Conclusion
Between 1910 and 1917, Hicksville's population increased by 19%, from fewer than 2,400 to about 2,850. One can assume that a good part of that increase was due to an influx of commuters. Perhaps 75 new families had settled in Hicksville, many of them in new houses. The figures suggest that the recent expansion of the school would not get the job done for long, as within a few years the student population would increase substantially.
The infrastructure of the village was already expanding (e.g., new gas lines were being laid), and total farm acreage was shrinking a little; Hicksville was on the brink of a big change. But the country soon would be at war, and such matters would be put on hold for a few years.
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I find one part of the profile intriguing:
As we saw last month, Hicksville got its start when the railroad tracks temporarily ended at a junction of three well-used roads. Because everything - roads, rails, and people - came together there, a thriving village developed. Railroad crossings had always been at the heart of Hicksville.
By 1900, however, there were more wagons, a growing number of automobiles, more and faster trains, and more tracks to cross. Because of all the grade crossings, navigating the village now was more dangerous than it was when Hicksville was a sleepy little place. Everyone knew that, and yet for decades no one - not the governing powers of the village, of the Town of Oyster Bay, or of Nassau County - would do anything about it. And in the end, no one would find a way to preserve the character of old "downtown" tree-lined Hicksvillewhen the problem finally was addressed.
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