The Suffolk County Legislature has voted unanmiously to change the name of the Montauk Theodore Roosevelt County Park to the Montauk County Park, the reason is due to a historical error that has been overlooked since 1997.
The name was changed in 1997 from the original name of Montauk County Park to honor the arrival of President Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders, who were quarantined in Montauk after the Spanish-American war in 1898. However, according to the actual history, Roosevelt never spent any time at Montauk County Park, and was actually at Ditch Plains during that time.
“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure… than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.” -Theodore Roosevelt
Read more athttp://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/t/theodore_roosevelt.html#Gj1Qx37fbW3t88qy.99
Why??? County legislator Schneiderman was quoted as saying there was “no evidence” that TR was ever on the grounds of the park. Your article includes photos of Third House – which was Army Headquarters in 1898 when almost all of Montauk was Camp Wikoff – a quarantine/hospital camp for returning Spanish American War vets, inculding the fabled Rough Riders. TR was a colonel… he most assuredly was at Third House as well as the rest of Montauk. I have period photos and articles establishing it beyond doubt. Montauk was terra incognita in those days. NY papers ran some stories about the hardships of a trip to Montauk, which virtually no one undertook – fascinating reading. TR was a rock star, a media star, in his day. His arrival at Montauk was covered like the Beatles landing at JFK. He put Montauk on the map – nationally. Plus, he was emblematic of the virtues of Montauk: a rugged outdoors environment, horses, hunting, swimming, hiking. Naming it after him was perfect. What was the legislature thinking???