old NYC

0 Comments

1. 

   Edi

   9 Feb 2010 Reply

   So, what did he say about that spot during the Civil War era? National Park Rangers are really underestimated. They're typically experts on the area they serve.

2. 

   elliottzetta

   9 Feb 2010 Reply

   Well, Castle Clinton started off with a military purpose in the War of 1812, but then had a roof put on it and it became a garden, an opera house, then an immigration station, and finally an aquarium in the late 1890s! That picture's from the 1850s, so I don't know how it relates to the Civil War, and I've got to keep digging to find out just where the ferry from Brooklyn arrived...

3. 

   MJ

   2 Mar 2010 Reply

   Hi Zetta, I'm catching up on your post via Google Reader so I'm a lurking, excited supporter and reader! I am so happy for your continued success. I will comment more because I so appreciate your updates. I forwarded your HuffPost pieces across the Twitterverse.

   I'll certainly visit ABG and tell them I saw it on your blog! I'll be in NYC March 19-19 for a youth peace conference.

   Cheers,

   Martine

4. 

   elliottzetta

   2 Mar 2010 Reply

   Thanks, Martine! You'll love the ABG. Drop me a line when you're in town...

5. 

   cyrus forman

   25 Mar 2010 Reply

   Hi, this is Ranger Cyrus Forman from the African Burial Ground National Monument. I read your post as part of my regular duties, monitoring any web mentions of our site. With regards to the ferry from Brooklyn, there were many landing points. Prior to the advent of the Brooklyn Bridge, maritime transport dominated the world of interborough commuting and even well past their advent--it wasn't until the twentieth century that pennsylvania railroad passengers and all New Jerseyans were able to use non-riverine methods of reaching manhattan. So, locating the ferry is extremely difficult. A useful resource to use to decide on the specific ferry would be one of the historic guidebooks to new york city, which can be found at the N-YHS or NYPL. I can tell you that the ferry most commonly referred to as "the" ferry would have been the Fulton Ferry, operated by steam pioneer Robert Fulton. Its most famous route ran between fulton street and fulton street on both sides (I wonder why these streets might have these names....). Glad to be of assistance and of course I will gladly serve as a further resource...

6. 

   elliottzetta

   26 Mar 2010 Reply

   Hey, Cyrus! I'm still waiting for your new walking tour to begin...I did look into the ferry, and you're right--multiple landings, including one near Montague St. for the "Beecher ferry" for folks visiting Plymouth Church in BK Heights. Thanks for such a thorough and informative comment!