NEW BERN, N.C., June 10, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Every American town has a history, but some of that has been lost under the plows and asphalt of progress. Nearly 350 years ago, the town of Brookhaven, N.Y., was founded and its inception is the subject of a new book, Setauket, Alias Brookhaven: The Birth of a Long Island Town with the Chronological Records 1655-1679 (now available through AuthorHouse), by Belle Barstow.
Setauket, Alias Brookhaven is a story of a people who fled England in pursuit of a dream, settling amongst the pines and thick hardwood forests of Long Island. Barstow uses town records and old documents from 1655 through 1679 to base her historical account of the beginning of a colonial town. The book relates the struggles these men and women endured to cut a place for themselves in the mixed forests and sandy shores along the Long Island coast. It begins with the encounters between the Native Americans, who had been living there since 4500 B.C., and the Europeans exploring the continent in the early 17th century. The Dutch soon arrive, building trading posts, while the English begin colonizing the coast of Massachusetts.
Barstow investigates how these two nations influence the development of the area and their effect on the indigenous populations. Setauket, Alias Brookhaven follows these determined settlers who face the hostilities of Native Americans, arguing Puritans and controversial religious views. They begin by clearing the land and planting crops, building shelters and searching for commodities to support their growing number. The need for more provisions leads them to whaling on the south shores. Barstow also examines the early politics of the land, as the settlement switched control from the Colony of Hartford to the Duke of York, and the threats of Captain John Scott.
Setauket, Alias Brookhaven is a complete history of the inception of a colonial town that is sure to fascinate history aficionados and casual enthusiasts alike.
The mother of three and grandmother of two, Barstow is retired and lives in North Carolina with her husband of 50 years. After a house fire interrupted her anthropology courses at the State University of New York, she began to study colonial Setauket. In search of original documents, she traveled from Long Island to Connecticut, Boston and England. Her research took her to the British Museum, libraries in London and Ashford, England and ended in Bodleian Library at Oxford University. She has written two other books, Home Weddings and Receptions and Setauket's Religious Beginnings.
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