East Farmingdale Community Profile

Farmland spread far and wide across the plains of East Farmingdale until the mid-1900s, when the fields were altered from growing produce to manufacturing. Farmingdale State College was established here in 1912, and was well known for training excellent farmers. The Fulton Truck Company was founded in 1916, and built its reputation on producing trucks that could carry a full-ton load. Long Island National Cemetery was established in 1936 as a place of honor for World War I veterans.

On June 30, 1899, beginning at Maywood, Charles "Mile-A-Minute" Murphy claimed world-wide fame for racing his bicycle – one mile in less than one minute – behind a Long Island Rail Road train. His feat is credited with introducing streamlining to overcome air resistance, which is at the heart of aviation.

The airfield for Fairchild Airplane Manufacturing Company, established in 1926, became Republic Airport. Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, formed in 1929, and Republic Aviation Corporation (1938), became leaders in aviation manufacturing during World War II, producing such famous planes as the F-84 Thunderjet, the F-105 Thunderchief, and the P-47 Thunderbolt.

Historical Profile:

On June 30, 1899, Charles “Mile-A-Minute” Murphy claimed record-breaking fame for racing a bicycle, one-mile in less than one minute, behind a Long Island Rail Road train along the tracks beginning in East Farmingdale. He started from an area that was known as Maywood, near the intersection of Routes 110 and 109. 

The Clyde Motor Truck Company was founded in 1916, but changed its name to Fulton Truck Company, reflecting the claim that their trucks were designed to carry loads weighing up to one-ton.

In the 1940s, thousands of workers built fighter planes for World War II in local defense plants. Local aviation companies included Seversky Aircraft Company, which later became Republic Aviation Corporation in 1938, and Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, which formed in 1929. The flying field for the Fairchild Airplane Manufacturing Company, established in 1926, later became Republic Airport, which continues to the present day. Some of the most famous planes manufactured in Farmingdale were the F-84 Thunderjet, the F-105 Thunderchief, and the P-47 Thunderbolt, which was highly successful against the German Luftwaffe.

Known for producing excellent farmers, the State School of Agriculture on Long Island was established in 1912 – now named Farmingdale State College SUNY.

In 1936, the War Department purchased 175-acres from Pinelawn Cemetery, establishing the Long Island National Cemetery as a place of honor for World War I veterans. The cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.

History Highlights 

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