Did you know that Massapequa was first settled by the Algonquin Indians? That their chief's name was Sachem Tackapausha? That south of what is now Sunrise Highway, in the area of Cartwright Boulevard, was used as a council grounds, with Native Americans bending back the trees surrounding the hollow so they would grow as benches?

These amazing facts and others from Massapequa's less distant past will be the subject of a slide-lecture on Old Massapequa at the Massapequa Library at Bar Harbour Oct. 12 at 2 p.m. The event is part of the Town of Oyster Bay's 350th Anniversary Lecture/Tour Series.

Lillian Rumfield Bryson, fourth generation Massapequa Park resident and member of the Board of the Historical Society of the Massapequas, will present the slide-lecture. "It's a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon," Bryson said. She also added that older children, in particular, will enjoy the show, followed by a question and answer session.

"Attendees will experience the nostalgia of yesteryear in Old Massapequa and are encouraged to bring their own stories and snapshots to join in comparing the past," said Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto.

Audience members will get a backward glance at days when manor houses stretched along Merrick Road and Clark Boulevard was only a street. The slide-lecture will also recall times when one-room schoolhouses were the norm, the town had only two fire trucks instead of a fleet, and there was no indoor plumbing.

The town-wide 350th Anniversary Lecture/Tour Series highlights the local history of individual communities throughout Oyster Bay while celebrating the collective heritage of the township. In addition to the Massapequa slide-lecture, lectures and/or tours are taking place in Hicksville, Farmingdale, Bethpage, Jericho and Oyster Bay hamlet. A full series schedule is available at www.oysterbaytown.com, or by calling 624-6389.

"All are cordially invited to attend the lecture Oct. 12 at the Massapequa Library at Bar Harbour and the entire town-wide lecture/tour series and join in celebrating our local history and the Town of Oyster Bay's 350th Anniversary," Venditto said.

In conjunction with the series and the Town of Oyster Bay's 350th Anniversary, an informative town brochure highlighting the many historical points of interest throughout the town is also available and may be obtained by calling 624-6389.