Munson is a hamlet in the
Town of Hempstead
The Town of Hempstead (also known historically as South Hempstead) is the largest of the three towns in Nassau County (alongside North Hempstead and Oyster Bay) in the U.S. state of New York. It occupies the southwestern part of the county, on t ...
in
Nassau County, on
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
, in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
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* '' ...
, United States. Although often now associated as being part of
Franklin Square and
West Hempstead
West Hempstead is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 19,835 at the 2020 census. It is an unincorporated area in the Town of Hempst ...
, the name lives on through the local fire department.
Prior to May 1895, the area was known as Washington Square.
History
The community is named for Harry Munson, who was a prominent local and a veteran of the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
; Munson had moved to the area in 1891.
The name was chosen when the residents wanted the
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...
to open a local post office.
Like Franklin Square, the area was known for some time as Washington Square, and like what happened in Franklin Square some twenty years prior when residents there wanted a post office, the USPS refused so long as the name had "Washington" in it, in order to avoid confusion with all of the other places in New York with Washington in their names.
In May 1895, residents met to resolve the issue by choosing a new name. They chose the name Munson as the community's new name in honor of Munson; the other name proposals were Burnside and Talmageville.
The name was soon official and the United States Postal Service opened the Munson Post Office opened a few months later in August 1895.
In 1907, the first fire department in Munson, the Franklin Hook and Ladder Co. #1, was established. In 1925, the fire company merged with the Franklin Square Hose & Chemical Company.
The merger led to the creation of the Franklin Square and Munson Fire Department, which serves the area to this day.
Services
Fire
Munson is served by the Franklin Square and Munson Fire Department.
Police
Munson is served by the
Nassau County Police Department
The Nassau County Police Department is the law enforcement agency of Nassau County, New York.
History
In 1925, concerned about rising crime rates, the County Board of Supervisors voted to create the Nassau County Police Department, replacing ...
's 5th Precinct.
See also
*
Hagerman – A similar hamlet in the
Town of Brookhaven in
Suffolk County, slightly to the east.
References
{{HempsteadNY
Hempstead, New York