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Lakeview

Making the Lake for People to View

Beginnings: At first, there was no lake to view. The area was one of the few in central Nassau that was not part of the Hempstead Plains. It was, instead, covered with swamps and streams that fed Mill River. It wasn't until the mid-19th Century, when William Oliver built Long Island's largest gristmill, that a body of water was created. The mill was removed in 1873 to build a reservoir for the city of Brooklyn - a feat that failed, but left Hempstead Lake behind. The area first was named Skodic, for a farmer, and then more formally was called Woodfield. Later names were Norwood and Hempstead Gardens, but in 1910 the Long Island Rail Road established a Lakeview station, and, as often happened, the railroad's choice stuck.

Turning Points: The coming of the railroad made it possible for commuters to live in Lakeview. Also, the Doubleday, Page & Co. publishing plant in nearby Garden City employed many residents. In the 1960s, Lakeview became a mostly black community. In 1968, the Malverne school district, which served Lakeview, closed the Woodfield Road Elementary School - the only one in Lakeview - and forced parents to pay to get their kids to school. Ironically, the school board argued that it closed the school to ensure that all elementary schools remained racially integrated.

Brushes With Fame: Nineteenth-Century boxing champion John L. Sullivan and modern-day Olympic hurdler Derrick Adkins lived in Lakeview.

Where to Find More: ``Lakeview,'' published by Bruce Haldeman, chairman of the Lakeview Historical Preservation Society.