Dear Friend,

This month, I was thrilled to have two opportunities to introduce Hugh King, East Hampton Town Crier and our Village & Town Historian, as he received awards from the Amagansett Village Improvement Society and the R.D.L. Gardiner Foundation. While I am the Executive Director of the Historical Society, I’m also the self-professed president of the Hugh King Fan Club. Having the opportunity to work and interact with Hugh on a regular basis is one of the highlights of my professional life.

East Hampton has had many wonderful Town Historians, but I believe no one has inspired more people about our community’s history than Hugh. I witnessed this first-hand shortly after I started working at the Historical Society. When Hugh showed me how to present a historic walking tour, it took three times longer than it should have because numerous people constantly stopped us wanting to talk to Hugh about history.

I think Hugh’s ability to involve so many people in our community’s past is because of his quick wit, deep knowledge, and vivid storytelling, …and some of what he will tell you is true.

Every township in New York State is required to appoint a Town Historian, but East Hampton is the only place that invites its historian to speak at the start of every town and village board meeting. I’m very grateful to the leaders of our Town and Village Boards for making history such a priority, but I believe a primary reason they do so is because of the charisma of Hugh King.

Not long ago, I accompanied Hugh as he led a tour of East Hampton’s windmills for about three dozen people. The group was enthralled and one exclaimed how lucky we were to have preserved these treasures. I had to pipe up and say that the treasure was actually Hugh King. Without his energy bringing the windmills to life, they would merely be old, quirky wooden buildings. And Hugh brings that vigor and spirit wherever he goes.

Finally, I want to talk about Hugh’s generosity. He freely contributes his time, his expertise, and his enthusiasm to the East Hampton Historical Society and countless other local organizations.

As Legislator Welker, Supervisor Burke-Gonzalez, and Mayor Larsen attested during the Gardiner Foundation’s awards luncheon, Hugh is a treasure, an icon, and an inspiration. When Hugh was honored by the Amagansett Village Improvement Society earlier this month, he was presented with a “Hugh King” bobblehead. After learning this, my son designed a “Hugh King” Lego mini-figure depicting Hugh with Carlton Kelsey’s top hat, a lantern and his Town Crier’s cape (which you can see above). While Hugh’s mini-figure didn’t appear in the Lego Movie like batman and superman, Hugh King is definitely a superhero.

Sincerely,

Steve Long, Executive Director

Join us to celebrate the new Collections Center

August 27, at 5:30 PM

Visit our Historic Sites!

Upcoming Guided Tours & Open Houses

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Friday, August 21

11 AM: Guided Tour of the Moran Studio & Garden

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Saturday, August 22

10 AM: Guided Tour of the Dominy Shops Museum

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Sunday, August 23

11 AM – 4 PM: Visit the Mulford Farmhouse

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Monday – Friday

11 AM – 4 PM: “Watercolors of Whaling” by Claus Hoie – Exhibit at Clinton Academy

Check our online calendar for a full list of tours and other programs.

Welcome Caly Stewart

New Director of Education

We are thrilled to welcome Caly Stewart as the new Director of Education for the East Hampton Historical Society. Before joining the Historical Society in her current role, she assisted with our school programs and served as the Assistant Director of the “Marine Explorers” summer program.

Tell us about yourself and your connection to East Hampton.

I grew up in Springs and feel deeply connected to the rich history and extraordinary natural landscapes that make East Hampton so special. I attended the Ross School where I experienced an integrated curriculum. I was encouraged to see different disciplines as an interconnected system, and that is an idea that I will continue bringing to the programs I set up for the Historical Society. In college at Cornell University, I focused on the impact that historical and social factors have on scientific development and on people’s views of the world around them. My interests in both cultural history and science continue to inspire my work and enable me to create programs that draw on historical context to deepen our understanding of human behavior, the environment, and the world around us.

I’m especially grateful to work with the East Hampton Historical Society, where our remarkable historic buildings and collections serve as living classrooms that allow both children and adults to learn through experience. They are invaluable educational resources that bring history to life and offer meaningful opportunities for visitors of all ages to connect with our community’s past.

Which of the Historical Society’s sites do you find most interesting? Why?

It’s so hard to pick a favorite, but the Marine Museum has a special place in my heart. I spent many summers there growing up, and my time there instilled in me a deep interest in maritime history, as well as the marine mammals in our local waters. I especially love the Claus Hoie gallery, with its rich imagery of local whalers’ experiences at sea drawn from journals and ship logs. The Museum also introduced me to the traditions of East Hampton’s fishing families, and the techniques passed down through generations, giving me a deeper appreciation for the close relationship between our community and the sea.

I’ve also had the privilege of spending more time this year at the Thomas & Mary Nimmo Moran Home and Studio. I love exploring the space that was occupied by a family of exceptional artists. It is easy to get lost looking at the original paintings and etchings done by the Moran family and to imagine their experiences with East Hampton in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Looking up at Thomas Moran’s Ulysses Deriding Polyphemus, which hangs above the fireplace in the studio, is one of my favorite ways to spend time at the site.

Describe your work at the Historical Society.

As Director of Education, I develop and oversee educational programs that engage people of all ages with the history of East Hampton. My goal is to work with local artists, scientists, educators, and community members to create interactive and inspiring experiences the grow out of our historical properties. These programs will drive visitors to view each site through a new lens and learn something new with each visit. I will facilitate field trips with local schools that incorporate art, science, and history to encourage a lasting appreciation for our local heritage and ecosystems.

What spurred your interest in education?

I am passionate about education as a method to allow people to understand the importance of preserving history and the environment. East Hampton is so special because of the people who helped create it and the stories they left behind. We are so lucky that many of these stories are preserved through our historical properties that allow us to connect with the people who lived and worked here in the past.

SAVE THE DATE

Semiquincentennial History Festival

October 17, 10 AM to 2 PM

Mulford Farm

TOM TWOMEY SERIES

Watch Prosperous Bohemians: The Rise & Fall of Weekend Utopia

June’s Tom Twomey Series presentation by Alastair Gordon

Catch the latest edition of our podcast

Spirit of ’76: East Hampton in the American Revolution

This month’s episode of the Spirit of ’76 explores the Battle of Long Island and its aftermath. In August 1776, East Hampton mobilized its militia to assist George Washington and the Continental Army in Brooklyn. Unfortunately, the patriots were soundly defeated. As summer began to end, the greatest tests of the war would soon be confronted by East Hampton’s residents.

Researched, written, and narrated by recent East Hampton High School graduate Colin Kelley, the Spirit of ’76 podcast is available on WLIW.org, the Historical Society’s website, and our mobile app on www.BloombergConnects.org. It can also be found on most streaming apps.

From the Collections

Stoneware Mineral Water Bottle

With nearly 20,000 artifacts that will be stored in the new Collections Center, we always come across mysteries. One question is how a set of five stoneware bottles from Germany came to be part of the East Hampton Historical Society’s collection. Recently, summer intern Chloe Cairns investigated the history of the bottles.

The five bottles are engraved with the name “Kaiser Sprudel Schwalheim.” These salt-glazed clay bottles feature nature-inspired designs and were used to hold the natural spring water from Schwalheim, Germany, which was renowned as a spa resort. The bottles likely date from the mid- to late 19th century when drinking mineral waters was commonly prescribed to treat illness and promote health.

In an issue of The Quinologist, a pharmaceutical magazine published in 1883, a doctor described prescribing Kaiser Sprudel Schwalheim water specifically “for stomach complaints and disorders of the digestive organs.” During the late 19th century, numerous local pharmacies advertised in the Corrector, East Hampton Star, and Sag-Harbor Express promoting their spring and seltzer waters, including the one below placed by William Wallace Tooker.

The five Kaiser Sprudel Schwalheim bottles at the Historical Society were donated by Sophronia Sherill, the second wife of Hiram Sherrill, not long after Hiram passed away in 1934. In addition to the mineral water bottles, Sophronia donated a whale bone, a harpoon, a powder keg, a redware jar, and over a hundred other objects. Unfortunately, there is no evidence regarding how the Kaiser Sprudel Schwalheim bottles were acquired by the Sherrills. While it’s possible they collected them on a trip to Germany, it’s far more likely the bottles were purchased at a local pharmacy like Tooker’s or Muchmore after being imported from the Schwalheim Spa.

At some point, the bottles were on display at Clinton Academy because a few of them still have a hang tag that says “Clinton Academy stairwell.”

www.easthamptonhistory.org