Greetings!

The East Hampton Historical Society is pleased to send you this issue of its quarterly e-newsletter.

This is the season to give "Thanks" and so we thank you for your support and we wish you, our friends, a Joyous Thanksgiving Holiday and a Very Happy and Healthy Holiday Season!

The EHHS is a non-profit organization. The Society serves the residents and visitors of East Hampton by collecting, preserving, presenting and interpreting the material, cultural and economic heritage of the town.

The Society is also the parent organization for a complex of five museums, landmark historic sites of both local and national importance:

- Mulford Farm, c.1680
- Clinton Academy, c.1784
- Town House, c.1731
- Osborn-Jackson House, c.1740
- Marine Museum

We hope that you will find this newsletter of interest, as a member of our community. (Of course, if you do not want to receive the newsletter, please follow the instructions below to unsubscribe.)

In this issue:

A Historic Food

Our intrepid Director, Richard Barons, who has begun the Herculean task of organizing our substantial collection of over 12,000 artifacts into a searchable database that will be available to all of us, whether students of history or simply history buffs, has been digging deep into our past and has come up with some interesting lifestyle tidbits.

Probably thinking of the upcoming holidays, Richard Barons is regaling us with a popular dish on many a family menu about 200 years ago - SAMP!

To call it a hardy dish would be an understatement - but we'll let you be the judge of that!

But consider that the mortar and pestle at left, carved from a tree trunk, and which belongs to a local East Hampton family, was the indispensable tool used in the preparation of samp.

See the article ... http://easthamptonhistory.org/pages/samp.html


Events Calendar Spring 2006

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The Society sponsors a number of educational and entertaining programs and events throughout the year, including a lecture series, tours of the Historic District, the old cemetery and important local houses as well as a number of programs designed specifically for children.

Here are some important upcoming events:

Nov 18 Sat 4:00pm - 6:00pm: Past and Present: East Hampton in the Camera's Eye. Exhibition opening at Clinton Academy Museum.

Nov 24: Holiday House Tour Benefit Cocktail Party

Nov 25 Sat 1:00pm - 4:30pm: Holiday House Tour

Dec 2 Sat 7:00pm: Lantern Tour with Hugh King

Dec 3 Sun 2:00pm: The American Magic Lantern Theater

See details on our Events Calendar http://easthamptonhistory.org/pages/events.html


The Annual Holiday House Tour

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The annual Holiday House Tour is one of our most popular events.

Every year, several generous East Hampton residents open their houses to members and friends of the Historical Society for the annual tour. Typically, the houses are selected for their historic value as well as architectural details that are significant of the period when they were built.

Tour participants receive a map of the locations with descriptions of each house for a self guided tour.

After the tour, pictures and descriptions of the houses will be available in the Archive section of our website. See note below regarding access to the Archive section.

For more details and to buy tickets, click: http://easthamptonhistory.org/pages/house_tour_06.htm


Our Wish List

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A cry for help!

Our museums are in dire need of repairs. It is not only the structural integrity of these historic buildings that is at stake, but also our priceless collections of artifacts on display and in archives that risk devastating damage from a variety of threats.

We have a rotting roof on the Clinton Academy, water damage in the Mulford House due to leakage from a chimney flashing, rotting shingles on the barn, cracked window sashes at the Town House - and the list goes on.

In fact, we have drafted a thorough list of the repairs for which we desperately need funds. It is our Wish List and we hope that you will help us with a donation.

You can also "adopt" a specific project or distribute your contribution towards several projects. Your participation will be publicly acknowledged as a supporter of the East Hampton Historical Society.

Whether you are a full-time resident, a second-home owner, or a summer visitor - you are here because you love the character of East Hampton.

Help us preserve it! Your history is at stake.

See our appeal
See our Wish List


Little Known Facts - from the Town Crier
From the archives of Hugh King, East Hampton's Town Crier.

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Generous Capt. Edwards


Speaking of generosity, and given that 'tis the season, here is an amusing example:

Sineus Edwards lived in Springs on Fireplace Road. He owned a coasting ship called The Florian and made numerous trips to New England, upstate New York and western Long Island.

Sineus Edwards carried stones, lumber, shingles and brick to David Dimon Parsons in 1844 to build the store which has become the Springs General Store.

Capt. Edwards also sailed all the way from Albany with the bell for the new Springs Chapel. Upon his death, he left this note: "I hereby give Baldwin C. Talmage $150 when I am done with it. I want you to pay back doctor's bills and funeral expenses and what remains take for yourself. Don't get anything expensive to lay this old body away."



Membership

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The Society is a volunteer organization, and we rely on your support to maintain our collections and to continue the unique year-round historical programs we provide for the people of our home town. We hope that you will join us in our mission to preserve and celebrate our very special heritage!

Membership Information: http://www.easthamptonhistory.org/pages/membership.html

IMPORTANT NOTICE
Previous issues of our newsletter, as well photos of past events and other activities are posted on our ARCHIVE section.

As a membership benefit, the Archive section is now accessible only to members of the East Hampton Historical Society. This section now requires a User ID and Password.

If you are already a member, and don't have the login information, please reply to this email and we will set one up for you.

If you would like to become a member, select a membership level on this page and after you have completed the payment process, you will be given the opportunity to create your login ID.

For more information about the East Hampton Historical Society, please visit our website at: http://www.easthamptonhistory.org

We would be very pleased to hear from you if you have any suggestions for future issues.

Contact us at: news@easthamptonhistory.org

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Richard Barons, Executive Director

Community Relations Committee:
Mary Kay Jaroff
Renee Palmer
Bess Rattray

(c) 2006 East Hampton Historical Society