Staten Island History: 19th Century transformations
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Overview
During the 19th century, Staten Island was transformed from a rural community of villages and farms into a prosperous suburb of New York City. In 1800, the population of 4, 564 was composed predominently of descendants of the original Dutch, Belgian, French and English settlers, in majority Protestant, 758 African-American slaves(16.6%), emancipated in 1825, and 83 (1.8%) free blacks. By the 1840s, only one-third of the male population was engaged in agriculture or fishing, two important occupations on the decline. By 1870, 33,029 peoples, including many new Irish, German and Italian immigrants, including many Catholics, called Staten Island home. South Beach and other toruist venues attracted weekend crowds as earlier in the century the Island's tranquil forests of red and black cherry trees drew compliments of visitors. By its evolving economy and demography, Staten Island was ever more connected to global changes and the dominent religious and politics loyalties shifted as Catholic churches sprung up and Democratic politicans drew the votes of factoryw workers. This transformation culminated in 1898 when three in four voted for incorporation into New York City.
Industrial and Agricultural Developments
Agriculture remained an important part of the economy on Staten Island, notably farming and cattle raising, but decreased in relative importance with the arrival of factories after 1817. By 1842, according to an official NY State report by Dr. Samuel Akerly, 841 locals worked in Agriculture, 786 in Trades and manufactuing, 653 in Navigation, 340 in Commerce, 90 in the Learned Professions (including engineering) and 35 quarrying stones. Through agriculature, trade and navigation, many Staten Islanders were connected to a regional, national and even international economy. As factories and population increased, banks and Building and Loan Associations emerged to assist with financing and home building.
Farming, Oystering and Ship-Building
Since settlement, farms produced Indian corn, wheat, potatoes, sweet potatoes, oats, rye, barley, buckwheat and hay. The numerous swamps were used to grow willows, which were then woven into baskets. However, as the land became worn out, farmers shifted to growing fruits such as pears and strawberries. By the 1880s, less than half the Island was used for agriculature (44%, approximately 342 farms). Nearly all the wheat that was grown was sent off to the mills). In the Rossville section of Staten Island, crops such as strawberries, cabbage, and asparagus were cultivated. Most of these locally grown products were driven on large wagons into Manhattan and New Jersey. This was the beginning of "truck farming" that was carried on in the sections of Bull's Head and New Springville. In the 19th century horses were used to pull ploughs. This is how the land was cultivated prior to farm mechanization.
Island-based mariners, sea captains, harbor pilots, ferry operators and shipping merchants travelled regularly between Staten Island, the South and other destinations. The industry included hundreds of vessels and millions of dollars [3]. Numerous shipyards for building and repairing were located along the waterfront, particularly in Tottenville, where in 1886 there were 120 wage-earners. Some evidences of these boatyards remain along the Staten Island shore. Other shipbuilders were busy along the North Shore, in the Port Richmond-Mariners Harbor area. Many of the boats used by the oystermen were - catboats, sloops, schooners, and yachts; which were all built on the Island.
Some examples of 19th century oyster ships and the methods used to collect the oysters.
Oystering was especially important to the free black community, who were the primary oyster farmers and were hit the hardest when oystering was no longer profitable. In 1715, a law was created to prohibit taking oysters from the beds between May 1 and September 1. Despite this law, the beds became exhausted and seed oysters became a necessity to continue the business. About 1829, the gathering of oysters at Mariner's Harbor and Tottenville in small skiffs began to develop into an extensive trade using sloops and schooners. Underwater cultivation was labor-intensive and profitable: 200,000 bushels of oysters were produced annually in the late 19th century. On December 8, 1884, Blackford, the Fish Commissioner stated that the water pollution was so bad that that the oyster beds were abandoned[1]. A big offender of the pollution was the Standard Oil Company on Staten Island [2].
Factories
In 1810, the main Staten Island industries included less than a dozen tanneries, textile carding machines and distilleries and fifty-nine looms which produced flaxen goods, woolen fabric and blended cloth. Mills, for sawing timber and grinding grains, had been a part of the community since it began.
Examples of some of the popular colors used during the 19th century in dyeing factories.
It was not until 1819 that the first factory appeared on the island. The New York Dyeing and Printing Establishment focused mostly on the dyeing of cotton and its export. The cotton that was dyed was used to make window shades and the cloth for umbrellas. By 1824, they employed over 100 workers and their working and housing space was named Factoryville. One of the co-founders, Colonel Nathan Barrett, left in 1851 and started the Barrett, Nephews and Co’s Fancy Dyeing Establishment where silk was cleaned and dyed for market[4]. Eventually, all different types of dyeing began to take place, including merinos, delaines, alpacas, and tabby velvet. By mid-century Staten Island also boasted a book cover making company, considered one of the best in the nation (1877), factories which produced candles (founded 1860), rubber cloth (1835) and lindseed oil (1869) as well as Breweries, soda bottling, cabinet-making, carriage manufacturing, brickworks and wallpaper manufacturing firms. Finally, the American Linoleum Company was founded in 1873 and began to sell products in 1875 [5]. The inventor of inlaid linoleum, David N. Melvin became superintendant of the Linoleum Company in 1874. In 1877, this was the only linoleum company in the entire United States.
Banking and Commerce
With industrial expansion and population growth there was a need for banking institutions. Richard D. Littell etablished the first bank on Staten Island in 1830, which only lasted 4 years. The first successful banking institution on the Island was the Staten Island Savings Bank in Stapleton, founded in 1866 with assistance from Francis George Shaw. The First National Bank of Staten Island (later Chemical Bank) was founded in 1886 in New Brighton and moved to Bay and Canal Streets, Stapleton, in 1897. In 1886, the Richmond COunty Savings Bank in New brighton was presided by Monroe Eckstein, owner of Eckstein's bakery.
Labor and Strikes
The workers of these factories usually lived within walking distance of the factory because other forms of transportation were to expensive for most of them. Child Labor was common. Little is known about employee relations. The 1863 Gazette reports a successful carpenters' strike for an increase of wages to 2 dollars per day by 7 of the 9 bosses (Leng, 270).
Politics and the Law
The Judicial System
Starting the 1822, Staten Island government began building many new courthouses and offices for judges and surrogates. This trend began with Richmond County Hall which was built to replace the previous courthouse that had been destroyed during the American Revolution [3][1]. In 1835, the Fourth County Court began being built and was later completed in 1837 [3][2]. Offices for judges and surrogates were built in 1846 [3][3]. Some years later in 1860, a jail was built; before the prison was located in the courthouse and was later turned into a kitchen for the sheriffs[3][4]. The importance of this list of new courthouses, offices, and a prison is evidence of a great amount of growth on Staten Island throughout the nineteenth century. This shows a growth in population and in government. The American Revolution left Staten Island is disarray, and these developments show the islands positive progression through the nineteenth century.
Important Cases
The Polly Bodine Case occurred in 1843 and is one of the most infamous to happen on Staten Island. Polly Bodine was accused of murdering her sister-in-law, Emeline Houseman and her infant niece, Ann Eliza. The prosecutor Lot C. Clark was an energetic lawyer. Bodine was put on trial three times and was finally acquitted [3][5]. This intense trail got much attention and later inspired Edgar Allen Poe. The final judgment is still questioned [3][6].
A mob burned down the Quarantine Hospital in 1858. This hospital was used for ill immigrant coming into the United States. The mob feared that these immigrants would spread contagious diseases throughout the island. The men accused of burning down the hospital were defended in court be William Henry Anthon the Judge Metcalfe presided over the court [3][7]. Ferry superintendent John Tompson, ardent Republican, and Ray Tompkins were among the leaders. Due to this fire, the immigrants no longer filtered through Staten Island, instead the immigrants were sent to Ellis Island.
Political Parties and Factions
For many years after the Revolution, the political attitude of Staten Islanders favored th Federalist paty. Yet a diversity of perspectives began to emerge with new faces. While engaged in rebuilding the fortifications of the Narrows, lawyer and then Governor of New York State Daniel D. Tompkins (b. 1775) discovered Staten Island, where he moved in 1812. Tompkins had been elected to Congress in 1804 as a "Man of the People" and opponent of the triumphant Federalists. An ardent abolitionist and popular politician, he served as the Vice President of the United States under President James Monroe from 1817-1825. On August 15, 1824 he entertained the Marquis de lafayette at the Nautillis Hall on Staten Island. As a leading abolitionist, Tompkins spearheaded the issue of slavery and worked to eventually outlaw it in New York State in 1827 [3][11] He is associated with expanding the franchise to non-property owning men. He was a member of the Dutch Reformed Church and Grand Master of Masons. By the 1830s, Republicans won narrow victories over Whig candidates for Assembly, sheriff and coroner.
Vice President Daniel D. Tompkins
The ending of slavery, celbrated at Swan Hotel, West New Brighton, in 1825, only accentuated the controversy between prominent Abolitionists and their opponents on the Island which exploded in the 1863 draft riots. Among prominent Abolitionists: after 1848, Howard Gay, editor of the Anti-Slavery Standard, and his wife, lived in West Brighton(allegely a stop on the Underground Railroad) where they organized meetings, lectures and an annual anti-slavery fair; writer george W. Curtis, who in 1857 married the daughter of philanthropist Francis Gould Shaw after extensive travel in the Middle East and Europe and lived on Bard Avenue.
Before the civil war, the desperate national struggles between the Whigs and the Democrats were just as divisive on Staten Island. In the early 1850s, the Democratic party split into two factions over the issue of slavery. On Staten Island, the “Hard Shells” opposed slavery, while the “Soft Shells” favored slavery. On one occasion, both factions had scheduled meetings at Richmond County Hall on the same day – the Soft Shells from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., then the Hard Shells immediately after. When the first meeting was still in session past 7 p.m., the Hard Shells interrupted and burst into the hall. Violence broke out with both Hard Shells and Soft Shells mixing in the fight. Some escaped through windows and ran to avoid trouble. One Soft Shell, Dr. Jewison drew a gun and aimed it at a Hard Shell nicknamed “Uncle Ike.” Before the doctor could fire the gun, Uncle Ike ran at him and knocked him over. When he fell, Dr. Jewison’s wig slipped off his head. The hall then broke out in chaos because Uncle Ike thought he had scalped the doctor when he knocked him over. After the misunderstanding was cleared up, the Soft Shells cleared out of the hall and the Hard Shells started their meeting. Following this party conflict, the Hard Shell party candidate Joseph Egbert went on to win the next election on Staten Island [3][8]. The political violence on Staten Island foreshadowed later violence between antislavery and proslavery forces like “Bleeding Kansas” and the caning of Senator Sumner.
Despite the dominance of the Democratic Party on Staten Island, the first Republican National Headquarters was located on the corner of Bay St. and Simonson Ave. Staten Island's own General Frémont was a presidential candidate [3][10]. Republicans were also allegedly at the forefront of the burning of the quarantine.
The coming of factory workers and the "Richmond Republican" (a democratic paper printed in Manhattan, 1827) transformed Richmond into “banner Democratic county” [3][9]. In 1856 town elections, Northfield voted Republican and Know Nothing but Castleton was strongly democratic, showing the division of "old" and "new" Staten Islanders. The 1856 election was a triumph for democrats (1550 votes to Buchanan) over the "Know Nothing" (947 votes to Fillmore) and Republican candidates (736 votes to Fremont). In the proposed amendment on black suffrage in November 1860, 2530 of the 2675 votes went against it. Breckingrodge won over Lincoln in 1860 by 870 votes (4,000 votes cast) (Leng, 278). Irish Civil War Veteran John Vaughn became a leader of the growing democratic party in the 1870s.
Temperance and Women's Suffrage
Staten Islanders also actively engaged in the Temperance Movement and the Women's Suffrage Movement. The temperance was centered in Prohibition Park, Westerleigh Staten Island. Many islanders fought hard for the things the believed in and helped their cause gain legitimacy and win their elections.
The Police and Fire Department
Volunteer Fire Companies Volunteer fire companies on Staten Island date back to the early 1800s. They began as "bucket brigades" or groups of neighborhood men who would respond to fires [1]. The first recorded fire company was the Cataract Engine 2 of Factoryville (present day West Brighton) which was established on August 19, 1844 [[2]]. These early companies, of which there were about 21, were equipped only with hand-pulled wagons. The firefighters would sometimes have to run great distances pulling the engine and ladder truck[[3]]. One of the first large companies, Mendora Hook and Ladder --established in 1864-- is still in use [[4]] As with most volunteer fire companies, rivalries were formed between fire houses, causing some to disband. With the consolidation of New York City in 1898, local fire companies were weakened and eventually phased out. Paid fire companies were introduced to Staten Island in 1905, with the first day of operation set at October 1, 1905 [[5]]
Volunteer Police Department
In 1780, the first police department on Staten Island was formed. It was formed during the British occupation, with Christopher Billop named the first chief.In the early part of the 19th Century Staten Island was policed by an assortment of sheriffs, constables and Justices of the peace.
In 1857 an act was established to create a Metropolitan Police Department, covering parts of Queens COunty, Kings county, New York{Manhattan} and Richmond County. In 1870 Staten Island was made a seperate Police District under the control of three commissioners.{They were appointed by the County Judge and five supervisors.} They were called the Ricmond County Department of Police. On May 20th 1870 fourteen men were assigned to the main station house, seven to the substation on Shore Road in New Brighton,seven to the Port RIchmond substation and two to the newly incorporated village of Tottenville.
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With the consolidation of New York City in 1898 came the end of the Richmond County Police. They became integrated into the New York Police Department and began service officially on October 1, 1905, along with the Fire Department [[6]]
At the beginning and early part of the 19th Century, Staten Island was Policed by a variety of constables sheriffs and Justice of the Peace. 77 years later, an act was passed by the New York State Legislature establishing the Metropolitan Police. This act affected many counties throughout the state, including Richmond. In 1866, the act was revisited and two new acts were passed regarding Staten Island specifically. These two acts -- Charter 84 and Charter 590 -- appointed Staten Island with a captain, two sergeants and 25 patrolmen. These acts also required that the men be paid workers, who would be considered part of the 57th precinct of the Metropolitan Police.[[7]].
Charter of 1898
• January 21, 1898 – Staten Island, along with the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens, joins New York City. Seventy-three percent of Staten Islanders approved the referendum, hoping for better public services. Andrew Haswell Greene, referred to as the “Father of Greater New York,” first proposed the plan. Staten Island business owners and land owners supported the Charter of Greater New York, for they hoped it would increase the value of land on the island. In 1899, in the first election as part of New York City, Staten Island voted largely Democratic- Democrats won every local election in Richmond County [3][12].
Bird's-eye view of Staten Island and surrounding region, ca. 1910.
Transportation and Communication
The first newspaper on Staten Island was the Richmond Republicans (1827) based in Tompkinsville but printed in Manhattan. The first paper printed on Staten Island was the Richmond County Mirror (1837-39). By 1886, the Richmond County Democrat, the North Shore Advocate (John Clute) and the Richmond County Advance were published. In the 1860s there were two German weeklies in Stapleton. In 1860, the magnetic telegraph was installed.
In the 19th century, the three main forms of travel were by Ferry Boats, Railroad and Trolley Car, all which were operated by Steam. The waterways were the very first roads. As New York grew into a major center of population and trade, Staten Island became the gateway to the region. We were astride travel and trade routes, notably from Boston to Philadelphia over land and water as well as to the Southern States, Europe, the Carribean and other destinations. On Staten Island the easiest form of transportation was the water, or on foot via Indian trails. In time those trails would have been expanded into the earliest roads. Ferries in early times were any boat that made a more or less regular crossing of any given waterway and were propelled by wind or oars. In the case of narrower bodies of water a line would be strung from bank to bank and you could hand pull your ferry across the water. Ferry travel in our area began in the 17th century. Today the island is serviced by four bridges, the Outerbridge, opened in 1928, the Goethals bridge that opened in the same year, the Bayonne bridge that opened in 1931 and the Verrazano Narrows bridge is the latest addition and opened in 1964. At the onset of the 19th century travel here had been by boat, foot, horse or horse-drawn transportation, things were about to change.
• STEAM FERRIES-BOATS
The use of steam boats for travel to and from Staten Island began in 1817. Crossing any water can be made hazardous depending on the weather. The original ferries were side-wheel steam ships. Steam travel was also dangerous. In 1871 the steam ferry Westfield exploded at the Whitehall Street slip, and there were 50 deaths and 200 injuries. Ferry travel to Staten Island in its early days was not dependable. Ferries operated at various times between Manhattan and Tompkinsville, Stapleton and Clifton, in 1886 when St. George became the terminus for the Staten Island railroad and the ferry. On November 29, 1817 the steamboat “Nautilus” began a Ferry Service between the East Shore of Staten Island and the foot of Whitehall Street, NY a distance of 6,418 yards, which has since been uninterrupted. In 1817 the cost to cross the harbor was 25 cents and half price for children. This was the cost to ride the Nautilus, the first steam ferry to make the famous trip. The Nautilus was commanded by Captain John De Forest. Starting during the earliest periods of our history a variety of ferries operated between Staten Island and other terminus in Brooklyn, Manhattan and New Jersey.
In 1838, the Mirror produced the following poem, commenting on the Ferry as a place where class was visible: "He who would a sixpence save/Must join the rabble on the Wave." (as cited by Leng and Davis, Vol. 2, 240).
• CARRIAGES, TROLLEY CARS, BICYCLES
Prior to trolleys, travel on Staten Island that could not be accomplished by water would be by foot, on horseback, personal wagon or carriage or stage coach. People generally walked great distances and only the wealthy rode in carriages. Horse drawn trolley’s first appeared in 1832, in 1867 the Staten Island Horse Railroad company carried passengers from Vanderbilt’s Landing to Fort Wadsworth; this service was eventually extended to Tompkinsville, Port Richmond and Holland (Howland) Hook. In 1867 the Staten Island Belt Line Railroad took control and added heated cars; during winter when deep snow covered the tracks horse drawn sleighs would be pressed into service.
The 1st trolley car on Staten Island ran from Port Richmond to Prohibition Park (now Westerleigh along Jewett Avenue.) Its first trip was made on July 4, 1892. The condition of the roads on S.I. one hundred years ago was not favorable to stage travel and may have caused passengers to choose other routes whenever possible. As late as 1890 Staten Island roads were reported to be among the worst in the state. Most were narrow and comprised of dirt and clay, with the exception of Richmond Terrace and Richmond Turnpike, {Victory Boulevard} as well as some privately owned streets. By 1894 Staten Island had 30 miles of paved macadam roads which attracted many bicyclists to the island.) Trolleys on Staten Island followed routes that are in many cases followed today by MTA bus routes. In 1893 the first electric trolleys which used overhead wires were introduced.
• STEAM RAILROAD
A Steam Railroad running from the East Shore to Tottenville was projected in 1836. A charter was granted to the Staten Island Railroad incorporation of Minthorne Tompkins, Harmon B. Cropsey, John Westervelt, John Thompson and Richard Littell. It required that work begin within two years of the grant. It did not, and the first Staten Island Railroad did not become a reality at that time. In a letter written by Mrs. Sophia Banker White she states that the first 2 locomotives were named Edward Banker and (Albert) Journey - Journeay was the road’s president. In satisfying this request Vanderbilt took his first plunge in railroading, the enterprise that was to leave him worth over $100,000,000 at his death in 1877. It was April 23, 1860 before trains were running part of the way, from Vanderbilt’s Landing to Tottenville, a distance of 13 miles. Known as the "country train," it ran five times a day. In 1880 the tracks were extended to Tompkinsville and in 1886 the tracks were extended to its present terminus at St. George after tunneling under what was then the Coast Guard Base. Tracks (Which have since been abandoned.) were extended to Arlington in 1887 and South Beach in 1892. A railroad bridge was completed in 1888 and provided the first rail link with the mainland.
The Burning of the Quarantine
Establishing the Quarantine: When it became evident that incoming diseases were posing a serious threat to the health of America, actions started to be taken. The first law to be enacted was done so by the Colonial Legislature in 1758, which established a policy that vessels carrying smallpox, yellow fever, and other diseases could travel no further inland than Bedlow’s Island (Leng & Davis 1930, 236). This law was later reenacted in 1784 and a physician was appointed to inspect all vessels coming to port. In 1796, laws were passed that appointed a health officer, seven commissioners of health, and granted two thousand pounds to erect a lazaretto, or quarantine, on what is now known as Governor’s Island (Leng & Davis 1930, 236). However, as the number of immigrants and the number of diseases increased, it was evident that a larger scale solution needed to be found. In a more permanent effort to stop the spread of contagious diseases from ships to the mainland, the State of New York decided to take action by creating a lazaretto, or quarantine on Staten Island. In 1799, the State took 30 acres of land in the Northeastern corner of Staten Island, known as Duxbury Glebe, from St. Andrew’s Church (Leng & Davis 1930, 263). This land was to be used for hospitals and other buildings for immigrants to be quarantined in until they were healthy enough to be integrated into society. The goal of the Quarantine was to establish a location for diseases being brought into the country to be contained and eliminated, so that they would not reach the population on the mainland.
The Problem: The operations at the Quarantine were performed in such a way that put the community in danger and compromised the goals of the establishment. A serious lack of discipline at the hands of the guards proved to do serious harm to the community in Tompkinsville, where the Quarantine was located. Failing to perform their duties, the guards allowed people who were the most sickness prone wander freely in and out of the gates. Men who worked on the ships, as well as those tending to the sick inside the walls were allowed to come in and out of the Quarantine as they pleased. According to Dr. Arthur Hollick, in a pamphlet distributed to justify the burning of the establishment publicized in the New York Herald on March 8, 1914, In theory, those inside [the walls] were isolated, especially when there was much sickness, but in practice, the greatest laxity prevailed… A gatekeeper kept watch and ward there night and day, but there was constant going in and out. The ferry to New York was close by and people from Quarantine came onboard the boats and mixed with other passengers all the time. (New York Herald 1914)
Mr. John C. Thompson also commented in his testimony before Judge Metcalfe, that he often saw nurses from the Quarantine hospitals gallivanting around town, buying alcohol, and going to taverns at night (Testimony Taken Before Judge Metcalfe 1859, 60). As a result of this laziness in border control, it was no surprise that within the first year of the Quarantine’s existence, as feared by the community members, 25 cases of yellow fever broke out in the community. These cases included Dr. Richard Bayley, who conducted the Quarantine and later died of the disease on August 17, 1801 (Bayley is buried in St. Andrew’s cemetery) (Leng & Davis 1930, 264). These numbers only increased from this point, as more and more immigrants filed into the United States through the Quarantine. In 1832, New York was visited by Asiatic Cholera, which killed over 3,000 people between July and October of that year. Because of the habit of diseases spreading from the Quarantine, the people of Staten Island greatly feared the spread of this disease, especially with each year bringing even less efficient and more scandalous management of the Quarantine.
The Burning: After getting the support they needed from the Board of Health, the angry citizens of Staten Island decided to take action against the Quarantine. After holding several meetings involving many prominent social figures, including doctors, the enraged citizens decided to burn down Quarantine. According to the account given by Dr. Hollick, on the night of September 1, 1858, the group met at an old fort on Fort Hill. During the meeting, “…a communication was read from the Board of Health declaring that the nuisance was no longer bearable and directing its removal” (New York Herald 1914). From there, each man armed with a bale of straw, a bottle of camphene, and a box of matches, marched down the hill to Quarantine. When they arrived at the wall, they found a large pile of wooden beams with handles attached, which someone had dumped there the day before to be used as battering rams to gain access into the area (New York Herald 1914). Once inside, the men went straight to work, torching every building, however, not before they emptied out the inhabitants. According to Hollick, "The large hospital…was next, after it had been cleared of every living thing, even to a cat and a canary bird. There were, I believe, only three yellow fever patients, and these were carefully carried out and placed on beds under an open shed, for it was a very warm night, and they laid enjoying the scene, and being well attended to. I heard it said afterward that being carried out into the open probably saved their lives." (New York Herald 1914) The fire department came soon after, but was of no use after finding the hose of the engine had been cut. However, there were still a few buildings left after the burning, so the group reconvened the next night to finish the job.
Immigration and Migration
Quarantine Hospital: Immigration into the United States brought the fear bringing diseases, namely the yellow fever, from Europe. En route to the United States, as of 1799, immigrants had stopped at Quarantine Hospital, where victims of the disease were removed from ships and hospitalized on the island. The goal of Quarantine was "An act to prevent the bringing in and spreading of infectious distempers in the colony." However, these hospitals were not always effective because those being treated were often able to interact with the locals, which made the hospitals useless because the disease was free to spread. Because of this, in 1858, an angry mob of citizens burned down the buildings, which led to the creation of two artificial islands off South Beach where new hospitals were stationed. Between 1847 and 1861, 2,836,684 immigrants entered the port of New York. Of these, 310,303 which equaled about 12%, died of yellow fever or cholera.
Early Migration and Immigration
Staten Island was much like Manhattan and other colonial settlements, with many different national groups living on the island (although largely Protestant). In the 19th century there was a wave of immigration. The building of factories after 1817 brought many New Englanders, including Judge William Emerson, who came from Massachusetts in 1837 and sheltered his famous brother Ralph Waldo Emerson and naturalist Henry Thoreau in the early 1840s. Among new immigrants from Northern Europe in the 1840s was Scottish physician Dr. Samuel Mackenzie Elliott (credited with attracting the mother of Robert Gould Shaw--and other abolitionists--to the Island). Other prominant vistors included Garibaldi (Leng, p. 255). In the 1840s the Germans settled in Stapelton (home to many breweries) and the Irish worked in West Brighton (Factoryville back then). Later the Italians would begin to settle in Rosebank/Clifton. With the slave and free black migration north there was a wave of African-Americans settling in Tompkinsville and Stapleton, and these African-Americans worked at Sandy Ground in the oyster industry.
Location Of Immigrants
French-Grant City
Italians-Rosebank
Scandinavians-Port Richmond
English & Scottish-Livingston
Polish-Linoleumville
Germans-Stapelton
Religion, Education and Culture
The American Revolution, and successive waves of immigration, redefined the dominance of particular religious institutions on Staten Island. Prominent churches on Staten Island before the American Revolution and throughout the 19th century were the Dutch Reformed church, which are protestant, the Presbyterian Church, the Episcopal Church, the Moravian church and the Methodist Church. St. Andrew’s Church in Historic Richmond Town was originally an Anglican Church before and during the Revolution but afterwards it became an Episcopalian Church, probably due to the fact that America’s former king, King George III, was the head of the Anglican Church.
Religious Institutions That Were Established During the 19th Century:
Churches that were established in the middle to late 19th century in Staten Island were German and Scandinavian Churches (1850), the Lutheran Church, the Jewish congregation (1888), Immanuel Community Church (began in 1893 but wasn’t official until 1902) and the Roman Catholic Church. Due to immigration and such events as the potato famine, many immigrants came to America to find a better life. Many of these people settled on Staten Island by free will or were quarantined there. When they arrived on Staten Island, they brought with them their native culture and religion, which gave rise to Staten Island Catholicism. The biggest influx was that of the Roman Catholics. In 1839, St. Peter’s, the first Catholic Church was built, followed by about eleven other during the 19th century. St. Peter’s was the only Roman Catholic Church in Staten Island for about ten years. A pillar of Staten Island Catholicism, it was located in New Brighton.
St. Andrew's Church in Richmond Town
During the Nineteenth Century, public schooling developed on Staten Island. Governor Daniel D. Tompkins initiated the establishment of a public school system on June 18th 1812. Although there had been educational efforts since 1711, Rev. Aeneas Mackenzie, the first rector of the Church of St. Andrew, began teaching Dutch, French, English and even African-American slaves. 1 By 1896 there are 29 public schools on Staten Island. In addition to public schools, Staten Island had many private schools, some that are still running, and others that have disappeared.
NYPL postcard collection
By the 1890s, as labor hours declined, working-class men and women, as many as 100,000 took the East Shore train, trolleys then carriages) or a 45-minute boat ride from Whitehall or Brooklyn to South Beach. As one women wrote "We go to South Beach...or Coney Island. If we go on a boat we dance all the way there and all the way back and we dance nearly all the time we are there." [1] Each Sunday in the summer, these men and women enjoyed dance halls, picnic groves, clam chowder and beer. They could rent bathingsuits to dip into the water. Albert Hergenhan owned one music hall, Little Germany, and another, the Olympia at both ends of the boardwalk, featuring vaudeville. Enlisted men sought out Nunley Nunley's casino.[2] Staten Island thus played a important role in providing entertainment for visitors from New York or New Jersey.
References
Bibliography on Industry and Agriculture [1] Charles W. Leng and William T. Davis, Staten Island and its People, A History 1609-1929- Volume II (NY: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc., 1930), 631. [2] Charles LaCerra, ed., Some Industries on Staten Island in the Nineteenth Century (New York: Pace University Press) 11. [3] JJ Clute, Annals of Staten Island from its Discovery to Present Time (New York: Press of Chas. Vogt, 1877), 322. [4] Charles LaCerra, ed., Some Industries on Staten Island in the Nineteenth Century (New York: Pace University Press) 12. [5] JJ Clute, Annals of Staten Island from its Discovery to Present Time (New York: Press of Chas. Vogt, 1877), 327.
[3][1] Leng and Davis, 543.
[3][2] Leng and Davis, 544.
[3][3] Leng and Davis, 546.
[3][4] Leng and Davis, 544.
[3][5] Leng and Davis, 552.
[3][6] http://www.nypl.org.
[3][7] Leng and Davis, 552.
[3][8] Ira K. Morris. History of Staten Island, New York (New York: Memorial Publishing Co., 1898), 251-252.
[3][9] Morris, 255.
[3][10] Morris, 253.
[3][11] Staten Island on the Web: Famous Staten Islanders, New York Public Library, Staten Island on the Web: Famous Staten Islanders (accessed February 25, 2008).
[3][12] Staten Island on the Web: Staten Island Timeline-1800s, New York Public Library, Staten Island on the Web: Staten Island Timeline- 1800s (accessed February 25, 2008).
[6] [1] Stenmeyer, Henry G., "South Beach: The Resort Area," Staten Island Historian July-September 1958, 18.
Fire and Police References
[1] Staten Island Historian Oct.-Dec. 1972, 89.
[2] Staten Island Historian July-Sept. 1974, 166.
[3] Staten Island Historian July- Sept. 1972, 171.
[4] Staten Island Historian Oct.-Dec. 1975, 89.
[5] Staten Island Historian July-Sept. 1972, 92.
[6] Staten Island Historian April-June 1973, 114.
[7] Staten Island Historian April-June 1973, 114.
[8] Staten Island Historian April-June 1973, 119.
Bibliography
New York Public Library: Staten Island timeline; 1800s
Top 100 Historical Events: Staten Island, Richmond County, NY
Site on African-American History of SI, exhibit created by College of Staten Island and Alice Austen House http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/decicco/sibh1.html
Leng, Charles W. and Davis, William T. "Bench and Bar." Staten Island and Its People Volume II. New York: Lew Historical Publishing Company, Inc., 1930
Morris, Ira K. History of Staten Island, New York. New York: Memorial Publishing Co., 1898.
"Polly Bodine: Famous Staten Islanders" New York Public Libaray [8]
"Staten Island Volunteer Fire Companies," Staten Island Historian July-September 1974, 166.
