At the time of the American Revolution, The Town of Hempstead ran from sound to sea. Those residing south of Old Country Road favored the King, while those north of Old Country Road favored George Washington. After the Revolutionary War, the State Legislature allowed the area north of the median of Old Country Road to secede and form the Town of North Hempstead. Thus, the northern half of Old Country Road is the southern border of the Town of North Hempstead and the southern half is the northern border of the Town of Hempstead.

The villages and hamlets that form the southern portion of the Town of North Hempstead have a different speed limit on their part of Old Country Road than do the villages and hamlets that form the northern portion of the Town of Hempstead. Hence, traffic going west travels at one speed limit through the Town of North Hempstead, while traffic going east travels at a different speed limit through the Town of Hempstead. (The difference is 5 mph, but I forget which is which.)

Wanting to separate themselves completely from Hempstead's Tories, North Hempstead changed the name of every north-south street that crossed Old Country Road.

CONTRIBUTED BY WALTER GREENSPAN

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