The Bronx

By Kathleen A. McAuley and Gary Hermalyn

With a population of more than one million and covering over 42 square miles, the Bronx is a vibrant part of New York. The Bronx was given its name in 1898 when the new borough was named after its single largest geographical feature: the Bronx River. The Bronx showcases the borough's rich history in a personal way through vintage and contemporary images. Kathleen A. McAuley is the director of museums and curator for the Bronx County Historical Society. Gary Hermalyn, coauthor of Yankee Stadium: 1923-2008, is the CEO of the Bronx County Historical Society.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Aug 30, 2010
• ISBN: 9781439623831

Kathleen A. McAuley

Kathleen A. McAuley is the director of museums and curator for the Bronx County Historical Society. Gary Hermalyn, coauthor of Yankee Stadium: 1923-2008, is the CEO of the Bronx County Historical Society.

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Society.

INTRODUCTION

This new work is a perfect complement to the changes that involved the Bronx, in particular, and the city of New York and the United States, in general. In fact, oftentimes what happens in the Bronx is reflected in the rest of the country years later. The borough of the Bronx is a microcosm of the nation.

While it is impressive to contrast images of the Macombs Dam Bridge in 1909 against the same site a century later with the new Yankee Stadium dominating the skyline, what perhaps is more remarkable is that photographs taken 100 or more years apart can reveal scenes of the Bronx that are surprisingly bucolic, demonstrating an enduring visage unchanged by modernity. While many of those comparisons are not utilized, it nonetheless demonstrates the relativity of change.

The Bronx was given its name in 1898 when the City of Greater New York was formed. Prior to that, the Bronx was known variously as the Annexed District, the Great North Side, and the 23rd and 24th Wards. When the boroughs of New York City were established (the first time that the borough system was used in the United States), it was decided to name the new borough after its single largest geographical feature: the Bronx River. The Bronx River was named after Jonas Bronck, a Swede from Småland who settled in 1639 near the banks of the river that would one day receive his name. The population of the newly enlarged city of New York was almost 3.5 million, while the population of the Bronx was just over 200,000. Interestingly, by 1925, the borough’s population had grown to over 1 million, made up of people from all walks of life. There was even commercial farming still being practiced, especially in the East Bronx. The largest cucumber/pickle works in the country, for example, were based around where Co-op City is today near Eastchester Bay.

The Bronx’s recorded history is over 350 years in length; its photographic documentation spans 154 of those years. The earliest known photographic image of the Bronx is of the village of Tremont as it appeared in 1856. These photographs bring a richness and understanding of life in the past that words cannot truly convey, as they join the world of today with our distant past.

CHAPTER 1

THE NORTHWEST BRONX

A Bronx victory parade to welcome home the troops from World War I was held along the Grand Concourse on June 14, 1919.The theatrical circuit firm of B. F. Keith was a sponsor, as can be seen on the sign being carried by the young boy walking next to Uncle Sam. On the left, beyond the people standing along the sidewalk, is the landmark Edgar Allan Poe Cottage, in Poe Park.

The roof of the commercial building at the intersection of Morris Avenue and Fordham Road has served as the locale for huge advertising billboards—seen here currently and in the late 1940s. It is still a lively area of diversified retail businesses, but sadly, five-and-dime variety stores like W. T. Grant Company have gone the way of the horse and buggy.