Bill Text: NY J02109 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Commemorating the 335th Anniversary of the Town of Islip, New York

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2019-06-20 - ADOPTED [J02109 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-J02109-Introduced.html

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Senate Resolution No. 2109

BY: Senator BOYLE

        COMMEMORATING the 335th Anniversary of the Town of
        Islip, New York

  WHEREAS,  It  is  the  intent  of this Legislative Body to honor and
commemorate  the  distinguished  histories  of  the  communities   which
comprise the noble body of this great Empire State; and

  WHEREAS,  This  Legislative  Body is justly proud to commemorate the
335th Anniversary of the Town of Islip, New York, to be recognized  with
a  myriad  of  events, kicking off with a 335th Birthday Celebration and
Cupola Lighting on Thursday,  November  29,  2018,  followed  by  Living
History  Day  at the Islip Grange on Saturday, June 8, 2019; festivities
will culminate in December of 2019 with a time capsule event to be held;
and

  WHEREAS, On November 29,  1683,  William  Nicoll  became  the  first
patentee   of   Islip   when  he  purchased  land  from  Sachem  (Chief)
Winnequaheagh of Connetquot; he named his 50,000-acre  plantation  Islip
Grange,  in  honor  of the town from which he emigrated: Islip, England;
and

  WHEREAS,  The  original  settlement  encompassed  Bayport,  Bohemia,
Brentwood,  Central Islip, East Islip, Great River, Hauppauge, Holbrook,
Holtsville, Islip Terrace, Oakdale, Sayville, West Sayville, and part of
Ronkonkoma; part of this original domain is now the  site  of  Heckscher
State Park; and

  WHEREAS,   In   1710,  the  precinct  (or  district)  of  Islip  was
established and in 1720, the first elections were held for the posts  of
supervisor,  constable,  collector  and  two  assessors; the Town Clerks
entry for the first Tuesday of April 1790, marked  the  first  in  which
Islip was referred to as a "town"; and

  WHEREAS,  Some  early  settlers  made their living raising grain and
beef, but Islip's proximity to the water made fishing and  shipping  the
principal  way  of  life;  Jacob  Ockers,  whose Oakdale home on Montauk
Highway is the only town-owned structure listed on the National Register
of Historic Places, was known as the Oyster King  at  the  turn  of  the
century; and

  WHEREAS,  A  Dutch  immigrant,  Jacob  Ockers  parlayed  his limited
fishing experience into a world renowned  industry;  by  1900  his  Blue
Point  Oyster  Company  shipped  as many as 100,000 barrels of oysters a
year all over the world; and

  WHEREAS, In 1908, New York State passed a law forbidding any oysters
to be called Bluepoints unless they came from the Great South  Bay;  the
dam  and  oyster  industry employed 500 boats and 1,100 men locally, and
oyster shells were used to pave town streets until around 1915; and

  WHEREAS, The Great South Bay also attracted  wealthy  tourists  from
New  York  City  who  built mansions, lodges and country clubs for their
vacationing pleasure, several of which still stand today; Islip's oldest

deeded home, and site of an overnight  stay  by  George  Washington,  is
Sagtikos Manor in West Bay Shore; and

  WHEREAS,  William  Nicoll had St. John's Episcopal Church in Oakdale
built in 1765, so early settlers and Native  Americans  who  had  become
Christians had a place to worship; it remains the oldest church still in
active use on the South Shore; and

  WHEREAS,  William  K.  Vanderbilt's  estate  is  the  former site of
Dowling College in Oakdale,  and  the  estate  of  Commodore  Bourne,  a
founder  of the Singer Sewing Machine Company, is the former site of St.
John's University; and

  WHEREAS, The original South Side Sportsmen's Club lodge still stands
amid the beautiful grounds of Connetquot River State Park Preserve; this
stately and important architectural structure is said to be  what  first
attracted many of the noted personalities to the area; and

  WHEREAS,  Over the course of Islip's heritage, it has changed from a
subsistence farming economy in the early years, to  a  bustling  fishing
and  tourism  area  in  the  19th  and  20th  centuries, to the "bedroom
community" of the post-World War II years, to its status  today  as  the
third  largest  town  in  the  State  of  New  York,  where industry and
community provide a great place for its more than 300,000  residents  to
live, work and play; and

  WHEREAS,  In  recognition  of  the  Town of Islip's rich history and
enduring contribution to the State of New York, this Legislative Body is
proud to pay tribute to this spirited town  upon  the  occasion  of  its
335th Anniversary; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED,  That  this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 335th Anniversary of the Town of Islip, New York; and be
it further

  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted to the Town of Islip.