The Bronx Historian
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THE BRONX HISTORIAN THE BRONX COUNTY Newsletter of The Bronx County Historical Society HISTORICAL SOCIETY October 2018 – January 2019 Volume 42 Number 1 3309 BAINBRIDGE AVENUE THE BRONX, NEW YORK 10467 PHONE: (718) 881- 8900 The Return of Bronx Ferry Service FAX: (718) 881- 4827 www.bronxhistoricalsociety.org On the morning of August 15, 2018 curious Bronx commuters used the newly Visit us on Facebook, Youtube, and established ferry line operated by NYC Ferry. The ferry line runs from the Clason Twitter. Point community in Soundview to Pier 11 at Wall Street, with two stops in between: th th The Bronx County Historical Society, East 90 and East 34 streets. The ride from The Bronx to lower Manhattan takes a little over 45 minutes. The ferries are equipped with restrooms, a concession stand founded in 1955, is a private, non - profit educational and cultural and bar, free WiFi service, and enough space for bicycles to be stored for the ride. institution chartered by the New The commute is actually a breath of fresh air for the usual subway rider, as travel York State Board of Regents. The south on the East River offers breathtaking views of Manhattan's skyline, Society is dedicated to the collection, overwhelming bridge passes, and the busy waterfronts of the city. The Bronx ferry preservation, documentation and service to Manhattan seems to be a pleasant substitute for subway and bus interpretation of the history and transportation. For today's Bronx commuters, ferry service is an unconventional heritage of The Bronx and its people commute. Yet, ferry service from The Bronx dates back hundreds of years. from its earliest historical references in the 17th century to the present. Ferries carried colonists from the village of Westchester to Whitestone, now part The Society disseminates information of Queens. Operated from properties by utilizing its collections in owned by notable families in Bronx exhibitions, historical research, antiquity such as the Ferris, Hunt, di production of publications and The Bronx County Historical Society Zerega, and Lorillard, this section of the documentaries, educational and Collections. borough is now appropriately called cultural programming, the operation Ferry Point Park and also serves as the of our research library, The Bronx Bronx anchor for the Bronx-Whitestone County Archives and two historic Bridge. As outdoor excursions became landmark house museums - the th more commonplace during the 19 c.1812 Edgar Allan Poe Cottage and Today's NYC Ferry from Clason Point to Manhattan offers the c.1758 fieldstone farmhouse a scenic ride with on-board amenities. century, New Yorkers from all over the city traveled to and fro by ferry to Valentine -Varian House/Museum of The Bronx County Historical Society Collections. Bronx History. amusement venues along the Harlem River such as Kyle's Park near High This newsletter is published three Bridge. When Yankee team owner Col. times a year as a service to members Jacob Ruppert purchased land on South and friends. The Bronx County HistoricalBrother Society Island Collections. in the 1890s, he The Bronx County Historical Society DDDDadvertise d 25-cent ferry service from th is partially supported through funds East 138 Street in Mott Haven to see and services provided by the NYC the New York Cuban Giants play on the Departments of Cultural Affairs and island. During the same time, beer- Parks and Recreation, the Historic brewing magnate George Ehret ran a House Trust of New York City, The ferry service from his Hell Gate Bronx City Council Delegation, the Brewery Company on East 92nd Street Office of the President of the Borough Municipal ferry service between The Bronx and Queens was in Manhattan to transport goods and of The Bronx, The Bronx Delegations widely used until the late 1940s. This is the Harlem in 1921, passengers to The Bronx. One of the of the NYS Assembly and the NYS carrying passengers between Clason and College Points. th stops was East 134 Street in Port Senate, the H.W. Wilson Foundation, The Bronx County Historical Society Collections. Morris, where two defunct landmark the Astor Fund, the Lucius N. Littauer ferry gantries stand today. Foundation, The New York Times Foundation, the Verizon Foundation, By the early 1950s, ferry service was no longer an option for Bronxites. Yet, as the the New York State Library, the New gripes of subway service continue to mount and local bus travel still struggles Yankee Stadium Community Benefits through thick city traffic, today's ferry service from Clason Point to Manhattan may Fund, Susan Tane, and the New York The Bronx County Historical Society beCollections. just what's needed to ease rush-hour Bronx commute. Once again Bronxites have a Public Library. another option to travel. The Bronx Historian Page 2 of 4 October 2018 – January 2019 Volume 42 Number 1 PURE GOLD COLLECTIONS DONATIONS Schools, businesses, institutions, The Society’s research library, object, and archival collections are a great resource. We thank and associations in The Bronx are noted those who recently made the following donations (partial list): Gen-Tile, Ceramic James Brown: 2 Journals: First 25 Years of Evander Childs High School (1913-1938) and The Beacon, and Porcelain Tile Public School 72, Bronx, Volume II, No. I, January 1935. 1047 E. Gun Hill Road Est. 1988 James Cashel: Miscellaneous objects, photographs of family houses and journals on Westchester Methodist Episcopal Church. Hillside Auto Salvage 4157 Boston Road Ann Creaney: 16 The Bronx County Historical Society Journals (1988-1995). Est. 1968 Mary Ann Fitzgerald, Saratoga Springs Historian: 1880s sketch of the Brennan Farm, home in 1844- LaSorsa Chevrolet 1845 of Edgar Allan Poe. Buick Car Dealer Joseph Camilletti: Photographs and slides documenting Rogers Department Store; construction of the 3545 Webster Avenue Southern Boulevard-Fordham Road underpass and the Third Avenue Elevated and surrounding areas at Est. 1993 Fordham Road and Third Avenue, 1920s-1964. WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Melanie Edwards: 3 books - The Hall of Fame, by Henry Mitchell MacCracken, Your Hall of Fame, by (partial list) Robert Underwood Johnson and The Story of the Hall of Fame, Including the Lives and Portraits of the Norman D. Avy Elect and of Those Who Barely Missed Election, by Louis Albert Banks. u Perian Carson Paul Engeldrum: 8mm film documenting an Edgewater Park Volunteer Fire Department parade l Ivette Gonzalez (c. 1946), hurricane (c. 1943) and cargo ship grounded off Locust Point (c. late 1940s-early 1950s). Marnie Hall i th Roxann Jackson eKevin Garrison: 2 photographs - Thomson & Carlson, Carpenters, 19 century. Sarah Jones t aJoshua Hamerman: Ticket stub from a performance of A Bronx Tale, Longacre Theatre, Sarah Lowengard December 20, 2017. Julio Rivera Berta Urena -Sims VMelanie Hulse: Bronx County Golden Jubilee flag and a dedication program for P.S. 111-The Seton Robert Whittington eFalls School, both from 1964. l FINANCIAL DONATIONS SOCIETY PUBLICATIONS: a Cash donations help The Society fund programming, publications, equipment purchases, and Autographed copy, add $10 z build endowments. To double your donation, check with your employer for any available qmatching gift programs. We are grateful for the following contributions (partial list): u $10 - $99 $100 - $999 $1,000 - $4,999 e Allan Gilbert Chatam Management z Denis J. Boyle EarthShare NYC Gives Antonio Vournou Genesis Realty Eric Ponce Best Energy Power Langsam Property Services N Howard A. Nenner Cedric Fergus Manhattan Parking Group i Nestor & Sheila Danyluk George M. Kondos Orange Bank and Trust n Robert Burke Hybrid Capital Inc. S&T Auto Body a Salvatore Arena Joel H. Rabine Townhouse Management John Nickelsberg Webster Lock & Hardware W Manhattan College Wildlife Conservation Society $5,000 and Up Manny Kumar $ 15.00 o h BronxCare Health System TIAA Charitable Inc. Lloyd Ultan l Tryax Realty Management Blacks in the SUBMISSIONS FOR THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY ANNUAL JOURNAL Colonial Bronx: Since 1964, the BCHS Journal has been one of the premier history journals in the tri-state region. A Documentary History a The Journal’s articles, written with clarity and scholarly substance, are of interest to all who enjoy $18.00 r accounts of people, business events, mercantile gain, defending the nation’s interest, or the love of oThe Bronx. As an ongoing tradition for Bronxites to share their personal experiences, The Society l is accepting articles for its Journal. Do you have a Bronx story to share? Kindly send in your e article in Microsoft Word format along with 1-2 images at 300dpi as email attachments to [email protected]. Make sure you include your contact information. The Bronx: W Then & Now i $21.99 s BEQUESTS e You can support The Society's work by means of a bequest. The following paragraph is suggested mfor your convenience, for insertion in your will: “I give and devise and bequeath, to The Bronx a County Historical Society, located at 3309 Bainbridge Avenue, The Bronx, New York 10467, n incorporated with the New York State Board of Regents, [insert the amount of money or describe the personal property or real estate] to be used for the general purposes of The Society.” The Bronx Historian Page 3 of 4 October 2018 – January 2019 Volume 42 Number 1 New Publication! Digging The Bronx: Recent Archaeology in the Borough explores the archaeology of New York City’s borough of The Bronx by describing several recent projects that exemplify the range of current practice. Readers will find a short history of archaeological research in The Bronx and illustrates some of the ways archaeology has been conducted: field schools, public archaeology, cultural resource management, technical examination of Edgar Allan Poe recovered finds, and ethnohistory. This book also contains information about Cottage discoveries that have been made during the last decades, and the scope of their subject matter is wide-ranging, covering periods from the first colonial Poe Park contact with Native Americans in the 1600s to the early 20th century.