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The North Fork’s past comes alive in audio-slideshow exhibit

JENNIFER GUSTAVSON PHOTO | Southold Historical Society collections manager Amy Folk and director Geoffrey Fleming listen to oral histories featured in the ‘Voices of the North Fork’ exhibit.

Most native North Forkers have probably heard stories about how immigrants built up the area’s farming and fishing industries. But how many know that German prisoners of war were brought out to Southold as farm laborers? How about the tale of Hal Goldsmith, the only North Fork native to play professional baseball?

These stories, along with several others, have been preserved. No, not locked away in a vault for future generations. These glimpses of the past are accessible in the here and now.

You can hear them at “Voices of the North Fork,” Southold Historical Society’s latest exhibit at the Ann Currie-Bell House on Main Road. The audio-slideshow features oral histories paired with rare photos gathered by the society.

The Southold Historical Society’s exhibit is open Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays from 1 to 4 p.m. through Columbus Day. Admission is $5 for adults; children enter free. Call 631-765-5500 or visit southoldhistoricalsociety.org.

In Orient, Oysterponds Historical Society also has an oral history exhibit currently at the Old Point Schoolhouse on Village Lane. The exhibit, called “Oysterponds’ Changing Face: 20th and 21st Century Stories,” features video of Orient and East Marion residents talking about how the area has changed over the past century.

The Oysterponds Historical Society’s exhibit is open Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 2 to 5 p.m. until Sept. 30. Call 631-323-2480 or visit oysterpondshistoricalsociety.org.

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