Chris Bodkin’s Book of Sayville
Chris Bodkin is a man with a keen eye for detail and a deep love for his hometown of Sayville. We’ve published our interview with him in three parts – three chapters that cover his life, career, and research into the past.
Chapter 1
In which the Bodkins move to Sayville from Brooklyn, Chris learns to sail, and an exotic food named pizza appears on Main Street.
Chapter 2
In which Chris becomes a captain on the Fire Island Ferries and later goes into politics. A look back at some of the stories behind Sayville’s war veterans.
Chapter 3
A number of stories, including life in Depression-era Sayville, Father Divine and the African American community, and the dashing figure of Dr. Bard – dentist to the stars and first ladies.
Further Research
- After the Day of Infamy: “Man-on-the-Street” Interviews Following the Attack on Pearl Harbo (Library of Congress)
- Father Divine’s International Peace Mission Movement
- Sayville Public Library’s Historic Image Collection
- Sayville Historical Society
- Cherry Grove, Fire Island: Sixty Year’s in America’s First Gay and Lesbian Town by Esther Newton (find in a library)
5 thoughts on “Chris Bodkin’s Book of Sayville”
I so like listening to these podcasts as I forgot a lot of what was said. Chris does a wonderful job with his memories. As an historian, I can say he is accurate. This really brings old Sayville back. Chris, you do a great job bringing this all together.
There are people same age as Chris whose family goes back to the 1700’ hundreds that know a lot more then he does.
Hi Judy – thanks for the comment! I’m sure there are a lot of deep connections and memories in the community. We’ve just scratched the surface.
If there’s anyone you’d suggest we contact, drop us a line at longislandhistoryproject@gmail.com
I’m sure that is true. My husband’s family has been living
in Suffolk since the late 1600s and Sayville since the early 1700s. He’s holding a bit of history himself. I’m pretty sure if he had the desire or if any of your friends that “know a lot more than Chris” wanted to share their knowledge with The Long Island History Project they would be more than happy to record them. Not everyone desires to do a podcast,however.
Chris is a real Gem!! Great job!
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