Episode 209: Three Village Historical Society Oral Histories

Christian Avenue sits at the heart of the Three Village area on the North Shore of Long Island. Surrounded by Old Fields, Setauket, and Stony Brook it has long been home to a community of Black and Native American families. The names of the people date back to before the Revolution and include the Harts, Sells, Greens, and Tobias. They also provide evidence of the perpetual presence of the Setalcott Indians and their ties to the Shinnecock.

Now designated as the Bethel-Christian Avenue-Laurel Hill Historical District, it's an area steeped in  history. That's what drew Glenda Dickerson to develop her Eel Catching in Setauket oral history project in the late 1980s. A professor of theater at Stony Brook University, Glenda, her students, and colleagues like Fai Walker and Noberto Valle set out to document and celebrate the history and heritage of Christian Avenue. The project culminated with a theatrical production at Stony Brook.

Glenda donated all of her materials from the project to the Three Village Historical Society. Today we sit down with Scott Ferrara, the Society's curator, and Rob Anen of the Long Island Library Resources Council to discuss the history of Christian Avenue, the history of the recordings, and the important stories they tell.

Voices on the episode:

• Glenda Dickerson
• Lucy Hart Keyes
• Sarah Hart Hines, Theodore Green, and Caroline Sells Moore
• Florence Beatrice Sells Woodhull and Violet Rebecca Sells Thompson
• Ida Mae Glass and Barbara Treadwell
• Cast members performing in Eel Catching in Setauket

Further Research

• Eel Catching in Setauket – An Oral History Collection
  • Three Village Oral History Collection
• Glenda Dickerson
• Setalcott Indian Nation
• Shinnecock Nation
• Intro music: https://homegrownstringband.com/