When Chris Critchley was researching his family’s history three years ago, he wanted to find out whether he was related to Walter G. Critchley, whose name he saw on Central High School’s World War II memorial plaque. That desire compelled him to pore over military records and speak to the families of the 57 other young adults who studied at Central High School and died fighting in World War II, and the Korean and Vietnam wars. more

In 1926, the Junior Order of United American Mechanics , a fraternal organization that was founded in 1853, moved into their stately new home on Jamaica Avenue. “JOUAM-owned buildings from that … more

In 1933, only a few years after Curtiss-Wright Airport opened in Valley Stream, the negative impact of the Depression led to the airport’s closure. The closing, however, only referred to the … more

“In 1876, Mr. Reisert and I rented land in Valley Stream. Much of it was swamp, but we cleared it and grew spinach, lettuce, celery, cabbage, peas, turnips, and potatoes. The swamp was so densely wooded that I have known men to get lost in it. We eventually bought the land, and now we have almost 300 acres,” wrote Anna Reisert in the April 1924 issue of “Farm and Fireside.” more

Why do certain buildings, however modest they may be in origin or design, endure? While others, grander in architecture and worthy of protection, are torn down? Fortunately, in this week’s story we won’t lament the loss of a building that was worth preserving, but instead, we will celebrate the history of dwellings with surprisingly humble roots. more

The Blue Dome opened for business in 1940. John J. Smith (1876-1955), a Valley Streamer who lived on Miriam Street, built an eight-stool hamburger stand, surrounded by a picket fence. “On your way home stop at the Blue Dome. Five hamburgers for 10¢ on carry-out orders only,” read an ad in the February 11, 1941, issue of Newsday. more

In 1929, newlyweds Rose and Vincent Gerbino moved to Valley Stream. Employed as an in-house photographer at the John Wanamaker department store in New York City, Vincent (1900-1970) initially commuted to his job. His employer tried to convince him to stay – he was talented and very well-liked, but Vincent has other plans. An entrepreneur at heart, he opened his first store on Rockaway Avenue and never looked back. He continued taking photos, his passion, in addition to selling cameras and film. Impatient and wanting to grow his business, the shop began to diversify. “First he added musical instruments, phonographs, and records, which helped satisfy his love for music,” explained Rose (1904-1997) in her 1990 oral history recording with interviewer Helen Dowdeswell (1914-2010). more

This elegant 1924 line drawing by Renè Cinquin (1898-1978) captures with perfection a forgotten green space that once graced our village. The park is just one of the many illustrations featured in Cinquin’s Aero-view of Valley Stream, a “bird’s eye” map that faithfully depicted Valley Stream during that time. In today’s parlance, it would be a considered a pocket park; a small public space, located on an irregularly-shaped plot of land. more

Frederick W. Müeller (1874-1941), the pharmacist who built an original drugstore on West Merrick Road, quickly outgrew his space. Consequently, Muller (formerly Müeller) built another pharmacy on Rockaway Avenue in 1911. more

Eager tourists were treated to a candlelight tour of the Pagan-Fletcher Restoration on Hendrickson Avenue in on Dec. 30 — a tradition of the Valley Stream Historical Society. more