The
Lady of Lake Ronkonkoma |
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Legend This is one of the longer standing legends of Long Island. There are variations but the most common storyline involves an Indian princess. There were two tribes across the river from each other and the princess had set up a secret courtship with one of the warriors on the other side. They were to meet in the center of the lake and elope one night. She rowed out that night but no one came to meet her. Heartbroken she left herself adrift and died on the lake. Every year since then she is said to take the life of one boy on the lake. |
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Stories One woman remembers a slide being built on the lake when she was a young girl. She had climbed up to the top of the slide and when she started getting ready to slide down she felt someone push her hard. She slid all the way down and under water. Being young and an inexperienced swimmer she was struggling. All of a sudden it was like something let her go free and she was able to reach the surface. Upon climbing out she asked the girl who came down the slide after her if she had been the one pushing. The girl said no one had been pushed at all. This woman is under the impression that the lake may have mistaken her for a boy at first but then had realized the error. Facts There is another article also in Newsday - Sep 25, 1988. p. 03.
It mentions that the height of the lake varies but not in any relation
to local rainfall levels. This is unusual for a body of water. The
lake is not bottomless, as legend would have it. It is actually
about 70 feet deep at the deepest section. |
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