Shinnecock Canal Marked Forever In History

The Town of Southampton sealed a piece of Hampton Bays History on over the weekend by placing a historic marker on the Shinnecock Canal.

The $1,000 marker was unveiled on Southampton Town Clerk Sundy A. Schermeyer and according to the town, "recognizes the historical and engineering significance of the Shinnecock Canal, New York State’s first salt water canal, which opened to recreational and commercial boating in 1892."

The marker, according to Schermever, was funded through the William G. Pomeroy Foundation Historic Roadside Marker Grant Program.

According to Town Historian Zach Studenroth, The Shinnecock Canal, which was first incorporated as the Long Island Canal Company in 1828, began construction in 1884 and opened in 1892.

The lock system was then added in 1919 to address differences in tide levels between the two bays, which can approach three feet.

The canal's marker is just one of many placed by the town recently. Also in Hampton bays is a historic marker at the site of the former Shinnecock Bay Lighthouse, which stood for nearly 90 years, from 1858 to 1948.

That maker also honors the 30 men and who lost their lives when their ship ran aground in 1859 — their captain unaware that the new lighthouse was built and mistook it for the Montauk Lighthouse.