Located on New York's Long Island in Nassau County, the quaint, tight-knit town of Bethpage was established as a settlement for the Thomas Powell family in 1687. In the early years, it consisted of a few small villages of farmers. In 1884, the Long Island Rail Road extended through Bethpage, which was renamed Central Park. Many businesses opened up around the station, bringing the town to the attention of land buyers, which had an enormous impact on the growth of the community. It was here that the ground-breaking ceremony for William Vanderbilt's Motor Parkway opened in 1906 for the Vanderbilt Cup Races. This notoriety brought people to the town, as well as businesses, restaurants, and hotels, most notably the world-renowned Beau Sejour, which catered to aristocrats, socialites, and movie stars. The name Central Park was eventually changed back to Bethpage in 1936. Long Island State Parks commissioner Robert Moses soon opened the Bethpage State Park, with its five golf courses. Bethpage gained recognition for being the longtime home of the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, producers of Navy fighter aircraft and the Apollo lunar module, which landed men on the moon. Bethpage retains its sense of pride in its rich and historic heritage.
