, Inc. has bean providing year-round passenger, automobile,
and truck service beO,vean Oriant Point, New York, and New London, Connecticut since 1975.
The distance from New London to Oriant Point is nearly 230 miles by highway compared
with 1 $.8 miles between the two points by fer~y connection. The crossing of Long Island Sound
takes an hour to an hour and a half, depanding upon sailing conditions.
In 1978, Cross Sound's New London ferry terminal was relocated to Ferry Street in
downtown New London to form an important component of that city's multi-modal transportation
center where automobiles; Amtrak rail service to Boston and New York City; ferry service to
Long Island, Block Island, Fishers Island; Taxi; alrpor~ shuttle; regional and interstate bus service
and municipal parking interface.
Over the years, Cross Sound Ferry has made many improvements to its service. These
changes include new terminal facilities in New London and Oriant Point, new ferry boats,
improvements to existing boats, and in its improved computerized reservation system. Cross
Sound has made these changes due to its commitmant to improving customer service.
II
Southold - A Great Destination
Southold Transportation Symposium
"One Town, Many Routes"
Wednesday, October 12, 1994
Agenda/Schedule
9:00 AM
9:30 AM
9:45 AM
Registration and Coffee at the Railroad Museum in Greenport
Introduction: Neboysha Brashich
Welcome: Mayor David Kapell and Supervisor Tom Wickham
Board Special LIRR Train and prepare to depart for Ronkonkoma
10:00AM -12:00N Morning Session
Current Transportation Trends: 1994
* Review of the History of Transportation on the North Fork
Cliff Benfield, Southold Histoflcal Society; John Stack, Southold Landmark
Commission; and Valerie Scopaz, Town P/anner
* Review of Transportation Core Concept and State Grant
Southold Transportation Committee
* Railroad: Robert W. Lazaro, Jr. Executive Dlreetor~ Government and
Community Affairs, and Diane Masiello, Marketing Director - LIRR
- current situation
~ improved rolling stock
- improved scheduling
- improved stations (restrooms, shelter, computerized
booking service, parking)
- bicycle accommodation
- historic train runs
* Buses: Robert Brown, President, Sunrise Coach Lines
- current situation
- scheduling compatibility with other carriers
- stops at transportation hubs
- coordination with County buses
- tram/minibus links for local service
- bicycle accommodation
* Ferries: Stanley W. Miekus, Marketing Director, Cro~ Sound Ferry Serviee~ inc.
Bernie Jacobeon, Manager, North Ferry Co.
- current situation
- scheduling compatibility with other carders
- fee schedules for varied uses (pedestrians, cyclists)
- parking for pedestrian and bicycle traffic
- bicycle accommodation
* Automobiles:
Stanley Dr~koski, Chief, Southold Town Police
Ray Van Etten, Chief, Greenport Police
Mark Kulewisez, Director, ~ Engineering & Safety, AAA
Transportation Committee
- current situation
- safety and parking remedies
- traffic congestion
- carpooling/rideshare
12:00 Noon
* Other Forms of Transportation:
Robert Goykin, Chairman, Paumonok Bicycle Clubs~ Inc.
Joe Flsehetti, President, Solar Synunetry, Inc.
Transportation Committee
- bicycles - routes in and to villages,
- trails and railroad rights-of-way
- pedestrian travel: in villages; crossings on Rte. 25; walking tours
of historic sections
- equestrian
- waterways and water taxis
- air travel: local airports and sea planes
- trolleys
Arrive in Ronkoukoma
Lunch
12:45 PM
12:45 - 3:00 PM
3:00 - 3:30 PM
3:30 - 4:30 PM
Depart for Greenport & Afternoon Session
Shaping Transportation for Tomorrow:
Looking Toward 2005
James A. Kuzloskl, Regional Director; David Glass, Wayne Ugollk
New York State Department of Transportation
New Ways of Getting Around: Which Way to Go?
Moderator: Transportation Committee
- Improved Services
- Improved Infrastructure
- New Local Linkages
- Marketing Strategy
- Costs of Improvements
Recreation and Tourism: Are We Having Fun Yet?
Moderator: Transportation Committee
- More Efficient and Convenient Means of Transportation,
Including Special Events
- Ease of Access to Local Recreational Spots
- "Welcoming our Guests"
- Mitigate Impact of Tourism on Local Residents
Improving our Economy: A Focus on Quality a'nd Service
Moderator:. Transportation Committee
- Promotion of North Fork Products and Attractions
- Efficiency of Shipping
- Economic Incentives
- Business Opportunities
- Cost of Promotion
Wrap up session at Railroad MusellIB in Greenport
Neboysha Brashleh, Chairman, Southold ~ion Committee
Bob Bayley, Gaff Horton, Mike Aeebo - Car Moderators
Conclusions and Recommendations
Creation of a Transportation Model
Wine and Cheese Reception - American Legion Post #185
Southold Transportation Committee
Neboysha R. Brashich. Chairman
M/ehael Acebo
Robert Bayley
Robert Brown
Margaret Brown
Victor Brown
Gall Horton
Barbara Michelson
~gdon Wiggin
We're here for you Long Island.
Count on it.
For over 100 years, Long Islanders
like you have coumed on North Fork Bank.
Because we have the banking products you need.
And the kind of service you deserve.
For all your financial needs, business or personal,
North Fork Bank is here for you.
Count on it.
Cutchogue Branch
Janet Stewart, A VP/Branch Manager
Main Road, Cutchogue, NY 11935
(S16) 734-6500
Headquarters: 9025 Route 25, Mattituck, NY 11952 · (516) 298-5000
Member FDIC/Equal Housing Lender
GREENPORTRAILROAD YARD TURNTABLE
The turntable at the Greenport Railroad Yard was constructed in the late 1800's
(castings show the date of 1898) for the purpose of turning the steam engines around to
head west for the return trip to New York City. It was last used in 1976 after which the
rail was ripped out. A traction motor used to drive the turntable was made by the Detroit
Hoist and Machine Company.
The turntable was unique in that it was driven by steam from the engine's braking
system, and it is one of four which remain on Long Island. Another one is at Oyster Bay
and two can be found at Morris Park. Greenport's turntable is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places as is the nearby train station, site of the Greenport Maritime
Museum, and the freight house which houses the Railroad Museum of Long Island.
Gail F. Horton
Greenport
& r,
516-765-5020 FAX: 516-765-1797
PECONIC SURVEYORS, P.C.
TITLE SURVEYS · SUBDIVISIONS · SITE PLANS
John T. Metzger, L.S.
P.O. Box 909
54655 Main Road
Southold, New York 11971
GREEN~/.,,....
AVIATION
Aviation on the North Fork plays a modest role in our transportation system. At
present there is but one commercial airport known as the Mattituck Airbase. Due to limited
runway length, however, it can only accomodate light, private airplanes such as Cessnas,
Piper Cubs, Mooneys, and Beechcraft. Suprisingly, pilois for hire operate frequent charter
flights from the North Fork to nearby islands such as Block Island, Fishers Island, Nantucket,
and Martha's Vineyard making what would normally be an all day trip by car and feny inW a
trip of a few hours or so.
One of the largest businesses on the North Fork - The Matlituck Aviation
Corporation - operates out of the Mattituck Airbase. From a modest beginning with two
people in the 1940's it has grown to a business which employs nearly sixly people. Its light
aircraft engine overhaul facilities services the entire East Coast. They are widely known for
their reliability and dependability.
George N. Terry
$outhoM
HARGRAVES
"TRULY FIRST RATE"
Frank Prial, The New York Times
Location: Lat 40° 59.7'N, Long 72° 32.5'W
Matt-A-Mar Marina
Transient/Seasonal Resort
Marina Located on L.L ~ound
· 40 transient slips & 50 seasonal slips
· restaurant / snack and cocktail bar / pool
· professional repairs / service / 50 ton lift
· indoor / outdoor / wet storage
· gas / diesel · ships store · new / used boat~t
PO SOX 1235 INFO/RESV. 516 298-4739
MATTITUCK, NY FAX 516 298-4803
11952 RESTAURANT 516298-5851
be'made Within five days al%er receipt
~ i~tro
Welcoming you to luxury GOL~
~ ~ e~ed in our g~n.
wel~me. ~
P&E
GRAPHIC DESIGN
237 FIFTH AVENUE
GREENPORT, NY 11944
PHONE / FAX / MODEM 516-477-9700
Aldo Maiorana
516- 477-1699
105 Front Street, Greenport, New York 11944
GREENPORT
A Yachting Center
When the New York Yacht Club, the oldest surviving such institution in America,
was organized in 1844, Long Islanders were among the charter members. Although this
club used the Long Island Sound for its squadron runs and regattas, some of its members,
going in for smaller craft such as sloops and catboats, established racing quarters on
Great South and other bays which indent the Island's shores. Islip became the center of
small boat racing for the South Shore. Greenport was the capital for similar racing on
Peconic Bay. While North Shore boat builders continued to launch larger craft on the
Great South Bay from Babylon to Bellport, small shipyards began turning out light
draught sailboats suitable for the shallow waters of the bays.
Few, if any, Long Island shipyards ever reached great proportions. Ships were
built in succession, often as a one-man operation. The builder simply employed helpers
as he needed them for the different kinds of work.
.Greenport, because of its nearness to excellent sailing waters, skilled mechanics,
supply of workers, and service facilities became a community of waterside activities for
both yachting and commercial boating. The Village also offered a good supply of Sailing
Masters, Captains, and crews for many racing yachts. The shipyards were able to haul,
maintain, service and repair yachts. During the two World Wars, the Greenport Basin
and Construction Company served the United States Government by building boats for
the war effort.
During World War Two, Germany concentrated its submarine activity off the East
Coast of the United States between New York and Charleston to enable it to raid the
convoys headed for Europe. The Navy and the Coast Guard were ineffective in detecting
the German U Boats. As shipping losses off our coast mounted, the Navy and the Coast
Guard agreed to a new idea of search and rescue. Under these circumstances, a line of
small craft for observation and rescue would be a valuable supplement to the inadequate
patrol forces that existed. These boats were to be manned by volunteers who knew
sailing and navigation.
Many professional Navy and Coast Guard men referred to this new. idea of a
Coast Guard Auxiliary as "Hooligan's Navy". The overall thought by Navy and Coast
Guard Officials was that if you could gather 80 to 100 sailboats in peace time to race
from Newport to Bermuda, why not use these same boats in war time for search and
The secret project of using only sailing vessels for the exclusive purpose of anti-
submarine patrol, which the Navy and Coast Guard brought to fruition when the
Commander of the Eastern Sea Frontier developed a plan for a Coastal Picket Base at
Greenport, was helped by the Cruising Club of America . Within a few weeks,
Lieutenant Smith, the Commander of the entire sailing fleet, had helped to gather several
sloops, ke~'hes, yawls, and schooners at Greenport as a nucleus for the fleet. The
Scbaeffer Brothers sot the project off to a good start by making an outright gift of their
Bermuda ' yawls WyMt~ and Erin Il The graceful lines of these vessels were
still ap~ .~n~Aiberal quantities of standard Navy gray had been painted from
bowsprit to'~:~ covering the c. onspicuous bdghtwork of the superstructu, re. As
other enift~im~llll~d and eomnuss~oned for offshore patrol, they made a vaned and
,-.
impressive outfit. The largest boat was the M~a=b~n, 147 feet overall. Next in size came
Hashell's stately schooner Valor at 112 feet and Crowninshield's schooner Cleopatra's
igarge at 109 feet. The names Jane Dore, Sea Gypsy, Red Head, Tanmris, Countess,
Tradition, Avanfi, Kidnapper, Sunbesm, and George Ratsey's Zaidu were enough to
evoke the memory of peacetime cruising and racing.
As crews for various craft were assigned, they went to work aboard the ships,
fitting out with the gear necessary for the heavy weather duty that lay ahead. During
those summer weeks, Lieutenant Smith managed to rent the Highhall~ a curiously
sumptuous houseboat that was tied up at Tuthill's docks near the GreenpoCdShelter Island
Ferry slip. Searching for something more suitable as a base for his growing family of
sailors, Smith found and rented a small summer hotel, The Booth House, on the shore of
Stifling Creek, next door to Sweet's Shipyard by the Greenport Oyster Works. By the
middle of summer, a little grove of masts and spars had sprung up along the docks of
Sweet's and Tuthill's. There were more and more uniforms on the streets, an increase in
activity in Mr. Sweet's machine shop, and great demand on the local merchants for
provisions, gear, trinkets, and beer. This Navy lasted as long as there was a German
submarine menace creating the need for sea rescue.
There is still an interest in yachting in the waters that surround Greenport.
Marinas are full of glossy hulls and high masts with spreaders. Outside Stifling Creek, on
a clear summer day, the horizon appears white with all the sails on the water.
James I. Monsell
Greenport
FUTURE SCREW MACHINE PRODUCTS, INC.
ROUTE 48 - SOUTHOLD, NEW YORK 11971
(516) 765-1610
WARREN E. HUFE, JR.
Pr~id~nt
THE LONG ISLAND RAILROAD
A Short H~story
The concept ora rail line as a major speedup link in the laborious trip between New York
City or Brooklyn and Boston, was a hot topic in the 1840's, and the fledgling Long Island Rail
Road determined to bring that dream into a reality. At the time the only way to get to Boston
and New England was either by stagecoach northward, or by stage eastward to Greenport or
Orient, and thence by sailing vessel or primitive steamboat to Boston. Reducing this two to three
day trip to five hours was an exciting promise to be fulfilled by the railroad.
Because of the numerous hills and rivers, it was decided that a rail route across
Connecticut was impractical. The plan was to take passengers and freight by "high speed' m
Greanport where they would board a ship to Stonington, and from there to Boston via the existing
line.
Work was begun on the line, and by 1837 the rails had reached Hicksville, and after
several more years of setbacks and arduous labor, in 1844 the rails finally reached Greenport.
On July 27, 1844 Greenport greeted its first train: "When Greenport welcomed its first train,
many visitors were on hand. The Terrys, the Tuthills, the Hallocks, the Browns, the Paynes, the
Youngs, the Racketts, the Coreys, the Corwins, the Vails, the Conklins, or the Conklings, the
Beebes, the Griffins or Griffings, the Hortons, the Booths, the Kings and their kin were there,
some of them coming westward from East Marion, formerly Rocky Point."
"Some came from Orient (formerly Oysterponds), East Marion, Plum Island, Shelter
Island, Sag Harbor ... Crreenport Harbor was crowded with boats, and horses were tied to trees
in the surrounding woods at some distance from the railroad" as a precaution against being
frightened by the noise of the trains and the crowds.
This first trip consisted of three trains and brought hosts of celebrities headed by George
B. Fisk, President of the Long Island Rail RoM. Ample provisions had been made by the
directors for the entertainment of the guests and prospective patrons. A sumptuous repast has
been said to have been provided in a field near the depot.
When the rail line to Greanport was completed and in regular operation, i~ b. rought
recognition to the Long Island Rail Road as one of the largest and best equipped lines in New
York State. It had 96 miles of operating trackage, and rolling stock of 11 locomotives, 22
passenger cars and 63 freight cars. The trip took less than four hours - Brooklyn to Greenport.
(The present schedule shows two hours and 41 minutes from Penn Station to Greenport)
The new line was quite successful until serious competition developed in methods of
travel from New York City to New England. Within four years, what was said to be impossible
happened - a railroad line was built along the north shore of the Long Island Sound end over the
rivers and hills across Connecticut. In 1848 that rail link was complete, making it possible to
travel from New York to Boston completely by rail. The Greenport main line, however, brought
fast transportation throughout the island and with it the development of farming and industry and
the growth of the Long Island suburbs.
Robert P. Long
Excerpted from The Peconic B~y Sl~pper
and Railroad Museum of Long Island's Postboy
BEN FRANKLIN'S MI1.E MARKERS
Leaving the Orient Point Ferry and heading west on Route 25, a sharp-eyed
traveler will spot a series of white stone markers with descending numbers. These
markers date from the mid 1700's when Southold stretched from Orient Point to Wading
River, and the central post office for the town was the Suffolk County court building in
Riverbead. The stones mark the distance in miles from the courthouse.
The mile markers are a legacy of Benjamin Franklin, co-postmaster for the
colonies. He established a system in which postal rates depended on the distance the mail
would be carried as riders on swift mounts conveyed it from place to place.
Measuring the distance between markers was accomplished by making a mark on
a wagon wheel and counting the number of rotations. With remarkable accuracy, the
markers led to a building now long gone on Riverhead's Main Street facing Peconic
Avenue. The spot where the original courthouse stood is now marked with a plaque.
Barbara Michelson
Nassau Point
Chapel Ten'ace. EAST MARION, L. I.
t
$OUTHOLD AUTOMOTIVE INC.
Complete Auto Service - 24 Hour Towing
N.Y. State Inspection Sta.
Foreign & Domestic · Auto Glass Service
Auto Teohnlciana
Donald H. Tonyea
Main Road Edwin A. Tonye~
Southold, N.Y. 11971 Richard P. Stulsky
Grady-White
Port of Egypt Marine Inc.
Main Read
Southold, NY 11971
[516J 765-2445 [80OJ 244-8765
WILLIAM H. LIEaLEIN
General Manager
AlbemaHe
Johnson
Yamaha
o;
THE SHELTER ISLAND FERRY
A History
The first mention of a ferry is found in the early histories of Shelter Island when a
man named Bousseau rowed a scow from Stearn's Point to the narrow neck of land
opposite. There was no wharf or landing and travel conditions were equally primitive.
In 1840 Elisha Griffing Beebe, father of Captain Frederick C. Beebe, owned a
small sailboat in which he made regular trips when weather conditions permitted and
travelers wished to cross. Captain William Ross of Greenport also was one of the early
ferrymen.
In 1849 a cha~er for a ferry was granted to Jonathan Preston of Greenport and to
his heirs and assigns for ten years after the passage of the act. Captain Preston sold out
on May 13, 1863 to Charles Costa of Greenport. After running the ferry for two years,
Captain Costa sold his interest to Charles H. Harlow and Samuel S. Clark of Shelter
Island on April 1, 1865. The old papers recording the sale show the ferry assets consisted
of the catboats Mm'y Eliza and Brother Jonathan, a cattle scow, two rowboats, and a
wharf 186 feet long.
Harlow and Clark sold out after a few years to Benjamin Sisson, a retired whale
captain. He tired of the business and sold out to Fred C. Beebe of Greenport in 1871.
That year Captain Beebo sold half of the business to the Shelter Island Camp Meeting
Association. The company chartered the steamer l~mily for its summer traffic in 1872.
The following year it bought the steamer C~nbri~ from Oliver and Sidney Downs of
Riverhead. The steamer was used during the summer, and in the spring and fall Captain
Beebe made regular trips to New London. Sailboats were used until 1890 when the
Greenport and Shelter Island Ferry Company was incorporated.
The new company built the side-wheel steam ferryboat Memmfic which ran in
the summer months. In the winter the launches Neptune and Prospect were used. When
it became apparent that smaller boats operated by gasoline motors were more economical,
the double-end ferryboat Poggatfieut was launched on June 20, 1920 by the Greenport
Basin and Construction Company and the Menaufie was sold.
The North Ferry Company, Inc. was incorporated in 1980 and currently operates
four boats: Islaader, Gr~enlmrt, Shelter Island~ and New Prospect. The ferries run
from $:40 pm to midnight and 1:00 am on weekends. The ferries depart as often as every
1.5 minutes when necessary and employ up to 41 persons.
Reprinted from:
The Greenport Village 150th Anniversary Journal
I.i)N6
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