Hi,
I
grew up at the top of Bar Beach Road (102), and every day, morning and
night the sandminers walked past my house to work. I played, walked,
picnicked and swam at Bar Beach every day of my youth near those sand
banks. I climbed Billy Goat Hill, watched the boys swim at the B.A.
Beach, watched, during WWII, the men from Ft. Totten have their encampment
& rifle range in the sand banks; I visited the people who lived
in their hidden huts (homes with gardens, etc.); my mother taught in
the old school on Shore Road, and as an adult I visited some of the
homes that were built on the edge of the sand banks, toward Roslyn.
I was a Girl Scout leader for some of the young girls that lived there.
I have many memories (all good & fun) of my life that included the
P.W. sandbanks. I fully support your efforts for a monument that recognizes
the good and hard working men who made their living working in the sand
banks.
Sincerely,
Helen
Vogt Margon Vogt
Port Washington
Dear
Leo,
Enclosed
is a contribution to the Sandminers Monument.
I
lived in Manorhaven and graduated from P.D. Schreiber HS in 1954. My
brother and I played in the sand mining area east of Shore Road and
Manhasset Isle.
Might
I suggest that your organization investigate the possibility of creating
a short program about sandmining for use in the public schools. You
should talk with the school’s curriculum director to help focus
on how and what grade level studies local government and history.
Best
wishes for your organization.
Cheers,
Fred
Drewes
Recollections of my Father
My father’s name is John Mazian. He is 91 years
old and was born in Port Washington. He has been a resident
here if Port Washington all of his life. He enjoyed reminiscing
about his own father Andrew Mazian who was an employee
of O’Brien Brothers over 70 years ago. O’Brien
Brothers was located at the base of Beacon Hill Road across
from Hempstead Harbor. His father was a foreman whose responsibility
was to operate the conveyor belt and the shoots that opened
onto it allowing sand and gravel to be transported to the
barges that waited for the deposit and then transport it
all to New York City where it was used for building up
Manhattan Island.
My
father occasionally would go to work with his father
and watch him complete his job. The day
would begin at 7:00 in the morning, break for an enjoyable
half hour lunch and finish at 5:00 p.m. or 5:30p.m. Andrew’s
responsibility was to determine a yard of sand, then a
yard of gravel, sometimes depending on the orders, it could
be a half yard each of sand and gravel. Andrew would open
the shoots that would delivery the sand and gravel onto
the conveyor belt. The conveyor belt then took the respective
load on its journey in an underground tunnel, across the
street to the barges waiting in the bay. The barges then
took the sand and gravel to New York City to help continue
building up Manhattan. My father believe that he remembers
his father’s salary to be approximately $25-$30 per
week. He also remembers that there was more than one company
doing this kind of work in that area. These companies extended
to what is now Harbor Links golf course. He believes that
another he remembers as a company called Goodwin Gallagher.
When my father was seventeen years old, his father Andrew
had saved enough money to buy my father a large dump truck.
This enabled father to being his own company transporting
topsoil to New York City. My father remembers that the
land above Shore Road that is now the Salem area was rich
topsoil farmland he was paid $2.50 for truck and driver
to bring a load of topsoil into New York City down to the
fish market area. My father enjoyed reminiscing about hose
days long ago. What he remembers may not be exact but it
is as accurate as possible for a 91 year old man. He loved
sharing these thoughts with me and you as well.
Submitted by Mary Ann Mazian Annunziata
Daughter of John Mazian
Granddaughter of Andrew Mazian
January 25, 2006