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A Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation Fellowship · Stony Brook University

Town of IslipHistory ProjectTown of Islip History Project
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Research

Research Questions & Evidence Under Review

Good public history is honest about what it does not yet know. These are open questions the project is actively researching. Some rest on suggestive evidence that cannot yet be proven; where that is the case, this page says so plainly rather than turning possibility into certainty.

  1. 01Was Isaac Thompson connected to Revolutionary intelligence networks?

    Isaac Thompson was a first cousin of Abraham Woodhull and was related to others associated with the Culper Spy Ring. The Town Historian notes these family ties and asks whether Thompson had knowledge of, or helped, the ring, while stating plainly that this cannot be proven. The project does not claim that Isaac Thompson was part of the Culper Spy Ring.

  2. 02Did Washington's 1790 stop at Sagtikos have a deeper meaning?

    Some modern accounts suggest Washington's Long Island tour was partly to thank those who had supported him with intelligence. The evidence is not conclusive, so the project does not present the visit as a proven act of thanks.

  3. 03What flag did Islip militiamen actually carry?

    Because Islip's militia was tied to Huntington, they likely marched under the Huntington Liberty Flag. No source confirms a separate Islip flag.

  4. 04Where is the complete Articles of Association signer list?

    About 35 Islip residents are believed to have signed, with some signing in Huntington or Brookhaven. Different researchers list somewhat different names, and the full, reconciled signer list is still being gathered.

  5. 05What records remain to be digitized?

    Colonial records of Smithtown, Brookhaven, and the colonial administration may hold more about Islip. The Washington 1790 diary entry and fuller Huntington Town Records are identified but not yet fully transcribed here.

  6. 06How should we read the silence in Islip's town minutes during occupation?

    Islip's minutes say little about the occupation, while Huntington's record more. The quiet itself may reflect the control and danger of living under occupation.