On 6/13/05 (9:09:21 AM MDT), Sharon A. Pullen ([log in to unmask]) asked, "I have received an email from a Venezuelan gentleman regarding the origin of the place name, Moriches. Evidently the word refers to a palm tree that grows there and he thinks the word is of South American origin. Does anyone know about this?" If you haven't already done so, then you might want to check with the Moriches Bay Historical Society, the Town Historian of the Town of Brookhaven, Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library and/or the Center Moriches Free Public Library: Moriches Bay Historical Society PO Box 31 Center Moriches, NY 11934 Tel: 631/878-1776 Town Historian Town of Brookhaven Brookhaven Town Hall 205 South Ocean Avenue Patchogue, NY 11772 Tel: 631/654-7897 Fax: 631/???-???? eMail: ????? http://www.brookhaven.org/departments/parks.asp?dept_id=5&page_id=5 Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library 407 William Floyd Parkway Shirley, NY 11967 Tel: 631/399-1511 Fax: 631/281-4442 eMail: ????? http://www.communitylibrary.org/ Center Moriches Free Public Library 235 Main Street Center Moriches, NY 11934 Tel: 631/878-0940 Fax: 631/???-???? eMail: ????? http://www.suffolk.lib.ny.us/libraries/cmor/ For those who may not know, there are three separate "Moriches", from west to east: Moriches, Center Moriches and East Moriches, and all three are hamlets (unincorporated areas) in the southwest part of the Town of Brookhaven, in the southeast part of Suffolk County (they're located immediately to the west of the South Fork "Hamptons" area). I hope this information is useful or, at least, interesting. Regards, Walter Greenspan