Misplaced Pages

#635364

109-506: The island is under the jurisdiction of East Hampton, New York . Funds for a lighthouse on Gardiners Point Island, which was at the time a peninsula of Gardiners Island , connected by a long neck of land, were appropriated by Congress in 1851 and 1852. In 1851 the federal government purchased 14 acres (5.7 hectares) on the peninsula from the Gardiners for $ 400. It was cleared of jurisdictional encumberances in 1853, and construction began

218-466: A bill that the US Federal government expropriate Gardiners Point Island, historic Gardiners Island , Cartwright Island , Hicks Island and 1000 acres of the nearby shore of Long Island, and turn them into a national monument. The state of New York briefly considered turning it into a park but it is deemed a navigational hazard because of the possibilities of unexploded ordnance . It is now part of

327-506: A county administrator, who acts on behalf of the legislature, the legislature must maintain ultimate control over the actions of the administrator. Many, but not all, charter counties have an elected executive who is independent of the legislature; the exact form of government is defined in the County Charter. In New York, each city is a highly autonomous incorporated area that, with the exceptions of New York City and Geneva ,

436-483: A general and Civil War veteran who died in 1882, in General Order 194 of 27 December 1904. Another story is that it was named for former President John Tyler (1841-1845) who married Julia Gardiner Tyler , born on Gardiners Island. The permanent fort consisted of Battery Edmund Smith, with emplacements for two 8-inch M1888 disappearing guns and two 5-inch M1900 guns on pedestal mounts. Records indicate that it

545-570: A home for the wealthy especially after the Gardiners married into almost all the wealthy New York City families. More than one hundred miles from Manhattan, East Hampton remained largely undeveloped until 1880 when Austin Corbin extended the Long Island Rail Road from Bridgehampton to Montauk. As part of the development, Arthur W. Benson forced an auction and paid US$ 151,000 for 10,000 acres (40 km ) around Montauk. He forced

654-642: A land-use classification for private land under its Adirondack Park Land Use and Development Plan (APLUDP). The APLUDP extends the boundaries for its classification of hamlets "well beyond established settlements" to allow for growth. In New York, a village is an incorporated area. About 85% of villages fall within a single town. Villages in the State of New York are classified by the Census Bureau as incorporated places . Like all municipal corporations, villages have clearly defined legal boundaries. A village

763-417: A mayor and (usually) four trustees. The board is responsible for approving mayoral appointments, managing village finances and property, and approving a budget. The mayor, who is generally the chief executive of the village, may vote in all business before the board and must vote to break a tie. The mayor generally does not possess veto power, unless this is provided for by local law. Administrative duties of

872-859: A national scandal, since there was a 30-year difference in their ages. Although Tyler was a member of the wealthy Gardiner family and a former First Lady of the United States, she had economic problems after the American Civil War . She and her husband had supported the Confederate States of America . She is buried with the President in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia , the Confederate capital during

981-594: A port status, rivaling New York, due to its whale oil trade. Many slaves worked on the docks in connection with shipping and the whale trade. After slavery had ended, Gardiner's former slaves developed small houses in Freetown (East Hampton) , just north of East Hampton village. Sag Harbor's freedmen developed the Eastville community in Sag Harbor. In 1808 the United States and Great Britain cooperated in ending

1090-602: A town; 35.9% were living in a town but outside a village. Whereas cities and villages can cross county boundaries, each town in New York is completely contained within a single county. New York towns are classified by statute as being a town of the first class or a town of the second class . Additionally, a town of the first class can further be classified as a suburban town upon meeting certain criteria. Originally, towns of different classes possessed different powers. Since 1964, all towns, regardless of classification, have had

1199-481: A uniform statewide Village Law (twelve villages still operate under charters issued by the state legislature prior to a revision of the State Constitution in 1874 that forbade chartering villages). Also, villages are part of a town (or towns; some villages cross town borders), with residents who pay taxes to and receive services from the town. Cities are neither part of nor subordinate to towns except for

SECTION 10

#1732779798636

1308-510: A village becomes a city, the Legislature requires clear evidence, usually in the form of a locally drafted charter, that the community in question seeks to incorporate as a city. The forms of government cities can have are council–manager, strong mayor–council, weak mayor–council or commission. Forty-six cities, the majority, use the mayor–council form. The City of New York is a special case. The state legislature reorganized government in

1417-494: A village or town but will perform some of the functions of the other form. Villages remain part of the towns in which they are located; village residents pay both town and village taxes, and vote in both town and village elections. Towns can contain several hamlets and communities. If the United States Postal Service (USPS) has a post office in a hamlet it often will use the name of that hamlet, as will

1526-423: Is Sherrill, New York , with just 3,071 inhabitants in 2010. The smallest city by area is Mechanicville, New York , which covers 0.91 sq mi (2.4 km ) (of which 0.08 sq mi (0.2 km ) is water). Some places containing the word "city" in their name are not cities. Examples include Johnson City , Garden City , and New City . Several cities, such as Albany, are divided into wards for

1635-408: Is a municipality that provides services to the residents, services that may or may not include garbage collection, management of cemeteries, street and highway maintenance, street lighting, and building codes. Some villages provide their own police and other municipal services. Villages have less autonomy than cities. While cities are not subject to a town's jurisdiction, villages legally remain part of

1744-402: Is commonplace to change boundaries and define new CDPs for each census. The Census Bureau formerly referred to CDPs as "unincorporated places" from 1950 through the 1970 decennial censuses. The term CDP was first used for the 1980 census , and minimum population criteria for CDPs were dropped with the 2000 census . Though the term "hamlet" is not defined under New York law, many people in

1853-456: Is contained within one county. Cities in New York are classified by the U.S. Census Bureau as incorporated places. They provide almost all services to their residents and have the highest degree of home rule and taxing jurisdiction over their residents. The main difference between a city and a village is that cities are organized and governed according to their charters , which can differ widely among cities, while most villages are subject to

1962-558: Is in three towns and two counties. Five towns are coterminous with their single village and have a coterminous town-village form of government. Despite their names, Greenwich Village , the East Village , and Queens Village are not villages, but neighborhoods of the City of New York . A borough is one of the five major administrative divisions of the consolidated City of New York . Boroughs do not currently exist elsewhere in

2071-508: Is one of the largest privately owned islands in the United States. The town has 70 miles (110 km) of shoreline. This area had been inhabited for thousands of years by wandering tribes of indigenous peoples . At the time of European contact, East Hampton was home to the Pequot people , part of the culture that also occupied territory on the northern side of Long Island Sound, in what is now Connecticut of southern New England. They belong to

2180-583: Is the oldest continuously operating cattle ranch in the United States. East Hampton is bounded by Southampton to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the south, Block Island Sound to the east, and Napeague Bay to the north. According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 386.6 square miles (1,001 km ), of which 74.4 square miles (193 km ) is land and 312.2 square miles (809 km ) (80.76%)

2289-425: Is then voted upon by the qualified voters living in the proposed village only. Some villages have fewer than 500 residents, having incorporated before the present population requirement or fallen below the old 500-resident threshold after incorporation. A village may also be dissolved, returning all government control to the town level. The process of dissolution can be initiated by the village board itself, or upon

SECTION 20

#1732779798636

2398-498: Is water. East Hampton has an Oceanic climate ( Köppen Cfb). East Hampton has chilly, wet winters and very warm, dry summers due to the moderating influence of the ocean, which suppresses thunderstorm development and moderates summer temperatures. Summers have very warm, sunny, and stable weather, whereas the winters are often stormy due to coastal storms which bring rain but little snow. The region averages only about 10 inches or 0.25 metres of snow annually. While East Hampton

2507-406: Is water. The town of Webb ( Herkimer County ) has the greatest land area, at 451 sq mi (1,170 km ). The smallest town, Green Island ( Albany County ), covers 0.7 sq mi (1.8 km ). The town of Hempstead ( Nassau County ) has about 760,000 people (2010 census), making it more populous than any city in the state except New York City . Red House ( Cattaraugus County ),

2616-526: The Bonin Islands . The ship was allowed to enter Tokyo Bay under escort to return the sailors. As Japan had been closed to foreign shipping, it was the first American ship to visit Tokyo. Concer was the first African American the Japanese had seen. He is depicted in their drawings of the event. East Hampton from its earliest days with the settlement of Gardiners Island has had a reputation as being

2725-604: The Brothertown Indians with other Indians from New England, and gave up some of their traditions. In 1831-1836, the Brothertown Indians migrated to Wisconsin , where they founded the settlement of Brothertown . Some Montaukett continued to live on Long Island. In the mid to late nineteenth century, their most well-known member was Stephen Talkhouse . Their area on Lake Montauk was called Indian Fields until 1879. With their population reduced, over

2834-543: The Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of New York . Articles VIII (titled "Local Finances") and IX (titled "Local Government", but commonly referred to as the "Home Rule" article) of the state constitution establish the rights and responsibilities of the municipal governments. The New York State Constitution provides for democratically elected legislative bodies for counties, cities, towns and villages. These legislative bodies are granted

2943-484: The East River and New York City. The Town has eight state parks, most located at the water's edge. The town consists of 70 square miles (180 km ) and stretches nearly 25 miles (40 km), from Wainscott in the west to Montauk Point in the east. It is approximately six miles (10 km) wide at its widest point and less than one mile at its narrowest. The town has jurisdiction over Gardiners Island , which

3052-608: The Long Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex . Notes Bibliography Further reading East Hampton (town), New York The Town of East Hampton is located in southeastern Suffolk County , New York , at the eastern end of the South Shore of Long Island . It is the easternmost town in the state of New York. At the time of the 2020 United States census , it had a total population of 28,385. The town includes

3161-453: The U.S. Navy ship USS Washington , seeing the slaves on shore, arrested them and took them to Connecticut. This was an international case, with Spain arguing for the return of the ship and slaves (or compensation). The United States had its own laws to interpret. The Mende people who had been illegally taken argued for their freedom. Amistad case was ultimately decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1841. John Quincy Adams argued for

3270-439: The United States Census Bureau as "a statistical entity defined for each decennial census according to Census Bureau guidelines, comprising a densely settled concentration of population" that is not part of a city or a village "but is locally identified by a name." CDPs may cross town and county borders. CDPs are defined collaboratively by state and local officials and the Census Bureau. They are defined for each census, and it

3379-428: The village of East Hampton , as well as the hamlets of Montauk , Amagansett , Wainscott , and Springs . It also includes part of the incorporated village of Sag Harbor . East Hampton is located on a peninsula , bordered on the south by the Atlantic Ocean , to the east by Block Island Sound and to the north by Gardiners Bay , Napeague Bay and Fort Pond Bay . To the west is western Long Island, reaching to

Gardiners Point Island - Misplaced Pages Continue

3488-609: The 17th and 18th centuries from epidemics of smallpox , a Eurasian disease carried by some English and Dutch colonists and endemic in their communities, to which the Indians had no immunity . After the American Revolution , some Montaukett relocated with Shinnecock to Oneida County in western upstate New York, led by the Mohegan missionary Samson Occom , to try to escape the settlers' civilization. They formed

3597-520: The African slave trade, but Spain continued to transport slaves to its Caribbean and Latin American colonies. On August 26, 1839, crew from La Amistad , an illegal slave ship that had been commandeered by its captives off Cuba , dropped anchor at Culloden Point and came ashore at Montauk to get supplies. The slaves, who were inexperienced navigators, thought they were on course to Africa. Members of

3706-635: The Africans. The court decided in their favor, opining that the initial capture of the Mende by the Spanish was illegal, so they were classified as free men defending their freedom and were not charged under slave law with mutiny or revolt. East Hampton film director Steven Spielberg popularized the slave revolt and Supreme Court case in the 1997 film Amistad . One of the Amistad former slaves stayed in

3815-580: The American Revolutionary War, New York passed a gradual abolition law, making children free who were born to slave mothers. But the last slaves were not freed until 1827. During the War of 1812 , the Gardiners used slaves to transport supplies back and forth to Gardiner's Island. According to the Gardiners, slaves were easier to pass through British blockades since it was "obvious" that they were "owned." During this period Sag Harbor rose to

3924-569: The Montaukett losing most of their lands over the ensuing centuries. Wyandanch's elder brother, the grand sachem Poggaticut , sold an island to English colonist Lion Gardiner for "a large black dog, some powder and shot, and a few Dutch blankets." The next trade involved the land extending from present-day Southampton to the foot of the bluffs, at what is now Hither Hills State Park , for 24 hatchets , 24 coats, 20 looking glasses and 100 muxes . In 1660, Chief Wyandanch's widow signed away

4033-542: The U.S. Census Bureau as minor civil divisions . Like New Jersey and southern New England , all of New York is incorporated; all residents who do not live in a city or on an Indian reservation live in a town. Towns provide or arrange for the primary functions of local government. While some provide most municipal services for all town residents and selected services for residents of villages, some provide little more than road maintenance. There were 933 towns in New York. As of 2000 , 45.8% of state residents were living in

4142-469: The United States after the trial. He worked as a valet for President John Tyler . He was killed aboard USS Princeton along with David Gardiner and two Cabinet officers, when one of the cannons exploded during a demonstration. In 1845 African-American sailor Pyrrhus Concer of Sag Harbor was aboard the Manhattan, a ship captained by Mercator Cooper , which picked up shipwrecked Japanese sailors in

4251-451: The area in the 1890s in an effort to consolidate. Other cities, villages, and towns were annexed to become the " City of Greater New York ", (an unofficial term, the new city retained the name of New York), a process basically completed in 1898. At the time of consolidation, Queens County was split. Its western towns joined the city, leaving three towns that were never part of the consolidation plan as part of Queens County but not part of

4360-495: The area of the proposed village must have at least 1,500 inhabitants and not be part of an existing city or village. Additionally, the proposed village can be no more than 5 square miles (13 km ) in area unless its boundaries are to be coterminous with a school, fire, improvement or other district, or the entire town. The process of incorporation begins with a petition by either 20% of residents or owners of 50% of assessed real property. If deemed legally sufficient, incorporation

4469-680: The associated Star Island Casino, as well as the Montauk Downs golf club. Fisher lost his fortune in the Stock Market Crash of 1929 . The land was sold back to the military in World War II . During World War II, the Army developed its land for Army, Navy and Air Force bases. Administrative divisions of New York#Town See also: [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The administrative divisions of New York are

Gardiners Point Island - Misplaced Pages Continue

4578-905: The cemetery. In 1998 and 1999 as talk surfaced that Hillary Clinton was considering a Senate run from New York, they began summering in East Hampton, where they stayed at the Georgica Pond home of Steven Spielberg . Clinton gave a Saturday radio chat from the Amagansett fire station. In June 2008, at the conclusion of Hillary Clinton's Presidential bid, she stayed at the Wiborg Beach home of Thomas H. Lee in East Hampton Village. East Hampton has played an important role in African-American history. After

4687-427: The cities of New York and Albany city charters, which were recognized by the first State Constitution in 1777. All other cities have been established by act of the state legislature and have been granted a charter. Cities have been granted the power to revise their charters or adopt new ones. There are no minimum population or area requirements in order to become a city. While there is no defined process for how and when

4796-541: The city of Sherrill , which for some purposes is treated as if it were a village of the town of Vernon . Some cities are completely surrounded by a town, typically of the same name. There are sixty-two cities in the state. As of 2000 , 54.1% of state residents were living in a city; 42.2% were living in New York City; 11.9% were living in one of the other 61 cities. In 1686, the English colonial governor granted

4905-610: The consolidated city. Each borough individually elects a borough president and used to elect two at-large city council members, in addition to those elected based on each borough's population. The borough presidents once wielded considerable power as members of the New York City Board of Estimate , but the position is now largely ceremonial and advisory. Boroughs function as counties for certain purposes, but have no county government. The five New York City district attorneys , however, are still elected by county (for example,

5014-614: The county also publish maps that conflict both in the number of hamlets and their boundaries. Nevertheless, all land not within a village is administered by the town. Most of the rest of New York's hamlets, however, have less well-defined boundaries, and most towns have areas that are not considered to be a part of any hamlet. The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) puts hamlet names on rectangular green signs with white lettering at roadside locations of its choosing. The NYSDOT and local governments also provide community identification signs on some scenic byways to be placed at

5123-595: The county boundaries—each have a Borough Board made up of the Borough President, the borough's district council members, and the chairpersons of the borough's community boards. A mayor serves as the city's chief executive officer. The most populous and largest city in the state is New York City , with a population of over 8.5 million inhabitants and comprising just over 300 sq mi (777.00 km ) of land (468.87 sq mi (1,214.368 km ) total area, which includes water). The least populous city

5232-493: The courts to declare the evictions illegal, but the court ruled in favor of the evictions. Since the 1990s, the Montaukett have pressed for formal recognition as a tribe. The Shinnecock Indian Nation , many of whom had continued to occupy a portion of land on the South Shore and claimed it as their reservation, received federal recognition in 2010 as a tribe and also have state recognition. Historically both groups were part of

5341-449: The early "cottages" was Tick Hall , later owned in the late 20th century by TV figure Dick Cavett . It burned in 1993, but Cavett had it restored. He had the process filmed for a television documentary. Corbin had industrial ambitions associated with extending the train to Montauk. He thought a new port city would develop around the train station on Fort Pond Bay, and that oceangoing ships from Europe would dock there. Passengers could take

5450-517: The estate was released in 2006.) Jacqueline's aunt and uncle, Winifred Lee and Franklin d'Olier , continued to own the Lily Pond Lane home of her maternal grandparents until 2002. The Bouvier family cemetery plot is at Most Holy Trinity Catholic Cemetery on Cedar Street. Jackie's father, maternal grandmother, paternal grandparents, and paternal great-grandparents, as well as various relatives, including Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale, are buried in

5559-644: The eviction of the Montaukket Native Americans there. Benson brought in architect Stanford White to design six "cottages", mansions near Ditch Plains in Montauk. They formed the Montauk Association to govern their exclusive neighborhood. With new access to the village of East Hampton from New York, wealthy families ventured east from Southampton and built mansions in East Hampton. The Maidstone Golf Club opened in 1891. Among

SECTION 50

#1732779798636

5668-712: The executive branch. All town justices were originally part of a town's board. Today, justices belong to a separate judicial branch known as Town Court or Justice Court, part of New York's Justice Court system. A town may contain one or more villages. Many towns have no villages. Five towns are coterminous with their single village and share the same name: Green Island in Albany County ; East Rochester in Monroe County ; and Scarsdale , Harrison , and Mount Kisco in Westchester County . A sixth,

5777-418: The far South, where he broke through the ice shelf to become the first person to touch East Antarctica . The Town of East Hampton is still highly influenced by maritime businesses, including tourism. It attracts large summer crowds of residents and tourists. Montauk is New York state's largest fishing port. The Town is famed for its commercial sports fishing, made particularly famous by Frank Mundus . One of

5886-514: The first English settlers in East Hampton were John Hand, Thomas Talmage, Daniel Howe, Thomas Thomson, John Mulford, William Hedges, Ralph Dayton, Thomas Chatfield and Thomas Osborn. The Mulford Farmhouse , on James Lane, is the best-preserved 17th-century English colonial house in East Hampton. The barn dates to 1721, and the complex is operated as a living museum . It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The house

5995-752: The form of government selected by the residents and approved by the New York State Legislature. Each type of local government is granted specific home rule powers by the New York State Constitution. There are still occasional changes as a village becomes a city, or a village dissolves (stops existing), each of which requires legislative action. New York also has various corporate entities that provide local services and have their own administrative structures (governments), such as school and fire districts. These are not found in all counties. Almost every piece of land in

6104-600: The fort, and it was abandoned in 1924 and transferred to the state as part of a post-World War I drawdown of coast defenses. In 1938 the island was declared a National Bird Refuge by Franklin Roosevelt and transferred to the Agriculture Department. During World War II the fort was used for bombing practice and this, combined with erosion, reduced it to its present state where it is popularly called "The Ruins." In September 1971 Otis G. Pike put forward

6213-541: The general provisions of the County Law. Although all counties have a certain latitude to govern themselves, "charter counties" are afforded greater home rule powers. The charter counties are Albany , Broome , Chautauqua , Chemung , Dutchess , Erie , Herkimer , Monroe , Nassau , Oneida , Onondaga , Orange , Putnam , Rensselaer , Rockland , Schenectady , Suffolk , Tompkins , Ulster , and Westchester . Sixteen counties are governed through an assembly with

6322-590: The island as a wholly contained colony, independent of both New York and Connecticut. It kept that status until after the American Revolution, when it came under New York State and the Town of East Hampton authority. On June 12, 1640, nine Puritan families from Lynn, Massachusetts landed at what is now known as Conscience Point, in Southampton; some later migrated to present-day East Hampton. Among

6431-462: The land filed for reimbursement from the colony for the rum with which they had plied the tribe during negotiations. Gradually, however, colonists stopped the Montaukett using the land by preventing them from hunting and fishing. They were said to interfere with the crops on their farms, in a conflict similar to the later farmer-rancher arguments of the Old West. Many of the Montaukett died during

6540-638: The large Algonquian -speaking language family. Bands on Long Island were identified by their geographic locations. The historical people known to the colonists as the Montaukett , who were Pequot, controlled most of the territory at the east end of Long Island. Indians inhabiting the western part of Long Island were part of the Lenape nation, whose language is also in the Algonquian family. Their territory extended to lower New York, western Connecticut and

6649-405: The larger Pequot people. Montaukett artifacts and sweat lodges are visible from trails at Theodore Roosevelt County Park . The park was formerly called Montauk County Park. East Hampton was the first English settlement in the state of New York. In 1639 Lion Gardiner purchased land, what became known as Gardiner's Island , from the Montaukett people. In 1648 a royal British charter recognized

SECTION 60

#1732779798636

6758-538: The largest buildings in the town is the Promised Land fish meal factory at Napeague. First Ladies Julia Gardiner Tyler and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis spent their childhoods there. Theodore Roosevelt was briefly quarantined in Montauk, at Camp Wyckoff, after returning from the Spanish–American War. Bill and Hillary Clinton spent week-long summer vacations in 1998 and 1999. Julia Gardiner

6867-465: The least populous, has 38 permanent residents (2010 census). The use of "town" in a community's name is irrespective of municipal status. Elizabethtown , Germantown and Stephentown are towns. Cooperstown , home of the Baseball Hall of Fame , is a village, Jamestown and Middletown are cities, and Levittown is an unincorporated hamlet. A census-designated place (CDP) is defined by

6976-593: The limits. Based on the ZIP Code, the United States Postal Service (USPS) identifies the correct location for mail delivery. The New York State Gazetteer , published by the New York State Department of Health in 1995, includes a list of hamlets in the state. The criteria used for inclusion in the Gazetteer are not stated. The Adirondack Park Agency also uses the term "hamlet", though as

7085-516: The local fire department or elementary school. Businesses may also use the name of a hamlet as part of their name. The United States Census Bureau will, with consideration from the town, designate a census-designated place (CDP) that may use the name of one or more hamlets, though boundaries may differ from what is used by the ZIP code, local fire department, etc. Towns in New York may be further subdivided into wards, although as of 2017 , only fifteen of

7194-473: The mayor include enforcing laws and supervising employees. A village may also have a full-time village manager who performs these administrative duties instead of the mayor. In 2007, sixty-seven villages had such a manager. Some villages have their own village justice, while others utilize the justice of the town or towns in which they are located. While most villages are subject to a uniform statewide Village Law, twelve villages operate under charters issued by

7303-620: The mid-19th century; the New York City Council is currently elected from special districts, which are allowed to cross borough lines. New York City has a unique system of divisions, some of which possess governmental power, see Divisions unique to New York City . In New York, a town is a municipal corporation, and is the major division of each county (excluding the five boroughs that comprise New York City ), very similar to townships in other states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. Towns in New York are classified by

7412-409: The mid-Atlantic coastal areas into New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Their bands were also known by the names of their geographic locations but did not constitute distinct peoples. In the late-17th century Chief Wyandanch of the Montaukett negotiated with English colonists for the land in the East Hampton area. The differing concepts held by the Montaukett and English about land and its use contributed to

7521-401: The new Borough of Queens. (A small portion of the Town of Hempstead was itself annexed, also.) The next year (1899), the three eastern towns of Queens County separated to become Nassau County . The city today consists of the entire area of five counties (named New York, Kings, Queens, Bronx, and Richmond). While these counties have no county government, boroughs—with boundaries coterminous with

7630-494: The next year. Construction was completed by December of that year at the cost of $ 7,000, and the lamp was lit in 1855. The station consisted of a one-and-a-half story keeper's house, and a circular tower 9 feet (2.7 m) in diameter whose lantern was 30 feet (9.1 m) above the low water level. A March 1888 Nor'easter , referred to as the Great Blizzard of 1888 , caused a break in the peninsula, permanently turning

7739-532: The north. He bought the former Benson property for $ 2.5 million (it was sold as surplus government property following the end of World War I ). He built the six-story Montauk Improvement Building in downtown Montauk (which is still the town's tallest occupied structure—as subsequent zoning has forbidden highrise structures), the Montauk Manor (which was a luxury hotel), dredged Lake Montauk and opened it to Block Island Sound to support his Montauk Yacht Club and

7848-416: The only body that can create governmental units is the state. All of them have their own governments, sometimes with no paid employees, that provide local services. Centers of population that are not incorporated and have no government or local services are designated hamlets . Whether a municipality is defined as a borough, city, town, or village is determined not by population or land area, but rather on

7957-428: The point into an island. Between 1890 and 1893 the island shrank at the rate of 10 2 ⁄ 3 feet per year. Forty years after it was completed, just after a new boathouse and boatways were built, the lighthouse was abandoned because of the continuing encroachment of the sea. It was replaced at the end of May by a moored gas-lighted buoy about a quarter of a mile (.4 km) north-by-east from the lighthouse. In April 1898,

8066-432: The power and fiscal capacity to provide an array of local government services. Such services generally include law enforcement and public safety, social and health services (such as Medicaid ), and education (special needs and community colleges). Every county outside of New York City has a county seat , which is the location of county government. Nineteen counties operate under county charters, while 38 operate under

8175-480: The power of a board of supervisors , composed of the supervisors of its constituent towns and cities. In most of these counties, each supervisor's vote is weighted in accordance with the town's population in order to abide by the U.S. Supreme Court mandate of " one person, one vote ". Other counties have legislative districts of equal population, which may cross municipal borders; these counties may also have an elected County Executive. Most counties in New York do not use

8284-493: The power to enact local laws as needed in order to provide services to their citizens and fulfill their various obligations. The county is the primary administrative division of New York. There are sixty-two counties in the state. Five of the counties are boroughs of the City of New York and do not have functioning county governments. While originally created as subdivisions of the state meant to carry out state functions, counties are now considered municipal corporations with

8393-527: The purposes of municipal representation. Each ward elects one member to the city's legislative body, and the wards are redistricted roughly every ten years. These divisions can go by other names by city; in Buffalo they are known as districts . These divisions can either be numbered or named. New York City was divided into wards at various times in its history between 1683 and 1938, although they were gradually replaced by Assembly and Senate districts starting in

8502-413: The release of the 1975 documentary Grey Gardens , which explored the lives of her aunt, Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale , and cousin, Edith Bouvier Beale . They were revealed to be living in poverty in a mansion of that name. Jacqueline and her husband Aristotle Onassis donated money to improve the lives of her relatives. (The documentary was adapted as a Broadway musical of the same name. A documentary on

8611-401: The rest of the land from present-day Hither Hills to the tip of Montauk Point for 100 pounds, to be paid in 10 equal installments of " Indian corn or good wampum at six to a penny". The sales provided that the Montaukett were permitted to stay on the land, to hunt and fish at will, and to harvest the tails and fins of whales that beached on the East Hampton shores. Town officials who bought

8720-749: The roadside boundaries of hamlets, as decided by the sign provider. Many towns have special zoning or planning districts and planning strategies for their hamlets, and many places welcome signs at the gateways to the hamlets. Some hamlets are former villages that have dissolved their incorporation ( Old Forge in Herkimer County ; Rosendale , in Ulster County ; and Andes in Delaware County , for example). Notwithstanding hamlets are not cities or towns, many of them are called out in formal addresses for those residents residing within

8829-450: The same legal powers as were once available only to suburban towns. Even so, towns of different classifications continue to have organizational differences and certain conditions that must be met before a town's classification changes. The town board serves as the legislative branch. The board is composed of one elected town supervisor (or chief executive officer in suburban towns) and a specific number of elected council persons; towns of

8938-575: The second class generally have two but may have four council persons, whereas towns of the first class generally have four but can have two or six. The supervisor presides over the board, voting on all matters but not possessing veto or tie-breaking power. Certain towns operate under a town manager form of government, creating an executive branch in the town government, as permitted by legislation enacted in 1976. As such, some supervisors have additional authority or executive powers, whereas some towns have town managers or chief executive officers who serve as

9047-715: The site of the lighthouse was transferred to the War Department . During the Spanish–American War the War Department recommended and Congress appropriated $ 500,000 to build Fort Tyler on the island as part of the Harbor Defenses of Long Island Sound . A temporary battery was constructed as an interim measure at a cost of $ 77,100. This battery consisted of emplacements for two 8-inch M1888 guns on converted carriages for 1870s-era Rodman guns . It

9156-412: The spring of that year, the couple relocated to the region referred to as Northwest or Alewife Brook Neck, located approximately six miles north of East Hampton Village. This Northwest "Ghost town" settlement during the mid 1800s saw development due to Northwest Harbor, later it was deemed too shallow for deep draft ships and the harbor moved to Sag Harbor , leading to the settlements demise. East Hampton

9265-456: The state has more than 3,400 active local governments and more than 4,200 taxing jurisdictions. Counties and incorporated municipal governments (also known as "general purpose units of local government"; i.e., cities, towns and villages) in the State of New York have been granted broad home rule powers enabling them to provide services to their residents and to regulate the quality of life within their jurisdictions. They do so while adhering to

9374-404: The state is part of a city or town, which is part of one county. The exceptions are the city of Geneva ; New York City ; and ten Indian reservations . As of 2009 , New York has 62 counties (including New York City's five boroughs ), which are subdivided into 933 towns and 61 cities (including Geneva in both Ontario and Seneca counties, but excluding New York City and Sherrill ). In total,

9483-641: The state legislature prior to 1874. Before a revision to the State Constitution in that year, villages were formed by the state legislature through granting of charters. Many villages reincorporated, dumping their charters in favor of the Village Law. The villages that retain their charters are Alexander , Carthage , Catskill , Cooperstown , Deposit , Fredonia , Ilion , Mohawk , Ossining , Owego , Port Chester , and Waterford . These villages must still comply with those aspects of Village Law that are not inconsistent with their charters. To be incorporated,

9592-580: The state use the term hamlet to refer to a community within a town that is not incorporated as a village but is identified by a name, i.e. an unincorporated community . A hamlet often has a name corresponding to the name of a local school district , post office , or fire district. Because a hamlet has no government of its own, it depends upon the town or towns that contain it for municipal services and government. Because they do not have governments, hamlets have no clear boundaries . Suffolk County publishes maps that give hamlet boundaries, but towns within

9701-423: The state's 932 towns used this system. In towns operating under the ward system, citizens vote for councilmen who represent a specific area (ward) of the town, as opposed to the at-large councilmen elected in the majority of the state's towns. Towns vary in size and population. The largest town by area is Brookhaven ( Suffolk County ), which covers 531.5 sq mi (1,377 km ), but more than half of that

9810-478: The state. Each of the five boroughs of the city is coextensive with a county of the state of New York. Under New York State's General Municipal Law , a borough results when the towns, villages and cities in a county merge with the county itself. This occurred in 1898 when New York City merged with surrounding counties, cities and towns to form its present configuration. The five boroughs are: The boroughs were originally intended to retain some local governance in

9919-508: The submission of a proper petition to the board. The village board must produce a "dissolution plan" that settles specific matters, such as the village's debts, its employees and property, and the financial impact dissolution would have on village and non-village town residents. This plan is voted upon by village voters only. About 15% of villages cross other municipal boundaries. More than 70 villages are located in two or more towns. Seven villages are in two counties. The village of Saranac Lake

10028-405: The term "Board of Supervisors." 34 counties have a County Legislature, six counties have a Board of Legislators, and one county has a Board of Representatives. The five counties, or boroughs, of New York City are governed by a 51-member City Council. In non-charter counties, the legislative body exercises executive power as well. Although the legislature can delegate certain functions and duties to

10137-503: The town of Palm Tree in Orange County was incorporated in 2019 and is coterminous with the village of Kiryas Joel , having acquired land from the town of Monroe . When such an entity is formed, officials from either unit of government may serve in both village and town governments simultaneously. A referendum is held to decide whether residents prefer a village-style or town-style government, which will then function primarily as

10246-582: The town of East-Hampton". Sons of Rev. Peter Hobart, founding minister of Old Ship Church in Hingham, Massachusetts , Josiah Hobart and his brother Joshua both migrated to Long Island with their families. Josiah Hobart settled in East Hampton, where he served as High Sheriff of Suffolk County. His brother Joshua, a minister, went to Southold , where he served the town for 45 years. Isaac Van Scoy from Amagansett wed Mercy Edwards in February 1757, and during

10355-419: The town or towns in which they are located. Village residents pay both town and village taxes, and vote in town and village elections. Those services not provided by the village are provided by the town or towns containing the village. As of the 2000 census, 9.9% of the state's population was living in one of the 556 villages in New York. The legislature of a village is the board of trustees, composed of

10464-534: The train into New York City–thus saving a day in transit. The grand plans for Montauk did not pan out. The land was sold to the United States Army. Theodore Roosevelt made a much publicized visit to Camp Wyckoff there at the end of the Spanish–American War . In 1926, Carl G. Fisher intended to revive the dream of an urban Montauk, with plans to develop it as a destination, the Miami Beach of

10573-580: The various units of government that provide local services in the American state of New York . The state is divided into boroughs , counties, cities, towns, and villages. (The only boroughs, the five boroughs of New York City, have the same boundaries as their respective counties.) They are municipal corporations , chartered (created) by the New York State Legislature , as under the New York State Constitution

10682-663: The war and the capital of Virginia. Her father and one of her sons are buried in the South End Burial Ground in East Hampton. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was born at Southampton Hospital on July 28, 1929. She would have been born in New York City but she was six weeks late. Her parents, Janet Norton Lee and John Vernou Bouvier III , known as "Black Jack," were staying at Lasata , the East Hampton home of her paternal grandfather, Major John Vernou Bouvier Jr. Her parents had been married at St. Philomena's Catholic Church in East Hampton on July 7, 1928. The reception

10791-464: The whaling industry dropped off dramatically because of the rise of alternative fuel products. Among the sea captains of Sag Harbor were ancestors of politician Howard Dean , who was born in East Hampton. The most famous voyages out of Sag Harbor were those by Mercator Cooper . In 1845 he was on an American ship that picked up shipwrecked Japanese sailors in the Bonin Islands and returned them to Tokyo . In 1853 Cooper traveled with an expedition to

10900-471: The years the Montaukett intermarried with other peoples of the area, but brought up many of their descendants as Montaukett in their culture. When Arthur W. Benson brought a government auction of Montauk, New York , in which he bought nearly the entire east end of the town, he evicted the Montaukett. They relocated to Freetown , a community established by free people of color on the northern edge of East Hampton Village. The tribe made several attempts to get

11009-566: Was born on Gardiners Island and her father had a house in East Hampton village. On February 28, 1844, she and her father, David Gardiner , were part of the Presidential party aboard the USS ; Princeton when a malfunctioning cannon exploded. Her father and two Cabinet officers were killed. According to legend Julia fainted into the arms of President John Tyler (who had earlier lost his first wife). They married four months later, creating

11118-482: Was built in 1680 for Josiah Hobart, a prominent early settler, named in the first formal deed of conveyance of East Hampton. This was known as the East-Hampton Pattent or Dongan Patent . The 1686 instrument granting the Town of East Hampton to its new proprietors was signed by Thomas Dongan , then Governor of New York. The patent named Capt. Hobart one of "Trustees of the freeholders and commonalty of

11227-610: Was developed originally for agriculture, the settlers soon discovered that whales frequently beached along the South shore of the town. The whales could be carved up for food and oil. Town laws were written to regulate the proper handling of such carcasses. As the demand for whale products grew, residents became more aggressive in their harvesting techniques. No longer content to settle for harvesting beached whales, they began harvesting live whales that were coming near shore. Northwest Harbor, located at Northwest Landing on Gardiner's Bay,

11336-497: Was held at the East Hampton village home of her maternal grandparents, James T. Lee and Margaret Lee, located on Lily Pond. Her family were members of the Maidstone Club . She and her younger sister, Lee Bouvier , spent their summers at the house in East Hampton until she was 10, when her parents divorced. Her connection to East Hampton received renewed national attention in the 1970s. It was covered in news reports following

11445-537: Was later changed to "Easthampton", reflecting the geographic names of its neighbors, Southampton and Westhampton. In 1885 the name was split into two words, after the local newspaper the East Hampton Star began using the two-word name. "Maidstone" is frequently used in place names throughout the town, including the Maidstone Golf Club . Deep Hollow Ranch , established in 1658 in Montauk,

11554-443: Was never armed. The fort was unusual in that it seems to have arisen entirely out of wartime fears. Most forts of its era were started based on recommendations of the 1885 Board of Fortifications and were already under construction (though years from completion) when war broke out. Thus, in most cases the temporary batteries were to quickly provide some armament for pre-existing forts. The shifting sands caused continuing problems for

11663-624: Was one of a number of batteries built shortly after the outbreak of the war, as it was feared the Spanish fleet would bombard the US east coast. The "Report of the Commission on the Conduct of the War with Spain" states the platforms were ready, but does not state that the guns were mounted. There are two stories as to who the permanent fort was named for. One source states it was named for Daniel Tyler ,

11772-504: Was the third Connecticut settlement on the East end of Long Island. East Hampton formally united with Connecticut in 1657. Long Island was formally declared to be part of New York (and also subject to English law) by Charles II of England after four British frigates captured what is today New York City , releasing East Hampton from its Connecticut governance. East Hampton was first called Maidstone, after Maidstone , Kent, England . The name

11881-562: Was the town's first harbor. The harbor turned out to be too shallow for large ships, so a larger port was developed two miles (3 km) West, at Sag Harbor. Some accounts say that it was named because of its relation to the settlement of Sagaponack, New York in the Town of Southampton. At the peak of the whaling industry, in 1847, some 60 whale ships were based in Sag Harbor, employing 800 men in related businesses. Herman Melville made numerous references to this village in his novel, Moby-Dick . The port rivaled that of New York. After 1847

#635364