Ronkonkoma Lake
Encyclopedia
Lake Ronkonkoma, Long Island's largest freshwater lake, is in Suffolk County, New York
, and has a circumference of about 2 miles (3.2 km), and is 0.65 miles (1 km) across on average.http://maps.google.com/maps?q=ronkonkoma%20lake%20&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl
A kettle lake formed by retreating glaciers, it is owned by the Town of Islip under the terms of the Nichols Patent, the land around it is controlled by three town governments - Smithtown, Islip
and Brookhaven
. The separation originated because three different Indian communities claimed lands on differrent shores, and these claims continued when the tribes gave separate deeds to the land under their control. The name Ronkonkoma comes from an Algonquian
expression meaning "boundary fishing-lake", also earlier written as Raconkumake and Raconkamuck.
Ronkonkoma Beach: Rosevale Avenue at the end of Motor Parkway Lake Ronkonkoma, NY
3 tennis courts (late April–November), basketball and handball courts, picnic area, beach ramp, sand chair, food stand, outdoor showers, playgrounds, summer camp (fee).
350 yards of beach on the lake.
's original holdings included the headwaters of the Nissequogue River east to a ``freshwater pond called Raconkamuck, which translates as ``the boundary fishing place in the Algonquian language. What is now known as Lake Ronkonkoma served as a boundary between lands occupied by four Indian communities: Nissequogues, Setaukets, Secatogues and Unkechaugs.
The Smithtown side of the lake was settled by the 1740s, but it was not until the late 1890s that the area gained widespread public attention. That's when boarding houses and hotels were erected to accommodate a growing number of tourists drawn by claims that the lake's waters had special healing powers. By the 1920s, beach pavilions had sprung up. The Long Island Rail Road, which was completed to nearby Lakeland in 1842 (the depot was moved to Ronkonkoma in 1883), helped transform what had been a sleepy farming hamlet.
The Lake was created by a retreating glacier. Portions of its irregular basin are unusually deep for Long Island, but most of the lake is less than 15 feet (4.6 m) deep. As a rule of thumb, it is unproductive to fish deeper than 15 feet (4.6 m) in Lake Ronkonkoma because there is seldom enough dissolved oxygen to sustain fish beyond this depth.
The primary gamefish are Largemouth bass
and smallmouth bass
.
Lake Ronkonkoma holds large Bass
but locating them is a challenge due to the scarcity of natural structure to attract these fish. Chain pickerel are extremely rare. In the last two decades, white perch and yellow perch populations have increased to the point of upsetting the ecological balance of the lake.
Maximum depth: 65 feet (19.8 m). Area: 243 acre (0.98338698 km²):
There have been unsubstantiated rumors of Piranha
being caught in the lake over the past 2 decades. The idea that schools of piranha are ravaging the depths of Lake Ronkonkoma is unfounded and highly unlikely, as there undoubtedly would have been more attacks on bathers and more evidence of devoured fish. Actual specimens "caught" in the lake (or at least presented by people in a glass jar in the mid 1990's) have been either proven to have not come from the lake, or have been Pacu
, a different species that looks very similar but is harmless and has a limited presence in the lake. The majority of human interaction (i.e. bites) typically stems from Pike (Esox
) which are known to be moderately aggressive, though the Pike are typically located in the marshlands adjacent to the lake off of Portion Road. Bites that have been reported on feet and the lower body in shallow water are likely to have been caused by turtles, which also have a moderately strong presence in the lake and may have a tendency to bite when threatened or irritated.
Little by little, the lakefront developed into a fashionable haven for the wealthier people who had summer estates there.
In 1911, the Long Island Motor Parkway
was completed from Queens to Lake Ronkonkoma. Traveling
the winding Motor Parkway to reach the lake in those days was an adventure in itself.
Lake Ronkonkoma became a summer resort and it was quite exclusive, a place for the wealthy and famous from New York City.
All summer long there was boating and swimming at the lake. Girls were handicapped by having to wear cumbersome bathing suits, stockings and shoes when they went swimming, but boys often went skinny dipping when they were alone. For many, the fall was the best season of all. That was when hunting began. Shotguns of various gauges were to be found in just about every house. Hunting was important around the lake area until the 1930s
.
When the ice was safe, the young people arranged skating parties on the shore where skaters could warm their hands and feet. A favorite game on the ice was Crack the Whip.
The perimeter of the lake itself began to change from residential to commercial. As the lake front become less and less exclusive, some of the people sold their homes and moved away. George Raynor, whose family had lived at the lake since the 1840s
, bought an estate in 1921. This became the well-known Raynor Beach.
Lake Ronkonkoma adjusted to a two-season pattern, as resort towns must do. The economy of the town depended on a good season, and the lake itself become a great natural resource that brought work and money to many of the Lake Ronkonkoma residents. At the end of each season, Lake Ronkonkoma returned to the normalcy of a small town.
The Lake had been accustomed to having large numbers of people in town, and at the end of each summer season many of Its people had gone away. Over time the Lakefront community the town of Lake Ronkonkoma began to lose its intimacy.
In the 1950s
, the original owners began to sell their beaches to others. Many of the beach front pavilions, which were left unattended, burned down. On October 4, 1962, Brookhaven Town purchased land for the first town-owned beach on the lake. The unattended sections of beaches began to deteriorate. Rubbish, tin cans and bottles lined the shores in many places. Since the shoreline lay in between three townships, there was no central control. A Tri-Town Committee for the Preservation of Lake Ronkonkoma has been formed. The committee has agreed that the three towns would treat the pollution problems as a single problem, affecting all of the Long Island
residents.
The most widely acknowledged interpretation of the legend is that a Native American Princess fell in love with a European settler. Forbidden to pursue such love, the princess was forced into an arranged marriage but their love persisted. One evening, she tried to swim across the lake to her lover, suffered fatigue and drowned. She returns every year to claim a man to be with her at the bottom of the lake. Other interpretations say that she rowed to the middle of the lake in a canoe to await the coming of her lover, but when he did not come for her she commit suicide by drowning herself. Another similar variation of the legend states that she rowed to the middle of the lake to await him, and as he swam out to her, he fatigued and drowned. Overwhelmed with grief, she drowned herself to join him. Another still states that the princess was so overwhelmed with grief and sadness that she was to be in an arranged marriage, she drowned herself in protest.
Lesser known variations of the legend indicate that her tribe was assaulted by European settlers, one among them being her lover. Betrayed, she drowned herself in grief. Possibly the least known of all the variations is that the princess willingly sacrificed herself by tying herself to a heavy stone and pitching herself off the side of her canoe. This was to appease the god Manitou
who had beset her tribe with a terrible curse.
For all intents and purposes, the Lady of the Lake is not malicious. Her claiming of men is out of love and need, for she does not understand that she is also condemning these individuals to death. Her loneliness overwhelms her and she reaches out to these men in desperation. Some men, likely in the mood to cause a stir, claim that when they swim beyond the boundaries of the designated swim area (marked typically by bouyed rope), they feel "cold fingers" touch and try to grasp at their ankles.
There is a mural dedicated to the Lady of the Lake on the side of the strip mall on Rosevale Avenue, painted and updated regularly by a local artist.
, and through this tunnel myriad creatures from the sea pour in. A popular rumor among wildly imaginative kids is that the depressions are gateways to Hell.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and has a circumference of about 2 miles (3.2 km), and is 0.65 miles (1 km) across on average.http://maps.google.com/maps?q=ronkonkoma%20lake%20&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl
A kettle lake formed by retreating glaciers, it is owned by the Town of Islip under the terms of the Nichols Patent, the land around it is controlled by three town governments - Smithtown, Islip
Islip (town), New York
The Town of Islip is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York . Located on the south shore of Long Island, the town population was 322,612 at the 2000 census. The smaller, unincorporated hamlet of Islip lies within the town.-Demographics:...
and Brookhaven
Brookhaven, New York
The Town of Brookhaven is one of the ten towns into which Suffolk County, New York, United States, has been divided. Part of the New York metropolitan area, it is located in central Suffolk County and is the only town in the county that stretches from the North Shore to the South Shore of Long...
. The separation originated because three different Indian communities claimed lands on differrent shores, and these claims continued when the tribes gave separate deeds to the land under their control. The name Ronkonkoma comes from an Algonquian
Algonquian languages
The Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
expression meaning "boundary fishing-lake", also earlier written as Raconkumake and Raconkamuck.
Ronkonkoma Beach: Rosevale Avenue at the end of Motor Parkway Lake Ronkonkoma, NY
3 tennis courts (late April–November), basketball and handball courts, picnic area, beach ramp, sand chair, food stand, outdoor showers, playgrounds, summer camp (fee).
350 yards of beach on the lake.
Beginnings
Smithtown founder Richard SmithRichard Smith
Richard Smith may refer to:* Richard Smyth , also written Richard Smith, English Catholic scholar* Richard Smith , English Catholic Bishop, titular of Chalcedon in Asia Minor...
's original holdings included the headwaters of the Nissequogue River east to a ``freshwater pond called Raconkamuck, which translates as ``the boundary fishing place in the Algonquian language. What is now known as Lake Ronkonkoma served as a boundary between lands occupied by four Indian communities: Nissequogues, Setaukets, Secatogues and Unkechaugs.
The Smithtown side of the lake was settled by the 1740s, but it was not until the late 1890s that the area gained widespread public attention. That's when boarding houses and hotels were erected to accommodate a growing number of tourists drawn by claims that the lake's waters had special healing powers. By the 1920s, beach pavilions had sprung up. The Long Island Rail Road, which was completed to nearby Lakeland in 1842 (the depot was moved to Ronkonkoma in 1883), helped transform what had been a sleepy farming hamlet.
The Lake was created by a retreating glacier. Portions of its irregular basin are unusually deep for Long Island, but most of the lake is less than 15 feet (4.6 m) deep. As a rule of thumb, it is unproductive to fish deeper than 15 feet (4.6 m) in Lake Ronkonkoma because there is seldom enough dissolved oxygen to sustain fish beyond this depth.
The primary gamefish are Largemouth bass
Largemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
and smallmouth bass
Smallmouth bass
The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...
.
Lake Ronkonkoma holds large Bass
Bass (fish)
Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...
but locating them is a challenge due to the scarcity of natural structure to attract these fish. Chain pickerel are extremely rare. In the last two decades, white perch and yellow perch populations have increased to the point of upsetting the ecological balance of the lake.
Maximum depth: 65 feet (19.8 m). Area: 243 acre (0.98338698 km²):
- Species of (Fish) in Ronkonkoma Lake:
- BluegillBluegillThe Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...
- PumpkinseedPumpkinseedThe pumpkinseed sunfish is a freshwater fish of the sunfish family of order Perciformes. It is also referred to as "pond perch", "common sunfish", "punkys", and "sunny".-Range and distribution:...
- Black Crappie
- yellow PerchYellow perchThe yellow perch is a species of perch found in the United States and Canada, where it is often referred to by the shortform perch. Yellow perch look similar to the European perch, but are paler and more yellowish, with less red in the fins. They have six to eight dark, vertical bars on their sides...
- White PerchWhite perchThe white perch, Morone americana, is not a true perch but is, rather, a fish of the temperate bass family, Moronidae, notable as a food and game fish in eastern North America.The name "white perch" is sometimes erroneously applied to the white crappie....
- CarpCarpCarp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
- Brown BullheadBrown bullheadThe brown bullhead, Ameiurus nebulosus, is a fish of the Ictaluridae family that is widely distributed in North America. It is a species of bullhead catfish and is similar to the black bullhead and yellow bullhead...
- Species Present (stocked):EsoxEsoxEsox is a genus of freshwater fish, the only living genus in the family Esocidae — the esocids which were endemic to North America, Europe and Eurasia during the Paleogene through present.The type species is E. lucius, the northern pike...
- Bluegill
There have been unsubstantiated rumors of Piranha
Piranha
A piranha or piraña is a member of family Characidae in order Characiformes, an omnivorous freshwater fish that inhabits South American rivers. In Venezuela, they are called caribes...
being caught in the lake over the past 2 decades. The idea that schools of piranha are ravaging the depths of Lake Ronkonkoma is unfounded and highly unlikely, as there undoubtedly would have been more attacks on bathers and more evidence of devoured fish. Actual specimens "caught" in the lake (or at least presented by people in a glass jar in the mid 1990's) have been either proven to have not come from the lake, or have been Pacu
Pacú
Pacu or pacú is the common name of several South American fishes.PACU, Pacu or pacú may also refer to:*Piaractus mesopotamicus , a South American ray-finned fish that is endemic to the Paraguay-Paraná River basin*Tambaqui , known as black pacu, black-finned pacu, giant pacu*Philippine Association...
, a different species that looks very similar but is harmless and has a limited presence in the lake. The majority of human interaction (i.e. bites) typically stems from Pike (Esox
Esox
Esox is a genus of freshwater fish, the only living genus in the family Esocidae — the esocids which were endemic to North America, Europe and Eurasia during the Paleogene through present.The type species is E. lucius, the northern pike...
) which are known to be moderately aggressive, though the Pike are typically located in the marshlands adjacent to the lake off of Portion Road. Bites that have been reported on feet and the lower body in shallow water are likely to have been caused by turtles, which also have a moderately strong presence in the lake and may have a tendency to bite when threatened or irritated.
Summer Resort
Lake Ronkonkoma was a popular Long Island summer resort in the late 19th century early 20th century. There were a few boarding houses in town. One of the hotels on the lake was the Lake Front Hotel situated on twenty-four acres of land on the Lakes shore. Most of the original settlers and local residents chose to live away from the lakefront. The land one half mile or so beyond the lake was flatter and better suited for farming.Little by little, the lakefront developed into a fashionable haven for the wealthier people who had summer estates there.
In 1911, the Long Island Motor Parkway
Long Island Motor Parkway
The Long Island Motor Parkway , also known as the Vanderbilt Parkway and Motor Parkway, was the first roadway designed for automobile use only. It was privately built by William Kissam Vanderbilt with overpasses and bridges to remove intersections...
was completed from Queens to Lake Ronkonkoma. Traveling
the winding Motor Parkway to reach the lake in those days was an adventure in itself.
Lake Ronkonkoma became a summer resort and it was quite exclusive, a place for the wealthy and famous from New York City.
1930s
File:1930s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Dorothea Lange's photo of the homeless Florence Thompson show the effects of the Great Depression; Due to the economic collapse, the farms become dry and the Dust Bowl spreads through America; The Battle of Wuhan during the Second Sino-Japanese...
.
When the ice was safe, the young people arranged skating parties on the shore where skaters could warm their hands and feet. A favorite game on the ice was Crack the Whip.
The perimeter of the lake itself began to change from residential to commercial. As the lake front become less and less exclusive, some of the people sold their homes and moved away. George Raynor, whose family had lived at the lake since the 1840s
1840s
- Wars :*Mexican-American War was fought between Mexico and the United States of America. The latter emerged victorious and gained undisputed control over Texas while annexing portions of Arizona, California and New Mexico....
, bought an estate in 1921. This became the well-known Raynor Beach.
Lake Ronkonkoma adjusted to a two-season pattern, as resort towns must do. The economy of the town depended on a good season, and the lake itself become a great natural resource that brought work and money to many of the Lake Ronkonkoma residents. At the end of each season, Lake Ronkonkoma returned to the normalcy of a small town.
The Lake had been accustomed to having large numbers of people in town, and at the end of each summer season many of Its people had gone away. Over time the Lakefront community the town of Lake Ronkonkoma began to lose its intimacy.
In the 1950s
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
, the original owners began to sell their beaches to others. Many of the beach front pavilions, which were left unattended, burned down. On October 4, 1962, Brookhaven Town purchased land for the first town-owned beach on the lake. The unattended sections of beaches began to deteriorate. Rubbish, tin cans and bottles lined the shores in many places. Since the shoreline lay in between three townships, there was no central control. A Tri-Town Committee for the Preservation of Lake Ronkonkoma has been formed. The committee has agreed that the three towns would treat the pollution problems as a single problem, affecting all of the Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
residents.
Rumors and Legends
Aside from the rumors of Piranha lurking in the lake, the most commonly known legend of Lake Ronkonkoma is the "Lady of the Lake".Lady of the Lake
A supposed Native American princess that committed suicide by drowning herself in the lake during the colonial era. There are several variations of the legend, most of which lead to the princess intentionally drowning herself. It is said that at least once a year, a virile and attractive male between the ages of 18 and 28 is "taken" by the lady to be her lover. Mysteriously, there is truth to the claims that at least one male within that age range drowns in the lake at regular intervals, but drownings are common in any lake that is open to the public. It is perhaps the accuracy that it is typically a male within that age range that makes the story more mysterious.The most widely acknowledged interpretation of the legend is that a Native American Princess fell in love with a European settler. Forbidden to pursue such love, the princess was forced into an arranged marriage but their love persisted. One evening, she tried to swim across the lake to her lover, suffered fatigue and drowned. She returns every year to claim a man to be with her at the bottom of the lake. Other interpretations say that she rowed to the middle of the lake in a canoe to await the coming of her lover, but when he did not come for her she commit suicide by drowning herself. Another similar variation of the legend states that she rowed to the middle of the lake to await him, and as he swam out to her, he fatigued and drowned. Overwhelmed with grief, she drowned herself to join him. Another still states that the princess was so overwhelmed with grief and sadness that she was to be in an arranged marriage, she drowned herself in protest.
Lesser known variations of the legend indicate that her tribe was assaulted by European settlers, one among them being her lover. Betrayed, she drowned herself in grief. Possibly the least known of all the variations is that the princess willingly sacrificed herself by tying herself to a heavy stone and pitching herself off the side of her canoe. This was to appease the god Manitou
Manitou
Manitou is a general term for spirit beings among many Algonquian Native American groups.Manitou may also refer to:- Geography :* Manitou, Manitoba, Canada* Manitou, Kentucky, USA* Manitou, Oklahoma, USA- Other uses :...
who had beset her tribe with a terrible curse.
For all intents and purposes, the Lady of the Lake is not malicious. Her claiming of men is out of love and need, for she does not understand that she is also condemning these individuals to death. Her loneliness overwhelms her and she reaches out to these men in desperation. Some men, likely in the mood to cause a stir, claim that when they swim beyond the boundaries of the designated swim area (marked typically by bouyed rope), they feel "cold fingers" touch and try to grasp at their ankles.
There is a mural dedicated to the Lady of the Lake on the side of the strip mall on Rosevale Avenue, painted and updated regularly by a local artist.
The Bottomless Lake
Rumored to have no bottom, Lake Ronkonkoma has deep depressions that seem to go on forever. It is impossible for a human being to go all the way to the bottom unassisted as the depressions are well in excess of 50 feet (15.2 m). A diving expedition in the early half of the 20th century revealed just how deep these depressions go, but myths continue to persist of the "bottomless lake". Such rumors include the presence of a "whirlpool" in the dead center of the lake that drags people down into the bottomless hole where they drown and are never seen again. Similarly, it is said that the deepest depression forms an underground tunnel that empties out into Long Island SoundLong Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
, and through this tunnel myriad creatures from the sea pour in. A popular rumor among wildly imaginative kids is that the depressions are gateways to Hell.
The Pirate Cove
Reportedly, in the earliest days of Lake Ronkonkoma, an inlet connected the lake to the ocean, and pirates would sail into the lake proper to sink their treasures for retrieval at a later time. More often, the lake was supposedly used an execution ground. Rumors of a skeleton found bound in chains near the Ronkonkoma Beach have never been proven.External links
- http://wotan.liu.edu/~esenig/homepage.html
- http://www.lakerhs.org/
- http://www.ronkonkomachamber.com/rcc/AboutRonk.asp