A Brief History

two policemen standing guard in the 1940s
Policemen standing guard in the 1940s

The Broad Channel Historical Society was founded in 1994. Our mission is to document and preserve the history of Broad Channel, often referred to as the “Venice” of New York. The committee was initiated by then President of the Civic Association Danny Mundy, who came up with the idea from reading the “Glimpse of the Past” column in the town newsletter, “Channel News.” With seed money from then New York State Senator Ada Smith, we purchased loose-leaf notebooks and plastic sleeves to begin documenting the colorful history of “The Channel.” After one year of articles, written memories, and videotaped interviews, we held our first Bi-Annual Historical Day in June of 1995. This event brings out the townspeople and folks from the surrounding area to enjoy our collection, usually housed in the Broad Channel Public Library. Our collection always grows after Historical Day as more residents bring interesting memorabilia to light.