Historical Society Seeks to Renew Interest Among Youth

By Andrea Halpern

In 1956, an enterprising group of young Farmingdale students, under the direction of an enthusiastic advisor, did some research on local history and published a book about it.

The students were known as the Yorkers, a history club at Howitt School, which was then a junior high school. Their advisor was Luita Turner Jones, a prominent social studies teacher at the school. The book, Farms to Flights, was purchased by many in the community, and has been used as a resource throughout the past four decades by the Farmingdale-Bethpage Historical Society. "That's still a very good reference book for anyone interested in Farmingdale history," Barbara Post, president of the society recently noted.

To Post, the book is one example of the key role that youths play in the preservation of local history. The Yorkers still meet at Howitt today, and according to Post, are an active group of young history buffs.

Recognizing the importance of youths' involvement in local history, the society is seeking to build upon it and increase the interest of all Farmingdale School District students in the subject. Post has expressed this goal to members of the group, and is currently exploring several options for achieving it.

She is optimistic about the endeavor. "It seems as though, lately, there is more interest in history, throughout the county and the state," she said, adding, "Farmingdale is really very rich in history."