I've written many books about Long Island and the one thing that strikes me every time I work on a new book, is just how much history there is. No matter how much I write, I know there is always more to be discovered, Every LI locality has its own rich history filled with interesting moments and characters. Over the years I have encountered some really cool Long Island facts and I am going to share 10 of my favorite ones with you now.
1) Roosevelt Field was the starting point of the first transatlantic flight from America to Europe - but also the end point of the first reverse transatlantic flight from Europe to America, in 1932.
2) Two presidents who have visited what is now called Eisenhower Park were George W. Bush and Lyndon Baines Johnson.
3) Most of Long Island's physical geography was formed by glaciers over 10,0000 years ago.
4) More than 20,000 warplanes that helped the Allies win World War II were built on Long Island.
5) Some of the oldest buildings still standing in New York State are on Long Island, including the Old House in Cutchogue (1649).
6) There are rumors that the infamous Captain Kidd buried some treasure on Long Island in the 17th century.
7) The first train-car crash in the United States happened on Post Avenue in Westbury in 1901.
8) Taylor Swift's video for Blank Space, which has more than 3.2 billion views, was filmed in part at the Gold Coast Oheka Castle mansion in Huntington.
9) Jones Beach was artificially created in the 1920s from a wasteland of wetlands and scrub.
10) The immensely popular wine industry on Eastern Long Island was only introduced to the area 50 years ago, in 1973.
- Richard Panchyk 8/3/2023