The Hamptons are named after the port city of Southampton in Hampshire, England. Southampton, England was the port that the Titanic departed out of before sinking in the Atlantic in 1912. Southampton was originally named either Hamwic or Hamtun, which was known to mean the ‘home settlement’ or ‘the settlement on the bend in the river’.
The Hamptons are a string of towns and villages located on the Southeastern side of Long Island, NY. They stretch nearly 55 miles along the coast and have a rich history. In the 1600s, English settlers started farming, fishing and whaling in these areas creating the beginning of the towns we call The Hamptons.
Southampton, NY was founded in 1640 by settlers from Massachusetts. The land was purchased from the Shinnecock Indian Nation which started attracting more and more settlers to the island.
The town of Southampton is made of seven incorporated villages: West Hampton Dunes, Westhampton Beach, Southampton, Sagaponack, Sag Harbor, Quogue, North Haven.
East Hampton was founded in 1648 by fishermen and farmers seeking new opportunities for their families. It was the third town established on the eastern side of Long Island. East Hampton’s famous Main Street, where shops and restaurants line the street, was used as a part of a cattle drive to move livestock up and down the island.
