Louis Hammel (1836-1904) was a prominant landowner in the Rockaway area of Queens. Originally from Germany, he emigrated to the United States and lived in Elm Park on Staten Island before moving to Brooklyn. During the summers he ran the Eldert House hotel in the Rockaways. In 1878, he gave land to the New York, Woodhaven & Rockaway Railroad for construction of a station, which was named “Hammels.” The name “Hammels” came to designate the entire community. In 1897 Hammels merged with Hollands and was incorporated as the Village of Rockaway Beach. The following year Rockaway Beach became part of Greater New York when the five boroughs consolidated into a single city.