This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/lRB.2ACE/825.1 Message Board Post: On 1/15/05 (4:52:31 AM MST), in a posting to the Nassau County Ancestry Board that was 'gatewayed' to NYNASSAU-L@rootsweb.com, Jack (jsnyder312@aol.com) asked, "looking for a thomas farrell he lived in selden new york and his mother died in 1987 she lived in farmingville n.y. he had a sister name linda odonell and also 2 brothers named william and john odonnell his mothers first marriage also had 2 sisters named carolann ans anna can you help me thank you" It is important to note that both Selden and Farmingville are not in Nassau County: they are hamlets in the Town of Brookhaven in Suffolk County. Suffolk County is immediately to the east of Nassau County on Long Island. I will reply in a separate posting about the mother who lived in Farmingville. For the son, you may want to contact the Selden Branch of the Middle Country Public Library (the library can suggest which local newspaper might have this information and other possible sources of information): Selden Branch Middle Country Public Library 575 Middle Country Road Selden, NY 11784 Tel: 631/585-9393 Fax: 621/585-5035 eMail form to ask a question: http://www.mcpl.lib.ny.us/askus.html http://www.mcpl.lib.ny.us/ The pertinent geography: Selden is a hamlet (unincorporated area) in the west part of the Town of Brookhaven, in the center part of Suffolk County. There are 8 villages (municipal corporations) and 36 hamlets all or partly in the Town of Brookhaven. 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 Selden in the Town of Brookhaven is bordered on the north by Hamlet of Terryville; on the east the Hamlet of Coram; on the south by the Hamlet of Farmingville; and, on the west by the Hamlet of Centereach. And, as occurs in every one of Suffolk County's 157 communities (0 cities, 31 villages and 126 hamlets), the Hamlet of Selden has a different border than does the "Selden, NY 11784" postal zone (i.e., a place can have a Selden mailing address and not be in Selden and a place can have other than a Selden mailing address and be in Selden). Those places that have a "Selden, NY" mailing address that are not in the Hamlet of Selden are in the Hamlet of Farmingville and in the Hamlet of Coram; and, at the same time, there are places in the Hamlet of Selden with a "Centereach, NY 11720" mailing address. For those who have their copy of the 2003 or earlier edition 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 Selden 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. Regards, 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.