SERVPRO Provides Water Damage Restoration to Centereach

12/22/2020 (Permalink)

Let SERVPRO handle your water damage so you can enjoy all that Centereach has to offer.

Centereach Residents Depend on Us to Mitigate Water Damage in Their Homes

Centereach is a quaint little hamlet in Suffolk County. Over 31,500 people live, work, and play there. A hamlet is a community within a town that has not been incorporated as a village. They are often identified by the name of the local post office, fire district, or school district. Hamlets do not have governing bodies of their own. Instead, they depend upon the municipal government and services of the bigger town they are part of. The boundaries can be unclear, as well.

Centereach Changes Names

First known as West Middle Island, the hamlet later changed to New Village. It was called that through the early part of the 20th century. Later it was discovered that another town in Upstate New York shared that name, and in 1916, it became Centereach. It is called that due to its location in the center of Long Island.

Native American Inhabitants

English colonists arrived in the area in the early 17th century. Before that, Native Americans inhabited the location. The last known tribe to live there was the Montauk Indians. In the mid-17th century, the hamlet was established on Long Island.

Montauk Indians

The Montauk belong to the Algonquian tribes and share language attributes with the Narragansett and Pequot peoples. They speak Mohegan-Pequot. Because the colonial Americans often referred to Native American tribes by their location, this group may be the same as the Shinnecock tribe instead of two different people groups. In Theodore Roosevelt County Park, which is just east of Montauk, NY, ruins and Montauk relics have been discovered. They were farmers and fishermen, with the women doing the harvesting and preserving of the beans, corn, and squash. The men did the hunting and fishing. Whale was one of the things they hunted using dugout canoes, which must have been challenging.

With Great Wealth Comes Great Risk

During the pre-colonial period, wampumpeag (wampum) was what was used for buying, selling, and trading amongst the Indians. Wampum was made from quahog shells, which were readily available in the area the Montauk lived. They were smart and used awls they obtained from the Europeans to create the disk-shaped beads easier. This form of “money” was used by the:

• English
• Dutch
• Native Americans

The Montauk became quite wealthy from their ability to produce wampum. But as with all societies, where there is great wealth, there are those who would take it from them. Other, more powerful, new England tribes either raided the Montauk and took what they wanted or demanded tribute payments from them.

A Population Dwindles

The Europeans brought smallpox and other sicknesses to the tribes. Because the Montauk, like many other Native American tribes, had no natural immunity to diseases such as smallpox, they often succumbed to the illness.  This, along with intertribal wars, depleted the Montauk population.

Christianity Comes to the Tribes

In 1637, during the Pequot War, Cockenoe, a Montaukett, was captured. In 1640 John Eliot would begin translating the Bible into the native language with the help of Cockenoe. It became known as the Eliot Indian Bible. Another gentleman, Samson Occum, who was a preacher and Mohegan missionary, formed a group within the Montauk. The Brothertown group also included members of a neighboring band, the Shinnecock. As colonial settlements expanded, this group moved from Long Island to Oneida County, NY. A large portion would later relocate to Wisconsin, and their descendants are part of the Brothertown Indians movement that is still there today.

The Last King of Montauk

Many of the Montaukett people remained in the Centereach area because it was difficult for settlers to access the land. One famous Montaukett was Stephen Talkhouse. Also known as Stephen Taukus “Talkhouse” Pharaoh, he lived in the late 19th century. He was famous for walking 30 to 50 miles per day on a round trip to East Hampton or Sag Harbor from Montauk. Today there are stones on the Paumanock Path hiking trail that mark his path. Talkhouse was not the last of the Montauk, nor was he a king, but that didn’t stop P.T. Barnum from featuring him and declaring he was “The Last King of the Montauks.”

The Land is Sold

Arthur W. Benson began buying land around the late 1800s with a desire for future development. This resulted in court battles with the Montaukett, which left them with no recourse for compensation. They also lost their legal status. The entirety of Montauk land was sold to Benson in 1890, allowing certain rights to the few remaining Montaukett families still on the land. Although they are not a federally recognized tribe, they still have their own government and reservations today. Communities of Montauk still exist in New York today.

Centereach Today

Today it is a suburban community and has grown substantially from the 628 residents there were in 1949. It has always been known as a working-class community and, in the last ten years, has experienced a boom in construction. Residents are moving into the area with a higher income bracket raising the median pay and home values.

SERVPRO Provides Water Damage Restoration to Centereach

You never know when a pipe may burst or your dishwasher might overflow, sending gallons of water pouring into your home. It can become a disaster pretty quickly. As the moisture flows onto the flooring, behind cabinets, and into the corners of the room, the potential for water damage is alarming. Even if you manage to get most of the water up, the hidden liquid can cause serious problems. You could end up with:

• Warped floorboards
• Delaminated tiles
• Ruined carpet
• Mold
• Damaged drywall
• Degradation of structural elements

Our SERVPRO technicians are experts at seeking out hidden water damage. We use specialized equipment and techniques to remove the moisture, dry the premises, and restore your home. Our goal is always to leave your residence, “Like it never even happened.” SERVPRO of Centereach, Selden provides professional water damage restoration service that is fast and dependable. Contact us today at (613) 468-3003. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster.