On January 23, 1865, a few months before the end of the Civil War, the first passenger train pulled out of a brand new station in Cedar Swamp. Called the “Glen Head” station, it was the last stop of the new railroad line. “Glen Head” would soon replace “Cedar Swamp” as the preferred name for the surrounding community.
It wasn’t supposed to be the end of the line. Residents of Glen Cove, Locust Valley, and other points north of Glen Head had long petitioned for a train line to connect their rural communities to Manhattan and beyond; something faster than horseback and more reliable than the steamships that docked along the banks of Hempstead Harbor. Community leaders had negotiated with both the Flushing Railroad and the Long Island Railroad, both privately-owned companies at the time. Many of those leaders preferred the Flushing offer, which, like the Port Washington line, connects directly to New York City. Present-day commuters – bemoaning their long commute and transfer at Jamaica – likely would agree. Politics and finance intervened and, instead, the contract went to the Mineola-based Long Island Railroad Co.
The Civil War would soon come to an end. Political differences would subside while money and other issues would be resolved. The Glen Head line would be extended to reach Glen Cove, Locust Valley and finally to Oyster Bay by the end of 1889.