He is the longest serving town supervisor in all of New York State. This is his story and the story of … There are four public school districts in the township, of which two are entirely within the Town borders. [citation needed], The Town of Smithtown is also home to the Kings Park Central School District, a portion of the Commack Union-Free School District (shared with the Town of Huntington), a portion of the Hauppauge School District (shared with the Town of Islip) and a portion of the Sachem Central School District (shared with the Town of Brookhaven). In 1923, the casting was complete and ready for shipment but unfortunately, the funds were not raised and the statue was not shipped to Smithtown. Elections are held on odd numbered years with two of the councilmembers being up for re-election each year. View a slideshow of historic buildings in Smithtown. The Town of Smithtown has always been dominated by Republicans at all levels of government. By the end of the 19th century, the island had become a summer refuge for New York City residents. The racial makeup of the town was: There were 38,487 households, out of which 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.6% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.2% were non-families. New York State Senate Majority Leader John J. Flanagan has the bulk of his district located in Smithtown. Records of the town of Smithtown, Long Island, N.Y. : with other ancient documents of historic value Genealogy Gophers Smithtown, New York, 1660-1929 : looking back through the lens Family History … [citation needed], Smithtown Central School District is home of seven elementary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools. One of the most controversial figures in Long Island history is Richard (Bull) Smith (Smythe), the founder of Smithtown. The most Republican areas for Smithtown are its three incorporated villages, Nissequogue, Head of the Harbor, and the Branch, along with the hamlets of Smithtown and Kings Park. This one-party domination has often led to infighting between factions of the Republican Party in Smithtown with the most recent between Supervisor Vecchio and Smithtown Republican Party Chairman William Ellis. About 2.1% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over. This book of painstakingly researched geneology details the Richard Smith/Smythe/Smyth family history dating back to the early 1500's and up to 1944; Richard Smythe, from Yorkshire, England, founded Smithtown Long Island, NY in 1667. Smithtown, A History: The Historic Blydenburgh House - Smithtown, NY - Blydenburgh County Park is home to a piece of Smithtown's history. There were 39,357 housing units at an average density of 734.6 per square mile (283.6/km2). Local legend has it that, after rescuing a Native American chief's abducted daughter, Richard Smith was told that the chief would grant title to all of the land Smith could encircle in one day "on a bull". Although defeated in the primary by Robert Gaffney, Vecchio remained a Republican until his death in 2019. Finally, May 10, 1941, Mary Rumsey, daughter of sculptor presented the statue to the people of Smithtown. Long Island Town Histories - Smithtown [Suffolk Co.] Egan, Rita J. Smithtown, A History: Whisper the Bull Statue: Smithtown's Statue Celebrates a Colorful Legend (Smithtown... National Register of Historic Places Listed in Smithtown (Town), New York (Wikipedia) Smithtown (N.Y. : Town). The road is reputed to follow part of his original ride. The present town hall and seat of the town was built in 1912 on Main Street in Smithtown. Supervisor Vecchio won the Republican Primary against Councilman Creighton and then later defeated the Councilman in the General Election 45-30%. In the 2017 Republican primary, then-Councilman Ed Wehrheim received about forty votes more than Vecchio. There is a large anatomically correct[4] statue of Smith's bull, known as Whisper, at the fork of Jericho Turnpike (New York State Route 25) and St. Johnland Road (New York State Route 25A). For every 1000 females age 18 and over, there were 911.2 males. [citation needed], Fire Protection and Emergency Medical Services are provided by the seven Volunteer Fire Departments, and two Volunteer Ambulance Corps that cover parts of the Township. In 1903 Lawrence smith Butler, a successor of Richard Smith (founder of Smithtown), Suggest an idea of Bronze statue to his friend Sculptor Charles Cary Rumsey. This site will help to familiarize you with the collection and provide information regarding its use. Peter Ross. A new station was built in 1936 by Lawrence Grant White and was dedicated on February 20, 1937. while a work project was underway to eliminate the grade-level- railroad crossing on Smithtown. [5], The border between Smithtown and the town of Huntington is partially defined by Bread and Cheese Hollow Road (Suffolk County Road 4), so named after Bread and Cheese hollow, which according to legend is where Smith stopped on his ride to have a lunch of bread and cheese. [10], According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 111.4 square miles (288.5 km2), of which, 53.6 square miles (138.8 km2) of it is land and 57.8 square miles (149.7 km2) of it (51.89%) is water. The Smithtown Historical Society is committed to the preservation, restoration, and interpretation of Long Island’s heritage for the education and enjoyment of the public. According to the History of Long Island, Richard was a resident of Southampton, NY until 1656 when he was ordered to leave due to his "unreverend carriage towards the Magistrates. Call us. The Long Island population grew in leaps and bounds, between 1830 and 1930. Records of the Town of Smithtown, Long Island, N.Y. (1898) Page 34-6; Colket, Jr., Meredith B. The High School's Eastern Campus is composed of graduates of Nesaquake Middle School and those graduates of Great Hollow Middle School that reside in the Tackan and Nesconset Elementary area. The land he acquired in this way is said to approximate the current town's location. The Long Island Rail Road began full service in 1836. Smithtown [Long Island, NY], A History: Revolutionary Times Smithtown Patch ^ | February 22, 2011 | Rita J. Egan Posted on 02/23/2011 8:47:40 AM PST by Pharmboy. [citation needed]. History of Smithtown Smithtown, originally known as Smithfield was founded in 1665. 15.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. Smithtown, originally known as Smithfield was founded in 1665. The owner of lands of vast extent, he was often engaged in boundary disputes. Smithtown, originally known as "Smithfield",[citation needed] was first settled around 1665. Wills of the Smith families of New York and Long Island, 1664-1794 Intro page vii Pelletreau, William. photo courtesy of Kings Park Heritage Museum Another popular spot was the Long Island Arena located where we now find the King Kullen Plaza. "The first purchase of the Indians on Long-Island that has been discovered, was in 1635, and the earliest deed for land to individuals, is a patent from Governor Van Twiller to Andries Hedden and Wolpert Garritsen, for a tract of land in Amersfoort or Flatlands, bearing the date of 6th June 1636." The Hauppauge Volunteer Fire Department and Central Islip-Hauppauge Volunteer Ambulance Corps provide coverage to the Hauppauge hamlet, which is divided between the Town of Smithtown, and the Town of Islip. The race was too close to call and a recount was demanded by Vecchio. It is located along the beautiful north shore of Long Island, approximately 50 miles from New York and only a half-hour drive from the Atlantic Ocean beaches. The Department of Public Safety also has a Harbor Master division and Fire Marshall division. According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the town was $100,165, and the median income for a family was $110,776. your own Pins on Pinterest Local legend has it that, after rescuing the abducted daughter of the local American chief, Richard Smith was told that the chief would give Smith all the land he could circle in one day while riding on a bull. Elected as a Democrat during a special election, Vecchio switched parties in 1993 in an attempt to run for County Executive. Roosevelt Field was named after Quentin Roosevelt, Theodore's son. The current Supervisor is Edward Wehrheim who has been Town Supervisor since 2018. The Smithtown Department of Public Safety is an agency with limited powers. Current Republican Comptroller John M. Kennedy, Jr., along with his wife, Suffolk County Legislator Leslie Kennedy both reside in Nesconset. "[16] On November 7, 2017, Ed Wehrheim defeated William Holst in the election for the town's next supervisor. The Park Ranger Division is made up peace officers as defined in the Criminal Procedural Law of the state of New York. In 2015 the town hall was dedicated and renamed after former Supervisor Patrick R. On May 10, 1941, Mary Rumsey, daughter of the sculptor and wife of New York Governor W. Averill Harriman, presented the statue to the people of Smithtown. An important event in the early history of the Smithtown Library was the establishment of the Richard H. Handley Collection of Long Island Americana, a special local history archives. They are responsible for responding to all 911 emergency calls. The current boundaries of the park sit on what was originally a land grant known as the Winnecomac Patent, which dates back to 1703 when the Royal Governor of New York had granted land to … Smithtown is policed by the 4th Precinct of the Suffolk County Police Department. Most of the people believe that Richard smith buried on the hill next to his son Obadiah, who drowned in the Nissequogue river in 1680. "From here he moved to Setauket, NY before settling in an area on Long Island that would come to bear his name, Smithtown. For every 100 females, there were 94.6 males. The Suffolk County Police are the primary law enforcement agency in Smithtown. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. With the help of Smithtown Historical Society, we’ve compiled a collection of images capturing Smithtown’s history and how it has evolved over the years. His contest with the town of Huntington over the boundary between it and his own lands was long and bitter, the courts finally deciding in his favor. Vecchio. Smith chose to ride the bull on the longest day of the year (summer solstice), to enable him to ride longer "in one day". [citation needed]. The census-designated place (CDP) of Smithtown lies within the town's borders. The old station was sold to the odore Bunce who moved it to Lawrence Avenue. On January 10, 2018, Thomas Lohmann was appointed to the seat vacated by Wehrheim's election. The median age was 38 years. It is part of the New York metropolitan area.