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Subject: [NYSUFFOL] 1871 Middle Island
Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2001 11:33:00 EDT

On 10/17/01 (10:37:10 AM EDT), as part of an interesting excerpt provided by
Nancy Lutz () from the Brooklyn Daily Standard Union of
February 2, 1871, entitled, "SENSATION at Middle Island", the excerpt
included the following:

"Middle Island, a small hamlet and great scrub oak district in the eastern
part of Long Island, has recently had a genuine sensation. Although the
inhabitants of this village are few and far between ... "

Yes, the BDU is correct in the first instance that Middle Island is a hamlet.
No, the BDU is incorrect in the second instance, when, in the immediately
following sentence, it then refers to Middle Island as a village.

The pertinent geography:

Middle Island is a hamlet (an unincorporated community) in the central part
of the Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County. There are 8 villages
(incorporated municipalities) and 36 hamlets all or partly in the Town of
Brookhaven. There are no cities and 10 towns in Suffolk County. (I'm
including after my name a NYS Geographic Glossary with the NYS definitions of
county, city, town, village, hamlet and postal zone.)

Beginning on the north and moving in a clockwise direction, the Hamlet of
Middle Island in the Town of Brookhaven is bordered on the north by the
Hamlets of Miller Place and Rocky Point; on the east by the Hamlets of Ridge
and Yaphank; on the south by the Hamlets of Yaphank and Gordon Heights; and,
on the west by the Hamlets of Gordon Heights and Coram.

And, like almost every community in either Nassau or Suffolk Counties, the
hamlet and the postal zone that use the same name, have different borders.
Thus, places with a "Middle Island, NY" mailing address may not be in Middle
Island and places in Middle Island may not have a "Middle Island, NY" mailing
address.

For those who have their copy of the 1998, 1999 or 2000 LI Population Survey
or have already downloaded the report from the Long Island Power Authority
web site (eMail me directly if you need instructions on how to access and
download the report), you'll find the Hamlet of Middle Island in the Town of
Brookhaven, Suffolk County on pages 14 & 24 (map) and 25 (population
estimate).

I hope this information is useful or, at least, interesting.

Walter Greenspan

. Cities, Towns, Villages, Hamlets and Postal Zones in New York State

New York State is divided into counties.

County
A county is a municipal corporation, a subdivision of the state, created to
perform state functions; a "regional" government. All counties are divided
into cities, towns and Indian reservations.

City
A city is a unique governmental entity with its own special charter. Cities
are not sub-divided, except into neighborhoods, which are informal geographic
areas.

Town
A town is a municipal corporation and encompasses all territory within the
state except that within cities or Indian reservations. Towns can be
sub-divided into villages and hamlets.

Village
A village is a general purpose municipal corporation formed voluntarily by
the residents of an area in one or more towns to provide themselves with
municipal services. The pattern of village organization is similar to those
of a city. A village is divided into neighborhoods, which are informal
geographic areas.

Hamlet
A hamlet is an unincorporated area in one or more towns that is governed
at-large by the town(s) it is in. A hamlet is divided into neighborhoods,
which are informal geographic areas.

Postal Zone "City" and "Town"
A postal zone "City" and "Town" is an administrative district established by
the U.S. Postal Service to deliver the mail. Postal zone "City" and "Town"
may not (but are encouraged to) conform to municipal or community borders.
Thus, postal zone location does not always determine city, village or hamlet
location.


Please be aware: In many areas of New York State, the problem of
non-conforming postal zones leads to a situation where the majority of places
have a different community name in their mailing address than the community
where that place is actually located.

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