Name/Title
George Watson Oral HistoryEntry/Object ID
OH.ML.2025.GWScope and Content
George Watson was born in Staten Island in 1944, one of nine children and the oldest boy. He remembers his father leaving a fish caught in Montauk in the bathtub, and his family went on to camp at Hither Hills in an era when kids were mostly unsupervised and had “the run of the town.” After his grandfather and father bought a plot in Montauk’s harbor area, the Watsons developed enduring relationships with local families like the Gosmans and Behans, with George ultimately purchasing a bar, now called “The Dock,” from a member of the latter family after competing for it with a member of the former. After serving in Vietnam he had been on the verge of landing a coveted position with the New York City Fire Department when he decided, instead, to purchase the bar from Bob Fitzgerald, who was married to Joan Behan. In his oral history interview George recounts hard-earned lessons and hard-core antics experienced over his years at the bar and restaurant, which he and his son Chris continue to run more than half a decade later.Oral History Details
Interviewee
George WatsonInterviewer
Virginia GarrisonInterview Date
Nov 25, 2025Interview Place
* Untyped Interview Place
Montauk LibraryLength of Interview
1 hour.Primary Language
EnglishRecording Media
Video RecordingTranscriber
Virginia GarrisonAcquisition
Acquisition Method
GiftAcquired From
George WatsonCopyright
Type of License
In copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/Copyright Holder
Montauk LibraryCopyright Details
Researchers assume all responsibility for copyright questions. Fair use is permitted. For all other uses please contact archives@montauklibrary.org.
