On 10/14/05 (8:18:22 PM MDT), in a posting to NY-LONGISLAND-L@rootsweb.com, Ruth Barton (mrgjb@sover.net) asked, "Hi Folks, I just subbed to this list for the express purpose of asking if anyone has any info on this former military base that I was told was on Long Island. If you know anything about this place please contact me." Then, on 10/15/05 (8:33:25 AM MDT), Ruth Barton (mrgjb@sover.net) added, "The reason I am inquiring is thus: I am president of the Putney, Vermont Historical Society, we have had to move our entire collection and in the process we are weeding out things that we find that have no known connection to the town. One of the things we have found is a long photo of soldiers with the only ID being Fort H. G. Wright NY written on the bottom. They appear to be WWI from the uniforms. If there is any sort of museum that collects things from Fort H. G. Wright we would like to give them this photo. Anyone have any ideas?" You may want to contact the Fishers Island Library Association: Fishers Island Library Association 988 Oriental Avenue PO Box 366 Fishers Island, CT 06390 Tel: 631/788-7362 Fax: 631/???-???? eMail: ????? http://???.???.??? Fishers Island is a very interesting and geographically unique place: Fishers Island is an island hamlet (unincorporated area) in the extreme northeast section of the Town of Southold, Suffolk County, and is closer to Connecticut than to the rest of Long Island. There are 1 village (municipal corporation) and 10 hamlets in the Town of Southold. 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.) Fishers Island is located in Long Island Sound and is to the northeast of Plum Island and the Hamlet of Orient, also in the Town of Southold, and is just 5 miles offshore from New London, CT. Fishers Island is unique in many ways, one of which is that while it certainly is part of New York State, it has a Connecticut ZIP Code. If you or I want to write to a person or company located on Fishers Island, the last line of the mailing address -- it's postal "city" -- is Fishers Island, CT 06390. Mail to and from Fishers Island is handled within a facility in the New London, CT Post Office. The manager of the New London-Fishers Island ferry lives in New London and on his way to work on Fishers Island picks up the mail bag with the incoming mail at the New London Post Office and in the evening, when he returns to New London, drops off a bag of outgoing mail. Ownership of Fishers Island was claimed by both Connecticut and New York. State ownership was not settled until 1878 when a joint commission from the two states finally decided that "New York has the title having had actual possession for more than a century". The decision was based on a prior 1664 decision that the southern boundary of Connecticut was the northern shore of Long Island Sound. (I translate this to mean that the southern border of Connecticut is the low water mark.) The Town Board of the Town of Southold and representatives of each department in the Town journey by boat every August to Fishers Island to conduct a board meeting. This is done as a courtesy and is not required by law. Fishers Island has two additional geographic quirks: 1. It is the only part of Suffolk County not in the R.C. Diocese of Rockville Centre. Fishers Island is in the R.C. Diocese of Hartford. (Meanwhile, the R.C. Diocese of Rockville Centre is the only R.C. Diocese not named after a city; Rockville Centre is a village in the Town of Hempstead, Nassau County.) Fishers Island is in the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island (so is Brooklyn and Queens, along with all of Nassau and Suffolk) 2. Between Fishers Island and Orient (Orient, as its name suggests, is the eastern most point on the north fork) is Plum Island. Plum Island is the U.S.D.A.'s animal disease experimental station. For those who have their copy of the 2004 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 Fishers Island in the Town of Southold, Suffolk County on pages 15 & 30 (map) and 31 (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.

Thanks to Walter and David for all the information on Fisher's Island, its postal system and its church affiliation. In regard to the specific question, the writer and owner of the Ft. H.G. Wright photo might also want to consider donating it to the US Army Military History Institute (USAMHI) at Carlisle, PA. USAMHI is the Army's major repository of historical documents, photographs and manuscripts and an important center for army researchers. Another possibility is the New York State Military Museum in Saratoga (see below). Fort H[oratio] G. Wright was one of the installations of the defenses of New York harbor dating from the days before airplanes when the major threat to coastal cities was naval bombardment. The fort was an active post from 1879-1948 and was named for a Civil War general. You can read a lot more about it at the website of the New York State Military Museum (http://www.dmna.state.ny.us/forts/fortsT_Z/wrightHGFort.htm). Russell --- Soyamaven@aol.com wrote: > > On 10/14/05 (8:18:22 PM MDT), in a posting to > NY-LONGISLAND-L@rootsweb.com, > Ruth Barton (mrgjb@sover.net) asked, > > "Hi Folks, I just subbed to this list for the > express purpose of asking if > anyone has any info on this former military base > that I was told was on Long > Island. If you know anything about this place > please contact me." > > Then, on 10/15/05 (8:33:25 AM MDT), Ruth Barton > (mrgjb@sover.net) added, > > "The reason I am inquiring is thus: I am president > of the Putney, Vermont > Historical Society, we have had to move our entire > collection and in the process > we are weeding out things that we find that have no > known connection to the > town. One of the things we have found is a long > photo of soldiers with the > only ID being Fort H. G. Wright NY written on the > bottom. They appear to be WWI > from the uniforms. If there is any sort of museum > that collects things from > Fort H. G. Wright we would like to give them this > photo. Anyone have any ideas?" > > > You may want to contact the Fishers Island Library > Association: > > Fishers Island Library Association > 988 Oriental Avenue > PO Box 366 > Fishers Island, CT 06390 > > Tel: 631/788-7362 > Fax: 631/???-???? > > eMail: ????? > > http://???.???.??? > > > Fishers Island is a very interesting and > geographically unique place: > > Fishers Island is an island hamlet (unincorporated > area) in the extreme > northeast section of the Town of Southold, Suffolk > County, and is closer to > Connecticut than to the rest of Long Island. There > are 1 village (municipal > corporation) and 10 hamlets in the Town of Southold. > 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.) > > Fishers Island is located in Long Island Sound and > is to the northeast of > Plum Island and the Hamlet of Orient, also in the > Town of Southold, and is just 5 > miles offshore from New London, CT. > > Fishers Island is unique in many ways, one of which > is that while it > certainly is part of New York State, it has a > Connecticut ZIP Code. > > If you or I want to write to a person or company > located on Fishers Island, > the last line of the mailing address -- it's postal > "city" -- is Fishers > Island, CT 06390. > > Mail to and from Fishers Island is handled within a > facility in the New > London, CT Post Office. The manager of the New > London-Fishers Island ferry lives in > New London and on his way to work on Fishers Island > picks up the mail bag > with the incoming mail at the New London Post Office > and in the evening, when he > returns to New London, drops off a bag of outgoing > mail. > > Ownership of Fishers Island was claimed by both > Connecticut and New York. > State ownership was not settled until 1878 when a > joint commission from the two > states finally decided that "New York has the title > having had actual > possession for more than a century". The decision > was based on a prior 1664 decision > that the southern boundary of Connecticut was the > northern shore of Long Island > Sound. (I translate this to mean that the southern > border of Connecticut is > the low water mark.) > > The Town Board of the Town of Southold and > representatives of each department > in the Town journey by boat every August to Fishers > Island to conduct a board > meeting. This is done as a courtesy and is not > required by law. > > Fishers Island has two additional geographic quirks: > > 1. It is the only part of Suffolk County not in the > R.C. Diocese of Rockville > Centre. Fishers Island is in the R.C. Diocese of > Hartford. (Meanwhile, the > R.C. Diocese of Rockville Centre is the only R.C. > Diocese not named after a > city; Rockville Centre is a village in the Town of > Hempstead, Nassau County.) > Fishers Island is in the Episcopal Diocese of Long > Island (so is Brooklyn and > Queens, along with all of Nassau and Suffolk) > > 2. Between Fishers Island and Orient (Orient, as its > name suggests, is the > eastern most point on the north fork) is Plum > Island. Plum Island is the > U.S.D.A.'s animal disease experimental station. > > For those who have their copy of the 2004 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 > Fishers Island in the > Town of Southold, Suffolk County on pages 15 & 30 > (map) and 31 (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 === message truncated === __________________________________ Yahoo! Music Unlimited Access over 1 million songs. Try it free. http://music.yahoo.com/unlimited/