Stump Grinding in Elwood

The first settlers came to Elwood, NY in the mid to late 1800’s. Not much written history can be found from this time period, but there was a book published in 1874 about Suffolk County, New York. In that book, it states that “Elwood was described as a one-and-a-half-mile area southeast of a section called Cuba.”

There were large farmlands owned by a few farmers. Many people who were farmers came to Elwood to work, grow, and produce food, because of the level land and Long Island’s rich soil. Elwood may have gotten its name from an early settler named Elkanah Wood; however, this is only a theory. As the Elwood community started to grow, there were few students in the schools due to families deciding that farm life and chores came before education. The need for education became more apparent with families wanting their children to go to school. In 1894 a law in New York state was passed so that every child from 8-16 was required to attend school.