Estelle Parr Schulz has lived most of her life in the Mastic and Mastic Beach area. Her grandfather and father opened the first garage in Mastic in the early 1920's. She was in the first class of the little Moriches school that was built back then. I'm happy to say she is still with us and just celebrated her 76th birthday Sept 21 2001. (same day as my Mom's was ) When we were kids, she was like a second Mom Her son's Larry and Dennis were always at our house or vice versa. She once even took me to the hospital when I got hurt. Here are some of her own words about growing up in the area during the 1930's.

"My father and his brother were running the garage then. Actually there were two garages. One in Mastic and one in Mastic Beach. They also would service all the cars and equipment on all the estates in the area. Lots of times I would go with him. Miss Eugenie at The Manor Of St. George would always have her maid take me in the kitchen for milk and cookies. I remember the Tolfrees had huge dogs (Rotweilers) The Tolfree estate as you know was sold to the Cutro Family and they turned it into the Island Manor hotel and bar in the late '40's. (It's still there near Smith Point) My father also serviced the cars at the Dana estate and he worked on the Knapp's boat. I remember sitting on it while he worked on the engine, it was a big cabin boat that they kept at their dock at the end of Jefferson Drive. He would also take all of us down there for a swim, but first he would always stop at Willie and Honey Schluder's house on Monroe and Neighborhood to ask permission. Willie was the caretaker for the Knapp Estate. Willie would say, ' Sure go right on through....it's ok...' But my father would always stop and ask first. I heard that when the Knapps sold out they gave Willie and Honey the deed to their property. And Paul Schulte got the Knapps secratary's house, they moved that up to town and placed it behind the tavern. ( Paul Schulte got several buildings from J.F. Knapp estate ) The other thing I remember is my father would go drinking sometimes with Dodi Knapp!" DODI ? I asked who was Dodi? "I'm not sure, but they would go out drinking together and my father seemed happy about it." Well now a new name to contend with WHO WAS DODI KNAPP?

This First Parr Garage was turned into Hawkin's Liqour Store when The Parr's moved their shop west a block to Washington Ave and Montauk Hwy. Though added onto, it still stands on Montauk Hwy in Mastic. In this ad it was called Mastic Park Liquors This photo was taken in the late 1930s.