Named for the Algonquian-speaking Montaukett tribe, the hamlet of Montauk is located in the Town of East Hampton. It was purchased by English settlers in 1658 under an agreement which allowed the Montaukett to continue using the land to fish and hunt while a group of Easthampton...
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Named for the Algonquian-speaking Montaukett tribe, the hamlet of Montauk is located in the Town of East Hampton. It was purchased by English settlers in 1658 under an agreement which allowed the Montaukett to continue using the land to fish and hunt while a group of Easthampton townsmen grazed cattle. Its early use a livestock operation has made Montauk the oldest cattle ranch in the US. Similarly significant in historical merit, the Montauk Point Light was authorized for construction by the Second United States Congress in 1792 and finished construction in 1796, making it both the country’s first public works project and fourth oldest active lighthouse. During the early 20th century, Robert Moses began condemning land in the hamlet to establish State Parks.
Montauk is now home to no less than six State Parks, the Theodore Roosevelt County Park, and several Nature Conservancy areas. It has been used as a military base for the Army, Navy, Coast Guard and Air Force, and hosts New York’s largest commercial and recreational fishing fleet. Due to its high percentage of beachfront property and natural beauty, Montauk has become a popular beach resort, with over 2,000 rooms available as of 2007. Despite the high volume of hotels and inns, not a single one is a part of a larger chain as Easthampton zoning regulations prohibit the entrance of chains into the area (no chain restaurants or fast food establishments can be found in the town for the same reason).
As of the 2010 census, Montauk had a population of 3,326 with 1,422 households and an average household size of about 2 persons. The median household income was $69,917 with males making $45,208 and females $45,341.
