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Oceanside

Real Estate Sharpies Peddled Marshland

Beginnings: Rockaway Indians were the first residents in what was to become Oceanside. Thanks to the diseases and cruelty of European settlers, they died out not long after Europeans arrived in the area at the end of the 1600s. In 1682, the Town of Hempstead granted 100 acres in the area to St. George's Church so it could support itself. The property was known for many years as the Parsonage Farm, even after the church sold it in 1826. The area's religious roots were apparent in Oceanside's original name of Christian Hook. Gristmills in nearby communities soon attracted settlers, and farmers, fishermen and baymen got the community going during the 1800s. Oyster harvesting, particularly, provided a solid living for residents.

Turning Points: Oysters prodded the first significant change since colonial times, when residents decided that oysters would sell better if they came from ``Oceanville'' instead of Christian Hook. The new name was made official in 1864, and Oceanville oysters were known to be of high quality. The post office forced another name change in 1890 because another Oceanville existed in New York. The community changed its name to Ocean Side, which was condensed in 1918. This same period marked Oceanside's conversion from a rural and fishing hamlet into a city suburb. The 1920s saw a real estate boom so explosive that swindlers were able to sell marshland to unsuspecting buyers. Sidewalks constructed for show sank into the ground. The 1920s also saw the construction of something more substantial - Oil City, the area of oil tanks near the water. Another building boom took place in the 1950s.

Home Brew: During Prohibition, many stores in Oceanside sold malt syrup, hops, corn sugar and yeast - the raw ingredients of beer. Many speakeasies operated there.

Brush With Fame: Actor David Paymer (the secretary of state in ``Amistad'') grew up in Oceanside.