125 Years Ago 1898
From The East Hampton Star, August 12
The local carpenters under charge of George A. Eldredge, working on the hospitals at the camp, went on strike Tuesday night. They were obliged to pay their car fare to and fro, and the men objected. The matter was adjusted on Wednesday, and the men returned to work Thursday morning with the understanding that their transportation would be free.
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Through the real estate agency of C.E.C. Homan, the Evarts property, between C.H. Adams’ and C.L.W. Eidlitz’s places, corner of Lee avenue and Huntting road, has been sold to S. Quackenbush. The plot consists of about six acres. Mr. Quackenbush intends to build this winter.
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A children’s fair will be given for the benefit of the Soldiers’ Relief Corps on Wednesday afternoon, August 17, on Mrs. Stephens’ lawn, next to Clinton Hall. If stormy on the above date the fair will be given the next pleasant day.
100 Years Ago 1923
From The East Hampton Star, August 10
Joining with every village and hamlet throughout the United States, East Hampton is today paying just tribute to our late president, Warren G. Harding, who is to be buried today at his home in Marion, Ohio.
A memorial service is being conducted this morning at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, the congregations of the Presbyterian and Methodist churches meeting in unison, and, of course, the memorial service is open to all.
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The finding of a thirty foot power boat adrift in the ocean, about five miles off Montauk Point, last Sunday by John Smith, Montauk fisherman, is raising all sorts of conjectures on the part of inhabitants. Captain Smith was proceeding with his day’s occupation when he spied this boat drifting on the water, without a sign of anyone aboard. He changed his course and finally came alongside the craft, and found it to be vacated. The boat shows no sign of the missing crew.
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Tuesday noon of this week we were fortunate in gaining an interview with Major General Henry T. Allen, an intimate friend and guest of Frank B. Wiborg, at Mr. Wiborg’s beautiful summer home on the dunes. Both Mr. Wiborg and his daughter, Miss Mary Hoyt Wiborg, have just returned from a three months’ stay in England. Mrs. Allen is here with her husband.
75 Years Ago 1948
From The East Hampton Star, August 12
“Montauk Day,” fourth in the series of five special village celebrations marking the tercentenary of East Hampton Township, was celebrated on Saturday. After a week of dismal damp weather, the west wind blew fresh and the sun shone. A big crowd gathered at Montauk business village to view the parade at 11 a.m. William Belber was parade chairman.
It was led by young drum majorettes from the East Hampton High School. Then came the Frank Dickinsons — father and son — made up as Indians in full regalia, on horseback.
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Miss Martha A. Burke gave a reception and tea for Guild Hall members in the galleries this afternoon on the occasion of the opening of two new art exhibitions — a showing of paintings by French Impressionists and Post Impressionists courtesy of the Knoedler Galleries of New York, and a showing of watercolors, oils and etchings by Edward Moran, chairman of the Guild Hall Art Committee.
Assisting Miss Burke as hostesses at the opening were: Mrs. E. Hollingsworth Siter, Mrs. Lawrence Jones, Mrs. Benjamin G. Chapman, Mrs. Harold Nichols and Mrs. Lammot Copeland.
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Fishing south of No Man’s Land, Martha’s Vineyard, yesterday, Charles L. Campbell, from his yacht “Wee-Gon” with Capt. Frank Tuma, landed a 256 1/2-pound broadbill. The fish was fair hooked and brought in after one hour and 29 minutes. Mr. Campbell used a 16-oz. Tycoon rod, with 24-thread line on a 9-0 Vom Hofe reel.
On Tuesday, after Mr. Campbell had a broadbill hooked for one hour and 20 minutes, his line parted. Two others took the bait on Wednesday.
50 Years Ago 1973
From The East Hampton Star, August 9
Montauk
A program of short animated films by the Academy Award-winning team of John and Faith Hubley will be given on Saturday, Sept. 8, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Public School auditorium under the sponsorship of the Concerned Citizens of Montauk. The Hubleys, who have a home in Montauk, are internationally known filmmakers whose animated films have earned over 40 national and international awards and citations, including three Academy Awards.
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Of a small sampling of people who have been arrested here recently on marijuana charges, each maintains that he was offered a dismissal of his charges in exchange for becoming an informer, while the Town Police say that they promise nothing of the sort; several say that their houses were “taken apart” during raids, while the Town Police say that they “don’t throw things around” but that they cannot answer for the actions of County narcotics detectives; and all suggest that the police, in pursuing marijuana smokers, are “creating a job for themselves,” while the police say that they “don’t go looking for the stuff,” that drug arrests are only a small part of their job, and that, “frankly, an awful lot of people are arrested for stupidity.”
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The Performing Arts Theatre Center of the Hamptons, in conjunction with the Southampton College Dramatic Society and Guild Hall, will present a “Theatre Circus” Saturday and Sunday at Southampton College, and again Tuesday and Wednesday at East Hampton High School.
The Circus, a program of acrobatics, drama, and gymnastics directed by William Patton, will be given again Aug. 17-19 at Southampton College, in the Fine Arts Theatre.
25 Years Ago 1998
From The East Hampton Star, August 13
The only opposition to the Southampton Town Board’s effort to rein in the size of single-family houses, aired at a pair of public hearings on Tuesday, came from those who thought the town was not going far enough.
The board wants to limit the size of houses to 20,000 square feet and give the Planning Board authority to require site plan review for single-family houses being built on lots of 20 acres or larger in agricultural zones. The East Hampton Town Board is likely to follow suit, as reported separately in this issue.
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Pain and the sense of anxious determination lined the faces and laced the comments of the crowd at a forum Tuesday evening at the East Hampton Middle School. They had come together to explore what is known, and what is not, about a spate of cancer diagnoses among recent graduates of East Hampton High School.
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Keith Jacobs of East Hampton said it was the thought of his two young children that kept him struggling to stay afloat late Sunday evening long after his legs had turned to “heavy logs” and after he had gone under twice, prepared to give up.
He was still nearly two miles from shore when he saw the mast of a sailboat on the horizon and began yelling for help. It was 7:30 p.m. and he had been swimming and treading water for at least two hours.
