1 Stiles, i. p. 326.

2 In 1888 the State Legislature, at the request of the Society of Old Brooklynites, passed a resolution urging Congress to provide for the erection of a monument. A petition containing 25,000 names was sent to Washington, and the matter was favorably reported from committee, but no act was passed.

3 Historical Sketch of Fulton Ferry, 1879.

4 Furman, p. 243.

5 The state recognition of Brooklyn as a town took place in 1788.

6 In 1806, the Legislature of New York enacted a law allowing the incorporation of a State and of County Medical Societies. Under this act the State Medical Society was organized at once. The medical men of this county did not act in the matter, however, for several years, and it was not till March, 1822, that the Kings County Medical Society was organized. From the organization of the society to the present time the following gentlemen have been its presidents: Cornelius Low, 1822–1825; J. G. T. Hunt, 1825, till his death in 1830; Thomas W. Henry, 1831–1833; Charles Ball, 1833–1835; Isaac I. Rapelye, 1835; Matthew Wendell, 1836; Adrian Vanderveer, 1837–1839; John B. Zabriskie, 1839; Purcell Cooke, 1840–1842; Theodore L. Mason, 1842–1844; Bradley Parker, 1844; Purcell Cooke, 1845; J. Sullivan Thorne, 1846; Lucius Hyde, 1847; Chauncey L. Mitchell, 1848; Henry J. Cullen, 1849; James H. Henry, 1850; Samuel J. Osborne, 1851; George Marvin, 1852; Andrew Otterson, 1853–1855; George I. Bennet, 1855; T. Anderson Wade, 1856; Samuel Boyd, 1857; Chauncey L. Mitchell, 1858–1860; Daniel Brooks, 1860; C. R. McClellan, 1861; Samuel Hart, 1862; DeWitt C. Enos, 1863; Joseph C. Hutchinson, 1864; John T. Conkling, 1865; Andrew Otterson, 1866; William W. Reese, 1867; R. Cresson Stiles, 1868–1870; J. H. Hobart Burge, 1870–1872; William Henry Thayer, 1872–1874; A. J. C. Skene, 1874–1876; A. Hutchins, 1876–1879; J. S. Prout, 1879; Charles Jewett, 1880–1883; G. G. Hopkins, 1883. In 1829 there were thirty-six active members belonging to the society. In 1836 the Code of Ethics of the state society was adopted, and in 1848 the Code of Ethics of the American Medical Association. From its foundation in 1822, till the repeal of that power by the Legislature in 1881, the Kings County Society conferred sixteen licenses to practice medicine.—S. M. O.

7 The first post-office at Gravesend was established in 1843.

8 J. C. Vanderbilt's Social History of Flatbush gives some exceedingly interesting glimpses of life in this region during and after the Revolutionary period.

9 The "public whipper" received a salary of $15 a year.

10 Tunis G. Bergen was born at New Utrecht in 1806. The Cropsey family, prominent at New Utrecht, is descended from Geerte Jans Kasparse, who came from Holland, with her two sons, Joost and Johannis, in 1652. Joost, third son of this Joost, had one son, Casper, who held office in New Utrecht, and died in 1806, leaving six sons and several daughters. Other descendants were Jerome Ryersen Cropsey, Andrew G. Cropsey, and William Cropsey. The last named was for several terms supervisor of New Utrecht.

11 History of Kings County, p. 279.

12 This fine specimen of old Dutch architecture is still standing on Evergreen Avenue.

13 Historic and Antiquarian Scenes in Brooklyn and its Vicinity, p. 47.

14 The assumption that the Dutch youth required to be taught "convivial customs" by the "arrogant Anglo-American youngers" is scarcely supported by definite testimony.

15 The ancestral farm and home of the Wyckoffs is on the boundary line between Brooklyn and Newtown, beyond Metropolitan Avenue.

16 "History of Williamsburgh," in Stiles's History of Kings County.

17 Printed in the Long Island Star, February 14, 1811.

18 Furman's MS.

19 Fulton and Livingston had obtained from the Legislature the monopoly of steam navigation on all the waters of New York for thirty years from 1808.

20 Historical Sketch of Fulton Ferry.

21 Corporation Manual, 1870.

22 The Corporation of New York at one time even questioned the right of Brooklyn's inhabitants to cross the river, ferriage free, in their own boats.

23 See Appendix III.

24 Walt Whitman was born at West Hills, Long Island, in 1819. During the time of his residence in Brooklyn he did editorial writing for both the Times and the Eagle. In the following letter to Mr. Charles M. Skinner, of Brooklyn, he describes his newspaper work in this city:—

328 Mickle Street, Camden, New Jersey,

January 19, '85.

Dear Sir,—In hasty answer to your request asking me to specify over my own signature what year I worked as an editorial writer in the Brooklyn Times office, I would say that if I remember right it was along in 1856, or just before. I recollect (doubtless I am now going to be egotistical about it) the question of the new Water Works (magnificently outlined by McAlpine, and duly carried out and improved by Kirkwood, first-class engineers both) was still pending, and the works, though well under way, continued to be strongly opposed by many. With the consent of the proprietor, I bent the whole weight of the paper steadily in favor of the McAlpine plan, as against a flimsy, cheap, and temporary series of works that would have long since broken down, and disgraced the city.

This, with my course on another matter,—the securing to public use of Washington Park (old Fort Greene), stoutly championed by me some thirty-five years ago, against heavy odds, during an editorship of the Brooklyn Eagle,—are "feathers in my wings" that I would wish to preserve.

I heard lately with genuine sorrow of the death of George C. Bennett. I remember him well as a good, generous, honorable man.

I send best greetings to your staff, and, indeed, to all the Brooklyn journalists.

Walt Whitman.

Whitman's poem "Crossing the Williamsburgh Ferry" is familiar to readers of his Leaves of Grass.

25 Brooklyn Compendium.

26 The Young Men's Christian Association of Brooklyn was organized during the same year.

27 Up to the time of present writing morning journalism has never been successful in Brooklyn, the metropolitan newspapers of New York having from the outset filled the field, and prevented a financial success for any but the evening papers.

28 "Yet, although Brooklyn had thus, at a single bound, jumped from the seventh to the third position among the cities of the American Union, it could by no means claim the same relative position in point of wealth, business, or commercial importance, being outranked in these respects by several cities of less population. Nor had it risen to its eminence by virtue of its own inherent vigor and enterprise. Candor certainly compels the acknowledgment that it was chiefly attributable to the overflowing prosperity and greatness of its giant neighbor, New York."—Stiles's History of Kings County, vol. i. p. 485.

29 Martin Kalbfleisch was elected Mayor on the Democratic ticket, receiving a majority of 5136, in a total vote of 28,280, over his opponent, Frederick Scholes.

30 The statue was unveiled in October, 1869. A. A. Low presided, and the presentation address was made by James P. Wallace, on behalf of the War Fund Committee. The oration was by Dr. Storrs.

31 Mr. Beecher was appointed chaplain of the Thirteenth Regiment in 1878. Dr. Storrs had already occupied this post.

32 Colonel Meserole was made brigadier-general in 1868.

33 The same name had been chosen by Colonel Roehr's father, Edward Franz Roehr, for a newspaper first issued in 1854, and running for one year. Edward Roehr's Williamsburgh printing office and bookstore also sent forth a Masonic journal called Der Triangel, which flourished for twenty-five years.

34 In connection with the cupola of the City Hall, a very interesting incident occurred in 1852. It was noticed that this feature of the building swayed, and needed to be strengthened. The necessary steps were taken to render it firm and secure. At the time the men were engaged in the work the court of oyer and terminer was holding a session in the room known and distinguished as the Governor's room, Judge N. B. Morse presiding. One day while the court was engaged in a criminal trial, a beam which was being raised slipped from the rope, and fell upon the roof above the court-room, causing the plaster and ceiling to give way. At once the court officers, jurors, and spectators became alarmed; some ran for the door, some for the windows, and others sought refuge under the tables. Judge Morse took a position by one of the windows, and, shaking his fist at the audience, exclaimed, "The wicked flee when no man pursueth." A few of the frightened ones got on their knees and fervently prayed. The prisoner at the bar was the only one unmoved.—S. M. O.

35 Manuscript history.

36 Brooklyn Eagle, May 24, 1884.

37 The single exception to Roebling's plan offered by the commission was that they demanded a central height of 135 feet, instead of 130 feet, in the central span.

38 Samuel T. Powell had occupied the Mayor's chair for two terms, closing in 1861. He again entered the office in 1872.

39 Mr. Beecher came to Brooklyn in 1847, and died at his post forty years later, on March 8, 1887. His relations to the city of Brooklyn were exceptional, and in many respects marvelous. No other single personality in this city ever won a prominence so significant, so salutary, so momentous. One of Brooklyn's most brilliant thinkers, writers, and speakers, the Rev. John W. Chadwick, D.D., has spoken of Mr. Beecher as 'the most unique and splendid personality of our civic history; one of the most unique and splendid in the history of the United States and their colonial beginnings.' The homage to Beecher's genius as a teacher and leader of men has come from thinking men wherever the English language is spoken. The homage which belongs to him as a citizen, as a pastor, as a humanitarian, as a patriot, has been enthusiastically offered by his fellow-countrymen, and particularly by his neighbors in the city of Brooklyn. The bronze monument to Mr. Beecher, designed by John Q. A. Ward, was placed in front of the City Hall in 1891.

40 Seth Low on "Municipal Government," in Bryce's American Commonwealth, vol. i. p. 626.

41 Commenting on the Brooklyn system, Fiske says: "It insures unity of administration, it encourages promptness and economy, it locates and defines responsibility, and it is so simple that everybody can understand it. The people, having but few officers to elect, are more likely to know something about them. Especially since everybody understands that the success of the government depends upon the character of the Mayor, extraordinary pains are taken to secure good mayors; and the increased interest in city politics is shown by the fact that in Brooklyn more people vote for Mayor than for Governor or for President."

42 The increase in the bulk of the city vote since 1877 is shown by the fact that the vote for Howell had been 36,343, as against 33,538 for John F. Henry.

43 Joseph C. Hendrix was appointed postmaster of Brooklyn in 1886, and made a record in that office unequaled by any postmaster the city ever had. Indeed, his reforms and innovations made for him a conspicuous reputation at Washington. In 1892, Hendrix was elected to Congress. He has rendered highly important service to the city in the board of education.

44 See p. 166.

45 The history of the Institute is taken from the fifth Year Book, 1893.

46 The Regents of the University of the State of New York, who had granted a provisional charter in 1889.

47 The present building of the Young Men's Christian Association, at Fulton and Bond streets, has been occupied since 1885. It has a circulating library of over 13,000 volumes, a finely equipped gymnasium, running-track, bowling-alleys, and swimming-tank, two large lecture-halls, and evening classes registering 700 men. The fine building of the Young Women's Christian Association, at the junction of Schermerhorn Street and Flatbush Avenue, has been occupied since 1888. It has eighteen class-rooms for educational work, a library with about 6000 volumes, a lecture-hall seating 650, assembly-rooms seating 400, an excellent gymnasium and running-track, and medical department.

48 See p. 165 of this volume.

49 The practice of establishing classes for Chinamen in connection with Sunday-schools has occasioned many and prolonged discussions in Brooklyn, and has been strongly assailed, particularly in those instances where the teaching of mature Chinamen was intrusted to young unmarried women.

50 Eagle Almanac, 1894.

51 Corporation Manual, for 1863, compiled by Henry McCloskey, City Clerk.

52 See Appendix.

53 Leffert Lefferts was the first president of the Long Island Bank.

54 Read by Mr. Ostrander before the Long Island Historical Society, February 1, 1881.

55 Understood to have originated in the shortening of Rembrandt into Rem.

56 From compilation in Eagle Almanac, 1892.

57 The value of hired property is not included for 1890, because it was not reported in 1880.

58 No inquiry in 1880 relating to "Miscellaneous expenses."

59 The amount stated represents the "net debt," or the total amount of municipal debt less sinking fund.

60 To avoid disclosure of operations of individual establishments, only such industries as have 3 or more establishments engaged therein are included.