Great Neck, NY news and local guide

On November 18, 1643, the Hempstead Plains, which included the peninsula, were sold to the Rev. Robert Fordham and John Carman. Settlers called the peninsula Menhaden-Ock, perhaps for its abundant fish, a name that became Madnan's Neck and, by 1670, Great Neck. A local legend says Madnan's Neck was named for Anne, or Nan, Hutchinson, whose temper earned her the nickname "Mad Nan" after she failed to get a deed to land at present Kings Point. The settlers held their first town meeting in 1681. At first the Matinecock and the settlers got along well. The Matinecock shared their knowledge of the land in exchange for new tools, and the settlers used wampum as currency. But competition for resources soon soured relations. Settlers complained that Native people damaged their homes and harmed their cattle, and on November 18, 1659, they passed a law requiring the Matinecock to pay for damage to white settlers' property. Sources Wikipedia: Great Neck, New York