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History
of East Meadow |
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Hempstead Plains
When Long Island was first settled in 1643 by colonists
crossing over the Long Island Sound from Connecticut,
present day East Meadow lied wholly within the Great Hempstead
Plains -17,000 acres of plainsland around the frontier
settlement of Hempstead. The Plains were level meadows
covered with pasture grass, brush and wild flowers --and
almost completely devoid of trees. In 1790 while visiting
the town of Hempstead, George Washington wrote in his
journal: "We left Jamaica about eight o' clock and
pursued the road to South Hempstead, passing through the
south edge of the plain by that name... without a tree
or shrub growing on it." Only the western boundary
of East Meadow, which is the Meadow Brook, has a fringe
of trees indigenous to the Hempstead Plains. East Meadow
derives its name from its relative location to the settlement
at Hempstead, as well as its natural topography. In 1655
one Thomas Langdon reported at the Hempstead Town Meeting
that he surveyed the "East Meadow" and found
it suitable for the grazing and watering of cattle.
The First East Meadow Business
In 1658 the townspeople of Hempstead contracted with William
Jacocks and Edward Raynor "to drive the cows to the
East Meadow" for daily grazing and watering. For
their services the cowherders were paid in butter, grain,
and wampum to the value of 12 silver shillings weekly.
The "East Meadow" as well as the rest of the
Hempstead Plains, were held in common ownership by the
Hempstead townspeople as a common pasture and meadowland.
The Plains were most productive to the pasturing of cattle
and sheep. By the late 1700's sheep herding was a significant
industry in the Hempstead Town. As many as 1,400 sheep
were kept on the excellent pasturage of the East Meadow
and other plainsland.
Revolutionary Period
During the American Revolution, the area north of Old
Country Road, North Hempstead, supported independence
from England while the southern area in which East Meadow
lay, opposed a break with the mother country. Because
the plainsland held most of the cattle and sheep in that
area, East Meadow was occupied by British military rule
until the end of the war in 1783. During this period,
the British army camped on what became Mitchel Field.
Horses, grains and other supplies were requisitioned from
East Meadow farmers. In the 1800's, farming increased
and there was a number of large estates and productive
farms. The largest of these was that of Peter Crosby Barnum
and Sara Ann Barnum who had their estate located on Merrick
Avenue (then Barnum Avenue).
The East Meadow School District
In 1814, the East Meadow School District was formed under
the name "Bushy or Brushy Plains." The first
East Meadow school building was located at the corners
of Front Street and East Meadow Avenue (formerly Newbridge
Avenue).
"The Purchase"
In 1869 A. T. Stewart, the "Merchant Prince"
of New York City and one of the wealthiest persons in
the nation at that time, purchased the common lands of
the Great Hempstead Plains. He paid $55 per acre for 7,170
acres, and the parcel ran from Floral Park to Bethpage,
including a sizable portion of present day East Meadow.
Eisenhower Park
In 1917 Joseph J. Lannin, the owner of the Garden City
Hotel, built the Salisbury Golf Club, which was used primarily
for the patrons of the Hotel. During the Great Depression,
the owners could not meet their back taxes and in 1940
the county acquired the property for $190,000. In 1944
the Nassau County Park at Salisbury was established and
in 1949 the Park was formally dedicated as a memorial
to the country's war dead. This 930 acre park is larger
than New York City's Central Park, and in 1969 its name
was changed to honor President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Residential Community
At the time of World War II, East Meadow was predominantly
a farming community with a population of 2,000. With the
post-war economic boom and the suburban development rush,
East Meadow became a thriving residential community in
short order. In 1951 the population in the East Meadow
School District was 25,000, which more than doubled six
years later. In the early 1960's, the population peaked
at approximately 60,000. The present district population
is 51,000. } |
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