On 4/8/04 (3:45:50 PM MST), in a posting to NYSUFFOL-L@rootsweb.com, Alannah Dwyer Mackay (mackayl@wvi.com) asked, "I just found a relative in 1900, residing as a servant for Charles S. Dailey, an undertaker in Islip, NY. As this is in 1900, the funeral home no longer exists. Would anyone know who took over this funeral home or any information on where records might exist? I believe that the old directories give the address as Locust St. in Islip. Any info you might have to assist me in this endeavor would be much appreciated." For questions such as yours, you may want to contact the Islip Public Library (the library can suggest which local newspaper might have this information and other possible sources of information): Islip Public Library 71 Monell Avenue Islip, NY 11751 Tel: 631/581-5933 eMail: islplib@suffolk.lib.ny.us http://islip.suffolk.lib.ny.us/ The pertinent geography: Islip is a hamlet (unincorporated area) in the southwest section of the Town of Islip, in the southwest part of Suffolk County. There are 4 villages (incorporated municipalities) and 23 hamlets all or partly in the Town of Islip. There are no cities and 10 towns in Suffolk County. There are 2 Indian reservations 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 Islip in the Town of Islip is bordered on the north by the Hamlet of North Bay Shore, the Hamlet of Brentwood and the Hamlet of Central Islip; on the east by the Hamlet of Central Islip, the Hamlet of Islip Terrace and the Hamlet of East Islip; on the south by the Great South Bay; and, on the west by the Hamlet of Bay Shore. And, as occurs in every one of Suffolk County's 157 communities (0 cities, 31 villages and 126 hamlets), the Hamlet of Islip has a different border than does the "Islip, NY 11751" postal zone (i.e., a place can have an Islip mailing address and not be in Islip and a place can have other than an Islip mailing address and be in Islip). There are places in Islip with a "Bay Shore, NY 11706" mailing address. For those who have their copy of the 2002 or earlier editions of the 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 Islip in the Town of Islip, Suffolk County on pages 14 & 20 (map) and 21 (population estimate). I hope this information is useful or, at least, interesting. Wishing all a ziessen Pesach (sweet Passover)*, Walter Greenspan * The 8-day Festival of Passover begins on the 15th day of the month of Nissan (that's the Babylonian 'Nissan', not the Japanese 'Nissan'), which occurs at sunset on Monday, April 5 on the civil calendar. . 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.