Brooklyn, New York, USA (Flatlands) (Flatbush) (Coney Island)
1895 - Brooklyn

Brooklyn, a city, seaport, and capital of Kings co, N.Y., at the W. and S.W. ends of Long Island, 146 miles S. of Albany, and 235 miles by rail N.E. from Washington. Lat. of the navy-yard, 40° 51' 30" N.; lon. 73° 59' 30" W. A strait called the East River, varying from one-half to one mile in width, and connecting Long Island Sound with the upper New York Bay, separates Brooklyn from New York City, while the navigable Newtown Creek separates it from Long Island City on the N. and N.E., The northern part of Brooklyn consists of the former city of Williamsburg and the town of Greenpoint, while recent additions (1894) in other directions have made the city coextensive with Kings county. In the west central part of the city is a debouchment of the East River known as Wallabout Bay, on the E. and S. shores of which is located the United States Navy Yard. The section known as "The Hill" extends from Myrtle Avenue, just S. of the Navy-Yard, to the confines of Prospect Park and Greenwood Cemetery. Here and on Columbia Heights, along the southern shore of the East River, are elegant mansions and handsome residences. South of the "Heights," on New York Bay, skirting Buttermilk Channel, is South Brooklyn or Gowanus. Near the extreme southern end of the city, situated upon a high ridge and overlooking Gowanus Bay, New York Bay, New York City, and Brooklyn, with views of Jersey City, Greenville, and Staten Island, is the famed Greenwood Cemetery, containing about 400 acres; while on the same ridge is situated Prospect Park, covering 570 acres, the cost of which, including its adornments and the two magnificent boulevards connected with it, forming a continuous drive from the beach at Coney Island to East New York, has been nearly $12,000,000. In the latter annexed district is Ridge wood Reservoir, from which, principally, the city is sup plied with water. The suburbs of the city are filled with residences of surpassing elegance, surrounded by yards adorned with beautiful gardens and shrubbery.

Thirteen lines of steam ferry-boats connect the various sections of Brooklyn with New York, and other lines connect it with Jersey City. The East River Suspension Bridge, finished May 24, 1883, and designed to accommodate rail way-traffic as well as foot-passage and carriages, extends from Brooklyn to New York. This is next to the longest suspension bridge in the world, having a total length of 5987 feet, with a span of 1595 feet and a breadth of 85 feet. A suspension bridge connecting New York with Broadway, Brooklyn, is also in course of construction. Brooklyn is the terminus of branches of the main Long Island rail. way system, connecting it with Greenport and Sag Harbor and all the principal points on Long Island, while "Annex" boats transfer passengers to and from the trunk railroad lines at Jersey City and also connect with the Albany and Boston boats. Five steam railways and 2 electric roads connect it with Coney Island. The system of street and suburban railways is very extensive, including three systems of elevated roads, with five distinct lines. Freight cars are also brought to its docks and warehouses by floats and steam-tugs, great numbers of which are employed in this business...

Brooklyn was incorporated in the year 1646 by the authorities of New Amsterdam (New York City), and named Breukelen, from a town of the same name in the Netherlands (Holland). It was incorporated as a township, under its present name, in April, 1806, and as a city, with the same area, 6 miles long and 4 miles wide, in 1834. In 1855, Brooklyn, Williamsburg, and Bushwick were united under one government. In 1894 the city was made co extensive with Kings county. It ranks as the fourth in the United States in population.

The number of its inhabitants in 1810 was 4402; in 1820, 7175; in 1830, 15,396; in 1840, 36,233; in 1850, 96,838; in 1860, 266,661; in 1870,396,0.99; in 1880, 566,663; in 1890, 806,343.

Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World Containing Notices of Over One Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Places ... Joseph Thomas January 1, 1895 J.B. Lippincott

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