A little over a year ago, Farmingdale State College librarian April Lynne Earle read an old obituary in The Long Islander. It was that of Judson Ruland, the man for whom a road in Melville is named. Upon the revelation that Ruland was a member of the Ku Klux Klan — a fact that appears to have been celebrated at Ruland’s funeral — Earle knew she had to do something about it.
“That faithfulness brings forth a just reward was demonstrated at Farmingdale Sunday afternoon when a large gathering from all over Nassau County and the western section of Suffolk County assembled to pay their last respects to Klansman, Judson Ruland,” the obituary, dated to Jan. 9, 1925, reads.
“I acknowledge that changing the name of the road will not erase the history of racism on Long Island, but the revelation gives us an opportunity to do better, maybe to name it after someone who has done something positive for our present-day community,” Earle told the Press. “Look at that obituary. That is how that man is remembered. And that road is undoubtedly named after him. That organization spews nothing but hate for everyone — African Americans, immigrants, Jews, Catholics, etc.”
Ruland Road runs west to east between Broadhollow and Pinelawn roads and is a Suffolk County road. The Ruland family had previously owned the land.
The situation is not without precedent on Long Island, as the revelation of Ruland Road’s history came shortly after Malverne officials in Nassau County renamed Lindner Place — also named for a Klansman, Paul Lindner — to Acorn Way. The Press reported last year that Lindner spoke at Ruland’s funeral in 1925.
Earle acknowledges that there’s not enough history to suggest that Ruland was as involved in the Klan as Lindner, who held the position of exalted cyclops, but said that the community should still not honor Ruland.
Earle sent a letter to the Town of Huntington requesting that the name be changed — something Councilman Sal Ferro was fully on board with. But due to the community response, Ferro said, the process has come to a halt.
“It’s a county road, so we have to go to the county with a compelling argument that there’s overwhelming community support, and then they go through their own process,” Ferro told the Press. ”We have really gotten little to no community support behind it. But we have gotten opposition.”
Ferro added that he wished they had found the support for the initiative, but it simply was not there.
“As much as I’m in favor of not memorializing this person, the stakeholders who live on the road are the ones who really need to weigh in on this decision,” Ferro added. “And the stakeholders on Ruland Road did.”
Ferro did express an interest to the Press in sending out a letter to the community again to gauge interest in changing the road’s name.
Nassau County Legislator Tom Donnelly did not directly comment on the issue, but his office confirmed that they had heard nothing from the Town of Huntington about community support for renaming the street.
“I had heard from some residents on that street personally that they were happy to hear it would be changed but I guess not everyone felt that way,” Earle said.
Related Story: Melville Road Named for KKK Member Eyed for Renaming
