It's a Whale of a Tale: Outstanding Narratives in New York State History

September 16-18, 2024

Danfords Hotel & Marina

Port Jefferson, NY

The Association of Public Historians of New York State (APHNYS) is pleased to announce that our 2024 Annual Conference will be held in Port Jefferson, NY, on Long Island, September 16-18, 2024. Our annual conference draws more than 100 government-appointed historians and affiliates from across the state.

From Jay Gatsby’s Gold Coast mansions to William Levitt’s suburban tracts, Long Island has been a setting for people, places, and ideas that have significantly shaped the history and identity of New York State. The stories—both real and imagined—that have emerged from this 118-mile stretch of land jutting out from New York City into the Atlantic Ocean reflect great contributions to art, politics, literature, science, education, transportation, industry, and more. As we gather on Long Island for the APHNYS Annual Conference on September 16-18, 2024, we invite you to consider the historical contributions of your community in the context of our theme, “It’s a Whale of a Tale: Outstanding Narratives in New York State History.”

In exploring our theme, you might reflect on the various ways a narrative can be “outstanding.” For example, the narratives we craft as historians can be outstanding when they are fact-based and engagingly told. How do we hit this mark, and what else goes into crafting an outstanding historical narrative? Sometimes, it is the subjects of our historical narratives that stand out. What historical actors and events capture our attention and why? Are there subjects that have been left out of the historical narrative and if so, what should we do about it? What about the primary sources we rely on for our research? These might stand out for their ability to document certain experiences or because they reveal otherwise obscured perspectives. How have different types of sources and the narratives they represent stood out to us over time? Think, too, about the different ways historians present historical narratives, from papers, lectures, and exhibitions to podcasts, performances, and public art. What methods of delivery are compelling to different types of audiences?

Doing good history is no fluke (those of you who are up on your whale anatomy should appreciate the pun!). Let’s explore what goes into—and comes out of—outstanding historical narratives at our 2024 conference on Long Island.

Call for Proposals

Deadline: April 30, 2024

We invite proposals for workshops, panels, and presentations that explore our theme, "It's a Whale of a Tale: Outstanding Narratives in New York State History."

The Program Committee will review proposals and respond to all applicants by June 15, 2024.

All presenters will be required to register and pay for the conference. (The only exception will be for presenters attending just their session.)

Submit a proposal

Please contact Program Committee co-chairs Lauren Roberts (lroberts@saratogacountyny.gov) and Matthew Urtz (Matthew.Urtz@madisoncounty.ny.gov) with questions.

Travel & Lodging

The conference will be held at the Danfords Hotel & Marina, located at 25 East Broadway in Port Jefferson, New York 11777. The conference rate is $150 a night.

Booking can be made on-line with the APHNYS conference rate by using this link:

Danfords Hotel & Marina in Port Jefferson, NY.

You can also call 855-208-4796 to make reservations. Be sure to mention APHNYS in your phone call. The cut-off date is August 18, 2023. After that date, rooms will be subject to availability

Please note:  Hotel guests should plan to park in the "Town of Brookhaven Parking Lot" which is on the west side of the ferry docks. Conference/hotel guests will be able to park in that lot, free of charge. Please note: the parking lot within the hotel requires a fee. 

Traveling to Port Jefferson

By car: From the west end of Long Island:   

• Option one: take the Long Island Expressway to Exit 64, Route 112.  Take Route 112 north to the end, bear right on to East Broadway and Danford’s will be on your left.   
• Option two:  take the Northern State Parkway to the end, stay left on route 454, bear left on to Route 347 toward Port Jefferson.  Turn north on to Route 112, follow to the end, bear right on to East Broadway and Danford’s will be on your left.  

By car and ferry: 

• Option one:  Drive to One Ferry Drive in Bridgeport, CT. If you need a car, make a reservation on the Bridgeport – Port Jefferson Ferry (https://www.88844ferry.com)   The ferry dock is separated from the hotel by a small park. (less than 200 steps to the hotel check in desk) 
• Option two:  Drive to Bridgeport CT and make a reservation to park your car at Imperial Garage, Middle Street, Bridgeport tel. 203-366-0468.  Very reasonable daily rate and walking distance to the ferry terminal.  Make sure you make a round trip walk-on ferry reservation.  (http://www.imperialparkingbpt.com/)  The walk from the ferry dock to the front door of Danford’s is less than 200 steps.  

By train: 

From New York City:  take the Long Island Rail Road, Port Jefferson Branch. (Check schedules as the LIRR has trains from both Penn Station on the west side and Grand Central on the east side).   The last stop is Port Jefferson. The hotel is 1.3 miles – downhill if you are inclined to walk.There are ample taxis and Ubers available. 

September is a spectacular month on Long Island.  For those who wish to see more before or after the conference, Nassau County – to the west of Port Jefferson – is home to the Cradle of Aviation Museum, Sagamore Hill – Theodore Roosevelt’s summer home, the famous Gold Coast (think of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby), Jones Beach and a myriad of other attractions.  Suffolk County hosts the home of William Floyd – the only signer of the Declaration of Independence from the county, the famous Hamptons (West, East and South), Shelter Island, Sag Harbor, the North Fork’s wine country, beautiful beaches and the furthest east, Montauk.  There is also a ferry from Orient Point (North Fork, East End) to Mystic CT, should you want to return via a different route.  Lots to see and do – any one of the host committee people can give you more information.   

Conference Program

The draft Program is available here. Please check this page for updates.

APHNYS Open Board Meeting

The APHNYS Board of Directors will be holding an open meeting at the conference local.

Association of Public Historians of New York State Awards

Nominations are now opened

APHNYS will be seeking nominations for its awards, given every year at its annual conference. Awards are given during the recipient's lifetime and not posthumously.  Here are the categories for the awards:

Franklin D. Roosevelt Local Government Historian Professional Achievement Award - Awarded to an appointed historian in recognition of outstanding career achievement in the practice of Public History in New York State.

Named in memory of FDR’s service as Historian of the Town of Hyde Park in Dutchess County. Nominations open to appointed municipal historians, only.

Edmund J. Winslow Local Government Historian Award for Excellence– Awarded to an appointed historian, recognizing excellence in one or more public history projects or publications in New York State.

Named in memory of Edmund J. Winslow, Senior Historian, New York State Museum (1968-1990). Nominations open to appointed municipal historians, only.

APHNYS Award for Excellence in Promoting Local History - Awarded for excellence in promoting local history in New York State through research, writing, and other related accomplishments.

Nominations open to all, including appointed municipal historians, deputy historians and co-historians.

Hugh Hastings Award – Awarded in recognition of distinguished service to and support of the public history community, through work to promote and preserve history in New York State.

Named in honor of Hugh Hastings, the First State Historian for New York State (1895-1907). Nominations open to those other than appointed municipal historians.

Joseph F. Meany Award – Awarded in recognition of excellence in a military, maritime or labor history project or publication, in New York State.

Named in honor of Joseph F. Meany Jr., Acting Historian for New York State (1994-2001). Nominations open to all, including appointed municipal historians, deputy historians and co-historians.

All nominations must have supporting statements or information attached or mailed with the form to assist the APHNYS Awards Committee in its review. Nominations submitted without supporting statements or information will not be reviewed.

If you have any questions, please contact Ray LaFever, awards@aphnys.org, (607) 832-4609.

The deadline for nominations is August 4, 2024. Please complete this nomination form online at APHNYS 2024 Awards Nomination.

or mail to 

APHNYS

PO Box 316

Babylon, NY 11702

If mailing the form, be sure it is postmarked by August 4, 2024.

Let APHNYS peek into your community, send us your photos!

Port Jefferson Historian Chris Ryon is creating a historic photograph exhibit for the APHNYS Conference and we need you to show us what makes your community unique! Choose 2 or 3 of the photos in your collection that best represent your town, city, village or county and send them to Chris for inclusion in this exhibit which will be open for the APHNYS Annual Conference in September.

Guidelines:

Photos must be scanned at 600 dpi and emailed to portjeffhistorian@gmail.com and please include a brief caption for each. Photos will remain on exhibit through the end of October. Submissions must be received by August 15th. Questions? Send Chris an email!