What was northport like 150 years ago?

Around 150 years ago, in the early 1870s, Northport, New York, was a small maritime village on the North Shore of Long Island. It served as a bustling hub for shipbuilding and fishing, benefiting from its proximity to the harbor. The community was largely rural, with a mix of farms and residential homes, and it had a close-knit, predominantly local population. The arrival of the railroad in the late 19th century would soon transform Northport, paving the way for increased development and tourism.