By Ellyn Okvist, B.Sc.
The Community of Lake Ronkonkoma has a total of eight NYS Historical Markers, twenty-six Historic Landmarks of Lake Ronkonkoma, one Legends & Lore, and one permanent monument, The Lake of Haunting Mystery located at Lake Ronkonkoma’s Eagle Watch Park. Markers preserve history and heritage, educate the public, encourage pride of place and promote resident participation in their community’s roots. It’s time to become familiar with the very first Legends & Lore marker that was placed.
Lake Ronkonkoma has a great piece of folklore that needed to be shared. Legends & Lore was designed to commemorate legends and folklore as part of our heritage. Folklore is the stories, customs, and traditions that are passed on from one person to another, often from generation to generation. This special category of markers is under the oversee of the New York Folklore Society. The Legends & Lore Marker displays a bright red face with gold lettering and boasts a delightful sun, moon and stars beautifully pictured above the main body.
After a long application period, The Lake Ronkonkoma Heritage Association won approval for this marker. It was the very first marker they obtained and reflects a local legend in town. Reverence was given to the Native Algonquin tribes in our area during the creation phase. This was not a simple procedure. Primary source research was used as part of the application for the marker, which completed the path of the concept.
The initial cost of the marker was out of reach for the local group, and research steered them to the William G. Pomeroy Foundation of Syracuse. The marker remains the property of the Heritage, as the grant award to cover the costs was made by The William G. Pomeroy Foundation.
The marker was installed on December 16, 2016, on an extremely cold night under a full moon, complete with ceremony and refreshments. Our “Indian Princess” was driven to the festivities in a sparkling new white Mustang. The crowd was a mixed bag of youth right up to town elders, who voiced their approval of the honor being introduced to our town. The large group of attendees had no fear of the moonlight and brisk weather, as the excitement and the reading of two town legends that coincide with the subject added to the celebration.
Even before it was installed, the marker held its own place in history. Long time residents can easily recognize the seven sculptured aluminum fish that climb the pole, representing the seven-year rise and fall of the lake’s water level. The woven basket represents the “boundary fishing place” where fish could be caught and stored by the natives at the lake. The sculptures were hand crafted by Ellyn Okvist. The light blue pole that holds the sign was meticulously chosen to match the color of the sky most often over Ronkonkoma Lake, and the raised letters reflect the “presence of a local Native American Princess” that waits for a victim every year.
The time has come for the marker to be relocated where it can further serve residents of the community. It will be placed at Eagle Watch Park, the corner of Portion Road and Shorehaven Boulevard, where it will complement the standing monument constructed by George Cristino and his brother Steven Cristino. The monument was an Eagle Scout project in 2006, and it holds what has been considered the utmost absolute description of Lake Ronkonkoma.
In 2023 the Lake Ronkonkoma Historical Commission was formed to serve the needs of the community. The LRHC will now oversee the landmarks and other distinctive indications in town. The group includes a majority of born and raised community members, and their research base extends directly to their families with heritage back as far as the 1600s. This makes it easier to obtain absolute primary source information, which allows the true facts to be passed directly to the community.
Please stop by and take a look at the other New York State markers in town, which will add a spark of history to your thoughts. Eight NYS markers can be found as follows: St. Mary’s Episcopal Church; St. Josephs Roman Catholic Church; Long Island Motor Parkway (Lakeland Fire Dept. Sub-station on LI Motor Parkway); Lillian Devere, our town matriarch (American Legion on Church St.); Arrowheads (Cherry St.); Hook & Ladder 1 (loss/stolen); Caleb Newton Farm (Lakeshore Rd. & Portion Rd.); and the Methodist Church (private collection).
Further Information can be obtained from the Lake Ronkonkoma Historical Commission at thelakeheritage@aol.com.
