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QC04232015

12 welcome to bayside s The QUEE NS Courier • WELCOME TO • april 23, 2015 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com A glimpse at Bayside’s history by The Old Timer editorial@queenscourier.com/@queenscourier Bayside was incorporated as a village in 1837, but its roots date back some 400 years to the time when Henry Hudson discovered what would become New York in 1609. Very little of Bayside’s history prior to 1789 is known. During that year, a fire destroyed in the home of the Flushing town clerk destroyed Flushing’s and Bayside’s early historical records. Arson was deemed the cause of the fire, and then-state Attorney General Aaron Burr – who later became vice president and killed Alexander Hamilton in a famous duel – prosecuted two slaves for the crime. They were convicted and sentenced to death by hanging. What is known about Bayside’s early years is that settlers from the Netherlands and, later, England trickled into present-day Bayside in the early 1600s. For generations, the land had been occupied solely by the Matinecock tribe. As with most real estate, Bayside’s appeal was about location, location, location: the area is close to Long Island Sound and Little Neck Bay and, at the time, was covered with glatial streams and very fertile soil. Needless to say, fishing and farming primed the Bayside economy in its infancy. The Lawrence brothers – William, John and Thomas – were among the first settlers to Bayside, acquiring land through a grant. In 1645, the Dutch leader of New Amsterdam, Governor William Kleft, granted the brothers authority over the Town of Vlissingen (later known as Flushing), covering 16,000 acres of land in present-day northeast Queens. For the next 100 years, Bayside would remain an unofficial part of Flushing. The roots of Bayside began to take shape at around 1798, when settlers began referring to it by name. In 1821, Bayside received further recognition with the opening of its own post office. The area further developed through Irish immigrant Abraham Bell, who in 1824 purchased 245 acres of farmland. He divided the land into upper and lower farms; the dirt road connecting the farms would later become Bell Boulevard. Industries began springing up around Bayside in the days prior to the Civil War, but throughout the 19th century, the community thrived on fishing and farming. Clamming was particularly lucrative, as local baymen profitted from harvesting Little Neck clams from the bay which were in huge demand from consumers and Manhattan restaurants. The city’s wealthy began relocating to bucolic Bayside in the early part of the 20th century. Many of them came via the North Shore Railroad, which later became the Port Washington branch of the Long Island Rail Road. Bayside’s population, in particular, exploded following World War II and automobile use became more prolific. New housing developments sprung up in areas that were still farmland, including Bay Terrace. The Long Island Rail Road and the construction of the Clearview and Long Island expressways further contributed to the Bayside’s population boom. Though much has changed in the neighborhood, one thing remains true about Bayside: it’s a beautiful community in which to live, to grow, to work and to shop. The corner of Bell and Northern boulevards marks the spot where one of the first enamel-steel prefabricated White Castle outlets was well-established by 1933. An undated photo of the Bayside Yacht Club which used to be off 28th Avenue. 718.279.7555 • www.montaguelaw.com ACCIDENT & INJURY CASES Automobile Accidents • Slip & Fall / Sidewalk • School & Playground Construction Accidents • Scaffold / Ladder • Wrongful Death • Nursing Home Negligence REAL ESTATE • WILLS & ESTATES Immediate Attention To Your Case • Office, Home and Hospital Visits No Charge For Consultation LOCATED IN THE BAY TERRACE SHOPPING CENTER 212-45 26TH AVENUE • SUITE #7 • BAYSIDE, NY 11360 Successful Attorneys With Over 40 Years Experience And MILLION DOLLAR AWARDS! SE HABLA ESPAÑOL NO RECOVERY NO FEE


QC04232015
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