Valley Stream Historical Society salutes 50 years of setting the record straight on local past

The Valley Stream Historical Society, a local organization that has made it its mission to preserve, collect, and chronicle Valley Stream’s history, made history of its own. It celebrated 50 years of its existence at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1790 last week.

Members of the Society schmoozed with local dignitaries and residents, praising a collective body of historical work that spans five decades and has become the authoritative voice on Valley Stream’s storied past. Billy Florio, the society’s president, said the event deserves an asterisk in the interest of accuracy.

“It was our 50th celebration, though, technically it’s a year late,” he said. The society’s 12 founding members formed their society in 1973, nearly 50 years after the incorporated village was founded.

Uncovering forgotten history

Florio, an author of village history, said the event was a year in the making, led by the society’s secretary Karen Vitale Selah. He described the efforts of his predecessors and current members as guarding Valley Stream’s past against the veil of speculation, rumor, and ignorance surrounding it.

“History was forgotten for a long time,” said Florio, requiring a concerted effort by the society’s members to separate fact from fiction and challenge conventional thinking around widely accepted but false versions of local history. And the work is ongoing.

One such misconception, according to Florio, is this: the Pagan-Fletcher Restoration, a historic 1800s property on Hendrickson Avenue and the base of operations for the Society was once thought to be the home of Robert Pagan.

“Robert Pagan did not live in the house that has his namesake. That is not Robert Pagan’s house,” he said. The house-turned-museum and protected historical site formerly belonged to Robert Pagan’s son-in-law, William Fletcher. Details like this matter to village historians, but an accurate accounting of the past should matter to everyone according to Florio. A critical understanding of history helps to shed light on how residents fit into the larger story of Valley Stream.

“History is how we learn from our mistakes,” he said. “History is where we came from and what we are. Our focus has been much more on ensuring we verify the actual truth from the amount of history we’ve aggregated.”

Five decades of truth, tradition, and triumphs

Valley Stream Mayor Ed Fare, chairman of the society, described himself as a living remnant of the earliest days of the organization since he joined in 1979.

“My father, Wilbur, was president in 1980, and I started as a young boy by accompanying him to the Parish Hall at Holy Trinity Church to help him set up the chairs for the general membership meetings,” said Fare in his remarks to the celebration.

The mayor said the survival and celebration of the village’s history rested on the backs of a few committed individuals and those who follow in their steps.

“I would like to recognize the entire current board of the Valley Stream Historical Society- these folks have stepped up and continued the work of our founders and have dedicated themselves to volunteering for the betterment of Valley Stream,” he said.

Longtime members Guy Ferrara and Florence Gunther were also honored at the celebration for their work in preserving and publishing important features of the village’s past for posterity and members of the board were sworn in.

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