Ancient Hixtory
Wonderful articles about the history of Hicksville, researched and written by Ron Wencer. This complete monthly series spans 4 years, from May 2018 until April 2022. Enjoy!
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Introduction
July’s Ancient Hixtory discussed the Hub Diner on East Marie Street, which appears to have been the first “dining car” eatery in Hicksville. That was nearly a century ago. In contrast, the latest incarnation of Hicksville’s Empire Diner is shown above. While this article is not going to cover the entire 90-odd years since the Hub began, it should get us, at least superficially, through the 1930s and 1940s, and then use the Empire as a lens for looking at the fast-changing world of 1950s Hicksville.
Click here to continue reading September 2024: Another Diner Article
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Introduction
When the Hixnews team decided to write about “diner memories,” I volunteered to do an Ancient Hixtory article about Hicksville’s early diners. I limited myself to true diners: coffee shops, luncheonettes, ice cream parlors, Howard Johnson’s restaurants, etc. were beyond my scope. My research yield was sparse (evidently, diners were not considered inherently fascinating back then), but I did conclude that the Hub Diner was Hicksville’s first. In addition, my research shone light on a Hicksville-boosting PR campaign of a century ago – a campaign into which the Hub’s name dovetails perfectly.
Click here to continue reading August 2024: Hicksville's First Diner
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Over two centuries ago, the murky image you see headed a composite schedule of Long Island stagecoach services. It appears to depict a four-horse stage. With a bit of whimsy, the artist has placed the end of the coachman’s whip perilously close to a man's head on horseback.
Long Island Star, July 30, 1817
Click here to continue reading January 2024: Riding the Hicksville Stage
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Hearst Newspapers’ American Weekly, December 29, 1946
Introduction
This is history, not a fairy tale. There are no glass slippers or poisoned apples – but there is a tragic princess who forgoes much of her wealth, and who eventually settles down in a quiet, happy marriage with a one-time stable hand from Hicksville.
Click here to continue reading August 2023: A Very Unlikely Turn of Events
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New York Times, June 9, 1979
Click here to continue reading April 2022: Hohner In Hicksville?
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Women's Suffrage Poster (digitally restored)
New York State Library
Every year, do you celebrate what happened on November 6, 1917? Maybe you should. On that day, the voters of the State of New York (all of them men, incidentally) decided that thereafter, women would be entitled to vote in all elections held in the state. Getting things changed took a lot of work by a lot of people - and some people in Hicksville were part of it.
Click here to continue reading March 2022: 1917 Women's Suffrage
