Before the Hamptons Boom, Eastport Was the Duck Capital of the World
Today, Eastport is called the “Gateway to the Hamptons,” but for much of its history, it was known as the “Duck Capital of the World.”
The quaint hamlet, which sits on the border of the Towns of Brookhaven and Southampton, was once far more than any gateway; it was the center of the industry that defined Long Island’s agriculture – duck farming. When American merchant Ed McGrath traveled to Beijing – or Pekin, as it was known in English at the time – and brought back with him large, white ducks now known as Pekin ducks, they became a fixture in American cuisine. The geography of eastern Long Island – flat terrain, mild climate, tidal rivers and creeks that emptied into the bays – made it hospitable for raising ducks. Its proximity to New York City was a plus.
