Amagansett is an intimate history of a coastal village whoseDutch and English settlers arrived in 1860 to farm, fish, andparticipate in "ye whale designe," and which is now a colorful part ofthe Hamptons resort area.T his striking collection of images, dating from 1853, describesthe community's part in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, and itsvery personal experience with the Spanish-American War, when25,000 soldiers landed here to recuperate from tropical diseases.The storied fishing and whaling industry, as well as life-saving crewsand the families that awaited them are also featured. Along witheconomic and military history, civil life is represented in such scenesas historic homes, and local citizens welcoming summer visitors.
Lucinda Mayo, a local historian as well as a thirteenth-generation descendant of one of the community's four original families, and Carleton Kelsey, town historian for fifteen years and village librarian for over thirty, have combined their talents to produce a work of vivid images with accompanying text that will interest both area residents and visitors alike. Whether the subject is whaling ships or the harvesting of cranberry bogs, Amagansett is a unique look at a unique area.