Ancient Hixtory
Wonderful articles about the history of Hicksville, researched and written by Ron Wencer. This complete monthly series spans 4 years, from May 2018 until April 2022. Enjoy!
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- Ron Wencer, Class of 1964
- Category: Ancient Hixtory
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Introduction
In October’s issue, the article by Wendy Elkis Girnis (HHS ’77) about military nurses reminded me that two Hicksville women served in the Army Nurse Corps (ANC) during World War I: Mary Keller, whose parents operated a hotel/tavern at the corner of Woodbury Road and Park Avenue, and Elise Bergold, whose family had a farm on Old Country Road, near the border with Westbury.
Click here to continue reading December 2024: ANC Nurses: Honored, Enshrined, and Forgotten
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- Ron Wencer, Class of 1964
- Category: Ancient Hixtory
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Introduction
Welcome to the third part of our look back at the past through the stories of Hicksville’s diners. Last month’s article ended on a sour note: it was 1958, and New York State had unveiled its misguided response to the increased traffic generated by the Mid-Island Plaza: widen Broadway and flatten whatever is in the way. The first phase of work, the road north of the LIRR tracks, was imminent. The next phase – demolishing buildings on the west side of Broadway between the tracks and Old Country Road -- would come later.
Click here to continue reading October 2024: Little House on Jerusalem Avenue
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- Ronald Wencer
- Category: Ancient Hixtory
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Introduction
July’s Ancient Hixtory discussed the Hub Diner on East Marie Street, which appears to have been the first “dining car” eatery in Hicksville. That was nearly a century ago. In contrast, the latest incarnation of Hicksville’s Empire Diner is shown above. While this article is not going to cover the entire 90-odd years since the Hub began, it should get us, at least superficially, through the 1930s and 1940s, and then use the Empire as a lens for looking at the fast-changing world of 1950s Hicksville.
Click here to continue reading September 2024: Another Diner Article
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- Ronald Wencer
- Category: Ancient Hixtory
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Introduction
When the Hixnews team decided to write about “diner memories,” I volunteered to do an Ancient Hixtory article about Hicksville’s early diners. I limited myself to true diners: coffee shops, luncheonettes, ice cream parlors, Howard Johnson’s restaurants, etc. were beyond my scope. My research yield was sparse (evidently, diners were not considered inherently fascinating back then), but I did conclude that the Hub Diner was Hicksville’s first. In addition, my research shone light on a Hicksville-boosting PR campaign of a century ago – a campaign into which the Hub’s name dovetails perfectly.
Click here to continue reading August 2024: Hicksville's First Diner
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- Ronald Wencer
- Category: Ancient Hixtory
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Over two centuries ago, the murky image you see headed a composite schedule of Long Island stagecoach services. It appears to depict a four-horse stage. With a bit of whimsy, the artist has placed the end of the coachman’s whip perilously close to a man's head on horseback.
Long Island Star, July 30, 1817
Click here to continue reading January 2024: Riding the Hicksville Stage
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- Ronald Wencer
- Category: Ancient Hixtory
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Hearst Newspapers’ American Weekly, December 29, 1946
Introduction
This is history, not a fairy tale. There are no glass slippers or poisoned apples – but there is a tragic princess who forgoes much of her wealth, and who eventually settles down in a quiet, happy marriage with a one-time stable hand from Hicksville.
Click here to continue reading August 2023: A Very Unlikely Turn of Events
