IDA MAY HISTORY TOUR With The Oyster Bay Historical Society
History Cruises Scheduled on Oyster Bay Harbor
Sign up for a two-hour cruise on July 26 on the WaterFront Center’s replica oyster dredge Ida May to hear historian, author, and former Newsday reporter Bill Bleyer recount the maritime history of Oyster Bay.
On the 3 p.m. trip co-sponsored by the Oyster Bay Historical Society and the WaterFront Center, learn about historic Jakobsen Shipyard, how creation of the Congressman Lester Wolff National Wildlife Refuge saved the bay from being destroyed by the Oyster Bay-Rye Bridge, Theodore Roosevelt’s connection to the harbor, the history of shellfishing, the brick industry on Centre Island, the Cold Spring Harbor Lighthouse, Fort Hill and Billy Joel’s ties to the bay, among other topics.
Bleyer, who is also president of Friends of the Bay, was a prizewinning staff writer for Newsday for 33 years, specializing in history and maritime issues before retiring in 2014 to write books and freelance for the newspaper and magazines. He is co-author with Harrison Hunt of Long Island and the Civil War and author of Sagamore Hill: Theodore Roosevelt’s Summer White House; Fire Island Lighthouse: Long Island’s Welcoming Beacon; Long Island and the Sea: A Maritime History; George Washington’s Long Island Spy Ring: A History and Tour Guide, and The Sinking of the Steamboat Lexington on Long Island Sound. The Hofstra University graduate has taught economics and journalism there and history at Webb Institute, the naval architecture college in Glen Cove.
On August 24, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., there will be an additional tour on the Ida May. Elizabeth Roosevelt, one of the last members of her illustrious family living in the area, will recount her family’s story and how she has utilized Oyster Bay for recreation most of her life as a member of Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club.
The cruises were conceived of by Executive Director George Ellis of The WaterFront Center and Executive Director Denice Evans-Sheppard of Oyster Bay Historical Society. Evens-Sheppard of the Historical Society of Oyster Bay said, “I wanted to introduce a new concept of exploring history on the harbor lecture tours in collaboration with the WaterFront Center for the community to learn about historical components through the perspective of history, recreation, and culture. I felt there was a need to become more educated and aware of how the Indigenous people, such as the Matinecock Tribal Nation, utilized the harbor during pre - and post-European contact.”
Space is limited to 30 guests. The fee is $65. Information can be found on the rain date, which is September 13.
