In the early 1600s, when the first European settlers arrived on Long Island, they found loose tribal factions of the Algonquian Indians, ruled by the Montauk Sacham, considered the leader of the entire Island. Although there is little written history about these early inhabitants, it is believed that Long Island natives roamed the territory, rather than settling in specific areas. They were hunters and gatherers who lived on wild game, such as birds, fish and deer and gathered wild berries, herbs and roots. They are also believed to have grown crops of corn, squash and beans.

Montauk Indians were quite friendly with the area’s first settlers, even teaching them how to hunt whale, which became the area’s largest industry well into the 1800s. But disease ravaged the Montauk Indians and the tribe eventually faded.

In 1665, Wyandanch, the grand sachem of the Montauk tribe, gave early South Fork settlers the right to pasture their livestock on Montauk and, in 1686, the Montauk Indians sold Montauk to a group of East Hampton settlers, known as the proprietors, who owned the land in joint trust for nearly 200 years. Thus began Montauk’s history as a summer pasture for cattle and livestock Annual cattle drives, bringing more than 1500 cattle from all over Long Island, became a major local event for area townspeople.

Montauk Lighthouse, perhaps one of the most popular lighthouses on the East Coast, was commissioned by President George Washington and built in 1797. It was a Coast Guard station for many years and its signal light and foghorn warned ships to stay clear of the treacherous rocky shoals that extend outward from Montauk Point. With the exception of the Montauk Lighthouse, there were only three structures in Montauk until the late 19^th Century.

There are many legends and conspiracy theories that have shrouded Montauk for years. Legend has it that Captain Kidd left two treasure chests of pirate booty in Montauk’s Money Pond, although no loot has ever been found. However, plenty of liquor has been found on Montauk’s shore, as the area was a “drop off” point for rumrunners during the country’s 13-year prohibition. Montauk’s Camp Hero, a former Air Force base turned state park, is said to be the site of government time travel experiments in the 1970s.

Like much of the East End of Long Island, Montauk has a substantial tourist industry which began in the early 1900s when a number of influential individuals bought a portion of land at the point and built a number of houses in anticipation of a summer playground for Manhattan’s elite. But the dream of automotive and real estate pioneer Carl Fisher, to make Montauk the “Miami Beach of the North” was shattered after the stock market crash of 1929.

Montauk continued to grow, however, becoming a popular summer tourist destination with quaint shops, fine restaurants and many popular parks and beaches. In fact, most of Montauk is preserved, amounting to more than 5,000 acres of undisturbed land, making it the ultimate seaside resort destination. Even Walt Whitman recognized Montauk’s unique beauty writing that he had "sail'd more than once around Shelter island, and down to Montauk - and spent many an hour on Turtle hill by the old lighthouse, on the extreme point, looking out over the ceaseless roar of the Atlantic."

Montauk is a peninsula jutting out towards the continental shelf and its pristine white sands and rolling surf are its biggest attractions, with countless miles of beaches that are all open to the public. Surfing, whale and seal watching, hiking and camping are all popular Montauk activities.

Different than the Hamptons in so many ways, Montauk is well situated far enough from its neighbors that it is unpretentious and peaceful. Sometimes compared to Ireland, Montauk is home to a vibrant Irish community. Montauk’s temperatures are usually 10 or more degrees cooler than New York City in the summer, and at least 10 degrees warmer in the winter. Montauk's shores are high and breezy and the wind always seems to blow with a slight taste of salt.