THE EARLY DAYS OF ISLIP

Islip is located in Suffolk County, New York. The beginnings of Islip started in 1664, when Matthias Nicholl moved from Islip, England, to New York. This is how the town got its name. Later, in 1683, Matthias's son, William Nicholl, was given the title of royal patentee over the area that is now the town of Islip. The land was bought from Winnie-queheagh, who was the chief of Connetquot. To keep the land, William had to pay a yearly fee of five bushels of wheat to the governor, or, alternatively, twenty five shillings,

The area saw a few other land patentees, including Andrew Gibb, John Mowbray, and Thomas Willets. Than, around 1710, the colonial government gave the town permission to elect five officials. These officials included two assessors, a constable, a collector, and a supervisor. They had annual meetings to discuss the town. Even with the elected officials giving the people a voice, the town remained quite small. These few early settlers of Islip mostly made a living farming, fishing, and shipping which the geography is perfect for. The population didn't see much growth until later on, after the Revolutionary war.

THE GROWTH OF ISLIP

In the seventeen years that followed the Revolutionary War, from 1783 to 1800, the town of Islip saw tremendous growth, more growth than had happened in the previous fifty years. In a few year, in 1825, it became necessary to implement a ferry service in the area. Later, in 1867, the first depot was build, and the Long Island Railroad came to Islip. Islip soon became a popular tourist area. Tourism brought growth and wealth to the town. More businesses were born as the town grew a need for hotels, restaurants, and other tourist attractions.

However, in the early 20th century, things started to change. The whale boats were replaced with diesel powered ferries. Housing developments were built and manufacturing firms were started, replacing the farmland that was once a large part of the area. The Great Depression brought hard times to Long Island, but following World War II, the island had a rebirth. Islip saw great growth and started turning into a busy suburb. From 1950 to 1970, the town nearly quadrupled its population.

ISLIP TODAY

As of 2016, the population of Islip was at 333,758 people. It is the third largest town in the state of New York. Included in the town boundaries are parts of Fire Island and the Great South Bay. The town is governed by a town supervisor and four council members, and it is a beautiful place to live, with beaches, bays, a lake, and forests.

In response to garbage controversies in the 1980's, the town has made strides in environmentally friendly initiatives, including one of the countries first recycling programs. The town also remains a tourist spot. It has lots of great restaurants and hotels for guests to stay at. There is a photo gallery, an art museum, and a large state park with lots of opportunities for fishing and camping.