Dr. Millie DeRiggi Speaks at North Shore Historical Museum

Dr. Millie DeRiggi, PhD, a fifty-year resident and former First Lady of Glen Cove, spent the evening of January 30 with a roomful of residents talking about one of Glen Cove’s early settlers.

Colonel Richard Morris resided in what is now called “The Dosoris Woods” area. This is the location where Dr. DeRiggi lived when she first came to Glen Cove. Her curiosity about her new home led her to research the history of the Morris family. It was through his involvement in the mills of Glen Cove as well as purchasing large parcels of land that made Mr. Morris one of Glen Cove’s key founders.

“It was a great honor to hear my mother recall how much she loved living in the Dosoris Woods area,” Mrs. DeRiggi’s daughter and Nassau County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton said. “I have great respect for the effort and time she put into researching the history of the area I grew up in. It’s a great way to continue the Glen Cove 350th year celebration.”

Mrs. DeRiggi’s project began as what she considered to be a simple one: to find the first settler of the land in Dosoris Woods where her family had their first home in Glen Cove. She found the name Colonel Lewis Morris and also learned that his property, later called Dosoris, was named Matinnecock. It was not part of Musketa Cove, and only later became part of Glen Cove.

Although unknown in Glen Cove today, Colonel Morris was a powerful figure in his day. He began as a privateer, became a merchant and built a commercial empire. In addition to the 1,500 acres he acquired in Matinnecock in 1665, he owned a 400-acre sugar plantation In Barbados, with about 200 slaves. His 19,000-acre estate along the Harlem River is known today as the Morrisania section of the Bronx.

In 1675 Colonel Morris bought land in East New Jersey, where he developed a plantation, a gristmill and the Tinton Iron Works, which became the largest of its kind at that time in the United States. Its workers included 25 indentured servants and 60 slaves.

Colonel Lewis Morris was also a leading Quaker, although he did not seem to have much in common with other leading members of the Society of Friends DeRiggi had come to know about through her research. Although he is an enigma, Colonel Morris remains an interesting part of the history of Glen Cove.

“Dr. DeRiggi’s presentation on Col. Lewis Morris and the history of Glen Cove was the perfect complement to our exhibit: “The Story of Glen Cove in 35 Objects,” Museum Director Amy Driscoll said. “ As we celebrate the 350th anniversary of Glen Cove as a community, we look to historians such as Dr. DeRiggi to educate us on our past and help us become good stewards of our community history for future generations.”

Located at 140 Glen Street in Glen Cove, the North Shore Historical Museum presents exhibits, lectures and other programs on the history of the North Shore, particularly the area once know as the “Gold Coast.” For more information about the Museum, call 516-801-1191 or visit northshorehistoricalmuseum.org.

(In photo) Dr. Mille DeRiggi during a presentation at the North Shore Historical Museum.