Bay Ridge in the 19th Century

 Local history can sometimes be a difficult topic during transition periods in history. While there are massive changes occurring on a global scale, it is important to see how local towns and villages adapted and existed in the context of these large historical events. When these instances occur, it is important to locate any and all information that is available to help fill in these gaps. A great resource would be maps, as often time insurance or even fire department maps can help provide insights into a particular area. 

One of the best resources for maps is the Center for Brooklyn History's website. Here students have access to viewing hundreds of maps of Brooklyn, ranging from the 18th century to today. This can be a WebQuest activity, as well as a guided practice for students to engage with their neighborhoods. According to a Development and Evaluation of an Interactive WebQuest Environment: “Web Macerasi by Yasemin Gülbahar, R. Orcun Madran and Filiz Kalelioglu,

"WebQuest, which makes students access the web to complete a task or solve a problem, elicits higher-order thinking rather than simple information searching and recall. These tasks should involve problem solving, judgment, synthesis, and analysis of information."

In having this understanding of how significant and important WebQuest van be for students, it can allow for teachers and educators to implement them in the classroom. Especially when looking at local history, a WebQuest is a very helpful tool and strategy to connect students to the content and available resources. By having an independent practice of researching and looking at various maps for example, students can gain a sense of independence as well as understandings for what information is readily accessible and what information requires additional research. It is surprising how much information can be found when doing a WebQuest activity.

As the town of Bay Ridge began to solidify itself on the map, more people began to build up the area. The construction and creation of Fort Hamilton in 1825 created a large amount of jobs for people. From helping construct the fort, to soldiers and their families moving close to the area. There was also an increase in jobs as the fort created many service jobs. People would be hired to cook and clean for the soldiers who were stationed in the fort. The largest population of people who moved to the area during the mid 19th century were of Irish descent, which earned the area of current day Bay Ridge the name "Irish town". By having a growing population of people in the area, the town was also able to grow in the village or neighborhood of current day Bay Ridge. According to a report for the Historic District council, Jacqueline Peu-Duvallon states that, 

"As the number of visitors to Fort Hamilton increaased, the village that bore its name became a fashionable summer resort community becuase of its beaches and water views... By the 1840's, hotels, summer homes, and entertainments had been build along the shore, mostly clustered along 95th Street and Shore Road. The Irish immigrants who had found work in the construction of the local forts were later employwed as staff of these summer homes and hotels."  

This statement helps show the development of the area of present day Bay Ridge from a small village next to a fort, to a summer holiday spot. The beautiful coastline enticed people to come and visit Bay Ridge in the summer months, or even move their as year-round residents. The Irish immigrants who helped build the fort were now able to transition to working in and maintaining the numerous hotels and summer homes that were now located in Bay Ridge. It is hard to get an exact number of residents in the area at this time. 

To highlight what it might have looked like, I was able to complete my own WebQuest and research maps to help get a better sense of what the area looked like in the mid 19th century. The Center for Brooklyn History has quite a few maps, with one in particular being very helpful.

The image above was accessed from here.

The map above shows what the neighborhoods of Fort Hamilton and Bay Ridge looked like by the year 1870. This map was created by accessing and compiling old maps to create a comprehensive new one, that contained both old and new sites. A point of interest is all the locations along the shore line of the map. There are so many hotels and restaurants on the waterfront, which helps to demonstrate the popularity of the summer spot of Bay Ridge.

One of the challenges of the new village faced in the mid 19th century was an illness known as Yellow Fever. As the neighborhood grew, it was first named Yellow Hook, after the Dutch notices a yellow color in the soil. It would not be until a Yellow Fever epidemic in 1853 that the neighborhood's name would be changed, as to avoid any connection to the deadly illness. This makes sense as the name was a deterrent to those looking to visit or live in the area. A great way to conceptualize this in our present day would be how some people have turned away from products with the name Corona due to the Coronavirus pandemic. When reading about this epidemic that a little over 160 years ago, it is shocking to read the similarities that the people of Bay Ridge faces when dealing with yellow fever. It is quite similar to the fears and challenges that Bay Ridge faced and is still facing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite much of the fear residents felt back then, one of the most reassure aspects is that the neighborhood continued to exist and meet the challenges of history.

Even though there was the challenge of an epidemic, the village of Bay Ridge continued to grow and expand over time. The attraction of the beaches and hotels brought hundreds of people to the neighborhood, and at the height of its popularity, Bay Ridge could rival Coney Island. Eventually as the subway and train system improved across Brooklyn, and people were able easily travel to Coney Island, interest in Bay Ridge began to dwindle. Sadly, there are not many reminders of the summer holiday spot that was Bay Ridge due to tragedies such as fires, as well as demolition for new apartment buildings. 

I believe one can still gain that sense of Bay Ridge being the perfect summer holiday spot, when walking along Shore Road on a warm summer day. While the roar of cars from the belt can be distracting, the waterfront and beautiful scenery of the local parks on Shore Road can transport one to the past. 

Sources for this post:

Yasemin Gülbahar, R. Orcun Madran, and Filiz Kalelioglu. "Development and Evaluation of an Interactive WebQuest Environment: “Web Macerasi”." Journal of Educational Technology & Society 13, no. 3 (2010): 139-50. Accessed April 29, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/jeductechsoci.13.3.139.

PEU-DUVALLON, JACQUELINE. “BAY RIDGE, BROOKLYN: A RECONNAISSANCE SURVEY OF HISTORIC RESOURCES.” BAY RIDGE, BROOKLYN: A RECONNAISSANCE SURVEY OF HISTORIC RESOURCES REPORT PREPARED FOR HISTORIC DISTRICTS COUNCIL SEPTEMBER 2014 PREPARED BY: JACQUELINE PEU-DUVALLON PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR, September 2014. http://hdc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Bay-Ridge-Report-Final-091014Smaller.pdf.

The villages of Fort Hamilton and Bay Ridge as they were in 1870: compiled from old and musty records: done by Catherine and E. Theodore Nelson; [ca. 1942], Map Collection, P-1870 (1942).Fl c.2;P-1870 (1942).Fl;P-1870 (1942).Fl c.3; Brooklyn Historical Society.