Longwood Central School District

When the railroad first came through the main line to Greenport in July 1844, it was a day of great rejoicing for the people of eastern Long Island. The iron horse had finally arrived, and the long trip by stage coach to the city that had taken two or three days was now made in as many hours.

Medford was an important station by the early days, as it was the station for Patchogue on the south and Port Jefferson and the mid-island villages on the north.

The railroad did not come to Patchogue until 1868, which was the terminal until 1881, when it was extended east to connect with the line from Manorville to Sag Harbor at Eastport, which had been built several years before.

Mail and passenger stages met the trains at Medford for Patchogue and Bellport and carried all the passengers and mail for those villages, as well as for Port Jefferson, as the railroad was not extended to that village until 1872.

Now a little over 100 years later, the main line stations at Medford and other villages east of Ronkonkoma are closed and being replaced with small shelters, and only one train operates each way daily. The railroad bus line from Greenport and Riverhead to Huntington has replaced the railroad for passenger travel.