The Long Island History Project

Episode 214: Occupied Long Island: Voices from the American Revolution

Today's episode is a recording of a panel discussion hosted on January 15, 2026 by the Long Island Library Resources Council. The panelists, all notable historians who have researched the Revolutionary War period on Long Island, give their insights into what life was like in the area from 1776-1783. This time of British occupation saw the inhabitants of Kings, Queens, and Suffolk counties suffer depredations brought on by British and Hessian troops as well as by Patriot attacks from across Long Island Sound. You'll hear about the enslaved Black woman Liss from Oyster Bay, about the activities of the Culper Spy Ring, and the experiences of others ranging from British officer John Simcoe to Elizabeth Lewis, wife of Declaration signatory Francis Lewis. The panel itself was funded by a WETA grant awarded to LILRC in support of programming related to the PBS documentary The American Revolution by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt. Further Research The American Revolution (PBS) Dr. Joanne Grasso The American Revolution on Long Island. (Find in a library via WorldCat) George Washington's 1790 Grand Tour of Long Island. (Find in a Library via WorldCat) Dr. Natalie Naylor Women in Long Island's Past: A History of Eminent Ladies and Everyday Lives. (Find in a library via WorldCat) Long Island Studies Institute Claire Bellerjeau Remember Liss.org Espionage and Enslavement in the Revolution: the True Story of Robert Townsend and Elizabeth. (Find in a library via WorldCat) Long Island Library Resources Council Feature image from the New York Public Library Intro Music: https://homegrownstringband.com/ Outro music: Capering by Blue Dot Sessions CC BY-NC 4.0

Episode 213: Historic Schoolhouses of Long Island w Zach Studenroth

Today we come to praise the one-room schoolhouse of the 19th century (and some of its earlier forebears). Humble in appearance, these buildings might be easy to overlook but their existence hints at a broader social, cultural, and educational history across Long Island. Zach Studenroth, architectural historian and preservationist, documents this history in Historic Schoolhouses of Long Island from Arcadia Publishing (compiled with his co-author, the late Kurt Kahofer). On today's episode, Zach elaborates on the role of New York State in establishing schools in the 1800s, Walt Whitman's brief foray into teaching, and the surprising afterlife of school buildings as churches, fire houses, and storage sheds. Further Research Historic Schoolhouses of Long Island (Arcadia Publishing) Schoolteaching Years (Walt Whitman Archive) George Bradford Brainerd (Brooklyn Museum) Audio Footnotes Episode 89: Walt Whitman's Birthplace Intro Music: https://homegrownstringband.com/ Outro music: Capering by Blue Dot Sessions CC BY-NC 4.0

Episode 212: For Nothing is Hidden with John Valenti

Steven Damman disappeared from outside a supermarket in East Meadow on Halloween day, 1955. He was not yet three years old. Still unsolved, the case has intrigued many over the ensuing years - none more so than Newsday journalist John Valenti. For Nothing is Hidden, Valenti's new novel, is the culmination of his meticulous research into the case mixed with his years of observations covering Long Island. He presents a fictional version of the disappearance, substituting the Goodson family for the Dammans, while hewing close to the facts. His book is also populated with events of the day, from the habitual airplane crashes around Mitchel field to the notorious high society shooting of Bobby Woodward that dominated the headlines (and police attention). On today's episode you'll hear about Valenti's direct ties to the case, his decisions about constructing the narrative, and tales of Newsday legends like Dick Estrin and Bob Waters. You'll also get a journalist's perspective on history, stories, and human nature. Further Research For Nothing is Hidden by John Valenti Mitchel Field (AAFHA) "Turfman Killed by Wife in Dark." New York Times 10/31/1955 Leon Errol (IMDB) Intro Music: https://homegrownstringband.com/ Outro music: Capering by Blue Dot Sessions CC BY-NC 4.0

Episode 211: To Outwit Them All: Agent 355 and Peggy Wirgau

Where history fails to provide, authors of historical fiction can fill the gap. In her new novel To Outwit Them All, author Peggy Wirgau delves into the Revolutionary War history of the Culper Spy Ring. More specifically, she tells the story of the unknown woman referred to in Abraham Woodhull's correspondence – only once – as "a lady of my acquaintance." Woodhull supplies her only a number, 355 (Culper code for "lady"). Wirgau provides a name, a family, and a budding romance with British Major John Andre. Wirgau's 355 is modeled after the historical Betty Floyd, relative of William Floyd, and she includes multiple layers of period detail about British-occupied New York City. On this episode you'll hear more about how she pursued her research and how she brought Betty to life along with other members of the Culper Ring. Further Research To Outwit Them All by Peggy Wirgau "The Myth of Agent 355, the Woman Spy Who Supposedly Helped Win the Revolutionary War" HMS Jersey Historical Novel Society Cover image: The Art of Dancing (1724) The Culper Spy Book Intro Music: https://homegrownstringband.com/ Outro music: Capering by Blue Dot Sessions CC BY-NC 4.0

Episode 210: Christopher Verga and Nazis of Long Island

Even as Hitler and his Nazi regime ran roughshod over Germany and Europe in the 1930s, there were those in America who championed their rise. And nowhere so much as on Long Island. Camp Siegfried in Yaphank became a focal point for certain German Americans to gather and espouse the Nazi cause. Other groups added fuel to the fire, promoting antisemitism, isolationism, and even the overthrow of the United States government. This is the world that Christopher Verga captures in his new book, Nazis of Long Island: Sedition, Espionage & the Plot Against America (out now from the History Press). On today's episode, Chris walks us through the tangled history of the German American Bund, Father Coughlin, the America First movement, and more. His book documents a time of unrest in the country when militias, foreign agents, and even elected officials actively opposed the American government. Further Research Nazis of Long Island: Sedition, Espionage & the Plot Against America (Amazon) Christopher Verga Longwood Public Library Bayles Local History Room The German American Bund Intro Music: https://homegrownstringband.com/ Outro music: Capering by Blue Dot Sessions CC BY-NC 4.0