The first time my mother went to Long Beach she was 2 years old. Her father rented a small house on Nebraska Street while he had a house built on Tennessee Avenue
.
In 1924 she spent her first summer at 33 Tennessee Ave. It was the biggest house on the block not including the boarding house on Oceanview. The streets were not paved and horse drawn carts brought goods to Beech St. Somewhere around 1927 the family moved there all year round. My mother finished second grade at West school. She lived there all year round until she was 14 years old and graduated 9th grade from the Junior High
.
The McCay house was always filled with her brothers’ Doug, Charlie and Frank’s friends. She remembers Johnny O’Connell, Happy Coughlin, Frank Fairweather, Bill Guerrin, Tom McKeone, Bud Gaffney, Eddie Butler lived on Virginia. Her brother Frank was a lifeguard; she remembers Eddy Scully, Tom Curtain, and Jimmy Napp.
Jimmy Napp even lived with them for a few years.
Margaret Boylan whose father owned Boylan’s Bath House on New York Ave., married mom’s brother Charlie. Mom’s sister Jean married Fred Keune who lived on Vermont.
She remembers the Millers on Maryland, Eleanor Knoepfle, Jean Tatum, The Carrolls, the Mannixes, the Wydlers, Jimmy Moriarity, Johnny Melia, the Bedias down by the bay on Maryland and Harold Jeffers.
She remembers being the shortest one in class, which meant being first on line, till Margaret Lange came along while in the 5th grade. Margaret lived at Indiana and Park. Lucille Kearns lived on Alabama St. Mom’s sister Jean’s best friend was Helen O’Shaughnessy who married Eddie Whitbread. Mercedes Fenlen married Billy Whitbread
.
Mike Delury, Ruth Dobrin, and Mildred Fishenfeld whose father was a tailor. Natalie Hurt on Ohio Ave., Catherine Carroll who married Tom Sofield, her brother Robert and 2 sisters Ann and Dot. Winnie Harris married Billie Baxter, Dottie Chapman married Tommy Peace. Nick Madaio, Flo Corracio, Billy and Jackie Spahr, Frank Esposito, sisters Catherine and Gloria, Babe Smorack, Eddie Matten.
The Lonnergans, 2 houses than a little house, Mrs. Van Worth. The Hylands, Scullys, Kritzmans than the McCays,that’s them. Granfield on the corner, Dugans whse father was a State Senator. The Kemps lived across the street. Sonans on the corner, Casey’s Bar and Grill on Beech Street. Some came back renting different houses some years.
My mother was always getting sent to the store. On Beech Street there was O’Rourkes Hardware, Jack Liberty Shoemakers, Petrie’s Butcher, and Sheffield Farms Grocery. Kumm’s Deli was across the street from the butchers, a bakery, Lae Drug Store, Fiesel’s Ice Cream Parlor was on the corner of Tennessee Ave. Florence and Jimmy Fiesel were her friends.
She remembers Charlie Chaplin’s wife lived there with 2 sons that my mother and her cousin Eleanor played catch with sometimes. The Cagney’s (James) lived in Long Beach but she doesn’t remember where.
The McCays moved to Washington Heights but still came back for the summers, renting a house on Maryland Ave. for 2 summers. During that second summer she met my father, Jim Sheridan who lived at 76 Ohio Ave. By then her older brothers and sisters had jobs in the city and didn’t want to commute every day. We have many pictures of all her friends hanging out on Dawson’s on the Beach at Wyoming Ave.. After she got married she lived at 76 Ohio Ave. Later on she remembers walking down Tennessee Ave. with my brother in the carriage and only seeing 2 people she knew. One of them was Mrs. Dugan who came out and gave her a hug.
WWW.ILoveLBNY.Com
Long Beach
New York
Growing Up in the West End
During the 1920's.
By Jane Sheridan Gilmore
Essays - Jane Sheridan Gilmore
WWW.ILoveLBNY.Com
LONG BEACH, NEW YORK
Photo Directories
.
These photos were sent in by Jane Sheridan Gilmore of her family in Long Beach.
Long Beach HS baseball team being congratulated by Mayor Edwards for winning the Nassau County Championship. My father is in the top row in the middle.
Jim Sheridan and his best friend Ephraim "Babe" Smorack
In front of the side yard at 76 Ohio Ave. Billy Spahr, Tommy Peace and my Marine in uniform, Jim Sheridan
At the beach,left to right standing, Jim Sheridan, Eddy Matten, Jackie Spahr and Babe Smorack, kneeling, Tommy Peace and Dan Franz.
