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/1161.1 Message Board Post: On 3/9/06 (10:25:22 AM MST), in a posting to the Suffolk County Ancestry Board that was 'gatewayed' to NYSUFFOL-L@rootsweb.com, Vincent Filter (the-face@gmx.net) asked, "first of all I'd like to thank anyone who may actually reply to this message. English isn't my mothertongue, therefore please bear with any mistakes. I am looking for any information obtainable on my grandfather and his family. His name was Thomas Webb. Born on the 1st of June 1909 and died in August 1987 in 11754 Kings Park, Suffolk, NY. I also have his Social security number. Now since I am not living in the USA nor am an american citizen, things are quite difficult for me. I basically want to know whether there is any family left and if there is any property previously registered to his name." For questions such as yours, you may want to contact the Kings Park Branch of the Smithtown Public Library (the library can suggest which local newspaper might have this information and other possible sources of information): Kings Park Branch Smithtown Public Library 1 Church Street Kings Park, NY 11754 Tel: 631/269-9191 Fax: 631/???-???? eMail: ????? http://www.smithlib.org/ The pertinent geography: Kings Park is a hamlet (unincorporated area) in the northeast part of the Town of Smithtown, in the northwest part of Suffolk County. There are 3 villages (municipal corporations) and 8 hamlets (unincorporated areas) all or partly in the Town of Smithtown. 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 Kings Park in the Town of Smithtown is bordered on the north by the Hamlet of Fort Salonga, Long Island Sound and the Village of Nissequogue; on the east the Village of Nissequogue and the Hamlet of Smithtown; on the south by the Hamlets of Smithtown and Commack; and, on the west by the Hamlet of Fort Salonga. And, as occurs in every one of Suffolk County's 157 communities (0 cities, 32 villages and 125 hamlets), the Hamlet of Kings Park has a different border than does the "Kings Park, NY 11754" postal zone (i.e., a place can have a Kings Park mailing address and not be in Kings Park and a place can have other than a Kings Park mailing address and be in Kings Park). Those places that have a "Kings Park, NY" mailing address that are not in the Hamlet of Kings Park are in the Hamlet of Smithtown or in the Village of Nissequogue; and, at the same time, there are places in the Hamlet of Kings Park with a "Smithtown, NY 11787" mailing address. 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 Kings Park in the Town of Smithtown, Suffolk County on pages 14 & 22 (map) and 23 (population estimate). I hope this information is useful or, at least, interesting. Happy Purim (one-day celebration of Purim begins at sunset on Monday, March 13), 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 place shave a different community name in their mailing address than the community where that place is actually located.