If you live or have lived on Long Island, chances are you
are familiar with the lighthouse at Montauk Point. For me, this landmark has
always been a place of interest. For those who have visited it and made the
trek to the top, you know what I am talking about. And for those who have not, it
is a remarkable place; a place where you can actually feel the past around you.
Writing about the lighthouse, I searched for an exciting and unadvertised piece
of that past while gathering facts about the structure itself. And I was not
disappointed.
According
to longislandmagazine.com, the early days of the lighthouse go back to the
father of our country. When you step foot on the grounds, it’s almost laughable
to know the land you are standing on was purchased for $255.12. And when you
climb the stairs of the lighthouse and overlook the Atlantic, you are standing
in a structure that was commissioned by George Washington in 1792. The actual construction
began in June of 1796 and was completed in November of 1796 for $22,300 by architect
John McComb, Jr. By April of 1797 it was in full operation ("Montauk
Point"). I’m sure our founding fathers would be thrilled to know that what
was considered the first public works project in the United States of America
is not only still standing, but still operating to this day.
Researching the history of the
lighthouse made me think about the HBO series “Boardwalk Empire”. The show
takes place in Atlantic City during prohibition and shows us how the illegal
liquor trade emerged and thrived. Now switch to Montauk Point circa 1920s, a
desolate area right off the Atlantic about 120 miles from New York City with access
to flat highways and also equipped with a beacon to guide ships and bootleggers
right to the mainland. I am assuming this is not exactly the commerce George
Washington envisioned with this project. But according to author Jim Merritt, Long
Island or more specifically Patchogue, was the perfect spot for someone like
gangster Dutch Schultz to setup his bootlegging operation. Furthermore, I guess
I shouldn’t be shocked to read that the Coast Guard’s primary duty from 1920 to
1933 was to cut off bootleggers from meeting ships off the coast loaded with
Canadian whiskey. In fact, history tells us there are plenty of documented gun
battles and chases in the waters off the island with one fascinating story
involving a yuletide shipwreck.
Records
show that this incident occurred around Christmas time 1922. A schooner flying
a British flag named Madonna V left Halifax, Nova Scotia and when it reached
Long Island it ran ashore near the Napeague Coast Guard Station (“Merritt”). As
the ship broke apart the crew and runners fled the scene leaving its cargo
floating in the water. Word quickly spread that there was Canadian liquor
available for the taking so many of the area residents flocked to see what the
commotion was all about and to get some contraband; after all, ‘tis the season.
One witness described the scene as if someone had dumped a barrel of corks in a
bathtub. “Lifelong teetotalers and even deacons of the church risked pneumonia
in the December surf to bring it ashore” (“Merritt”). I can just picture the
dozens of people making their way in the ocean, fighting the waves but making
sure they grabbed whatever they could while risking their lives and possibly freezing
to death.
Long Island
also played a part in the movement to repeal Prohibition. Landowner August
Heckscher, (yes, Heckscher State Park) lobbied for repeal claiming loss of tax
revenue and jobs. Heckscher argued that Americans were spending $400 million
annually on Canadian liquor (“Merritt”), with much of that activity occurring
on or near his own property. Eventually, all of the action around Montauk and
the lighthouse came to an end as did Prohibition with the 21st
amendment in 1933 ("Constitution of the United States").
So next
time you visit Montauk Point and the lighthouse, talk to the members of the Montauk
Historical Society about these stories as apparently it is not a focus of the tour.
You can tell them you know one of the main functions of this structure was to
provide a guiding light for ships peddling illegal booze. Perhaps we can even
convince writers of Boardwalk Empire to script a thread on the Long Island
connection as it certainly would be interesting for those of us familiar with
the island. For people like me who love history, this national landmark has
impacted the entire area, not just Long Island and provides an exciting look back
in time.
References
Merritt, Jim. "New York’s Rum Row, Bootlegging on
Long Island." NYS Archives. 2.3 (2003): n. page. Web. 15 Nov. 2013.
<http://www.archives.nysed.gov/apt/magazine/archivesmag_winter03.shtml>.
"Montauk Point." LongIslandMagazine.com.
N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov 2013.
<http://www.longislandmagazine.com/montauk-point/>
Rattray, Jeanette. East Hampton History. Garden City:
NY Country Life Press, 1953. Print.
United States Senate. Constitution of the United States.
Web. <http://www.senate.gov/civics/constitution_item/constitution.htm>.
