This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/jUB.2ACI/1165.2.1.1 Message Board Post: On 3/16/06 (8:09:41 AM MST), in a posting to the Suffolk County Ancestry Board that was 'gatewayed' to NYSUFFOL-L@rootsweb.com, Christi Malone (Girl-Raised-In-the-South@comcast.net) wrote, "Thank you both. I have the birthplace of Mehitable's son, Phineas Fanning, II, as Aquebogue (Laurel), so that follows. The town of Laurel seems to have changed its name more than once." You're welcome, but Aquebogue is a separate hamlet and, unlike the Hamlet of Laurel, it is not in the Town of Southold but is in the Town of Riverhead: The pertinent geography: Aquebogue is a hamlet (unincorporated area) in the southeastern part of the Town of Riverhead, Suffolk County. There are no villages (municipal corporations) and 7 hamlets (unincorporated areas) all or partly in the Town of Riverhead (Riverhead is the only town in either Suffolk or Nassau County without any villages within its borders). 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 Aquebogue in the Town of Riverhead is bordered on the north by the Hamlet Northville; on the east by the Hamlet of Jamesport; on the south by the Great Peconic Bay; and, on the west by the Hamlet of Riverhead. And, as occurs in every one of Suffolk County's 157 communities (0 cities, 32 villages and 125 hamlets), the hamlet and the postal zone that use the same name, have different borders. There are places with a "Aquebogue, NY 11931" mailing address that are not in Aquebogue and these places appear to be in the Hamlet of Riverhead. For those who have their copy of the 2005 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 Aquebogue in the Town of Riverhead, Suffolk County on pages 14 & 26 (map) and 27 (population estimate). I hope this information is useful or, at least, interesting. Regards, Walter Greenspan Great Falls, MT & Jericho, NY 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.