Two Bridges in Manhattan in New York County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
1883 The City of Brooklyn
The Atlantic Basin
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, May 20, 2012
1. 1883 The City of Brooklyn Marker
Inscription.
1883 The City of Brooklyn. The Atlantic Basin. Brooklyn, first settled by the Dutch in the 1630s, was incorporated as a city in 1834. During the nineteenth century it gradually absorbed the nearby towns of Williamsburgh, Bushwick, New Lots, Flatbush, Gravesend, New Utrecht and Flatlands, and grew to encompass nearly 80 square miles. When construction of the Brooklyn Bridge began in the late 1860s, Brooklyn was a bustling city of nearly half a million residents. It boasted a flourishing maritime industry, many cultural institutions, Prospect Park and its own newspaper, the “Brooklyn Eagle,” whose best known editor was Walt Whitman. In 1898, against the wishes of the many proud Brooklynites who wanted the city to remain independent, Brooklyn became a borough of Greater New York., The Atlantic Basin , By the late 1860s, the six-mile stretch of Brooklyn’s waterfront between Greenpoint on the north and Red Hook on the south was solidly lined with docks and warehouses. Here merchant ships from around the world came to trade fruit, sugar, tea and other goods for American products. Brooklyn’s oldest shipping facility is the Atlantic Basin, in Red Hook which dates from 1841. Originally, the 40-acre protected basin served as the end destination for boats that brought grain from the Midwest via the Erie Canal and the Hudson River. On the wharves that edged the basin, the grain was cleaned, sorted and loaded onto ships for export. Although its days as a grain depot are long gone, the Atlantic Basin remains an active maritime facility.
Brooklyn, first settled by the Dutch in the 1630s, was incorporated as a city in 1834. During the nineteenth century it gradually absorbed the nearby towns of Williamsburgh, Bushwick, New Lots, Flatbush, Gravesend, New Utrecht and Flatlands, and grew to encompass nearly 80 square miles. When construction of the Brooklyn Bridge began in the late 1860s, Brooklyn was a bustling city of nearly half a million residents. It boasted a flourishing maritime industry, many cultural institutions, Prospect Park and its own newspaper, the “Brooklyn Eagle,” whose best known editor was Walt Whitman. In 1898, against the wishes of the many proud Brooklynites who wanted the city to remain independent, Brooklyn became a borough of Greater New York.
The Atlantic Basin
By the late 1860s, the six-mile stretch of Brooklyn’s waterfront between Greenpoint on the north and Red Hook on the south was solidly lined with docks and warehouses. Here merchant ships from around the world came to trade fruit, sugar, tea and other goods for American products. Brooklyn’s oldest shipping facility is the Atlantic Basin, in Red Hook which dates from 1841. Originally, the 40-acre protected basin served as the end destination for boats that brought grain from the Midwest via the Erie Canal and the Hudson River. On the wharves that edged the basin, the grain
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was cleaned, sorted and loaded onto ships for export. Although its days as a grain depot are long gone, the Atlantic Basin remains an active maritime facility.
Erected 1983 by The 1983 Brooklyn Bridge Centennial Commission.
Location. 40° 42.428′ N, 73° 59.907′ W. Marker is in Manhattan, New York, in New York County. It is in Two Bridges. Marker can be reached from Brooklyn Bridge. This marker is located on the Brooklyn Bridge Promenade at the northwest tower observation platform, facing Brooklyn. Although marker is nearer the Manhattan end of the bridge, we have used a Brooklyn zip code since the marker refers to Brooklyn. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 52 Brooklyn Bridge Promenade, New York NY 10038, United States of America. Touch for directions.
More about this marker. This marker is presented in several photos as a readable version of it could not be shown in one photograph.
Additional commentary. 1. About the Marker While the marker is about Brooklyn, it stands on the Manhattan side of the border.
— Submitted August 30, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, May 20, 2012
3. 1883 The City of Brooklyn Marker
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, May 20, 2012
4. 1883 The City of Brooklyn Marker
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, May 20, 2012
5. 1883 The City of Brooklyn Marker
Caption: East River.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, May 20, 2012
6. 1883 The City of Brooklyn Marker
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, May 20, 2012
7. 1883 The City of Brooklyn Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on January 31, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 28, 2013, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 520 times since then and 6 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on January 28, 2013, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.