The hamlet of Hampton Bays was first settled in the 1700s. It was known as "Good Ground" until 1922. The Shinnecock Inlet which allows Shinnecock Bay and Tiana Bay to flow into the Atlantic Ocean was formed in the 1938 hurricane. The bays connect to the Peconic Bay to the north by way of the Shinnecock Canal and its famous locks. Hampton Bays is home of the second largest commercial fishing fleet in New York State.