The Farmingdale Post

The Farmingdale Post was a local newspaper made specifically for and about the Village of Farmingdale. It was created by longtime resident, Jesse Merritt (who, at the time, was a clerk for the Nassau County Board of Supervisors) and his wife, Mabel, along with several interested friends.

The first issue was published and put into circulation on November 19, 1920 and they accomplished this from a storefront rented on the east side of Main Street. The storefront was rented from Joseph Appelt, and it was across from the old post office.

In 1922, the paper was incorporated and they purchased property on Front Street. This location was where they erected a small print shop that they called Bethpage Press, but unfortunately this shop burned down in 1927. The shop was completely destroyed and they also lost most of the presses.

A couple of years into its circulation, the New York State Press Association awarded the Farmingdale Post the prize for best editorial page in both style and content amongst the papers of its class.

Mabel Merritt was the paper’s first editor. As editor, she encourage many community projects. One major project that Mrs. Merritt worked on was the editing and publishing of a Community Cookbook, which contained hundreds of recipes from local residents and each recipe was signed by the creator. Mrs. Merritt was a dedicated editor spending the majority of her time in kitchens learning the recipes and any cooking secrets for the paper, as well as gathering local stories for the paper. Her time and dedication was more than successful with more than a thousand cookbooks printed and sold. These books were sold by local clubs, Ladies Aid Societies, and fraternal organizations and on a liberal commission basis.

The Farmingdale Post took pride in their community efforts, especially in aiding in the establishment of the Farmingdale Public Library and choosing the village flower, which is the Forsythia.

In 1934, Griscom Publications purchased the Farmingdale Post. At this time, Mabel Merritt resigned as editor after spending fourteen years in the position, and as the head of the staff. Grey Mason became the paper’s new editor following Mrs. Merritt’s resignation.

The Farmingdale Post had a motto which was “Keep Posted—Read the Post”, and did its best to keep the public informed of local news. The paper was published every Wednesday, until it stopped publication at the end of December 1981.

 

Sources:

Farmingdale, Long Island, New York: A Guide to Its Past, Present, and Future. Prepared by

Stewart Associated for the Farmingdale Chamber of Commerce 

“Welcome Post Readers.” Farmingdale Observer. January 28, 1982

 

 

William Sidney Mount

William Sidney Mount was born on November 26, 1807 in Setauket. He apprenticed as a sign painter to his brother, Henry Mount in New York City. In 1826, when the National Academy of Design opened drawing classes, Mount was one of its first students and was elected an associate member in 1831 

In his early years, Mount primarily painted works with historical and literary themes.  In 1829, the artist began to paint portraits and scenes from everyday life, or genre paintings.  Mount’s scenes of rural life immediately became popular, both in the United States and abroad. His paintings often commented on American social and political issues.  By the middle of the nineteenth century, he was one of the most renowned artists in America, with more commissions than he could fulfill. He sketched extensively in notebooks and painted plein-air oil sketches for several works, devising a studio-wagon in which he travelled over Long Island.

He played the violin and in fact produced his own type own fiddle for which he also acquired the copyright. He named it ‘Cradle of Harmony’. It produced a louder sound than that of an ordinary fiddle.

Mount never married, and died in Setauket on November 18, 1868.

 

Sources:

“William Sidney Mount.” Artist Info, https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.1741.html

“William Sidney Mount.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Sidney-Mount

“William Sidney Mount - Biography: American Artist.” Victorian Era, http://victorian-era.org/william-sidney-mount-biography.html

“William Sidney Mount: American Genre-Painter / Lim.” Art & Architecture Quarterly, 19 Feb. 2018, https://aaqeastend.com/contents/william-sydney-mount-american-genre-painter