THE SALTAIRE POLIO EPIDEMIC OF 1954 IN MAYOR LUDLOW'S OWN WORDS

2025 UPDATE

I DECIDED TO RE-POST THESE NEXT THREE STORIES BECAUSE OF SOME RECENT  SENTIMENT OUT THERE THAT POLIO VACCINES MIGHT BE OPTIONAL

Here is the speech that Saltaire's Mayor John Ludlow gave in the Fall of 1954 after Saltaire had its own polio epidemic.  I remember it well.

Think about it. 

JO'H

January 2025 

Editor’s note: the following is the complete text (in three parts) of a speech given by Mayor John Ludlow in the Autumn of 1954  to a civic group about the Polio epidemic of 1954 from his viewpoint as Mayor. This may be the only extensive contemporary account of one of the most significant events in Saltaire history, one that shaped a whole generation. The only editing is the headings, which we have added, the fact that we are breaking the speech into three parts. It was delivered as one speech. For notes on the provenance of the manuscript, click on the “Comments” section at the bottom of the post.
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE





Part 1: “ Are the Polio Rumors True?”

By Mayor John Ludlow:

It is very nice to be with you tonight.

Mr.Werle, who, by the way is probably the smartest arbitrageur on the New York Stock Exchange, paid me a great complement by inviting me to speak here.

There is a word in our own language that I think has not been given due importance. The word is "sociability," which I'll take the liberty of terming "vocal, hospitable, friendliness." You must have much of it in this association or you would not be the success that you are. Sociability is friendliness of by word as well as by deed: it is when you enjoy having people in for supper equally as having supper at their house; when during a walk around the block you meet and have a friendly greeting from eight or ten people.

Such is the type of life that we have at Saltaire. We are a small incorporated village of one hundred and ten cottages, a part of the Town of Islip, to whom we contribute taxes yearly. We have our excellent water system, we have trash and garbage collection three times a week, we have a post office during the summer, we have a Yacht Club to which almost everybody belongs and which is the social center of the community. We have wide boardwalks and we have one of the finest bathing beaches in the world. Mothers let their children play without close supervision -- -- no child has ever drowned at Saltaire. We have a Director of Recreation with three assistants and a life guard. We have two large well equipped playgrounds and supervised classes with a membership of about one hundred children. And we have no public bars.

Into this Paradise for children came to the tragic disease of polio.

Upon my arrival at Saltaire on Friday night, August 6, women asked me "are the polio rumors true?"

I checked immediately with our Village doctor. He had treated no polio in the week he had been at Saltaire, but had been told that three and possibly four persons, one adult of 28 and three children had been found to have polio upon examination after their departure from Saltaire.

The symptoms of polio, according to our doctor, are a sore throat and a muscle pains, especially in the neck, sometimes accompanied by nausea. When the neck becomes practically rigid it is almost a sure sign of polio. However, no actual confirmation is possible without a spinal tap, and this must be done at a hospital. As the hospitals do not advise us, it is easy to see why we were not accurately informed at once.

At any event, the as the Mayor of Saltaire, the responsibility was mine.

A party at the Yacht Club was being held. I took the doctor there and explained to the people that I had just learned of the development of polio in several people who had left the island. I stated there would be no recreation classes for two weeks and no congregation of children would be allowed. I had the doctor tell the people the symptoms of polio and to urge that children have plenty of rest and no cold shock or violent exercise.

Precautionary measures were outlined in detail by letter the following day and sent to every resident. At their request 120 copies all this notice were also sent to the people of our easterly neighbor, Fair Harbor.

We reported to the County Health Commissioner. He had no reports of polio, but by contacting Meadowbrook Hospital he later confirmed one case.

There followed a subdued, apprehensive atmosphere. We had a water analysis made, shut off public drinking fountains, and ordered paper cups to be used at the Yacht Club and Soda Shop.

Sunday night in the early darkness a low siren sounded several times. As this normally signals the alarm for fire, the people ran out of their houses to be of help. I saw lights bobbing near our dock, and my heart sank. One of our nicest boys, a handsome 15-year-old, whose father in his day had been a famous runner at Notre Dame, had been under observation all day by the doctor. I knew this must be the Coast Guard boat to take the boy to the mainland. So it proved to be. The doctor told me the boy's neck was practically rigid, and we learned the next morning he had polio. That night I woke with a sore throat and an ache in my own neck and I learned later that the doctor also had slept poorly.


Continued tomorrow:


Tomorrow at Saltaire38: part two of the Ludlow speech: “The 1954 House of Needles.”

Part II: The 1954 House of Needles

Editor’s note: the following is the second installment of the complete text (in three parts) of a speech given by Mayor John Ludlow in 1954 or 1955 to a civic group about the Polio epidemic of 1954 from his viewpoint as Mayor. This may be the only extensive contemporary account of one of the most significant events in Saltaire history, one that shaped a whole generation. The only editing is the headings, which we have added, the fact that we are breaking the speech into three parts. It was delivered as one speech. For notes on the provenance of the manuscript, click on the “Comments” section at the bottom of the post.

click image to enlarge



Part II: The 1954 House of Needles









by Mayor John Ludlow


Monday we reported our new case to the Commissioner and pleaded for gamma globulin. He promised to, and later advised us to prepare for inoculations Wednesday. A notice was posted immediately that all children below 15 and all pregnant women would be inoculated. The effect upon the morale of the people was electric. The thought that the children you love may become crippled for life is not pleasant. I myself have a boy of twenty-two, the Assistant Director of Recreation, and what with my concern over the health of the Village and my worry over his health, the following days were a somewhat dubious vacation.


Tuesday, Miss App, the medical supervisor for the Commissioner arrived and outlined the needs this for the inoculation program. We found her not only efficient but a very charming person.

We decided to use the Village Hall for the procedure, with three teams consisting of a doctor, a trained nurse, two trained helpers and a registrar within assistant for each team.

A wire was strung across the hall and this section was then divided into three cubicles by screens. Sheets were requisitioned and pinned over the wires and screens so that there was definite privacy, necessary for more than one reason. We used desks and tables, covered with blankets and sheets for the inoculations.


"...no mother hesitated for a moment to agree to my request for help."

I set out on my trusty bicycle to round up volunteers. Just remember, if you will, that no one is sure of how polio spreads and that an older person may be a potential carrier by association with children who may develop the disease. Having this in mind, I was very proud that no mother hesitated for a moment to agree to my request for her help.

We sent a private boat for Commissioner Rafle, Dr. Backer, three nurses on Wednesday morning and the inoculations started at 10:15 a.m. and continued until 1:15 p.m.



Benches were set out along the walk at the main entrance to the all area and a man stationed outside the door and gave each family a number. As this number was called the family and was admitted and the door shot so that the weeping and sometimes screaming children inside would not disturb too much those waiting their turn. Once inside each mother registered each child and he was weighed to determine how much gamma globulin to inject: i.e.: one CC per five pounds of weight with a maximum of a 20 cc per person.

I might say that’s a pretty hardy inoculation. A mother of , say, three children would take one child into the cubicle and women would shepherd the remaining two. After inoculation the child was led by a woman to the other side of the hall, given a lollipop, not only for his enjoyment, but to effectually block some of his crying, and was taken out the far door where additional women cared for him until his mother came until his mother completed her not too pleasant task.


Picture, if you will, two little girls of about six entering the cubicle, one tearfully, one serious but with almost a swagger. The latter emerged a minute later with a trace of a tear and just a suggestion of a strut. From the second cubicle came an agonizing scream "no, no, mommy not again.” Once during the morning a child let out such a high-pitched scream that it seemed like a fierce whistle. I learned later that even the attending doctor straightened up as thought startled.

Meanwhile, the cartons containing the packaged gamma globulin were being opened and the bottles arranged for easy handling and two women constantly washed the syringes for use in the inoculations.

At 1:15 p.m. the doctors took a break and the nurses had a light lunch at my home. Meanwhile, some mothers from Kismet appeared and pleaded for our help. The Commissioner, after lunch felt rested enough to tackle the added starters and by three o'clock the job was finished -- 183 persons were inoculated. Most of these had a two separate injections with a one refill for each needle. And that's really a lot of jabbing. The gamma is almost as thick as molasses and it takes considerable pressure to clear the needle.

There followed watchful waiting. The playgrounds were deserted for two days and most of the children limped around because of decidedly sore rear ends.


Tomorrow: part three of the Ludlow speech: “Tears rolled down his cheeks... “my granddaughter has polio”

Part III: Tears rolled down his cheeks... “my granddaughter has polio”

Editor’s note: the following is final section of a speech given by Mayor John Ludlow in 1954 or 1955 to a civic group about the Polio epidemic of 1954 from his viewpoint as Mayor. This may be the only extensive contemporary account of one of the most significant events in Saltaire history, one that shaped a whole generation. The only editing is the headings, which we have added, the fact that we are breaking the speech into three parts. It was delivered as one speech. For notes on the on the provenance of the manuscript, click on the “Comments” section at the bottom of the post.







Part III:

Saturday I had as my partner ex-. Mayor McManus, an expert Bridge player. His daughter appeared, talked with him, and we resumed our game. After one hand had been played, the ex-Mayor lay down the cards as tears rolled down his cheeks and he said in a choking voice "I’ve have bad news. My granddaughter has polio.” This was a 13-year-old girl who had been taken from Saltaire on Monday, had an inoculation in New Jersey on Tuesday and was proven indeed a polio case that Saturday.


We decided to have a short recreation class August 16 with the proviso that the children would definitely a get some rest each afternoon, and on August 30 we resumed full activities. During these days I kept thinking of St. Paul’s famous words “ faith, hope and charity and I must admit I did a little extra praying that we were taking the right action and that Saltaire had had its last case.

Meanwhile, several doctors told me that gamma globulin could not be considered really effective and that the only real answer to polio was the Salk vaccine, still in exploratory stage and at least two years away from confirmation.

Nevertheless, no further cases of polio developed at Saltaire. There were many cases of sore throats among the children in July and the doctors agreed many of these were probably mild cases of polio.

All of the Saltaire polio patients are making good progress but five are still hospitalized and at least three will need months of patient and constant therapy. It is in this field of therapy that the greatest progress has been made.

For reasons peculiar to myself I used to feel not overly warm towards the "March of Dimes." Having lived a little with the fear that fills in your heart when polio strikes I will never again failed to do my share to help those who so greatly help humanity.


John Ludlow, Fall, 1954
Mayor of Saltaire


Ed. notre: Thus concludes the Ludlow speech. The Ludlow speech and the polio epidemic were a lifetime ago. Please Post your comments, memories and reflections by clicking comments below.

BIG LABOR DAY ISSUE

Click on images to enlarge

1920's --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1954

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1964:

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Eugene Piper 1959

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1920's medals were awarded by Yacht Club

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LABOR DAY, 1946-1949 IN SALTAIRE: KODACHROME IMAGES BY THE LATE RICHARD GREER

Pictures by Richard Greer

Pictures courtesy Sid Greer

(JO'H Ed. Note) : The promise of Saltaire from its very inception, to nurture “Healthy Happy Saltaire Youngsters” http://saltaire38.blogspot.com/search?q=Bungaliers was as much evidence in the post- World War II era as it is today. Kids here, kids there, kids everywhere.

Saltaire was never a resort where you went to get away from the kids—it was a place you went to live with the kids. And you never got to know just the kids: you got to know whole families. Bill Stillgebauer told us that his parents were close friends with the Greers, and Bill became friends with the Greers' kids, and grandkids and nieces and nephews. The Greers were cousins of the Glascocks who became good friends of the Stillgebauers, and so on. Growing up Saltaire, you knew people in the context of their families.

1950’s Mayor John Ludlow once said:
There is a word in our own language that I think has not been given due importance. The word is "sociability," which I'll take the liberty of terming "vocal, hospitable, friendliness." Sociability is friendliness of by word as well as by deed: it is when you enjoy having people in for supper equally as having supper at their house; when during a walk around the block you meet and have a friendly greeting from eight or ten people.Such is the type of life that we have at Saltaire. We are a small incorporated village of one hundred and ten cottages, a part of the Town of Islip,
---Mayor John Ludlow, 1954.
http://saltaire38.blogspot.com/search?q=polio

We are proud to introduce Richard Greer’s Labor Day pictures from 1946, 1947 and 1948 that show that sociability in context of a Village tradition carried on each year from the earliest years of the Village: the annual Labor Day races at the ball field and on the bay. Parents went down to the field to watch the kids run. And they got to do some running themselves—or at least jumping in potato sacks. The next day was on to the bay for the swimming races in the boat basin.

Then to watch the kids as they gore themselves, hands behind their backs, with blueberry pie, a tradition that goes back at least to the 1920’s in Saltaire, http://saltaire38.blogspot.com/2008/08/labor-day-in-saltaire.html

Finally, of course, came the great Labor Day awards ceremony at the Yacht Club. The Village turned out for what was Saltaire's version of the Academy Awards. The season's awards for sailing, swimming and track were awarded in a packed Yacht Club, topped off by the big awards: the Sailing trophies and "The Cup," a trophy given each year for the best kid in each particular class.

Greer's images capture a Village in an era of confidence: a Village that in the previous ten years had fought off the utter destruction of the Hurricane of 1938 http://saltairian.com/pages/history/1938/ocean-met-bay.html
http://saltaire38.blogspot.com/search?q=beleagured
http://saltaire38.blogspot.com/search?q=Joseph+Lynch

and then had seen its parents go off and fight and win the Big War.

http://saltaire38.blogspot.com/search?q=Iwo+Jima

http://saltaire38.blogspot.com/search?q=nancy+latham

48 -star American flags delineated the running course for the races at the field; red white and blue streamers hung on the Broadway fence.

And kids everywhere, and parents everywhere too: this was, after all, the earliest bloom of the Baby Boom. So thanks, Sid Greer, for saving your dad Richard's Kodachromes from that heady time: This was All American Saltaire at mid Century.
ALL PICTURES BY RICHARD GREER

CLICK ANY PICTURE TO ENLARGE
THE LABOR DAY TRACK MEET, 1947

Not many people remember, but there used to be a cinder track around the ball field, as seen on left. By the 1950's it was covered up, except for the northern end of the field between the right field foul line and the the fire house. The fire house was farther back than it is today. It was torture to walk on that part of the old track in bare feet: there were big, chunky cinders.

Note: fire alarm gong on Broadway. In the early days, there were similar alarms in strategic locations throughout the village. They were manually operated: just hit 'em with a big hammer to summon help. There was no electricity or telephone service until the 1930's. See an earlier fire alarm here: http://saltaire38.blogspot.com/search?q=Fire+Alarms

Note here the clear view across tennis courts to houses on Marine Walk.

Note in this picture: there used to be basketball backboards along the right field line, a double sided one shownher incenter filed, and another deep in center field.
The house in the background is on Pacific walk.

THE SWIMMING RACES AT THE BAY

The track meet was one day, the swimming meet the next.

These swimming pictures were taken in two different years, 1946 and 1948 .

Look closely: the old grey headed man in the scow on the right is the famous old bayman/hermit , Captain Baldwin. Kind of creepy to see him there. To follow his legend, click here: http://saltaire38.blogspot.com/search?q=Baldwin

THE PIE EATING CONTESTS:

There is a Saltaire promotional brochure from the 1920's that shows a line of kids along Bay Prom participating in a pie eating contest. http://saltaire38.blogspot.com/2008/08/labor-day-in-saltaire.html These 1948 by images by Robert Greer show the tradition was strong. See, for instance Hank Stillgebauer's images from 1957: http://saltaire38.blogspot.com/search?q=messiness The pie eating contests continued at lest through teh early 1960's. Why the stopped this this tradition is anyone's guess, but there is no reason why it cannot be reintroduced in 2010.

THE CUP:

This was it. The ultimate; the Oscar; the top award for top kid in each goup. Real hardware that looked great on the mantle.

THE REASON THEY DID ALL THIS:

Only on http://www.saltaire38.blogspot.com/

We have lots more Greer photos from that era: beach scenes; sailing scenes, scenes with lots of people old timers may recall, and a series of pictures of a baseball game between Saltaire aind Pont of Woods at Point of Woods in 1950.

Trouble is, we have not received YOUR pictures yet.

send them to:

johareny@aol.com

Saltaire Memories: Labor Day

Tom Lyon was a smart city kid. He seemed to know about everything. In Saltaire, he would sit down in front of the Saltaire Sweet Shope or on the dock and read a whole stack of daily newspapers. Sometimes he would fight with his sister Laurie about who would get the sports sections first and who would get the news sections.

Tom would come up with critiques of and pithy quotes from that morning's observations by Arthur Krock, or John Drebinger’s report of what happened last night with the Yankees. When we were kids, Tom must have picked out a thousand newspaper articles for us to read and talk about.

And the Yankees ... Tom could tell you what the Sporting News was saying about the latest Yankees streak, or how many home runs Babe Ruth hit at the Stadium in 1927.

At any rate, it was Labor Day, September 7, 1964. The annual awards ceremony was over, and people were starting to roll their wagons packed and ready to go down Broadway to the dock. In those days, the season pretty much ended at Labor Day.

Tom is sitting there in front of the Sweet Shoppe, and he says "you should read this story.”
It was an essay about Labor Day from that morning’s Times. I read it, and I figure I have read it again almost every Labor Day since. No great shakes, that essay. Tom wasn’t sentimental that way. His sentimentality had more of a Holden Caulfield edge to it.

But I read it because I think of Tom sitting there reading that paper, that day at the end of that summer.

There would be more summers for Tom. But not many. Nor for Laurie. I still think of Tom sitting there.

Then I think of the millions of stories over that vast expanse of time that Tom never got to read, that he never got to talk about, laugh about, make sarcastic remarks about. I still think of Tom...
---JO'H




So for what it's worth: here is the article Tom told me to read:

_______________________________________
TOPICS

End of Summer

It's gone it now, the whole thing. That's all there is, there isn't any more. It seemed just a moment ago when, on a Memorial Day Beach the summer stretched ahead to a rockets a flight beyond infinity. Obviously this was not so. The seashell held to the ear that day sang a gay lyric based on sunshine, sparkling water -- and all the time in the world. Hold that shell today and it weeps with sadness and is dour with foreboding. Good-bye to the beach, which to all intents and purposes today is turned back to the gulls. Farewell to the clams and the driftwood fires, to the castles and the fishermen and the legend of the singing sand. This holds that to walk over it when the tide is right will compress it in such a way as to sound like a song. The tide was right that day the summer started, the result having a lilt like something composed by Meredith Wilson for 76 trombones. Today the tide is all wrong. Today is Labor Day and the end of summer. Good-bye.


Lake and Mountain

Farewell to the lake and to the mountain just behind it. Under a late May sky the water was deep blue and the mountain a brilliant green, and the scene cried for a painter to record it. Today there is something bleak about the sky, and an occasional dab of red and brown disfigures the green, like careless spatterwork. No artist would care to touch it today, now at the end of summer. Good-bye. Farewell to the trout at the bottom of the stream and that bass the bottom of the lake and to the loon that makes its home near where stream and lake join together. Back in May the call the old fellow made could be recorded as a cheerful salute to the season, although this could stretch the imagination somewhat. Today, there can be no question about the call. It is rude, sardonic, and it spells out its message -- you're going back where you came from, and good riddance.

The Winding Road

Farewell to the dirt roads which lead to picturesque hamlets and pretty, cared-for farms. Back at the end of May, the spirit was adventurous and it took no more than a touch of the wheel to leave the superhighway world and find a better one. A whole new country opened. Roads were found which followed the natural course of roads -- beside the natural course of streams -- the best of them not even on the wavering thin blue lines on the road maps. On Memorial Day it seemed right to plan an entire summer away from the highways, but good-bye to that. Farewell to lanes going through buttercup meadows, and the brooks lined with weeping willows, the lanes on which twice a day the herds of cows have the right of way. Good-bye to the road stand with box-top counter, where sweet corn is still warm from the sun and practically given away by a proprietor or honestly glad and to see you. Farewell to the country store. Of recent years these have sprung up everywhere, vending atmosphere along with antiques, but they are imitative, not real. The real ones are on the back roads which, starting in late May, went everywhere. Tonight, going home, they will lead but to the superhighway at the end of summer. Good-bye.

Farewell to It All.

Goodbye to the weekend, which never is quite long enough, of course, but is the next best thing to the official vacation. Farewell to tennis and golf and the rocking chair on the hotel porch and the hammock beneath the tree. In late May it was possible to itemize all the worthwhile books which would be read in that hammock, but today the fact must be faced that "War and Peace" has suffered its usual postponement until another summer. Farewell to the little carnival, set out for a week in the town's dusty lot -- about the only relic left of the great circus tradition. Farewell to watermelon, held in the hand and not on plates, and grilled chicken drumsticks, served minus forks, and peanut butter sandwiches seasoned with just the right pinch of fine white sand. Farewell to the summer. Late last May it seemed likely that even the office time clock would cooperate, by slowing its hands or stopping them altogether. That was just an illusion, so recognized now. Instead of stopping on the sunny hours, the hands of all clocks everywhere moved forward like lightning, to reach today. Good-bye.


New York Times
Septemer 7, 1964

 

HARRY J. SCANLAN

 

 

 

The Mayor and Board of Trustees of the Village of Saltaireare deeply grieved and saddened by the sudden passing of Harry Scanlan, Jr., lifelong resident of the village.  Harry died at his Saltaire home on Saturday, June 22, 2024, age72.

 

Harry was born November 5, 1951, the eldest child of Harry and Mary Jane Scanlan.  Harry Sr. himself spentmost of his life on Fire Island, coming to Saltaire in 1948after growing up in Ocean Beach.  Like all the Scanlans, Harry had a love of Fire Island, and Saltaire in particular, instilled in him from birth.  He grew up and spent every summer of his life in Saltaire, where he felt most at homeand where his closest friendships were forged.  In his early 20s, Harry worked as a Village Security officer and in 1972 had a stint as Saltaire’s first, and apparently last, dock master, a unique experience which Harry said in later yearswas best forgotten.  Harry subsequently pursued a career as an executive at a not-for-profit real estate firm, as always finding his greatest satisfaction helping others.  Although he lived in different places and eventually retired to Florida, Harry never left Saltaire and was a fixture here throughout his life.  It’s fitting that Harry’s last days were spent immersed in the warmth and familiarity of his favorite place. 

 

True to his Saltaire roots, Harry married the great love of his life, local girl Patsy O’Hare, in 1987, and the two spent the happiest years of their lives together until Patsy’s own sudden passing in 2009.  Patsy and Harry complemented each other perfectly.  No two people were ever closer, and none brought their friends more laughter, good times, sharpwit, occasional tears, and sheer joy than they.  Patsy’s passing left Harry with an emptiness that could never be made entirely whole, but just as Patsy would have wished and expected, her loss never affected Harry’s innate good cheer, love of life and devotion to his family and friends.    

 

Harry’s kindness and loyalty endeared him to his many friends, for whom the shock of his loss is tempered by memories of a sweet and caring man.  In addition to Patsy, Harry was predeceased by his parents and by his brother Matt.  He is survived by his sister Mary, brothers Joe and Tim, his stepdaughter Sarah, and by the extended Scanlanfamily.  A memorial service will be held at a later date.

 

 

 

 

Buying Fish in Saltaire in the 1950's

click to enlarge

Capt. Baldwin, 1949, photo by Bill Weinlandt
Courtesy and copyright Bill J. Weinlandt 2008


If you wanted to buy fish you went down to the dock or over to the cove (were there was a path beaten through the rushes) to buy your fish from the hermit Captain Baldwin.





But woe to those who invaded his turf selling fish. See notes by Cosmo and FOSSIL here http://saltaire38.blogspot.com/search?q=baldwin as to what happened to Capt. Murdock.


(ed note: originally posted may 19, 2008)1/11/09

THE LEGEND OF CAPTAIN BALDWIN AND CAPTAIN MURDOCH


Cosmo reports to Saltaire38.blogspot.com:


Back in the 1940’s and 1950’s, there were two “Baymen” left working the Great South Bay off of Western Fire Island. They were Capt. Baldwin and Capt. Murdoch. Both made their living from the bounty of the Bay, selling fish, clams and oysters to the summer residents. They would ply the waters with rowboats or small dories. I still remember seeing Capt. Baldwin pull up to the Saltaire dock in the early 1960’s when I was still a young boy.

Capt. Baldwin was paralyzed from the waist down, but he had incredible strength in his upper body. There was stiff competition between Capt. Baldwin and Capt. Murdoch for the limited business between Seaview and Kismet, which led to intense animosity between the two. At some point, an agreement was reached whereby Capt. Murdoch sold to the residents of Dunewood, Fire Island Summer Club, Ocean Beach and Seaview, and Capt. Baldwin would sell to Fair Harbor, Saltaire and Kismet. Their animosity reached the point where there was violence on the Bay. Then, one day, Capt. Murdoch disappeared and was seen no more. The rumor was that Capt. Murdoch had been murdered by Capt. Baldwin, thought he was never charged.

Capt. Baldwin lived on an old clam boat on Clam Pond, which was decrepit and half full of water. In the early days, he lived primarily on oysters, which he would shuck, and discard the empty shells over the sided. In later years, as the oysters died off, he switched to clams. As his boat was far from seaworthy, each year he would pull his clam boat further up on the pile of shells, which grew higher and higher each year.

How he survived living through the winters on an old clam boat, half full of water is beyond me. Apparently, he had a small stove on the boat for heat, and an old lounge chair perched in the portion of his boat that remained above water. I recall the story about one winter when Helen Krowlakowski, worried that Capt. Baldwin was starving to death out in the Cove, went out to see him with a baking pan full of pork chops, thinking that it would last him a week, but which Capt. Baldwin devoured on the spot.

I also recall being told how Capt. Baldwin used to work at the Kismet Inn opening clams. He was quite a cantankerous old salt, who hot along with no one. One night, someone else patronizing the Inn got on his wrong side, and despite being crippled, cleared the twenty or so feet across the bar and almost slit the man’s throat before he was stopped.

Robin Wright told me the stories how Capt. Baldwin would run off any of the local kids that got near his boat with a shotgun. One day, Robin, Bobby Aherne (Squirt) and Mike Fitzgerald determined to get a look at the inside of Capt. Baldwin’s boat. They waited until he left to go fishing. What he saw, and what happened to them is best told by Robin.

I vaguely remember that eventually, Capt. Baldwin got to the point where the authorities came and took him away and put him in a home.

Everything related herein up to this point was oral history, but in the mid 1980’s, Bill Goldsmith (aka Bilbo), who is an archeologist by trade, went out to clam cove with my brother Chris in search of the site of Capt. Baldwin’s old boat. Sure enough, the remains were still there. They dug into the pile of shells, finding clamshells on top, but oyster shells further down. There was little left of the boat, as the wood had all rotten away. The only thing that was left was Capt. Baldwin’s old head, which, being made of porcelain was still intact. They brought his head back, and put it on our back deck at 104 Marine Walk. I remember it being a beautiful summer day, and my parents and other local residents were enjoying the day drinking. That night, one of the worst storms I ever experienced at Saltaire struck. Robin Wright woke me in the middle of the night imploring me to help him with the Full House, which was moored off Neptune Walk at the time. The storm was so severe that the wind blew, dragging his mooring, and blowing the boat up against the bulkhead. I had a motor boat at the time, and we went out in the storm and, between his two engines and my outboard, eventually dragged the Full House back out to deeper waters. The next morning, we found that the wind had picked up all the Hobbie Cats on the bay front, blew them up thirty to forty feet, and dropped them back to earth upside down, breaking most of the masts. Clearly, Capt. Baldwin was very angry at his old haunts being disturbed, and worse, his head taken. Bilbo and my brother returned the head back to where they had found it in Clam Cove. Apparently, Capt. Baldwin was appeased, as Saltaire has never seen a storm like it since.



THE FOSSIL SPEAKS: "WHAT COSMO SAYS IS TRUE"


ROBIN WRIGHT IS OUR SECOND SOURCE. HE WRITES:

Chris Hull, Bill Goldsmith and I went to Capt. Baldwin old foundation site,made up of clam shell and oyester shells, to do some excavating.The only thing we found was a piece of an old toilet. That night we had afierce tropical storm. Capt. Baldwins spirit still lives on. We returnedthe piece to where we found it.
--Robin.

OUT OF CALFORNIA THE RELIC, ROBIN WRIGHT POSTS HIS RECOLLECTIONS OF CAPTAINS BALDWIN AND MURDOCK:



Winter 1947-48 Captain Baldwin staked his claim on Clam Pond.That spring Captain Murdock, who lived on his houseboat on the South side on the Pond, disappeared, presumed drowned. Bill Cerveny and Herbie Paine reported hearing gunshots in that time frame - nothing ever came of it. No body = no crime. Captain Baldwin now had the fishing and clam trade in Saltaire and Fair Harbor. He was not allowed in Kismet.On weekends he used to work at Dick Grenameyers (Kismet Inn) shucking clams. He worked for whiskey, and one time he claimed that the bartender shorted his drinks. Words were exchanged and Captain Baldwin pulled a knife and tried to cut the mans throat. Persona non grata after that. He died sometime in the fifties. Helen and Eddie Krolikowski took him to the mainland and he died in the hospital shortly hereafter.

Robin.



Another set of recollections from Beaver/Frank Mina:


Captain Baldwin's residence, though in close proximity to the water in the Cove was basically built from scrap lumber - Frank & Richie McManus ventured down to Capt Baldwin's shack after he died and went inside - it was sort of Beverly Hillbillys' chic. Frank remembers Capt Baldwin selling clams/fish to his mother and that he was able to stand up(possibly disspelling the story that he was paralyzed from the waist down). Frank also stated that Baldwin could have been a world champion rower and confirmed the story I had heard that after the '38 Hurricane Capt. Baldwin was found way down east in his rowboat. Frank claims that there were a number of Capt Murdoch's - they were a large Bayshore family and it was very likely that one or two actually ran ferries in the early days. Gil Clark's mother, according to Frank, was a Murdoch - Gil's full name was Gilbert Murdoch Clark. Frank also said that there were, years ago two Capt. Baldwin's in Fair Harbor - he doesn't know if "our" Capt Baldwin was one of them. Again, all good yarns which make all of posts interesting.


(ed note: first posted Feb 15, 2008)1/11/09

The following link is to the earliest footage known of Fire Island in and about Saltaire, Kismet and the lighthouse.  The movie was filmed by Joe Lynch, one of the earliest residents.  It shows damage from a storm, the wireless transmission towers between the Lighthouse and Kismet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_s9O6wQUfEo


And here is the link to Brad Brown's compilation of Photos of Saltaire, 1967 to 2018, as compiled for the Saltaire centennial, 2017.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlINohIbT88

Early Saltaire View with just the Casino

This postcard is from a series of very early   promotional postcards.  
This one is very interesting.
Look carefully. To the east  of the casino there is nothing.  Nothing, not a single house within view. Not the Hilton House, not O'Shea,  nothing.  There is a big promotional sign  (illegible here) in about the middle of the scene, that is it.  This must be from the very first or second summer.

FACES FROM THE FIFTIES: SALTAIRE PERSONALITIES AS SEEN THROUGH THE LENS OF BILL WEINLANDT

Previously posted 1-12-2017

This is what we looked like in the Fifties, with an occasional shot from the Forties and Sixties. These pictures are from the camera of Bill Weinlandt.  

At the end of this photo array, there is a  "comments" section.  Please post your comments. 

Rich Greer and Billie Greer, 1951
Note the Pavilion at the top of Broadway at the Ocean. 

For a great series of Kodachrome Labor Day photos by Rich Greer, click here:    http://saltaire38.blogspot.com/search?q=Labor+Day

Rita Connelly, Kay Imray; Bronson Goddard to right

Kitty Goggins and the Glascocks
Note the dune line in the background. This was a dune replenishment year

1958  Chris Kartalis, Chief Lifeguard
by the way: so many outdoor shots of Saltaire vistas somehow have the water tower somewhere in the background. 

Murderers Row, 1957:
From left: Ed Weinlandt, Jack Thorp, Mike Fitzgerald, Tony Shoecraft, Bill Weinlandt, "Stick" O'Brien, Bob Marks; Larry Lynch.
Pic by W.J. Weinlandt

1957

1957
Anne Keegan told me that this was one of her favorite pictures of her Dad Mike Coffey

1949

Captain Baldwin 1948
Hermit. Fisherman. lived in a shack in the marshes of Clam Cove. 

Captain Baldwin, 1948
for the lowdown on who Captain Baldwin was, click on the link below to one of our most popular stories:
http://saltaire38.blogspot.com/search?q=Baldwin

1957 

Charley Ritch, Village Superintendent
from the 1930's through late 1950's

Frank and Kitty Goggins,  1948
Mrs. Goggins, too was one of the earliest Saltairians. Second Village Historian.

Larry Lynch

The Marks

Ladies' Softball Labor Day 1957
Left: Rita Connelly  Mary Wright at bat.

Labor Day, because one of the girls is holding a trophy. Best kid in group got "The Cup."
The Labor Day ceremony was kind of like the Academy Awards.

Ladies' Softball Labor Day 1957
Edna Wilson, Mary Wright

Cyril Schmidt, October 1954

Father Francis X. Fitzgibbon of Our Lady Star of the Sea 1954

Howard Sutherland October 1954

Lou Schmidt, Catsy Schmidt October 1954

Chuck Foster, Pie-Eating Champion. He won by diving into  the Entenmann's blueberry pie while all the other kids were trying to eat theirs.   Hands behind  backs, of course. 

Future Mayor and Fire Island Association President Norma and Tom Ervin 1951. Both had worked at the Nuremburg trials.

Charley Ludlow and his brother Jack, 1951  in the ball field. This Photo looks east.  No playground yet. 

Mike Coffey 1951

The Pipers 1951
Mrs. Piper was a fashion model in the 1950's.
Background: Looking West, Bay Prom was still boardwalk,  CC Sailboat on right. 

Paul Schmidt, former Mayor,  1951

Ruth Dobie and Mr. and Mrs Lynch, 1951
Among the earliest Saltairians. 
Mrs. Dobie eloped and got married on the beach, 1917.  A  summer resident until 1959, she was the First Village historian. 

Mrs. Lynch was working for a public health service organizations in 1918 (?) when a troop ship ran aground and she came out as part of the rescue corps. Village houses were used as emergency shelters.  She fell in love with the village; bought land and a house and stayed a summer resident. 

1951: future Mayor John Ludlow and Dan Langley

Ed Weinlandt, Eleanor Mark; Fred Mark; Helen Weinlandt; Bob Mark

Gil and Pat Bell, 1951 
There are kids jumping off the Fire Islander in the background.
Those days labor day swimming races were held in the boat basin. Eleanor Mark on right.

Dwight Isaccson, Chief Ocean Lifeguard   1964

Bob Marshalk and Gil Bell, 1951

All smiles. Pete Kuracheck at the  guarded  front door. Kids wait on line to go in for gamma globulin shots in polio epidemic, August, 1954. Notably, kids who got shots inside exited the back door so that the kids waiting to go in through the front door  would not see their tears. 

Oliver Hull, Georgiana Hull 1960

Peter W. Kuracheck, 1955
Athletic Director, swimming instructor, 1954-1964.
Wore this white zinc oxide on his nose, 1954-1964. 
  Played football at University of Kentucky, Class of 1937;  M.A.  in  Phys Ed, University of Kentucky. When the War came, Captain Kuracheck drilled  WWII fliers to be physically fit to handle combat flight.  Some say he was every bit as tough (but loving)  in teaching eight year-olds  to swim in Saltaire in the 1950's and early 1960's. Sixty years later, people remember his swimming lessons like yesterday. He would hover over fledgling swimmers with a ten foot long bamboo pole. Kuracheck was one of the most successful football coaches in New York scholastic history at Pleasantville High School.  

Yacht Club Steward and Stewardess Jim and Terry O'Connor, 1960

Beach Party. Lotta kids. Lotta families had lotta kids. July 1954

The Ahernes,  1954. Merry, Harriet, Marie and Bob. 
Note the artificially built up dunes 

Skinner Birthday Party 1950
Captain Al Skinner lived in a small apartment in what would now be the east end of the Fire House, with a porch facing the ball field.  "the Shim Shack" they called his apartment. By the terms of the contract between the Village and Fire Island Ferries, the ferry had to be berthed in Saltaire at night and Skinner had to live in Saltaire. In case of the need for any emergency evacuations. 
Note on the bulletin board in background.
Carved initials "JO'H"  and "DW"  by Jim O'Hare and Danny Weinlandt. 

Skinner, 1954

Skinner Birthday Party 1960
Skinner was an accomplished pianist, singer, accordion player, raconteur and life-long bayman.