Photo of the Week

FROM THE SCHS LIBRARY ARCHIVES

"How shall we know it is us without our past?"
- John Steinbeck

by Wendy Polhemus-Annibell, Head Librarian

Peconic River Waterfront, c. 1890. (Image from the Collection of the Suffolk County Historical Society Library Archives. Copyright © Suffolk County Historical Society. All rights reserved.)

Looking north from the south side of the Peconic River in downtown Riverhead, the steamer Teddy and another vessel wait to take passengers or cargo aboard in the 1890s. In the background is the familiar Riverhead United Methodist Church and the old Riverhead Union School building (now the white house on Main Street known for its beautiful rose garden). Also in view in this extraordinary image is McDermott Street, then known as Dock Street. Before 1900, ships and boats of every shape and size plied the waters of the Peconic River and the Peconic Bay. Water transportation was the most efficient means of travel until the construction of major highways connected eastern Long Island with New York City.

Join us today in celebrating Riverhead Town's 225th birthday! Today's grand exhibit opening begins at 1:00 pm and runs to 3:30 pm. Riverhead Town 225th Anniversary Exhibition includes photographs, documents, and artifacts that tell the story of the town's journey from 1792 to 2017. This family-friendly event includes free admission plus wine and cheese and light refreshments! 

ABOUT Our PHOTO OF THE WEEK Series

The Suffolk County Historical Society’s PHOTO OF THE WEEK Series is created by head research librarian Wendy Polhemus-Annibell using historic primary source materials from our local history library’s extensive archives. To subscribe, visit our website or send an email request to Wendy at librarian@schs-museum.org 

Interested in seeing more historical documents from the Collection of the Suffolk County Historical Society? Spend an afternoon at our Local History Research Library perusing our extensive collections. We're open Weds. - Sat., 12:30 - 4:30 PM.

To view our Photo of the Week archives, visit our website at www.SuffolkCountyHistoricalSociety.org.

Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the Suffolk County Historical Society whenever you shop on AmazonSmile. Click here to get started!

MEMBERSHIP DRIVE
If you've been enjoying our Photo of the Week, please consider becoming a member of SCHS. The Suffolk County Historical Society, founded in 1886, collects and preserves the rich history of Suffolk County and beyond. We offer a history museum, art galleries, a research library and archives, and a multitude of exhibits, programs, and educational lectures and workshops year-round. Our unique collections reflect more than three centuries of Long Island history. Click here to learn about Member Benefits!

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Copyright © 2017 Suffolk County Historical Society. All rights reserved. No part of this electronic document may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the Suffolk County Historical Society.