I grew up on eastern long island. If you look at a map of Long Island you would notice it is shaped like a fish. The eastern end is the tail of the fish. I grew up on the southern fluke. This fluke at its widest part is six miles across and in at least one place less than a mile. The town of East Hampton were I was raised is the easternmost town in the United States. Who knew.
Growing up there I never gave it much thought. Living on an Island. Go any direction but due west and you run into water. The Atlantic Ocean or one of several bays. I figured everyone could go from the Ocean to the Bay just as easily as I did. Took that for granted. Never realized we were the easternmost town in America either. Wonder why no one ever told me that fact.
The old adage you don't miss it till it's gone is certainly true. When I was young and living there I paid little attention to the history or the beauty of the place. It was just home. A place to live. I always did like the place and didn't have big dreams about leaving. Wound up joining the Navy and after about 22 years,living in Maryland.
East Hampton always had a reputation for being beautiful. Always did have the rich artist crowd in the summer months and later the celebrity bunch. They lived mostly around the Ocean and I never gave them folks much thought. I had nothing to do with them and could have cared less about their comings and goings. I would occasionally see some celebrity or famous person on the street. Didn't care then and don't care now.
They are just people to me. I admit it is pretty cool to see them out and about but I have never asked them for autographs or anything like that. I t was just another thing I took for granted. Doesn't every town have celebrities walking around ?
East Hampton is the home of home sweet home. The little salt box home sits right there on main street next to the Episcopal church. John Howard Payne the author of the song lived there. It is this very home that he wrote about in his song. At least that is the story, although there is some debate among scholars about that. I say it is. Kinda cool having Home Sweet Home in your home.I have visited that historic home on many occasions. Knew the caretaker and he would let me in there whenever I wanted, no charge. The perks of being a hometown boy !
East Hampton is chock full of windmills too. I was used to seeing them and gave it little thought. Didn't most towns have a windmill ? We had one that still worked and they would grind corn with it once a year to sell to the tourists. Got mine free, another perk. These windmills are the old dutch style mills. Very nice. And for the most part well taken care off. Pieces of history sitting right there. Never gave that much thought either as East Hampton has lots of history. Old town as far as that goes. Never realized that until living in other towns. East Hampton was settled in 1648, Greensboro where I live now was incorporated in 1826, just a baby. Their definition of old and mine are a little different. It is on the eastern shore of Maryland though,so that much is similar.
Horace Greely famously said, Go West Young Man,Go West. Well I was born out east,in fact in the easternmost town in the country. I have traveled all over the world and home was always East. Once I made it to Long Island I knew all I had to do was keep going East and bear south at the fork. Now when I travel to the city of Baltimore on my return I always see this one sign. After getting off the Chesapeake Bay bridge the sign says, " Welcome to the Eastern Shore " I've always been there ! I'm still not too far from the bay,although farther than I would like to be and the Ocean is within a reasonable driving distance if you plan to stay awhile, say more than four hours or so.
Went out to California once and the ground shook. Haven't been back. Thinking I'll stay out east. Sorry Horace but I won't be taking your advice. Salt water is mixed into my blood and I like to see the sun rise up over the water. I enjoy reading about the mountains and the plains of this great country. I would like to see some of the interior. In my heart though, I'll always be on the coast. I'll always be in the east. And I have mentioned it before but it bears repeating my favorite poem starts with, " I must go down to the sea again,to the lonely sea and the sky. And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by."
I suppose that comes from being born on an Island.
Growing up there I never gave it much thought. Living on an Island. Go any direction but due west and you run into water. The Atlantic Ocean or one of several bays. I figured everyone could go from the Ocean to the Bay just as easily as I did. Took that for granted. Never realized we were the easternmost town in America either. Wonder why no one ever told me that fact.
The old adage you don't miss it till it's gone is certainly true. When I was young and living there I paid little attention to the history or the beauty of the place. It was just home. A place to live. I always did like the place and didn't have big dreams about leaving. Wound up joining the Navy and after about 22 years,living in Maryland.
East Hampton always had a reputation for being beautiful. Always did have the rich artist crowd in the summer months and later the celebrity bunch. They lived mostly around the Ocean and I never gave them folks much thought. I had nothing to do with them and could have cared less about their comings and goings. I would occasionally see some celebrity or famous person on the street. Didn't care then and don't care now.
They are just people to me. I admit it is pretty cool to see them out and about but I have never asked them for autographs or anything like that. I t was just another thing I took for granted. Doesn't every town have celebrities walking around ?
East Hampton is the home of home sweet home. The little salt box home sits right there on main street next to the Episcopal church. John Howard Payne the author of the song lived there. It is this very home that he wrote about in his song. At least that is the story, although there is some debate among scholars about that. I say it is. Kinda cool having Home Sweet Home in your home.I have visited that historic home on many occasions. Knew the caretaker and he would let me in there whenever I wanted, no charge. The perks of being a hometown boy !
East Hampton is chock full of windmills too. I was used to seeing them and gave it little thought. Didn't most towns have a windmill ? We had one that still worked and they would grind corn with it once a year to sell to the tourists. Got mine free, another perk. These windmills are the old dutch style mills. Very nice. And for the most part well taken care off. Pieces of history sitting right there. Never gave that much thought either as East Hampton has lots of history. Old town as far as that goes. Never realized that until living in other towns. East Hampton was settled in 1648, Greensboro where I live now was incorporated in 1826, just a baby. Their definition of old and mine are a little different. It is on the eastern shore of Maryland though,so that much is similar.
Horace Greely famously said, Go West Young Man,Go West. Well I was born out east,in fact in the easternmost town in the country. I have traveled all over the world and home was always East. Once I made it to Long Island I knew all I had to do was keep going East and bear south at the fork. Now when I travel to the city of Baltimore on my return I always see this one sign. After getting off the Chesapeake Bay bridge the sign says, " Welcome to the Eastern Shore " I've always been there ! I'm still not too far from the bay,although farther than I would like to be and the Ocean is within a reasonable driving distance if you plan to stay awhile, say more than four hours or so.
Went out to California once and the ground shook. Haven't been back. Thinking I'll stay out east. Sorry Horace but I won't be taking your advice. Salt water is mixed into my blood and I like to see the sun rise up over the water. I enjoy reading about the mountains and the plains of this great country. I would like to see some of the interior. In my heart though, I'll always be on the coast. I'll always be in the east. And I have mentioned it before but it bears repeating my favorite poem starts with, " I must go down to the sea again,to the lonely sea and the sky. And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by."
I suppose that comes from being born on an Island.
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| Did I mention the lighthouse at Montauk ? some history there too ! about 18 miles east of my house on the Island. |
Oooops,forgive me, Ben, but there are boo-boos in here! EH isn't the easternmost town in the US, that belongs to one in Maine.
ReplyDeleteThe windmills in East Hampton aren't Dutch, as I thought, for a very long time,due to being settled by some English AND Dutch. They are English style. Otherwise, I have to say, I LOVED this blog entry about home!