Geography of the Town of Brookhaven

Brookhaven Town as we know it today, is the result of glacier deposits and erosion that began about fifteen million years ago. The place where a glacier stops moving south and begins to melt is called a "terminal moraine," and is usually hilly and rocky. Brookhaven has two such moraines: running east to west along the center of the Town is the Ronkonkoma Moraine. Bald Hill is a part of this area. Along the north shore, the hills, rocky areas and cliffs that face the Long Island Sound are part of the Harbor Hills Moraine.

The glaciers also created large holes, known as "kettleholes,” which filled with water, forming Lake Ronkonkoma, the largest lake in Suffolk County, Artist Lake, Spring Lake (both in Middle Island), Lake Panamoka in Ridge, and others. The outwash plain that formed the South Shore of Brookhaven, resulted when the water from the melting glacier carried sand and gravel from the moraines, building up a wide sandy plain. Many streams and ponds formed in this area, including two of Suffolk's rivers, the Peconic and Connecticut (or Carmans), both of which are located within the Town.

The north and south shores are tall timber areas, covered mostly with oak and maple. The middle section is called the "Pine Barrens," with stands of scrub oak and scrub pine. This is an important area for replenishing our water supply through a process called "water recharge." Long Island is one of the few areas in the United States that obtains its water solely from the underground aquifer. The vegetation of the Pine Barrens filters the water which percolates down through layers of cleansing sand.

The barrier beaches, situated between the various bays and the Atlantic Ocean, from Brooklyn to Southampton, are constantly charging, due to the action of winds and waves. During severe storms new inlets may be opened and old inlets to the bays may be closed. These barrier beaches or islands provide protection for the south shore of Long Island.

 

The Republican Party was born in the early 1850's by anti-slavery activists and individuals who believed that government should grant western lands to settlers free of charge. The first informal meeting of the party took place in Ripon, Wisconsin, a small town northwest of Milwaukee. The first official Republican meeting took place on July 6th, 1854 in Jackson, Michigan. The name "Republican" was chosen because it alluded to equality and reminded individuals of Thomas Jefferson's Democratic-Republican Party. At the Jackson convention, the new party adopted a platform and nominated candidates for office in Michigan.

In 1856, the Republicans became a national party when John C. Fremont was nominated for President under the slogan: "Free soil, free labor, free speech, free men, Fremont." Even though they were considered a "third party" because the Democrats and Whigs represented the two-party system at the time, Fremont received 33% of the vote. Four years later, Abraham Lincoln became the first Republican to win the White House.

The Civil War erupted in 1861 and lasted four grueling years. During the war, against the advice of his cabinet, Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation that freed the slaves. The Republicans of the day worked to pass the Thirteenth Amendment, which outlawed slavery, the Fourteenth, which guaranteed equal protection under the laws, and the Fifteenth, which helped secure voting rights for African-Americans.

The Republican Party also played a leading role in securing women the right to vote. In 1896, Republicans were the first major party to favor women's suffrage. When the 19th Amendment finally was added to the Constitution, 26 of 36 state legislatures that had voted to ratify it were under Republican control. The first woman elected to Congress was a Republican, Jeanette Rankin from Montana in 1917.

Presidents during most of the late nineteenth century and the early part of the twentieth century were Republicans. The White House was in Republican hands under Presidents Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Bush. Under the last two, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, the United States became the world's only superpower, winning the Cold War from the old Soviet Union and releasing millions from Communist oppression.

Behind all the elected officials and the candidates of any political party are thousands of hard-working staff and volunteers who raise money, lick the envelopes, and make the phone calls that every winning campaign must have. The national structure of our party starts with the Republican National Committee. Each state has its own Republican State Committee with a Chairman and staff. The Republican structure goes right down to the neighborhoods, where a Republican precinct captain every Election Day organizes Republican workers to get out the vote.

Most states ask voters when they register to express party preference. Voters don't have to do so, but registration lists let the parties know exactly which voters they want to be sure vote on Election Day. Just because voters register as a Republican, they don't need to vote that way - many voters split their tickets, voting for candidates in both parties. But the national party is made up of all registered Republicans in all 50 states. They are the heart and soul of the party. Republicans have a long and rich history with basic principles: Individuals, not government, can make the best decisions; all people are entitled to equal rights; and decisions are best made close to home.

The symbol of the Republican Party is the elephant. During the mid term elections way back in 1874, Democrats tried to scare voters into thinking President Grant would seek to run for an unprecedented third term. Thomas Nast, a cartoonist for Harper's Weekly, depicted a Democratic jackass trying to scare a Republican elephant - and both symbols stuck. For a long time Republicans have been known as the "G.O.P." And party faithfuls thought it meant the "Grand Old Party." But apparently the original meaning (in 1875) was "gallant old party." And when automobiles were invented it also came to mean, "get out and push." That's still a pretty good slogan for Republicans who depend every campaign year on the hard work of hundreds of thousands of volunteers to get out and vote and push people to support the causes of the Republican Party.

From the Beginning

Abolishing slavery. Free speech. Women's suffrage. These are all stances the Republican Party, in opposition to the Democratic Party, adopted early on.

The First Republican

With the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, the Republicans firmly established themselves as a major party capable of holding onto the White House for 60 of the next 100 years.

The Bull Moose

Assuming the presidency when McKinley was assassinated in 1901, President Theodore Roosevelt busied himself with what he considered to be the most pressing issue, ensuring the Republican principle of competition in a free market.

Leading The Way On the Issues

Republicans fought to abolish slavery, give blacks equal rights and then the vote. Many Republican politicians risked their careers on that period's "third rail" of politics.

Republican Women

Once again the Republican Party was the vanguard in relation to women. In 1917, Jeannette Rankin, a Montana Republican, became the first woman to serve in the House.