Description

Particles of the Past: Sandmining on Long Island, 1870s-1980s, edited by Elly Shodell

One of the little known facts of Long Island history is its contribution to the building of New York City. The high quality sand found on Long Island was used for over a century in making the concrete for New York’s skyscrapers, sidewalks, subways and bridges. Between 1870 and 1920, workers were drawn to Long Island from all over Europe to mine this resource. By 1930, 100 million tons of sand had been delivered from Port Washington to the metropolitan New York area. This booklet is both a record and a recreation of the miners’ stories. 1985. 43p., illustrations; fold-out map. Paperbound. ISBN: 0-9615059-0-7.