With this issue of the Farmingdale Observer, we begin a series on local history: The Way It Was. Most weeks this will consist of a captioned photo, and we'll also be presenting historical information. The photographs are from the archives collection of the Farmingdale-Bethpage Historical Society. Bill Johnston, historian of the Village of Farmingdale, will provide the information.

Last year the Village of Farmingdale commemorated the 100th anniversary of its incorporation in 1904. Let's look back now just 50 years to 1955, when the postwar transition, from a small and somewhat isolated community to becoming a suburb in the largest metropolitan area in the nation, was taking place at a rapid pace.

Some of the events of that year locally reflected this passage to "suburbia," while others continued earlier traditions:

* The last steam locomotive of the LIRR was retired from active service in October.

* Immunization clinics were being held to administer the Salk polio vaccine, while obituaries still carried reports of death from the dread disease.

* Warner Brothers filmed segments of The Spirit of St. Louis at Zahn's Airport with a full-scale replica of the Lindbergh plane. (This aircraft is now at Nassau County's Cardle of Aviation Museum.)

* Even though the Korean Conflict had ended in 1953, the Cold War was still on; public service ads in the Farmingdale Post encouraged citizens to join the Civil Defense "Skywatch" program as aircraft observers.

* A longtime village figure, Rev. Joseph Haldmaier, OSB who served 40 years at St. Kilian Church, 34 as pastor, died in January.

* Thirty thousand people attended the annual Country Life program at the campus of what is now Farmingdale State University. Agriculture was still the dominant mission of the college at the time, and the annual program celebrated the fading farm life of the area.

* Permit parking was instituted by the village board at the parking field adjacent to the LIRR station as the number of commuters grew.

* Television was quickly replacing radio as the chief source of home entertainment. Movies retained an important role, with numerous neighborhood single-screen theaters such as "The Farmingdale," and drive-in theaters such as the one on Hempstead Turnpike just west of Farmingdale.

* Howitt High School graduated 255 seniors in the Class of 1955. These students had experienced their junior and senior years in the new school.

* New York Telephone Company divided the Nassau white and yellow directory pages into two volumes for the first time, while introducing dial service to Farmingdale.

* The Village Board began consideration of a plan to connect Melville Road and Clinton Street by a railroad grade crossing, with the goal of reducing traffic on Main Street.

* In the rapidly growing school district, two new elementary schools were dedicated in late August, East Farmingdale Memorial (on East Carmans Road), and Woodward Parkway. Two others, Albany Avenue and Parkway Oaks, were already in the early stage, with a September 1957 opening contemplated.

* 3,125 elementary students were registered for the three elementary schools (Main Street, East Memorial and Woodward Parkway) in September.

* In one decade, the Town of Oyster Bay grew from 66,930 persons in 1950 to 290,055 in 1960; the Town of Babylon grew from 45,556 to 142,309 in the same period. The Village of Farmingdale increased from 4,492 to 6,128 in that decade.

* Alfred W. Russell chose to serve only two years as village mayor. In April, 1955 he was succeeded by Rudolph R. Weber. A testimonial dinner for the former mayor, held at the Bethpage Park Clubhouse, was attended by 225 persons.

Fifty years ago the residents and elected officials of this area, including those of the Village of Farmingdale, were struggling to keep pace with the many changes caused by this era of rapid growth. That generation surely met the challenge with a large degree of success.