[citation needed] Southampton, settled in 1640 and incorporated as a village in 1894, historically began with a small group of English settlers who set sail from Lynn, Massachusetts, and landed on June 12, 1640, at what is now known as Conscience Point.

[citation needed] The Shinnecock tribe welcomed the arrival of the white settlers in 1640 and not only gave them land to live on, "Olde Towne", but also shared with the settlers their knowledge of planting corn and fertilizing it with fish, growing crops, digging clams and scallops from nearby bays and trapping game.

[citation needed] During the 18th and 19th centuries, fishing, farming (especially potatoes and the local sweet corn) and duck raising were the predominant industries.

[citation needed] The early settlers, with the help of a resident Shinnecock Indian guide, were led over an old woodland trail that is now North Sea Road to an ideal spot for their first settlement.

[citation needed] Theodore Gaillard Thomas, a New York City physician is regarded at the founder of the resort community, also termed the Summer Colony, of Southampton.

He convinced a number of his wealthy clients about the beauty and potential restorative nature of the rural environment of Southampton.

[7] Over time, several of the other villages and hamlets in what has become called the Hamptons increasingly became a haven for affluent summer season vacationers.

Southampton Village, which hosted the earliest summer community of socially prominent residents and was arguably the center for upper class Americans, grew larger and faster than the others.

Southampton has served as home to members of the Ford, Du Pont, Morgan, Atterbury, Woolworth and Eisenhower families.

[9] The community of summer residents occupy the top echelon of American social, political and financial circles.

The Estate Section, which contains the majority of the homes for the very affluent residents, lies directly north of the Atlantic oceanfront and extends to Hill Street.

The homes around Lake Agawam, referred to by Thomas as "the very center of our Summer Colony", are particularly noteworthy for their architectural pedigree and historical provenance.

These neighborhoods extend from Hill Street northwards to Route 27, east to the hamlet of Water Mill, and west to the area of Tuckahoe in Southampton Town.

[18][19] Many wealthy and influential people have homes in the "estate section" of the village, the area immediately north of the Atlantic Ocean front.

Southampton has historically been home to prominent residents including members of the Ford, Du Pont, Eisenhower, Vanderbilt and Morgan families.