BROWN GINGHAM AND WRECK SHOES

One of the most famous ships to strike the rocks near the Montauk Lighthouse did so during the time my great-grandmother was living there. It was the George Appold, which she described as a "large freight steamer." The reason it was to become legendary in East Hampton was due to the nature of its cargo: bolts of brown gingham and calico, shoes, and 10 barrels of New England rum.

Great-grandmother said wagons came on from Amagansett and all the Hamptons to get their share, many hiding kegs of rum in the swamp only to find them gone when they returned later to retrieve them. The shoes had copper toes, and children hated wearing them because they were immediately recognizable as "wreck shoes," as was the fabric, which became curtains in many homes and dresses on many young girls.

BARBARA BORSACK