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History · Medford

Medford’s post office opened in 1969

Most of Medford was built recently: 5% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1975. Below: 4 old photos and papers and maps from 1904 on.

1969first post office
0on the National Register
5%homes built before 1940
4old photos & papers
4famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Medford’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Medford began

When was Medford founded?

1969

The Medford post office opened in 1969, the earliest record of the town by name.

2020 census: 24,24757 years
Founding year: the first Medford post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓

What stands out about Medford’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 4 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 19045 editions of the USGS map, 1904 to 1967. Watch Medford change.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Medford’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Medford’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
3 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewLong Island Rail Road Demonstration Far…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Medford on the map, 1904 to 1967

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Medford. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Medford on the 1904 USGS mapMedford on the 1926 USGS mapMedford on the 1947 USGS mapMedford on the 1956 USGS mapMedford on the 1967 USGS map1904Moriches sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Medford.

The story

How Medford came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Medford.

Read it all →

The Long Island Rail Road established the Medford station in 1843 in a flat wilderness in the Long Island Central Pine Barrens. The station connected to the Patchogue Stage Road between Patchogue and Port Jefferson, and a post office was established.

In 1907 the LIRR established the Medford Prosperity Farm (officially called Experimental Station #2) on 80 acres (320,000 m2) to show that crops could be raised in the Pine Barrens. Theodore Roosevelt visited the station in August 1910. As the car drove across a trail between Medford and Wading River, it got stuck in the mud and Roosevelt was said to take a "flying leap" to get out.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Medford, 1873 to 1991

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1873In the archivePart of Brookhaven, Sufffolk Co. L.I
  3. 20th century
  4. 1902In the archiveSuffolk County, V. 2, Double Page Plate No. 5 (Map bounded by Coram, Coram Hill, West Yap…
  5. 1904On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  6. 1916In the archiveLong Island Rail Road Demonstration Farm at Medford - alfalfa field (Bulletin, 1916)
  7. 1966Born hereTricia Cast is born here
  8. 1978Born hereAnthony Famiglietti is born here
  9. 1987In the archiveOld Medford Avenue RR Bridge
  10. 1991Born hereMarcus Stroman is born here
  11. 1991Born hereJimmy Mulligan is born here
By decade

Medford, decade by decade

4 decades in the archive, from the 1870s to the 1980s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1870s–1910s3 items
Part of Brookhaven, Sufffolk Co. L.I1873Part of Brookhaven, Sufffolk Co. L.IMapSuffolk County, V. 2, Double Page Plate No. 5 (Map bounded by Coram, Coram Hill, West Yaphank, Plain Field, Medford, Ho…1902Suffolk County, V. 2, Double Page Plate No. 5 (Map bo…MapLong Island Rail Road Demonstration Farm at Medford - alfalfa field (Bulletin, 1916)1916Long Island Rail Road Demonstration Farm at Medford -…
1920s–1970snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
1980s1 item
Old Medford Avenue RR Bridge1987Old Medford Avenue RR Bridge
1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today2 recent
Long Island suburb Brookhaven from the air2007Long Island suburb Brookhaven from the airSuffolk County Route 16 - New York2000Suffolk County Route 16 - New York
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Long Island Rail Road Demonstration Farm at Medford - alfalfa field (Bulletin, 1916)
Retake this viewLong Island Rail Road Demonstration Farm at Medford - alfalfa field (Bulletin, 1916), 1916

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Medford’s page.

Retake this view · +15
Famous people

4 famous people were born in Medford

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Marcus StromanAmerican baseball player and children's book au… · b. 1991
Tricia CastAmerican actress · b. 1966
A
Anthony FamigliettiAmerican athletics competitor · b. 1978
J
Jimmy MulliganAmerican soccer player · b. 1991
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Yaphank5 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townCoram2 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townHoltsvilleIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townGordon HeightsIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townNorth BellportIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townEast Patchogue3 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townFarmingville1 historic placenot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Medford’s history

What year was Medford founded?

The Medford post office opened in 1969, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (6), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people and U.S. Geological Survey historical maps. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.