Bohemia, Decade by Decade
The 1960s: Growing Pains & A New Identity
A village in transition
By the time the 1960s arrived, the farm animals were mostly gone, replaced by station wagons and bicycles in freshly paved driveways. This was the decade where Bohemia had to quickly catch up with its own rapid growth. The population had tripled since the end of WWII, and the rustic, patchwork infrastructure of the “old village” could no longer hold the weight of the new suburbia.
1960
The Birth of “Connetquot”
For over a century, Bohemia’s children had been educated in small, local schoolhouses. But the post-war Baby Boom broke the system.
The Historic Vote (1960): In a highly contentious but ultimately necessary move, the residents of Oakdale, Bohemia, and Ronkonkoma voted to consolidate their separate, strained school districts. This union officially created the Connetquot Central School District No. 7.
A New Landmark (1963): To handle the massive influx of students from the new subdivisions, the district constructed the sprawling Connetquot High School on Seventh Street. When it officially opened its doors in 1963, the sheer scale of the building was a symbol that the community had truly “arrived” in the modern era.
The End of an Era: With modern educational facilities now available, the beloved two-room schoolhouse on Church Street (District No. 8) — which had served the community since 1903 — closed its doors as a place of daily instruction, sitting silent during school hours for the first time in 60 years.
1960
MacArthur Goes Commercial
The 1960s saw the airport transform from a military testing facility into a public travel hub.
Allegheny Airlines (1960): The first regularly scheduled commercial passenger flights began operating out of Long Island MacArthur Airport in 1960, flown by Allegheny Airlines (a corporate predecessor to US Airways and American Airlines).
The Jet Age: As the decade progressed, the runways were heavily extended and reinforced to handle larger, faster aircraft. While this modernization permanently connected Bohemia to the rest of the world, it also brought the unmistakable roar of the “Jet Age” to local backyards, changing the quiet, rural character of the north side of town forever.
1955–1975
The Vietnam War
Just as the village was hitting its stride in modernization, it was touched by national tragedy. The Vietnam War claimed the lives of young men from the area, serving as a somber echo of the profound sacrifices made by Bohemia families in WWI and WWII.
Local Sacrifice: The community deeply mourned the loss of residents like U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Richard J. Leahy (killed in action in 1967) and other brave young men from the Connetquot area. Unlike the triumphant ticker-tape parades of 1947, this era was marked by a quieter, more painful, and deeply personal reflection on the heavy cost of war.
1969
The End of the Pearl Era
While the new schools represented the future, the 1960s also marked the final death knell of Bohemia’s most famous tradition.
Plastic vs. Pearl: For years, the B. Schwanda and Sons button factory on Walnut Avenue had valiantly fought to maintain the craftsmanship and quality of genuine ocean-pearl buttons. However, the post-war market was quickly flooded with cheap, mass-produced plastic alternatives that the factory simply could not outprice.
Closing the Doors: Unable to compete with modern synthetics, the factory officially filed for bankruptcy in 1969. This marked the definitive end of the historic button-making industry that had employed generations of Czech immigrants, turning the famous white “shell piles” on Karshick Street into mere memories.
Late 1960s
Suburbia Takes Root
Large family farm plots on historic avenues like Sycamore, Walnut, and Ocean were rapidly subdivided into tract housing to meet the soaring suburban demand. Yet, even as new construction reshaped the map, a few historic anchors — such as the original home of Anton and Emma Thuma on Ocean Avenue — remained steadfast, serving as quiet reminders of the village’s agrarian roots amidst the modern sprawl.
With the major widening of Sunrise Highway and the completion of Veterans Memorial Highway, Bohemia became fully integrated into the Long Island car culture. Local diners and gas stations became the new social hubs for teenagers showing off their Mustangs and GTOs, replacing the traditional Sokol Hall dances of their parents’ generation.