Robert A. Van WyckFirst Mayor of
Greater New York City
1898 to 1901
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Mayor Van Wyck spent at least two summer seasons visiting the Village of Freeport. The Mayor was a frequent guest at Woodcleft Inn. In August 1899, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported that Van Wyck attended a Methodist Church fair in Freeport (a program from that event is located in the archives of the Freeport Memorial Library). On August 3, 1898, Van Wyck saved three girls from drowning in the Woodcleft Channel.
Sources:_
"Mayor Van Wyck a Hero" New York Times. 4 August 1898: 12
"Mayor Van Wyck's Rescue" New York Times. 5 August 1898: 6
