In the mid 17th century Fire Island was used as a base for
whaling. Whalers would watch for spouting whales from towers,
then launch their boats after them. The island also has a bit of
pirate history as pirates were known to build fires on the
island to attract passing boats on which to prey. The Fire
Island Lighthouse was first built in 1826 at a height of 74 feet
due to the large number of shipwrecks. In 1868, a new lighthouse
was built to a height of 168 feet, 100 feet from the old. The
foundation of the original lighthouse can still be seen today.
For many immigrants the lighthouse was their first sight of land
when arriving to America. In less than a century four miles of
sand accumulated between the lighthouse and the western tip of
the island. The island still grows at its western end and is
constantly reshaped. The state set aside part of Fire Island as
a state park in 1908, making it the first state park on Long
Island. In the 1920s Fire Island began its life as a Bohemian
beach community. By the 19