prominent early settler, named in the first formal deed of conveyance of East Hampton. This was known as the East-Hampton or Dongan Patent. The 1686 instrument granting the Town of East Hampton to its new proprietors was signed by Thomas Dongan, then Governor of New York. The patent named Capt. Hobart one of "Trustees of the freeholders and commonalty of the town of East-Hampton". Sons of Rev. Peter Hobart, founding minister of Old Ship Church in Hingham, Massachusetts, Josiah Hobart and his brother Joshua both migrated to Long Island with their families. Josiah Hobart settled in East Hampton, where he served as High Sheriff of Suffolk County. His brother Joshua, a minister, went to Southold, where he served the town for 45 years. East Hampton was the third Connecticut settlement on the East end of Long Island. East Hampton formally united with Connecticut in 1657. Long Island was formally declared to be part of New York (and also subject to English law) by Charles II of England after four British frigates captured what is today New York City, releasing East Hampton from its Connecticut governance. East Hampton was first called Maidstone, after Maidstone, Kent, England. The name was later changed to "Easthampton", reflecting the geographic names of its neighbors, Southampton and Westhampton. In 1885 the name was split into two words, after the local newspaper the East Hampton Star began using the two-word name. "Maidstone" is frequently used in place names throughout the town, including the Maidstone Golf Club. Deep Hollow Ranch, established in 1658 in Montauk, is the oldest continuously operating cattle ranch in the United States. Gallery Whaling While East Hampton was developed originally for agriculture, the settlers soon discovered that whales frequently beached along the South shore of the town. The whales could be carved up for food and oil. Town laws were written to regulate the proper handling of such carcasses. As the demand for whale products grew, residents became more aggressive in their harvesting techniques. No longer content to settle for harvesting beached whales, they began harvesting live whales that were coming near shore. Northwest Harbor, located at Northwest Landing on Gardiner's Bay, was the town's first harbor. The harbor turned out to be too shallow for large ships, so a larger port was developed two miles (3 km) West, at Sag Harbor. Some accounts say that it was named because of its relation to