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History: 1910 Photo of Montauk Native American Sitting in Car

Written by Lon Cohen  |  02. March 2021

The East Hampton Library collection of images has some rare and interesting photos from Long Island's East End history.

 

According to the caption on back of this photograph this is the image of 15-year-old Norris Herbert Fowler, a Native American from the Montauk tribe.

 

The caption reads: The serious young Montauk sitting at the wheel of this car back in 1910, when he was 15 years old, is Norris Herbert Fowler, brother of George, William, John (Red Man) and Marguerite. Norris or "Sid" as he is better known in East Hampton, now makes his home in Freetown, the onetime settlement of scores of Montauks.

 

Photo: The Long Island Collection, East Hampton Library.

 

In 1942 there were ten Montauks still living there, members of the Fowler, Butler, and Pharoah families. At present there are four. He and his nephew Alexander keep up the Fowler name (1968). A quiet man with an Indian sense of humor and personality, he is of the full blood type and physically stands out among the many residents of East Hampton, of various racial backgrounds. He lives in the old Fowler homestead on the Springs Road in East Hampton and has one son, Norris Jr., who lives in New York.

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