A history of Long Island through maps

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Old maps are a treasure trove of information that provide historians as well as laymen snapshots of a community’s physical and cultural features. This month the Freeport Memorial Library is sponsoring an exhibit of Long Island Maps, including a collection of Freeport maps, which preserve the past and “help to inform us about the future,” Cynthia Krieg, village historian and president of the Historical Society said. “I’m crazy for maps.”

Krieg, along with Regina Feeney, the reference librarian at the Freeport Library, are the curators of this exhibition. The maps come from the collections of the Freeport Memorial Library, the Freeport Historical Society and from the private collections of Krieg, Feeney and Brian Merlis. The earliest map on display is dated 1868.

“I’m fascinated by what these maps tell us,” Feeney explained. Some of the maps show how Freeport and surrounding communities looked before development and they provide a detailed view of changes over time.

“I think half of Freeport was owned by John J. Randall,” Krieg said, pointing to a map of Freeport. John Randall, often referred to as the father of Freeport, was a real estate developer in the late 19th century. “He dug out here,” she said pointing to the map that includes Woodcleft Canal, “so he could sell land.”

Some of the maps are topographical in nature and provide geological information about Freeport and the surrounding communities. “Can you see how many ponds and streams there were in this area,” Feeney said. “They’re still here, just underground.”

For example, “Here on Southside [Avenue] there isn’t any water today but that’s where Crystal Lake used to be,” Krieg said. “People don’t know how many waterways there are in Freeport.”

These maps remain tools for everyday use in government, science, industry, land management planning and recreation.

Genealogists also use to the maps. “It took me five years but I found several vaudevillians from Freeport,” explained Krieg. “You can use tax assessment maps which can include names of those in the homes,” Krieg said.

The maps also challenge urban legends. This exhibit has a map of the Town of Hempstead around 1898 that includes Barnum Island. “Many people think the island was named in connection with the circus,” Feeney said. On the map is the name Sarah Barnum. “She bought the land for a poor house. It had nothing to do with the circus,” said Feeney.

The maps are on display through July 31 and for those with more aesthetic inclinations, the maps are “just plain beautiful,” Feeney said.