Thursday, October 1, 2026
Editors note: Lynbrook historical odds and ends is a column that takes a look back at some interesting facts and events in the village from over the years.
As reported in the South Side Observer on Feb 2, 1906, Fred Gilbert, of Cedarhurst, was severely injured on a Saturday afternoon outside Karn’s Hotel in Lynbrook.
He had just arrived at the Five Corners and was unhitching his horse-and-carriage when an automobile owned by a Mr. Edwards came by. The honking of the horn and the snort of the engine so frightened Gilbert’s horse that he tried to dash away.
Gilbert was knocked to the ground and his carriage ran over him, injuring both his legs and rendering him unconscious. The frightened horse succeeded in freeing himself from the carriage, but smashed it into kindling wood in the process. The horse was eventually caught at the racetrack of the Lynbrook Driving Park, a half mile away.
Edwards, expressed his deepest sympathy to Gilbert and stood ready to make reparations.
Mattson is the official Lynbrook village historian and the director of the Historical Society of East Rockaway and Lynbrook. Additionally, he is the author of “The History of Lynbrook,” which is available on Amazon.com and at local libraries.
