USA > New York > Kings County > Brooklyn > Civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the County of Kings and the City of Brooklyn, N. Y. > Part 1
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COLUMBIA LIBRARIES OFFSITE AVERY FINE ARTS RESTRICTED
AR01414534
1683
XXX
HISTORY ing's ounty,
INCLUDING
BROOKLYN, N.Y.
1884
Ex Libris
SEYMOUR DURST
t' Fort nieuw . Innfterdam op de Monhatuns
FORT NEW AMSTERDAM
NEW YORK - 1651
When you leave, please leave this book Because it has been said "Ever thing comes t' him who waits Except a loaned book."
AVERY ARCHITECTURAL AND FINE ARTS LIBRARY GIFT OF SEYMOUR B. DURST OLD YORK LIBRARY
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2014
https://archive.org/details/civilpoliticalpr02stil
HISTORY
IS THE WITNESS OF
TIME
HISTORYOf KINGS COUNTY NY
1667
FLATLANDS
1645
GRAVESEND
1662
1667
NEW UTRECHT
1677
NEW. LOTS
1652
1667
FLATBUSH
1646
BROOKLYN
VIEW OF THE NEW YORK AND BROOKLYN (EAST RIVER) BRIDGE.
T
168%
TO.
DATA
11
HISTORY OfKINGS
COUN
KONG ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY BUILDING
MUNICIPAL BUILDING
INCLUDING
N.Y.
WW MUNSELL
BROOKLYN AND NEW YORK
ROGERS, FA
Maakt Magt.
Cendraght
NAT
SEAL, O
T
H
C
THE
Civil, Political, Professional and Ecclesiastical
HISTORY
AND COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL RECORD OF THE
COUNTY OF KINGS
AND
THE CITY OF BROOKLYN, N. Y.
FROM 1683 TO 1884.
BY
HENRY R. STILES, A.M., M.D., Editor-in-Chief,
Formerly Librarian of the Long Island Historical Society ; Member of the N. Y. Genealogical and Biographical Society, the American Ethnological Society, ctc .. etc .; Author of the "History of Brooklyn," "The Wallabout Prison Ship Serics," the "History and Genealogies of Ancient Windsor, Conn.," and other Historical Works.
ASSISTED BY
L. B. PROCTOR, Esq., and
Author of "Bench and Bar of the State of N. Y .. " "Lives of the State Chancellors of New York," "Lawyer and Client." "Life and Times of Thomas Addis Emmett," "Lives of Eminent American Statesmen," etc., etc.
L. P. BROCKETT, A.M., M.D.,
Author of "Our Western Empire," " Our Country's Wealth and Influ- ence," "Geographical History of N. Y.," and Geographical and Statistical Editor of "New American" and "Johnson's Cyclopedia," and the "American Supplement to Encyclopedia Britannica," ctc., etc.
WITH PORTRAITS, BIOGRAPHIES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.
VOLUME II.
NEW YORK : W. W. MUNSELL & CO. PUBLISHERS.
Copyright, 1884. W. W. MUNSELL & CO.
PRINTED OY C A COFFIN & ROGERS 86 87 J MN ST. NY
BOUND BY A S. BARNES & COMPANY NEW YORK AND BROOKLYN.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
THE COMMERCE OF BROOKLYN, . By L. P. Brockett, M. D. 633 THE MANUFACTURING INTERESTS OF BROOKLYN AND KINGS CO., By L. P. Brockett, M. D. 668 THE ARCHITECTS, BUILDERS AND REAL ESTATE AGENTS IN BROOKLYN, By L. P. Brockett, M. D. 829 UNITED STATES INTERESTS IN KINGS COUNTY: POST-OFFICE, NAVY YARD, FORTS, INTERNAL REVENUE, ETC., ETC., . By The Editor. 865
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN, 1822 TO 1884, (OLD SCHOOL.) By Frank B. Greene, M. D. 886
RISE AND PROGRESS OF HOMOEOPATHIC MEDICINE IN KINGS COUNTY, By R. C. Moffat, M. D. 905 HISTORY OF THE ECLECTIC SCHOOL OF MEDICINE IN BROOKLYN, 917 HOSPITALS, DISPENSARIES, ETC., . Compiled under the direction of the Editor. THE PROFESSION OF DENTISTRY IN KINGS COUNTY AND BROOKLYN, Compiled under the direction of the Editor. 941
THE HISTORY OF HIGHER EDUCATION, PRIVATE SCHOOLS, ETC., IN BROOKLYN, Compiled under the direction of the Editor. 950
FISH CULTURE ON LONG ISLAND, By Eugene G. Blackford, Esq. 963
BROOKLYN MARKETS,
. By the Editor. 971
THE CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS OF KINGS COUNTY AND BROOKLYN, Compiled under the direction of
the Editor. 973
THE ECCLESIASTICAL ORGANIZATIONS OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN, Compiled under the direction of the Editor. 993
HISTORY OF THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL WORK IN BROOKLYN,
1090
MISSIONARY, BIBLE, TRACT AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS FOR CHRISTIAN WORK, Compiled under the direction of the Editor. 1100
THE PROGRESS OF THE DRAMA, OPERA, MUSIC AND ART IN BROOKLYN, By Gabriel Harrison, Esq. 1105
THE FINE ARTS IN BROOKLYN, By Gabriel Harrison, Esq. 1137
THE AMATEUR DRAMATIC ASSOCIATIONS OF BROOKLYN, Compiled under the direction of the Editor. 1162 PHOTOGRAPHY IN BROOKLYN, . Compiled under the direction of the Editor. 1166 THE HISTORY OF THE PRESS OF BROOKLYN AND KINGS COUNTY, By Hon. W. E. Robinson. (Supplemented by the Editor.) 1169 HISTORY OF THE MILITARY ORGANIZATIONS OF KINGS COUNTY, Compiled under direction of the Editor. 1194 THE BENCH AND BAR OF BROOKLYN, By L. B. Proctor, Esq. 1213 NOTES ON LITERATURE AND SCIENCE IN BROOKLYN, . By the Editor. 1301
1336 THE SPORTING AND ATHLETIC CLUBS OF KINGS COUNTY, Compiled under direction of the Editor. THE BENEFICENT AND SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS OF BROOKLYN AND KINGS COUNTY, Compiled under direction of the Editor, 1346
HOTELS AND BATHING ESTABLISHMENTS IN KINGS COUNTY, 1358 GENERAL TRADE AND MERCHANDISE IN BROOKLYN AND KINGS COUNTY 1362
LIST OF PORTRAITS.
PAGE.
Jeremiah P. Robinson ..
Facing 639
M. J. Seelig
816
William Beard
66
638
John S. Turner
818
Franklin Woodruff
642
James Binns (dec'd)
Facing 820
Abiel A. Low
647
Nathan Barney ..
825ª
Alexander E. Orr.
66
648
Hon. Eben Moody Boynton Facing 825
Harrison S. Vining
66
651
Charles Feltman. .
(Biog. 199)
827ª
Richard Harrison Laimbeer
652
Isaac A. Ketcham
828ª
Gen. Francis E. Pinto
66
654
William Irvine Preston.
Facing 829ª
James W. Elwell 66
656
Robert Speir
832ª
Daniel Ambrose, M. D
658
H. S. Christian
834
Charles Dennis,
660
Horace F. Burroughs
836
Isaac F. Chapman
661
John Morton .
837
James McChesney
662
Elbert Snedeker
Facing
838
Elihn Spicer, Jr
66
663
Bernard Gallagher
838
Joseph J. O'Donohue
664
John D. Anderson
66
839
Timothy Hogan
667
George W. Brown
839
William Dick
Facing
672
John Lee. 66
840
William R. Taylor
680
George W. Brandt.
841
William Taylor,
Facing
685
James Rodwell.
841
James A. Taylor
686
J. W. Campbell
842
Daniel Y. Saxtan
687
William G. Creamer
692
William Cabble (deceased)
Facing
695
Edward Freel. ..
843
Elijah Cabble
696
John S. Frost
844
Harvey W. Peace 66
700
John Rome .. 845
Enoch Ketchanı
702
James Weaver
Facing 846
Leonard Richardson 66
713
John H. O'Rourke
847
Hon. William Wall.
66
719
Frederick Herr 848
Charles Wall (deceased)
720
John Doherty Facing 848
Michael W. Wall
721
Daniel MeCabe. 849
850
William H. Mairs.
66
727
Martin Worn
732
Benjamin C. Miller
Facing
855
The Fingleton Brothers (Patrick J., Henry W., and Hugh S Facing
733
Edwin H. Burnett
856
John S. Loomis
737
A. S. Barnes
Facing
741
Jacob Rapelve (deceased)
Facing
859
Hosea O. Pearce.
745
Leonard Moody, (Biog. 860)
66
866ª
Henry O. Pearce
747
James C. Eadie. .
66
861
Thomas C. Smith
766
Nicholas Cooper.
861
Ephraim J. Jennings
769
Michael Seitz.
773
Chester D. Burrows, Jr .. . Facing 864
Francis H. Holton
Facing
774
Col. James McLeer
868
Alanson Trask 66
785
Hon. William H. Lyon. . Facing 874
Angustus C. Tate 877
Elward Smith
789
Gen. Alfred C. Barnes.
Facing 66
878
Ithamar Du Bois
792
George M. Eddy
795
Henry C. Hulbert
881
James D). Leary Facing
798
Aaron D. Farmer
66
883
Ilermann Wischmann
801
Daniel C. Robbins.
884
Sylvester M. Beard 66
802
Jeremiah J. Rappelyea (deceased) 886
Robinson Gill. .
805
Joseph C. Hutchison, M. D
894
Andrew D. Baird
66
805
Sainnel Fleet Speir, M. D 895
J. K. Brick (deceased)
66
807
Homer L. Bartlett, M. D. 896
Abraham G. Jennings
809 Ferd. W. Ostrander, M. D
897
Jolın Good .
723
Robert Thomas
Benjamin T. Lynch.
851
Chester Bedell
855
Lindsay James Wells,
857
George B. Forrester
Facing
757
William O. Sumner
Julius Davenport 862
Paul Weidmann
788
Facing 66
Edwin Bulkley
880
Patrick F. O'Brien Facing 842
Thomas B. Rutan .
843
860
PAGE.
LIST OF PORTRAITS-Continued.
PAGE.
PAGE.
Cornelius Olcott, M. D. Facing 897
Hon. Thomas Kinsella (deceased) Facing 1185 66
Thomas P. Norris, M. D
900
Col. William Hester ..
1187
George Wackerhagen, M. D
Facing 901
Hon. Wm. Erigena Robinson 1190
George R. Fowler, M. D
902
John T. Runcie. ...... (Biog. 608) 66
1192
Edward C. Mann, M. D
66
903ª
Maj .- Gen. Thomas S. Dakin (deceased) .. 1206
Edward S. Bunker, M. D
60
904
Hon. Benjamin F. Tracy. 66
1222
Wm. M. L. Fiske, M. D
66
910
Hon. Benjamin D. Silliman 1229
David A. Gorton, M. D.
66
915
Samuel Bowne Duryea.
1232
S. T. Birdsall, M. D.
66
918
Samuel D. Morris 66
1236
Wm. H. Bowlsby, M. D
919
Thomas G. Shearman, Esq.
1240
William Henry Dudley, M. D Facing
932
Hon. Jasper W. Gilbert
1275
Chauncey L. Mitchell, M. D.
933
Judge Calvin E. Pratt.
1278
John Byrne, M. D
934
Lucien Birdseye Facing
1281
George W. Fraim 66
946
Winchester Britton
1283
Salmon Skinner (deceased)
947
E. H. Hobbs.
1285
David Salmon Skinner
949
Tunis G. Bergen, Esq.
66 1286
Charles Claghorn Facing
960
Hon. George L. Thompson
1288
Charles H. Rivers
962
Walter L. Livingston, Esq
1289
Eugene G. Blackford.
Facing
967
Timothy Perry . Facing
1290
Benjamin W. West.
969
Rufus L. Scott
1291
Samuel L. Storer Facing
970
Edmund Terry
1292
Samuel B. Miller
970
Hon. William H. Waring
1294
Rev. Samuel M. Haskins, D. D. 1008
Andrew J. Perry
Facing 1293ª
Rt. Rev. Abram N. Littlejohn, D. D. Facing
1012
John M. Stearns
1295
Rev. Richard S. Storrs, D. D
1016
Brewster Kissam
Facing
1296
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher.
1020
A. Orville Millard
1297
Very Rev. William Keegan. 66
66
1050
Nelson Sizer. 1330
1333
Eli Robbins
1102
John A. Voorhees
1343
Amos Robbins
66
1103
James Schenck
1345
Frederick Loeser
66
1104
Charles N. Peed.
1360
Gabriel Harrison,
1152
William Harkness
. Facing
1379
Charles Storrs 66
1158
George W. Coger
1381
Augustus Young 1160
Louis Bossert
1383
G. Frank E. Pearsall Facing 1167
William H. Marston
1384
Hon. Demas Barnes
1172
Ezra B. Tuttle. Facing 1385
Col. Henry E. Roehr
Facing 1175
Charles H. Reynolds 1386
Bernard Peters .. 1177
Isaac Van Anden (deceased).
1183
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE.
PAGE.
The N. Y. and Brooklyn Bridge-Frontispiece.
636
E. G. Webster & Bro.'s Silver-Plating Works . 707
The Niagara Direct-Acting Pump 684
Wm. Wall & Son's Rope and Cordage Works .. 718
Columbian Iron Works. 685
John Good's Ropemaking Machinery Establishm't 723
E. W. Bliss' Machine Shop and Foundries 689
Wm. H. Mairs & Co.'s Paper Hanging Manuf'y . 724
E. W. Bliss' Residence, "Owl's Head" ... Facing 688
Martin Worn & Sons' Furniture Warehouse 731
The William Cabble Excelsior Wire Works 696
J. S. Loomis' Moulding and Planing Mill 736
The H. W. Peace Co.'s Vulcan Saw Works. 699
D. Appleton & Co.'s Book Bindery. 739
.
Rev. Thomas DeWitt Talmage, D. D.
1063
Julius E. Meyer
1091
Hon. Albert Daggett Facing 1334
Albert Woodruff. Facing
1047
Robert Van Buren, C. E. (Biog. 594). 1326
Rev. Sylvester Malone ..
916
Gen. Harmanus B. Duryea
1233
Dennis E. Smith, M. D
903
66 Gen. Quincy Adams Gillmore. 1207
Thomas L. Smith, M. D
Schwalbach & Obrig's Factory. 704
Atlantic Docks and Basin ..
John J. Hardy Facing 1394
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS-Continued.
PAGE.
PAGE.
Pearee & Hall's Hat Factory. 746
Plymouth Church (Cong.) . 1018
The Union Porcelain Works and Wares. 763
Plymouth Church Bethel (Cong.) 1021
Hetfield & Ducker's Cracker Manufactory 770
Central Congregational Church. 1025
Charles A. Schieren & Co.'s Manufactory 781 Puritan (Cong.) Church . 1026
George M. Eddy & Co.'s Manufactory . 793
Sands Street (M. E.) Church - 1030
O. F. Hawley's Manufactory. 797
Simpson (M. E.) Church . 1033
F. W. Wurster's Factory. 800
John J. Green's Monumental Works. 804
Brooklyn Clay Retort and Fire Briek Works .. 806
A. G. Jennings & Sons' Laee Works. 808
Charles S. Higgins' Soap Manufactory
811
Nostrand Avenue (M. E.) Church 1039
Grace (M. E.) Church 1040
F. Rochow's Patent Compound Steam Engine . . 822
August Moll's Manufactory 823
E. M. Boynton's Saw and File Co. 823
Downing & Lawrence's Marine Railway. 824
Organ in Tabernacle Pres. Church. 1061
Barney's Automatie Dumping-Boat
826ª
South Third Street Pres. Church .. 1065
Keteham's Submarine Torpedo-Boat
828ª
The Old Franklin Avenue Pres. Church 1066
Arms of the United States
" Sea-Breeze,"-Residence of S. F. Speir, M. D.
Facing
895
"Fenimore"-Residence of H. L. Bartlett, M. D.
Faeing
896
St. Catharine's Hospital
928
Long Island College Hospital . 929
St. Mary's General Hospital. 934
Dr. Skinner's Residenee
948
Packer Collegiate Institute
951
Centennial Baptist Church. 1079
S. John's (R. C.) College
955
Academy of the Visitation (R. C.)
957
Brooklyn Orphan Asylum
973
First Building of the Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor
975
Present Building of same
975
The Old Suydam House 1099
The Graham Institution.
976
Mr. G. Frank E. Pearsall's Photograph Studio .. 1168
The Eagle Office 1181
The Baptist Home
978
The Garfield Building 1300
1303
St. John's Hospital, Church Charity Foundation,
979
The Long Island Historical Society's Building ... 1305
Newsboy's Home 980
983
Wechsler & Abraham's New Stores. 1363
Hebrew Orphan Asylum.
984
James Weir's Conservatories and Green-Houses . 1364
Brooklyn Industrial Home
985
Richard Shannon's Green-Houses 1365
James Dean's Green-Houses 1365
Inebriates' Home
989
Johnston Bros.' Stores (4 euts) 1368
St. John's (R. C. ) Male Orphan Asylum
991
John Harrison's Grocery Establishment 1369
First Reformed Church
993
A. & S. Haviland & Co.'s Stores 1370
Greenpoint Reformed Church 996
Cowperthwait Co.'s Furniture Warehouses 1373
Jesse A. Crandall's Manufactory 1373
M. Webster & Sons' Warerooms 1374
1376
The Second St. Ann's (P. E.) Church 999
The Present St. Aun's (P. E.) Church 1000
Church of Holy Trinity (P. E.) 1002
Lonis Bossert's Mannfactory 1382
Grace (P. E. Church . 1001
S. Tuttle's Son & Co.'s Coal Yards, 1385
Church of the Pilgrims (Cong.) 1015
C. H. Reynolds' Coal and Wood Yards. 1387
1075
First Baptist Church .
Pierrepont Street Baptist Church 1075
Central Baptist Church . 1077
Washington Avenue Baptist Church. 1078
Greenwood Baptist Church . 1079
Adelphi Academy 954
Sixth Avenue Baptist Church 1080
Greenpoint Baptist Church. 1081
First Baptist Church (E. D.) 1082
St. Matthew's Eng. Lutheran Church. 1081
Church of the Savior (Unitarian). 1086
The Brooklyn Nursery 977
Orphan House of the Church Charity Foundation. 979
The Brooklyn Institute ..
The Pierrepont House 1359
Home for Friendless Women and Children
Brooklyn Industrial School and Home (E. D.) . .
985
Henry Schade's Silver-Plating Factory 1372
Lee Avenue Reformed Church 997
Cottage where the Lee Ave. Reformed Church originated 997
Joseph J. Byers' Shoe Store
William Harkness' Stores 1370
St. John's (M. E.) Church 1035
Fleet Street (M. E.) Church 1036
Willoughby Avenue (M. E.) Church 1038
Charles W. Held's Piano Warerooms 812
Central (M. E.) Church. 1041
Park Avenue (P. M.) Church 1043
The Art Association Building. 1136
Lafayette Avenue Pres. Church 1068
Ross Street Pres. Church. 1069
Throop Avenue Pres. Church 1070
Memorial Pres. Church 1071
Noble Street Pres. Church 1072
First Place (M. E.) Church 1035
THE COMMERCE OF BROOKLYN.
BY
L. P. Brackett M.L.
U NLIKE any other great seaport of our country, or the world, Brooklyn and the county of Kings has no separate existence as a port of entry; but, while possessing an unrivaled water front, with the most magnificent docks and piers in the world, and an unlimited capacity for expansion, till it may be able to receive and store the entire products of a continent, it suffers the humiliation of knowing that all this vast commerce is credited to New York City; and that there does not exist either in the New York Custom House, the reports of the Produce Exchange, or the New York Chamber of Commerce, or, indeed, in the records of any government or mercantile office, the data for giving to Brooklyn its quota of credit for her share in this immense traffic, which has no rival on this side of the globe.
Yet our statistics of the Brooklyn commerce as com- pared with that of New York-statistics collected with infinite labor and pains, and the comparison of the business of the largest shipping houses with the returns of the commerce of the port of New York, officially rendered, show the following facts, viz .:
1. That the arrivals and departures of shipping, both sail and steam, at the wharves, piers and docks of Brooklyn, are to New York arrivals and departures as 9 to 7.
2. That the grain receipts and shipments at Brook- lyn warehouses, and by ships loading and unloading at Brooklyn piers, docks and wharves, are in proportion of 76 to 24 of those of New York.
3. That the proportion of receipts and shipments of provisions is very nearly 80 for Brooklyn to 20 for New York.
4. That the receipts of raw sugars and molasses, from all quarters, go to the Brooklyn warehouses for transfer to the Brooklyn sugar refineries, almost wholly; hardly ten per cent. being received in New York.
5. That the receipts and shipments of cotton are nearly one-half at and from Brooklyn warehouses.
6. That the greater part of the petroleum oils, all ex- cept those for the refineries on the Jersey side, come
through the Standard Oil Company's pipes to the refin- eries in Williamsburg and Long Island City, and the shipments to foreign and to other American ports, go from the refineries direct on ship-board, without touch- ing New York city, either in receipt or shipment. The whole, or nearly the whole, of the petroleum traffic be- longs to Brooklyn.
7. The proportion of the receipts and shipments of general merchandise are the most difficult to ascertain. There are many large warehouses in New York which have, for a long term of years, received the bulk of certain articles known under this general denomina- tion; but it is doubtful if there are not more in Brook- lyn. In general, it may be said, that the greater part of the imported dress goods and dry goods come to New York warehouses; that, of imported metals-iron, stcel, copper, lead, zinc and tin-about two-thirds come to Brooklyn; that teas and raw silk come generally to New York; but coffee, spices, cocoa, chocolate, flax, hemp, jute, cordage and the materials of which it is made, argols, medicinal barks, crude camphor, chemi- cals, bleaching powder, medicinal gums,dyewoods, dried and salted fish, guano, gypsum and fertilizers gener- ally, India rubber, indigo, madder, oils, sulphur, bread- stuffs, bristles, dried fruits, glass, leather and manufac- tures of leather, paints, potatoes, salt, provisions, salt- petre, secds, soda and salts of soda, manufactures of tin, tobacco, and perhaps of spirituous liquors, watches, wool and woolen rags, belong more properly to the Brooklyn warehouses; while books, paintings, jewelry, perfumery, paper, cabinet furniture and woods, musi- cal instruments, etc., etc., arc more generally sent to the New York warehouses. In general merchandise, while the bulk is very largely on the side of Brooklyn, as nearly as can be estimated, taking the average of the past three years, New York city has about 44 per cent. of the values, and Brooklyn about 56 per cent. This covers the whole imports, and much of the ex- ports. We may remark, however, that the limited ex- tent and moderate storage room of the New York warehouses, which are contiguous to the docks and
634
HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.
provided with elevators, and other means of rapid loading and unloading, causes all of our exports which are of considerable bulk, to be brought to the Brooklyn warehouses, which are of immense and constantly in- creasing extent, and lying directly at the edge of the «locks and piers, and can transfer entire cargoes to ves- sels without employing a single truck. Thus, one of the great shipping houses occupy 52 large warehouses, all on the Brooklyn side, besides extensive covered piers, still more convenient for loading and unloading. Another has 28 such warehouses. This is particularly true of the loading and unloading of grain for export. We have stated the amount of grain handled in Brook- lyn and put on board vessels at Brooklyn docks, as 76 per cent. of the whole: but we do not mean to be under- stood that the remaining 24 per cent. goes into New York warehouses. Not at all. We have serious doubts whether, as matters are now arranged, 1,000,000 bushel- of grain go into New York warehouses in a year: that from the Erie, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, Lackawanna & Western R. R.'s comes to Hoboken, or Jersey City, and is taken up by elevators there in the warehouses on the Jersey side, and from thence trans- ferred to the ships. That from the Erie, Delaware and Hudson, Morris and Raritan canals, and from Albany barges, sailing vessels and steamers, goes mostly to Brooklyn direet, or is picked up by the floating ele- vators, and loaded on vessels either at Brooklyn or New York wharves and docks. The New York Central and Hudson River R. R. has one or more elevators of its own, but very much of the grain brought on its cars is lightered or brought by floating elevators direct to the Brooklyn warehouses.
In regard to the grain receipts and shipments, Brooklyn has virtual control of the trade. All of the regular grain warehouses recognized by the New York Produce Exchange are in Brooklyn All of the float- ing elevator companies are officered by Brooklyn men, and all of these elevators-thirty-four in num- ber-start from Brooklyn and bring grain for the Brooklyn warehouses, or load it npon vessels at the Brooklyn wharves. The president of the largest of these companies (the International), Mr. Annan, who controls 22 of these floating elevators, two of double capacity, is also a partner in the great grain house of Hazeltine & Co., the occupants of Dows', the Colum- bia, and the Kelsey stores.
The interests of Mr. George D. Puffer, President of the New York Floating Elevator Company, who run five floating elevators, are also wholly identified with Brooklyn. The same is true of Messrs. Heuberer, Knapp & McCord, W. D. Mangam's Son, Marsh, White & Co., and S. M. Cornell, who own, together, seven floating elevators. The entire storage capacity of all the stationary elevators in New York city, in- cluding those of the New York Central and Hudson River R. R. Co., is only 3,340,000 bushels, of which
the New York Central is 2,300,000 bushels. Those of Jersey have a capacity of 3,000,000 bushels. Neither of them is ever full. The Brooklyn stationary eleva- tors have a capacity of 20,000,000 bushels, and, as the Produce Exchange reports show, handled over 150,000,- 000 bushels of grain in 1882, and more than 200,000,- 000 bushels in 1881. But the grain trade, large as it is, is only one item of Brooklyn's commerce. Below Fulton Ferry, and between that and Fortieth street, Sonth Brooklyn, are nearly twenty firms, many of them controlling large blocks of warehouses and pier sheds, who do a general merchandise business, some of them handling mainly imported goods, others both imports and exports. One of these houses already re- ferred to, Messrs. G. C. and J. P. Robinson, in 1882, in their 52 warehouses, received and shipped merchan- dise valued at $105,000,000. Another, F. Woodruff & Co., as the average of three years in their 28 ware- lrouses, handled $53,000,000. The receipts and ship- ments of the whole twenty firms can hardly be. less than $325,000,000, and may exceed that amount.
But, aside from these, there are two large oil refiner- ies belonging to Bush and Denslow; five or six large Inmber yards at the Gowanns Canal and Erie Basin ; two coal yards of great extent; two rosin yards; eight ship yards, four of them with dry docks, those of Messrs. William Camp & Son being the largest in the world, and one with an immense marine railway, suffi- cient to accommodate the largest ocean steamships; six piers for steamship lines landing their passengers and freight in Brooklyn; three inspection yards, one for tobacco, and two for pork, etc .; five large ferry slips for the Hamilton, South, Wall street, and the two An- nex ferries, to which should be added the Fulton ferry slip and the Bridge pier ; the two great flouring mill piers of F. E. Smith and Jewell Brothers, and one of the Knickerbocker Ice Company's piers. There are, moreover, extensive foundries, iron works, and pump- ing engine works, which ship their products from these wharves and piers. There is no separate record of the number of vessels which discharge or receive their car- goes at these piers and wharves, for the arrivals and clearances are all made at the Naval Office in New York, but there must be several thousands every year. We cannot obtain any definite statistics of the business transacted or the moneys received in these various commercial houses, but in some of them we know that it amounts to many millions.
If we go back one or two streets from the water front, we shall find, for nearly the whole distance, great manufactories, machine shops, iron foundries, etc., etc., whose products are all shipped from these wharves and piers.
Northward and north-eastward from Fulton Ferry to Hunter's Point, the piers and wharves loaded with merchandise, and the numberless vessels loading and unloading indicate that the commerce is very nearly as
635
THE COMMERCE OF BROOKLYN.
extensive as below that ferry, though of a somewhat different character. In the region we have already described, there were three artificial and one natural water courses and basins, stream and bay, to increase the water-front, viz. : the Erie and Atlantic Basins, Gowanus Bay and Creek, and Gowanus Canal. In the northern division (north of Fulton ferry), there are the Wallabout Bay, Basin and Canal, Bushwick Creek, and Newtown Creek and Canal. Of these, the first three and the last two add greatly to the water front of this portion of the city.
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