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The Spirit of Northport: 1960s
 

Out With the Old, In With the New
The 1960s was a period of great change in Northport, as it was for the rest of the country. Northport neighborhoods lost several historic sites to the wrecking ball during this decade, but gained some new institutions in the process.
 
This Week's Featured Decade:

Northport/ East Northport in the 1960s
1961 - Davis Aircraft Products moved into the Thompson Building on the corner of Woodbine and Scudder.  They employed about 100 people, including engineers, researchers, and designers, and were best known for manufacturing seat belts. Davis Aircraft occupied the building until 1984.
Davis Aircraft Products moves to Woodbine Avenue
May 18, 1962 – First meeting of the Northport Historical Society, which was formed by Marilyn Campbell and friends in response to the razing of many historic buildings in the area.

1962 – Peter Gunther purchases the old Commercial Bar and Grill from Giuseppe Cavagnaro and Gunther’s Tap Room is born. The place becomes a favorite of “beat” writer Jack Kerouac.

December 30, 1962 – The Gwendoline Steers, a tugboat used by Steers Sand and Gravel Company, sank during an ice storm on Long Island Sound, killing all those aboard including its captain, Herbert Dickman. The next day, its lifeboat carrying the body of Second Engineer Hugh Reid was found encased in ice on Hobart Beach. 

1962 – 1967 – The first houses start to appear in “The Pit,” as part of the rehabilitation deal struck between Steers Sand and Gravel and the Village. By 1968, all sand mining, an industry which had been a major presence in Northport for over 100 years, ceased operations.
Construction of homes in "The Pit"
1964 – Northport High School Marching Band, led by Robert Krueger, Director of Music Education, opened the World’s Fair held in Flushing Meadow Park.
The Northport Marching Band at the 1964 World's Fair
1965 – The former Northport Country Club, founded in the 1920s, became the Crab Meadow Golf Course and was opened to the public thanks to efforts by Huntington Town Supervisor at the time, Robert J. Flynn.
 
1966 – The new Northport High School building opened on the corner of Elwood and Laurel Hill Roads. Initially built to hold 1800 students, it was designed to expand to hold 2500 if needed.

    – The Northport Public Library, built in 1914 on Main Street, with a grant from the Carnegie Corporation, moved to its bigger and more modern facilities on Laurel Avenue to better serve the rapidly expanding population.

    – Bellerose Avenue Elementary School opens.
 
1968 - The Red Barn Theater, the original carriage house for the Scudder homestead, which was converted into a summer stock theater in 1954, was destroyed by fire.
 
    – The old LILCO plant, a fixture on Woodbine Avenue since 1910, was demolished. The new plant was built at the head of Ocean Avenue.
Demolition of the old LILCO plant
1969 – The new Village Hall was dedicated during the Diamond Jubilee celebration marking the 75th Anniversary of the incorporation of the Village of Northport.
Construction of the new Village Hall
1969 – The Scudder homestead, built in 1767 by Captain William Smith Scudder which stood at the head of Northport Harbor on 25A, was razed.
The Scudder homestead
The Red Barn Theater was a summer stock venue located in the old carriage house of the Scudder homestead on 25A. It was started in the early 1950s by William Hunt and attracted both aspiring and professional actors. Productions which included Rashomon, Dial M for Murder, The Three Penny Opera, and The Fantastiks, continued each summer through 1967. It was a beloved institution in Northport until New York State acquired the property for a road widening project. The theater burned in an apparent act of vandalism in April of 1968. It took 80 firemen over three hours to extinguish the blaze which destroyed the 100-year-old wood barn. Shortly afterwards, the Scudder Homestead was razed by the state.
The Red Barn Theater
Announcing:

The “Spirit of Northport and East Northport” Photo Contest
We are excited to announce the “launch” of our latest photo contest. For the next few weeks in our newsletter we will continue to look, decade by decade from the 1940s through the 1990s, at important milestones in our area’s history.
We hope they will remind you of your own family stories, and jog your memory about photos you or your parents or grandparents might have saved that were taken during those years. We want to encourage you to contribute photographs you find from your own archives that capture the spirit of Northport/East Northport from that time- these images will be added to our collection to help illustrate and preserve the stories and visual history of our community.
Seymour's Boatyard, 1961
Photos, either originals or scanned copies, will be collected until April 15th, at which time our curator will pick one photo from each decade as a winner. All photos entered will have the chance to become part of the Northport Historical Society’s permanent photo collection, assuring your memories will become a part of Northport/East Northport’s shared history.
Ocean Avenue School, Mrs. Huntley's 5th Grade, 1960
Six winners will be announced. Each winner will receive a tote bag which includes: one year family membership to the Society, the book “Images of America: Northport,” a car magnet, a t-shirt, and other Society publications.
 

To Enter:
  • Please submit photographs of Northport or East Northport from 1940-1999, by scanning and emailing them to: curator@northporthistorical.org with “Photo Contest” and the date of the photo in the subject line. You may enter as many times and as many photos as you like.
  • Please include your name and contact info in the body of the email as well as a description of your photo, including, where, who, when, etc.
  • If you would like to mail an original or a copy of your photo, please send to: The Northport Historical Society, PO Box 545, Northport, NY 11768, Attn: Terry Reid/photo contest. Please include a note with your contact info and information regarding the photo.
  • Six winning photos, one for each decade, will be chosen by Terry Reid, curator of the Northport Historical Society, on or by April 20th.
  • Winners will be contacted on that day, and winning photos will be posted on the Northport Historical Society’s website, Facebook and Instagram.
We can't wait to see what you find!
Celebrating Black History Month:

 The Profile of a Remarkable Resident
Thomas Oscar Wood was born in 1902 to Thomas and Hattie Wood. Thomas Wood Sr. was employed by Charles T. Sammis and when he died, young Thomas was sent to live with Susan Sammis Quackenbush, Charles’ daughter who was married to Dr. Frank Quackenbush, the leading dentist in town. This arrangement was one way in which African American parents ensured the education of their children at that time. Thomas lived in an attic room in the Quackenbush home at 265  Main Street and worked for the family either in the dental office making dental plates, running errands, and later as a chauffeur.
The Quackenbush family treated Thomas more as a son than an employee, and in a time where most of the U.S. was segregated, Thomas was accepted at social gatherings and school.   
Thomas attended the school on School Street and was a talented athlete. He was Vice President of the school’s Athletic Association, was captain of the baseball team, and a member of the basketball team. He graduated in 1921, the first African American graduate of Northport High School.
Northport High School Basketball team, 1919-1920; Coach James Carter, center, Tom Wood on right, standing; Seated, Steve Cavagnaro, center, Frank Scudder on right
Thomas went on to marry, own a house at 768 Fort Salonga Road, (Monet Salon today) and have two children. He went to work for Grumman in 1943 and worked there until his retirement in 1966. Thomas’ son, Thomas David Wood, also worked for Grumman as an artist.
Thomas died at the age of 96, in 1999. He and his wife are buried in Genola Cemetery.
You can read more about the Wood family in African Americans in Northport, An Untold Story by Thelma Jackson which is available at the library, or you can purchase a copy by emailing: curator@northporthistorical.org
Mark Your Calendars...
for our upcoming Zoom Lecture hosted by Curator Terry Reid and Town of Huntington Historian Robert Hughes.

They will discuss their book Images of America: Northport on
Thursday, February 25 at 7:00pm

The event is free and you can register on our website: northporthistorical.org or click here to reserve your spot!
Images of America, Northport is available for sale!
All book sales support the Northport Historical Society's mission.  
$24 plus tax
To order, text 631 796-2316
 

Now is a great time to become a member!
Click below to join and support the Society's mission:
http://www.northporthistorical.org/membership
 


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Phone: (631)757-9859
Email: info@northporthistorical.org
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Northport Historical Society
PO Box 545
Northport, NY 11768






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Northport HIstorical Society · 215 Main Street · PO Box 545 · Northport, NY 11768 · USA

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