Roosevelt Field is a former airport, located in Westbury, Long Island, New York. Originally called the Hempstead Plains Aerodrome, or sometimes Hempstead Plains field or the Garden City Aerodrome, it was a training field (Hazelhurst Field) for the Air Service, United States Army during World War I .
92-606: The Hempstead Plains is a region of central Long Island , in what is now Nassau County , in New York State. It was once an open expanse of native grassland estimated to once extend to about 60,000 acres (240 km; 94 sq mi). It was separated from the North Shore of Long Island by the Harbor Hill Moraine , later approximately Route 25 . The modern Hempstead Turnpike approximately traces
184-738: A boundary dispute, they drove out English settlers from the Oyster Bay area. However, in 1664, the English returned to take over the Dutch colony of New Netherland , including Long Island. The 1664 land patent granted to the Duke of York included all islands in Long Island Sound. The Duke of York held a grudge against Connecticut, as New Haven had hidden three of the judges ( John Dixwell , Edward Whalley and William Goffe ) who sentenced
276-513: A crucial role in the subsistence economy. The Long Island natives lived in villages of differing sizes and their governing style, because of a lack of evidence, can only be guessed. However, anthropological models suggest that the leaders did not have overarching authority over the rest of the village. Rather, the leaders often sought advice from the elders. The early settlers of Long Island were likely tied by kinship and did not identify themselves as distinct tribes. These tribes were designated by
368-497: A devastating attack that killed 80 Native Americans. Despite shifting claims to title and absentee land sales, European settlers continued to purchase land directly from indigenous people. In 1655, they split the acquired land amongst themselves and continued to search the island for more land for settlement. On June 10, 1664, other parts of indigenous land were bought, including present-day Brookhaven , Bellport , and South Haven , in exchange for four coats and 6 pounds 10 shilling -
460-400: A plan to use counterfeiting to induce economic sabotage. Long Island's colonists supported both Loyalist and Patriot causes, with many prominent families divided among both sides. During the occupation, British forces utilized a number of civilian structures for defense and were also at times quartered in local homes. A number of structures from this era remain. Among these are Raynham Hall ,
552-606: A shopping mall. Aline Rhonie Hofheimer (1909–1963), painted a 126-foot fresco representing aviation history in Roosevelt Field, Long Island. It has since been relocated to the Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology in Queens, NY. Manhattan -based real estate company Webb and Knapp gained a controlling interest in the airfield in 1950 and later built light factories on the former Unit 2. Currently its site
644-697: A struggle over between the Pequot tribe of Connecticut, who exerted control over eastern Long Island, and the English New England Colonies , reshaped alliances and power dynamics in the region. The defeat of the Pequots left a void in eastern Long Island's political landscape, who were historically under the influence of the Connecticut Pequots for trade and protection. Indigenous leaders such as Uncas and Ninigret , alongside
736-431: A value that, accounting for monetary inflation through 2017, is currently worth approximately $ 840. During King Philip's War in 1675, the governor of New York , Edmund Andros , ordered that all canoes east of Hell Gate be confiscated. This was done to prevent local indigenous people from helping their Native allies on the mainland, who were attacking New England settlers there. Notable sachems, such as Tackapousha of
828-469: A widespread technological innovation during this era, serving not only practical storage and cooking purposes but also functioning as a medium for cultural expression. The stylistic variations in pottery across different sites on Long Island suggest a rich diversity of cultural identities and the exchange of ideas among various groups. Additionally, this period was marked by participation in trade networks with other Northeastern Indigenous communities. During
920-589: Is also translated as "loose" or "scattered", which may refer either to the wampum or to Long Island. The name "'t Lange Eylandt alias Matouwacs" appears in Dutch maps from the 1650s, with 't Lange Eylandt translating it to "Long Island" from Old Dutch . The English referred to Long Island as "Nassau Island", after the House of Nassau of the Dutch Prince William of Nassau, Prince of Orange (who later also ruled as King William III of England ). It
1012-499: Is part of Rhode Island, and numerous smaller islands extend farther into the Atlantic Ocean . To the extreme southwest, Long Island, at Brooklyn , is separated from Staten Island and the state of New Jersey by Upper New York Bay , The Narrows , and Lower New York Bay . With a population of 8,063,232 residents as of the 2020 U.S. census , Long Island constitutes 40% of New York state's entire population. Long Island
SECTION 10
#17327720692531104-490: Is the most populous island in any U.S. state or territory, the third-most populous island in the Americas after Hispaniola and Cuba , and the 18th-most populous island in the world ahead of Ireland , Jamaica , and Hokkaidō . Its population density is 5,859.5 inhabitants per square mile (2,262.4/km ). Long Island is culturally and ethnically diverse , featuring some of the wealthiest and most expensive neighborhoods in
1196-475: Is unclear when the name "Nassau Island" was discontinued. Another indigenous name from colonial time, Paumanok , comes from the Native American name for Long Island and means "the island that pays tribute." The very first European settlements on Long Island were by settlers from England and its colonies in present-day New England . Lion Gardiner settled nearby Gardiners Island. The first settlement on
1288-556: The Algonquian peoples of Long Island and Europeans occurred with the arrival of explorers in the early 17th century, first contacted by Henry Hudson and his crew. These interactions were initially characterized by curiosity and tentative exchanges, but conflicts later emerged between them. Despite this, mutually beneficial trade ensued, with the Algonquian trading fur for clothing, metal, guns, and alcohol. The Dutch, recognizing
1380-738: The Gold Coast of the North Shore and the Five Towns area on the South Shore . South Shore communities are built along protected wetlands of the island and contain white sandy beaches of Outer Barrier Islands fronting on the Atlantic Ocean. Dutch and English settlers from the time before the American Revolutionary War , as well as communities of Native Americans, populated the island. The 19th century saw
1472-473: The Gold Coast . This period and the area was immortalized in fiction, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby , which has also been adapted in films . The gradual decline in Indigenous authority reached a critical point when it led to the formal obliteration of acknowledgement for many tribes. A poignant example of this phenomenon occurred in 1910, when a legal decree by New York State pronounced
1564-634: The Harbor Hill moraine . The more southerly moraine, known as the Ronkonkoma moraine , forms the "backbone" of Long Island; it runs primarily through the very center of Long Island, roughly coinciding with the length of the Long Island Expressway . Roosevelt Field, New York In 1919, it was renamed in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt 's son, Quentin , who was killed in air combat during World War I . Roosevelt Field
1656-516: The Invasion of Quebec before transferring to the 3rd New York in 1776. Seeing action at Monmouth , Willett then participated in the 1778 Sullivan Campaign . He was made the colonel of the 5th New York in 1780 and the Tryon County militia in 1781, where he fought at Johnstown . On August 22, 1830, Willett died and was buried in the graveyard of Trinity Church . The Willets Point and
1748-754: The Long Island Motor Parkway , which ran north of and parallel to Stewart Avenue, became the Old Westbury Golf Course, while the area to the east of the golf course was used as the Meadow Brook Polo Field. Both areas are now completely developed. In pursuit of the Orteig Prize , René Fonck attempted to take off the Sikorsky S-35 from Roosevelt Field's long runway on September 21, 1926, but
1840-700: The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) began service in 1836 from the South Ferry in Brooklyn , through the remainder of Brooklyn, to Jamaica in Queens . The line was completed to the east end of Long Island in 1844, as part of a plan for transportation to Boston . Competing railroads, soon absorbed by the LIRR, were built along the south shore to accommodate travelers from those more populated areas. For
1932-809: The New York University Tandon School of Engineering , the Zucker School of Medicine , and the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research . As a hub of commercial aviation , Long Island is home to two of the nation's and New York metropolitan area 's busiest airports, JFK International Airport and LaGuardia Airport . Also located on Long Island are Long Island MacArthur Airport and two major air traffic control radar facilities, New York TRACON and New York ARTCC. Long Island has nine major bridges and thirteen navigable tunnels, which connect Brooklyn and Queens to
SECTION 20
#17327720692532024-458: The Outer Lands region, is formed largely of two spines of glacial moraine , with a large, sandy outwash plain beyond. These moraines consist of gravel and loose rock left behind during the two most recent pulses of Wisconsin glaciation during the ice ages some 21,000 years ago (19,000 BC). The northern moraine, which directly abuts the North Shore of Long Island at points, is known as
2116-734: The Oyster Bay home of patriot spy Robert Townsend , and the Caroline Church in Setauket , which contains bullet holes from a skirmish known as the Battle of Setauket . Also in existence is a reconstruction of Brooklyn's Old Stone House , on the site of the Maryland 400 's celebrated last stand during the Battle of Long Island . In the 19th century, Long Island was still mainly rural and devoted to agriculture . The predecessor to
2208-600: The South , were followed by more recent immigrants from Asia and Latin America . Long Island has many ethnic Irish , Jews , and Italians . In later immigration trends, Asians , Hispanics , Afghans , Arabs , and Indians arrived on Long Island. The westernmost end of Long Island contains the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn (Kings County) and Queens (Queens County). The central and eastern portions contain
2300-637: The U.S. Air Service in Louisiana. On September 24, 1918, the Army dedicated the eastern portion of Hazelhurst Field No. 1 as Roosevelt Field . Air Service units that assigned to Hazelhurst Field were: On the morning of 5 July 1919, the British R34 (airship) landed after having crossed the Atlantic as the first aircraft to cross in the east–west direction. It later returned to Britain, being
2392-521: The U.S. House of Representatives , where he served until 1791. Francis Lewis from Brookhaven on Long Island, another signer of the Declaration of Independence , had his home destroyed and his wife Elizabeth arrested by the British after the battle of Long Island. George Washington managed her release by having the wives of two wealthy Loyalists from Philadelphia arrested, and then exchanging
2484-802: The United States and on the North American continent dates back to the establishment of the Newmarket course on the Salisbury Plains section of the Hempstead Plains of Long Island in 1665. This first racing meet in North America was supervised by New York's colonial governor, Richard Nicolls . The area is now occupied by the present Nassau County region of Greater Westbury and Garden City . The year 1905 saw
2576-497: The suburban Nassau and Suffolk counties. However, colloquial usage of the term "Long Island" usually refers only to Nassau and Suffolk counties. For example, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York has a district named "Long Island (Nassau-Suffolk Metro Division)." At least as late as 1911, locations in Queens were still commonly referred to as being on Long Island. Some institutions in the New York City section of
2668-456: The 1940s, on the site of the former Salisbury Golf Links. The county facility has been known as Eisenhower Park since 1971. Even during the later era of air flight activity on the Hempstead Plains, part of the east section of privately owned Roosevelt Field became Roosevelt Raceway , first a popular auto-racing site and then the pioneering standardbred track in horse racing , from 1940 to its closing in 1988. Another pioneering industry on
2760-663: The Crown by creating him Lord Alexander of Tullibody and Viscount of Stirling . On April 22 of that year Charles told the Plymouth Colony , which had laid claim to Long Island but had not settled it, to cede it to Alexander. When his agent James Farret arrived in New Amsterdam in 1637 to present his claim of English sovereignty, he was arrested and imprisoned in Holland , but later escaped from prison. The Pequot War,
2852-590: The Duke's father, King Charles I , to death in 1649. Settlers throughout Suffolk County pressed to stay part of Connecticut, but Governor Sir Edmund Andros threatened to eliminate the settlers' rights to land if they did not yield, which they did by 1676. All of Long Island along with islands between Long Island and Connecticut became part of the Province of New York within the Shire of York . Present-day Suffolk County
Hempstead Plains - Misplaced Pages Continue
2944-776: The Dutch but released after saying they were mistaken about the title. Through Farret, who received Shelter Island and Robins Island , Alexander in turn sold most of the eastern island to the New Haven and Connecticut colonies. As European settlers proliferated on Long Island, the ecosystem underwent significant transformation, and the dynamics between Native Americans and Europeans shifted. The Europeans cleared vast areas of traditional hunting grounds and introduced livestock that damaged Native crops. Europeans also began to encroach on Native land, and this growing proximity heightened tensions. This culminated in Kieft's War , initiated by
3036-408: The English settled on the eastern side, buying land from any sachems who were willing to sell to them. The perspectives on these land purchases likely varied significantly between Native Americans and Europeans. Europeans viewed land transactions as opportunities for exclusive ownership and permanent settlement, while the Algonquian peoples viewed the transaction as temporary and communal. Additionally,
3128-472: The European market, particularly through their labor and the dwindling fur and wampum trades. By the 18th century, most native lands had been seized, leaving only small parcels, and many Indigenous people were relegated to roles as domestics, laborers, guides, and seamen. William Floyd was born on Long Island on December 17, 1734. In 1654, his family emigrated to North America. By the time of Floyd's birth,
3220-622: The Europeans as a method of identifying borders. However, there seems to be two, overlapping, but different cultures. Western Long Island natives probably spoke the Delaware-Munsee dialect. The eastern group's language is less well-founded, but it is most likely related to the southern New England Algonquian dialect. The kinship system likely kept Long Island natives together with clans in present-day New Jersey , Massachusetts , Connecticut , and Rhode Island . Giovanni da Verrazzano
3312-546: The Hamptons, and for the Montauk Point Lighthouse at the eastern tip of the island. The Pine Barrens is a preserved pine forest encompassing much of eastern Suffolk County. A detailed geomorphological study of Long Island provides evidence of glacial history of the kame and terminal moraines of the island which were formed by the advance and retreat of two ice sheets . Long Island, as part of
3404-411: The Hempstead Plains had earned the appellation "Cradle of Aviation". The Hempstead Plains Aerodrome was renamed to in 1917 to Hazelhurst Field, and again in 1918 to Roosevelt Field on the eastern half, and Curtiss Field to the west. These facilities and Mitchel Field provided the eastern United States' hub of private, and even military, air activity. The most famous flight from the Hempstead Plains
3496-596: The Hempstead Plains was aviation. In July 1909, aviator and manufacturer Glenn Curtiss relocated his base of operation from his native upstate New York to Mineola . Curtiss, at the controls of his biplane the Golden Flyer, circled the plains' Washington Avenue field for more than 52 minutes, demonstrating the aircraft's capabilities and earning the Scientific American prize for a flight of more than 25 kilometres (16 mi). Some 15 years later,
3588-497: The Hempstead branch line of the Long Island Rail Road was acquired for expansion, becoming Camp Mills along Clinton Road and Hazelhurst Aviation Field No. 2 to the east, part of the massive Air Service Aviation Concentration Center. Hazelhurst Field No. 2 was renamed Mitchel Field on July 16, 1918, to commemorate John Purroy Mitchel , the former mayor of New York killed in a flying accident on July 6, 1918, while training with
3680-474: The Island's key role in the history of aviation. From the 1920s to the 1940s, Long Island began the transformation from backwoods and farms as developers created numerous suburbs. Numerous branches of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) already enabled commuting from the suburbs to Manhattan. Robert Moses engineered various automobile parkway projects to span the island, and developed beaches and state parks for
3772-504: The Late Woodland Period, there was a noticeable intensification of agriculture, with maize becoming a staple crop alongside beans and squash. This agricultural advancement supported larger populations and led to the establishment of more permanent villages characterized by substantial dwellings, mostly wigwams and longhouses . The increased reliance on farming did not eliminate hunting and gathering, which continued to play
Hempstead Plains - Misplaced Pages Continue
3864-779: The Massapequa, saw their influence wane post-King Philip's War in 1675. In the face of escalating tensions between French and English settlers, these Indigenous figures endeavored to mediate and protect their communities. However efforts to maintain land rights were undermined by disease, deceit, infringements of land patents, and cultural misunderstandings. After the Dutch began to colonize Manhattan, many indigenous people moved to Pennsylvania and Delaware . Many of those who stayed behind died from smallpox , which spread to North America via European colonists and resulted in large scale deaths due to lack of antibodies and natural resistance which Eurasian peoples had gained with their exposure to
3956-504: The Montaukett "tribe" extinct, ignoring the presence and testimonies of its members in court. Such decrees were used to facilitate the encroachment on Native American lands with greater ease, granting legal legitimacy to the acts of settler colonialism. In the absence of legally recognized Indigenous territories, settlers could assert ownership over Native lands without engaging in negotiations or offering compensation. This act represented
4048-471: The Native Americans governance style of weak leadership and undefined hunting grounds, did not align with the European's need for strict boundaries. This confusion resulted in conflict and boundary disputes for many years after. In 1640, English colonists attempted to settle Cow Bay in what is present-day Port Washington . After an alert by Native leader Penhawitz , the colonists were arrested by
4140-560: The New England Colonies, vied to fill this vacuum, with the colonists eventually prevailing over their indigenous rivals. In 1639, Lion Gardiner secured the first purchase of eastern Long Island land, an islet off of present-day East Hampton . The period between 1636 and 1648 marked a time of land acquisition in Long Island by Dutch and English colonists. The Dutch occupied a small portion of western Long Island while
4232-551: The Plains region. The west section of Roosevelt Field (once known as Curtiss Field before its 1929 merger with Roosevelt) ceased operations in 1951 and has been occupied since 1956 by the Roosevelt Field Mall , one of the world's largest indoor shopping centers. To the east, the former Roosevelt Raceway section is occupied by a multiplex cinema, Target department store, and luxury condominiums. The section north of
4324-521: The Space Age. Grumman was one of the major contractors that helped to build the early lunar flight and Space Shuttle vehicles. Although the aircraft companies eventually ended their Long Island operations and the early airports were all later closed. Roosevelt Field, for instance, became the site of a major shopping mall , the Cradle of Aviation Museum on the site of the former Mitchel Field documents
4416-454: The accompanying Mets-Willets Point station is named in his honor. Early in the American Revolutionary War , the island was captured by the British from American troops under George Washington in the battle of Long Island, a major battle after which Washington narrowly evacuated his troops from Brooklyn Heights under a dense fog. After the British victory on Long Island, many Patriots withdrew, leaving mostly Loyalists behind. The island
4508-450: The age of 25, 42.6% hold a college degree or higher educational degree. Unemployment on Long Island stays consistently below 4%. Biotechnology companies , engineering , and scientific research play a significant role in Long Island's economy, including research facilities at Brookhaven National Laboratory , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory , Stony Brook University , New York Institute of Technology , Plum Island Animal Disease Center ,
4600-581: The aircraft was severely overweight and stressed the auxiliary landing gear mounted to help support the load, losing a wheel. Unable to gain lift speed, the plane cartwheeled off the end of the bluff and burst into flames, killing two of its crew. The following May, operating from a hangar at Curtiss Field, Charles Lindbergh used the Roosevelt Field runway for the takeoff of the Spirit of St. Louis on his flight to Paris. Both fields were bought in 1929 by Roosevelt Field, Inc. The western field, called "Unit 2", and
4692-741: The beginning of the 21st century, a number of Long Island communities had converted their assets from industrial uses to post-industrial roles. Brooklyn reversed decades of population decline and factory closings to resurface as a globally renowned cultural and intellectual hotbed. Gentrification has impacted much of Brooklyn and a portion of Queens , relocating a sizeable swath of New York City's population. On eastern Long Island, Port Jefferson , Patchogue , and Riverhead evolved from inactive shipbuilding and mill towns into tourist-centric commercial centers with cultural attractions. The descendants of late 19th and early 20th-century immigrants from southern and Eastern Europe , and Black migrants from
SECTION 50
#17327720692534784-654: The century from 1830 until 1930, total population roughly doubled every twenty years, with more dense development in areas near Manhattan. Several cities were incorporated, such as the "City of Brooklyn" in Kings County, and Long Island City in Queens. Until completion of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883, the only means of travel between Long Island and the rest of the United States was by boat or ship. As other bridges and tunnels were constructed, areas of
4876-424: The close of the 19th century, wealthy industrialists who made vast fortunes during the Gilded Age began to construct large "baronial" country estates in Nassau County communities along the North Shore of Long Island, favoring the many properties with water views. Proximity to Manhattan attracted such men as J. P. Morgan , William K. Vanderbilt , and Charles Pratt , whose estates led to this area being nicknamed
4968-410: The disease. Native American land deeds recorded by the Dutch from 1636 state that the Indians referred to Long Island as Sewanhaka . Sewanhacky and Sewanhacking were other spellings in the transliteration of the Lenape . Sewan was one of the terms for wampum , commemorative stringed shell beads, for a while also used as currency by colonists in trades with the Lenape, and
5060-570: The eastern region of Long Island was first settled by the English, the western portion of Long Island was settled by the Dutch; until 1664, the jurisdiction of Long Island was split between the Dutch and English, roughly at the present border between Nassau County and Suffolk County . The Dutch founded six towns in present-day Brooklyn beginning in 1645. These included: Brooklyn , Gravesend , Flatlands , Flatbush , New Utrecht , and Bushwick . The Dutch had granted an English settlement in Hempstead, New York (now in Nassau County) in 1644, but after
5152-432: The easternmost point of the South Fork (and all of Long Island) is Montauk Point . Long Island's East End remains semi-rural, as in Greenport on the North Fork and some of the periphery of the area prominently known as The Hamptons , although summer tourism swells the population in those areas. The North Fork has developed a burgeoning wine region . In addition, the South Fork is known for beach communities, including
5244-500: The enjoyment of residents and visitors from the city. Gradually, development also followed these parkways, with various communities springing up along the more traveled routes. After World War II , suburban development increased with incentives under the G.I. Bill , and Long Island's population skyrocketed, mostly in Nassau County and western Suffolk County. Second and third-generation children of immigrants moved out to eastern Long Island to settle in new housing developments built during
5336-411: The family was established and wealthy. He was a member of the Suffolk County Militia in the beginning of the American Revolution , and rose to the rank of Major General. In 1774, he was chosen as a representative from New York to the First Continental Congress . After the battle of Long Island , his estate was confiscated by the British army and was used as a cavalry base. In 1789, Floyd was elected to
5428-479: The final stage in the thorough domination and displacement of Native American communities on Long Island. Charles Lindbergh lifted off from Roosevelt Field with his Spirit of Saint Louis for his historic 1927 solo flight to Europe, one of the events that helped to establish Long Island as an early center of aviation during the 20th century. Other famous aviators such as Wiley Post originated notable flights from Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, which became
5520-416: The first aircraft to complete an Atlantic crossing in both directions. After the armistice , the Air Service authorized several companies to operate from the fields but maintained control until July 1, 1920, at which time the government sold its buildings and improvements and relinquished control of the property. Once in civilian hands, the owners sold portions along the southern edge of the field and split
5612-402: The first major airport serving New York City before it was superseded by the opening of La Guardia Airport in 1939. Long Island was also the site of Mitchel Air Force Base and was a major center of military aircraft production by companies such as Grumman and Fairchild Aircraft during World War II and for some decades afterward. Aircraft production on Long Island extended all the way into
SECTION 60
#17327720692535704-500: The geographic Long Island itself was on October 21, 1640, when Southold was established by the Rev. John Youngs and settlers from New Haven , Connecticut. Peter Hallock, one of the settlers, drew the long straw and was granted the honor to step ashore first. He is considered the first New World settler on Long Island. Southampton was settled in the same year. Hempstead followed in 1644, East Hampton in 1648, Huntington in 1653, Brookhaven in 1655, and Smithtown in 1665. While
5796-475: The groundwork for the region's rich ecosystems. These nomadic hunter-gatherers, equipped with stone tools, navigated the newly emerging landscapes, hunting large game and gathering from the abundant natural resources. Following the Paleo-Indian period, the Archaic Period marked a broadening of subsistence strategies. The inhabitants of Long Island diversified their diet, exploiting the rich marine and terrestrial environments. The main source of protein came from
5888-476: The housing and recreational facilities for Hofstra University . The last remaining few acres of untouched Hempstead Plains ground exist: Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York state , extending into the Atlantic Ocean . It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land area. The island extends from New York Harbor 118 miles (190 km) eastward into
5980-404: The infusion of the wealthiest Americans in the so-called Gold Coast of the North Shore , where wealthy Americans and Europeans in the Gilded Age built lavish country homes. East of Riverhead in Suffolk County, Long Island splits into two peninsulas (colloquially referred to as "Forks"), which are separated by the Peconic Bay . The easternmost point of the North Fork is Orient Point , and
6072-461: The island began to be developed as residential suburbs, first around the railroads that offered commuting into the city. On January 1, 1898, Kings County and portions of Queens County were consolidated into the City of Greater New York , abolishing all cities and towns within them. The easternmost 280 square miles (730 km ) of Queens County, which were not part of the consolidation plan, separated from Queens in 1899 to form Nassau County. At
6164-400: The island use the island's names, like Long Island University and Long Island Jewish Medical Center . In 1985, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in United States v. Maine that Long Island is integrally related to the mainland enough that Long Island Sound and the western part of Block Island Sound constitute a "juridical bay" for the purpose of determining maritime state boundaries. In
6256-403: The main island and the surrounding outer barrier islands . To its west, Long Island is separated from Manhattan Island and the Bronx by the East River tidal estuary . North of the island is Long Island Sound , across which lie Westchester County, New York , and the state of Connecticut . Across the Block Island Sound to the northeast is the state of Rhode Island . Block Island , which
6348-399: The ocean with a maximum north–south width of 23 miles (37 km). With a land area of 1,401 square miles (3,630 km ), it is the largest island in the contiguous United States . Long Island is divided among four counties , with Kings (Brooklyn), Queens , and Nassau counties occupying its western third and Suffolk County its eastern two-thirds. Long Island may refer both to
6440-418: The opening of Belmont Park on part of the western edge of the Hempstead Plains. Its mile and a half main track is the largest dirt Thoroughbred race course in the world, and it has the sport's largest grandstand. The South Westbury section of the plains is (appropriately) known as Salisbury , and Nassau County's largest park (more than 800 acres (3 km²)) was established in the region as Salisbury Park in
6532-407: The plain into two large fields. The U.S. Army Signal Corps established the Signal Corps Aviation Station, Mineola , on the west field in July 1916, as a pilot training school for members of the National Guard . When the U.S. entered the war in April 1917, the entire field was taken over and renamed Hazelhurst Field after Leighton Wilson Hazelhurst Jr. Hazelhurst was a native of Georgia and
6624-463: The popular media, this has been often misinterpreted as a ruling that Long Island is legally not an island. The United States Board on Geographic Names still considers Long Island an island, because it is surrounded by water. There are few tall buildings on Long Island . Nassau County is more densely developed than Suffolk County. While affluent overall, Nassau County has pockets of more pronounced wealth with estates covering greater acreage within
6716-474: The post-war boom. Levittown became noted as a suburb, where housing construction was simplified to be produced on a large scale. These provided opportunities for white World War II military veterans returning home to buy houses and start a family. In his 1966 book, My Private America ( Moja prywatna Ameryka ), Kazimierz Wierzyński , a Polish poet who could not go back to Poland after World War II, describes Polish farmers living there, as "walking novels". At
6808-526: The raceway, development on which dates back to the 1960s, is occupied by The Source Mall anchored by Costco (and formerly by the flagship of the Fortunoff department stores). Mitchel Field , which includes the Hempstead Plains site formerly known as Camp Mills , housed an Air Force base until 1961 and is currently used for multiple sites, including the Cradle of Aviation Museum , Nassau Community College , Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum , and some of
6900-414: The remainder of the property into two separate areas. Curtiss Field , a 300-acre airport on the original site of Hazelhurst Field, occupied half of the western portion along Clinton Road. Roosevelt Field occupied the remainder, consisting of seven hangars and a large parking ramp adjacent to Curtiss Field, and an east–west packed clay runway 5000 feet in length on the bluff. The area between Curtiss Field and
6992-555: The runway atop the bluff, called "Unit 1", were connected by a broad earthen taxi ramp and the consolidated property was named Roosevelt Field. Unit 1 was sold in 1936 and became the Roosevelt Raceway , while Unit 2 continued to operate as an aviation center under the name Roosevelt Field. At its peak in the 1930s, it was America's busiest civilian airfield. Roosevelt Field was used by the Navy and Army during World War II. After
7084-575: The sea, consisting of fish and shellfish, oysters being of particular importance. Deer and other wild game and various plant foods also became part of their regular diet. The archaeological record also reveals a shift towards a more settled lifestyle, with small bands forming seasonal settlements. The indigenous peoples in the Early and Middle Woodland period began developing horticulture as well as more efficient strategies for hunting and gathering. They established year-round settlements. Pottery emerged as
7176-505: The separation of the plain from the South Shore of Long Island . The east–west extent was from somewhat west of the modern Queens, New York City border to slightly beyond the Suffolk County border. The Town of Hempstead , now America's most populous civil township, was first settled by Europeans around 1644. Although the settlers were from the English colony of Connecticut , a patent was issued by Dutch New Netherland after
7268-660: The settlers had purchased land from the local Native Americans. The town may have been named for either Hemel Hempstead in England, or the city of Heemstede in North Holland . In early US history, the Hempstead Plains region was cited as one of the few natural prairies east of the Allegheny Mountains . Long Island historians George Dade and Frank Strand wrote that it was created by an outwash of glacial sediment more than ten thousand years ago. The result
7360-435: The three other boroughs of New York City. Ferries connect Suffolk County northward across Long Island Sound to Connecticut . Long Island Rail Road is the busiest commuter railroad in North America and operates continuously. As the last Ice Age waned with Wisconsin glaciation , early Paleo-Indians ventured into the evolving landscapes of present-day Long Island, marking a significant environmental shifts and laying
7452-597: The two for Mrs. Lewis. Marinus Willett , of Jamaica, Queens enlisted in the colonial militia after the French and Indian War broke out in 1754. He participated in the Ticonderoga campaign and the capture of Fort Frontenac in 1758. Joining the revolutionary Sons of Liberty in the 1770s, Willett shortly thereafter enlisted in the Continental Army in 1775. Serving in the 1st New York , he took part in
7544-616: The value of New England's fur market, forged long-term alliances with the Algonquians in 1613, ushering in permanent settlements. By 1621, the Dutch West India Company established itself in the Northeast. The Dutch West India Company established a foothold in the Northeast, initiating a lucrative trade in wampum —beads of significant cultural and economic importance to Native tribes across the Northeast. The wampum
7636-454: The war, Roosevelt Field reverted to operation as a commercial airport until it was acquired by real estate developers in 1950. The field closed on May 31, 1951. The eastern field first became an industrial park but is now largely retail shopping, including the Mall at The Source on the site of the former runway, and townhouses, while the site of the original flying field in 1911–1916 has become
7728-410: The world near the shorelines , as well as working-class areas in all four counties. As of 2022, Kings, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk counties collectively had a gross domestic product of approximately $ 500 billion. Median household income on the island significantly exceeds $ 100,000, and the median home price is approximately $ 600,000, with Nassau County approximating $ 700,000. Among residents over
7820-474: Was Charles Lindbergh 's 1927 journey to France. On May 20-May 21, Lindbergh, aboard the single-engine monoplane Spirit of St. Louis , was the first pilot to fly from the U.S. solo and nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean, flying from Roosevelt Field to Le Bourget , Paris , in 33½ hours. (His grandson Erik Lindbergh repeated this trip in 2002, 75 years later, in 17 hours 17 minutes.) With the mid-century period came suburbanization and commercial development of
7912-476: Was a British stronghold until the end of the war in 1783. General Washington based his intelligence activities on Long Island, due to the western part of the island's proximity to the British military headquarters in New York City. The Culper Ring included agents operating between Setauket and Manhattan. This ring alerted Washington to valuable British secrets, including the treason of Benedict Arnold and
8004-580: Was a graduate of the United States Military Academy . He reported for aeronautical duty at the Signal Corps Aviation School, Augusta, Georgia, on 2 March 1912. On 11 June 1912, while making a flight at College Park, Maryland, as a passenger in an airplane undergoing acceptance tests, the plane crashed to the ground and both the pilot and Lt. Hazelhurst were killed. An adjacent tract of land south of
8096-779: Was designated as the East Riding (of Yorkshire), present-day Brooklyn was part of the West Riding , and present-day Queens and Nassau were part of the larger North Riding . In 1683, Yorkshire was dissolved and the three original counties on Long Island were established: Kings, Queens, and Suffolk. Following the European colonization of the Americas , including Long Island, the Algonquian peoples found themselves increasingly marginalized, their ancient hunting grounds cleared for agriculture, and their economic systems integrated into
8188-481: Was primarily made by Long Island Native Americans. The Dutch would thus engage in a triangular trade: purchasing large quantities of wampum from Long Island, exchanging wampum for fur with inland tribes, and shipping the fur back to Europe. This triangular trade created peace amongst the Europeans and the Native Americans for decades. In 1636, Charles I of England , a Stuart , rewarded Scottish courtier , diplomat, and colonial governor William Alexander 's service to
8280-625: Was the first European to record an encounter with the Lenape people, after entering what is now New York Bay in 1524, however it is unclear whether he encountered Native Americans from Long Island. In 1609, the English navigator Henry Hudson explored the harbor and purportedly landed at present-day Coney Island . Dutch explorer Adriaen Block followed in 1615 and is credited as the first European to determine that both Manhattan and Long Island are islands. The first recorded encounters between
8372-476: Was the takeoff point for many historic flights in the early history of aviation , including Charles Lindbergh's 1927 solo transatlantic flight . It was also used by other pioneering aviators, including Amelia Earhart and Wiley Post . The Hempstead Plains Aerodrome originally encompassed 900 to 1,000 acres (405 ha) east of and abutting Clinton Road, south of and adjacent to Old Country Road, and west of Merrick Avenue. A bluff 15 feet in elevation divided
8464-492: Was vast, flat open land. The site is considered highly ecologically and historically significant. The Hempstead Plains supports populations of federally endangered and globally rare plants among its 250 different kinds of vegetation as well as several plant species that are now considered rare in New York State. It represents one of the most rapidly vanishing habitats in the world, along with scores of birds, butterflies, and other animals that are vanishing with it. Horse racing in
#252747