Town of Oyster Bay

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Long Island is home to countless historical and influential figures, including Teddy Roosevelt.

The Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County is the only town in the county that extends from the north to the south shore, and is the easternmost town in the county.  It is also part of the Metropolitan area.  The Town of Oyster Bay is made up of 18 villages and 18 hamlets.

Long Island's town of Oyster Bay was originally part of the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, and the first european settlers came to the area in 1632.  The Dutch West India Company made its first land purchase from Native Americans in the area in 1639. Shortly thereafter, English settlers arrived in what is today the Town of Huntington.  The Dutch recognized the English Settlement of New Suffolk, but arrested New England settlers over boundary disputes in 1640.  In 1643, New Englanders had purchased land for present-day Hempstead from Native Americans, a portion of which had previously been sold to the Dutch, but the issue was resolved when the Dutch granted a patent to the English to form Hempstead.

Oyster Bay was originally part of Queens County, until New York City was amalgamated in 1898, and the eastern portion of Queens County was added to the newly formed Nassau County in 1899.  More recently, the town exchanged territories with the Town of Hempstead and the Town of Babylon between the 1990 and 2000 censuses.

Sagamore Hill, a national historic site and home of former president Theodore Roosevelt, is located in the village of Cove Neck in Oyster Bay.  Billy Joel is another famous resident of Oyster Bay.


A 3,200 National Wildllife Refuge that is considered a "Significant Coastal Fish and Wildlife Habitat."  293,214 people live in the Town of Oyster Bay according to the 2010 census.  According to a 2007 estimate, the median household income of $99, 873.  The State University of New York at Old Westbury is located in Oyster Bay.

Long Island has long been known for it's local fishing industry which has included harvesting oysters from local waters and local hatcheries. Every autumn for over 29 years the town of Oyster Bay has held an oyster festival, which draws highly esteemed chefs and crowds of seafood lovers from the entire New York tri-state area.


Hamlets in the Town of Oyster Bay


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