Bohemia, Decade by Decade
The 1940s: The World Comes to Bohemia
War Years
The 1940s began with Bohemia still heavily resembling the “Old World” village of its past — where the Czech language was still heard in the streets and the remnants of the cigar industry hummed in backyards. But by the end of the decade, the world had arrived at its doorstep. The construction of a massive airfield, the immense sacrifice of World War II, and the looming post-war housing boom would alter the physical and cultural landscape of Bohemia forever.
For nearly a century, Bohemia had been a relatively quiet farming and manufacturing hamlet. In 1942, that changed forever. The federal government, urgently needing airfields for the war effort, contracted the Town of Islip to build a military aviation facility on the brushy plains just north of the village.
1942–1944
MacArthur Airport
Originally designated as “Islip Airport,” the facility was constructed specifically to support the war effort, providing a vital base for the P-47 Thunderbolts being built nearby. In 1944, the airfield was officially renamed MacArthur Airport in honor of General Douglas MacArthur.
The Impact: The deafening roar of military engines quickly replaced the quiet of the fields. Lockheed Aircraft built the very first hangar on the site in 1944, signaling the birth of a local aerospace industry that would soon employ thousands of area residents at major defense contractors like Republic Aviation and Grumman.
1947
The Honor Roll
The village’s patriotism was tested as never before. While 20 men had served in WWI, the scale of World War II required a much greater sacrifice.
118 Names: In 1947, the community proudly gathered at the existing WWI memorial at the intersection of Smithtown Avenue and Church Street to unveil a new bronze plaque. It formally listed the names of the 118 Bohemia residents who had served in the conflict — a staggering percentage of the population for such a small, tight-knit community.
The Home Front: While the men fought overseas, the women of Bohemia kept the village running. Many took vital factory jobs at the booming Long Island defense plants, while others volunteered with the local chapter of the American Red Cross, which operated its wartime efforts directly out of the wooden Church Street schoolhouse.
December 26, 1947
The “Big Snow” of 1947
Just as the village was returning to normal after the war, nature struck a blow. A massive, surprise blizzard dropped 26.4 inches of snow across Long Island in under 24 hours.
The Isolation: With no modern snowplows equipped to handle the volume, Bohemia was completely cut off from the outside world. Main arteries like Smithtown Avenue and Church Street became impassable white canyons. For three days, the village was forced to revert to its pioneer roots — neighbors checked on neighbors on foot, and horse-drawn sleds became the only reliable way to move food, medical supplies, and firewood. It remains the benchmark for all winter storms in local memory.
Late 1940s
The End of an Era
The 1940s marked the final transition from the “Old Country” ways to modern American life.
Language Shift: The intense, unifying patriotism of the war years naturally accelerated the decline of the Czech language among the younger generations. By the end of the decade, English had firmly become the primary language spoken in homes, at the General Store, and in the schoolyard.
The Fire Department: During the war, the Bohemia Fire Department (which had successfully modernized with motorized trucks in the 1930s) served as the official hub for local Civil Defense. The firehouse hosted regular air raid drills and managed mandatory blackout enforcements to prepare the village for a potential enemy attack targeting the nearby defense factories and the new airfield.