Join Islip Town Historian George Munkenbeck as he reveals the lives and times of this family and, by extension, the social and political climate of late 19th and early 20th century America.

Today we examine the lives of the amazing Ludlows – the first family of Oakdale, veterans of the Civil War and beyond, and caretakers of St. John’s Episcopal Church on Montauk Highway. Louisa, the matriarch, descended from the first Lord of the Manor. Her husband, William Handley Ludlow, was a leading figure in the Democratic Party. One son saved the Constitution, the other inspired the National Parks system. And today they are all but forgotten.

This episode originally aired in two parts on the Dowling College Library Omnibus podcast back in 2010. We are bringing it out of the vault in a slightly condensed form to help celebrate the 335th anniversary of Islip Town.

Further Research

• Town of Islip 335th Anniversary
• The Residence of the Honorable William H. Ludlow by William Sidney Mount
• William Ludlow and the National Parks
• Oakdale Historical Society
• Past Islip Episodes
  • Pirates of the Connetquot (George Munkenbeck)
  • The Lost Lords of the Manor (Gaynell Stone)