Manhattan Past

The Streets of Manhattan. Just the Streets.

Peter Stuyvesant proclaims a day of Thanksgiving at Fort Amsterdam, August 25, 1655

Honorable, Right Beloved :

Considering on the one side the manifold mercies and goodness of God which His bounty, from time to time not only hath exhibited, but also continued to this young budding Province, whereof there have been no few proofs— the sudden and unexpected changing of a dreaded war into an acceptable peace vouchsafed unto us last year, since which time God’s mercies and blessings have not failed us, neither in our outgoings nor our incomings, nor in the departure nor return of divers vessels and persons wherein the good people of this Province were, generally, interested; Whereunto is also to be added God’s blessing, generally, in the advancement, prosperity, and settlement not only of the State, in general, but also of each individual in particular, which ought to move every one to grateful acknowledgment and thankfulness, sensible that this, alone, is the right key to open unto us the further treasures of God’s merciful favor and blessings.

Considering, on the other hand, the resolution and order of the Supreme Magistracy of this Province to be undertaken and executed under God’s guidance for the further benefit and security of this Colony; whereunto then, first of all, God’s especial blessing, aid, and countenance should be, with humble heart and earnest prayer, besought; the Director General and Supreme Council of this Province have, before all things thought necessary to ordain and prescribe a day of general Fasting, Prayer and Thanksgiving which shall be observed every where, throughout this Province, on Wednesday next, being the 25th of this Month of August, in the fore and afternoon of that day, publicly to preach at the usual place, God’s word, after hearing which to laud and praise the Allgood God for His general and particular blessings, favors and benefits exhibited and continued towards this Province and the good people thereof; on the other side, to pray God with humble hearts that he would please not only to continue the same, but also (which is the principal object of this Order) especially to beseech the Good God to bless the projected expedition, solely intended for the greater security and advancement of this Province; to prosper it for the honour of His name and to bring it to the wished for issue, considering that all undertakings, counsels, and projects are idle and vain which have not God’s Holy blessing. Therefore the Servants of God’s word are requested to form Texts, Prayers and Thanksgiving to this purpose, and all subjects professing the Reformed Religion are charged to attend the same, at the appointed time, at the place where God’s word is usually preached in order, with each other, to praise and thank the Allbeneficent God for received gifts and to pray for his blessing as well over the country and good people thereof in general, as especially over the proposed expedition.

Likewise that He would please to take under His Merciful Protection the Director General, Councillors, and other High and Inferior Officers with their Men and Ships, and their undertaking in such wise to bless that all may result to His holy name’s honor; to the establishment of his holy Gospel and to the advantage of this province and the good People thereof. For the better observance and attention thereof, the Director General and Council forbid all common business on that day, such as ploughing, sowing, mowing, fishing, hunting etc., as well as all games of tennis, ballplaying, tapping, and drinking on pain of arbitrary correction.

This done in the Assembly of the Hon’ble Lords Director General and Supreme Council, holden in Fort Amsterdam in New Netherland the 16 August. 1655 P. Stuyvesant

Minutes of the Court of Burgomasters and Schepens, 1653-1655



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Wally Ballou interviews a visitor from Vermont on the streets of Manhattan, 1959

NYC Orders Seawall Improved After Major Storm - 1821

October 1, 1821

The Committee appointed to Superintend the Improvements at the Battery presented the following:

The Committee appointed to Superintend the Improvements at the Battery having viewed the destruction occasioned by the late Gale.

Report, that in order to prevent further loss, which may be occasioned by leaving many parts of the ground at the Battery exposed (as at present) to the storms of the approaching Winter, It will be highly necessary that a quantity of stone should be procured and so placed as to break the force of the Sea, Your Committee therefore recommend the board to make an appropriation to the amount expressed in the annexed Resolution, In the expenditure of which there will be no loss, as your Committee are of opinion stone will cost very little if any more than Earth, and is much better for the purpose required

Resolved that One Thousand Dollars be placed at the disposal of the Committee to superintend the improvements at the Battery

Respectfully Submitted

Henry J Wyckoff
M Gelston
John P Anthony
Wm H Ireland
B Crane

Minutes of the Common Council of the City of New York

This original German version is hard to find, but the US edition, called Popville is available at amazon

Early Manhattan Attacked by Pigs


Honorable, Dear and Distinguished [Friends].

We see with great grief the damages, done to the walls of the fort by hogs, especially now again in the spring, when the grass comes out. We made an order concerning it last year at the request of the Select Men, who promised properly to fence in the fort and to keep the hogs meanwhile from the walls. But seeing after the lapse of a year, that nothing or at least only little has been done and that what has been done at the fort has again been destroyed by the pigs, as may daily be learned, we are compelled to enter a protest about the nonfulfilment of the promise, being told, that the failure of it, the destruction of the walls and all our works, is caused by the Select Men having been superceded and their authority and duties transferred to Burgomasters and Schepens, who had accepted to do the work. How this is, we do not know, but we see to our trouble and shame the pigs daily on the walls, busy with their destruction. Therefore we request Burgomasters and Schepens to give an order in accordance with the beforementioned promise and prevent the pigs. Else we shall be compelled to carry out our former order. Relying thereon we remain, Honorable, Dear, Distinguished [Friends]

Your well meaning friend N. Amsterdam, P. Stuyvesant.

ult° March, 1653

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Respected and Very Dear [Friends] :—We cannot, consistently with duty, omit calling your Worships’ attention to the injurious and intolerable destruction, which we, to our great dissatisfaction, daily behold the hogs committing on the newly finished works of the fort, whence the ruin thereof will certainly ensue.

And whereas Burgomasters and Schepens, in violation of their solemn promises made both in writing and orally, will not lend a hand to repairing and strengthening the same, we can certainly expect, they will adopt measures and take care, that what we with great pains and labor have brought so far will not again be destroyed by hogs, and thus all our labor be rendered useless, it being certainly the practice in no place to permit cattle to run at large to the injury and damage both of individuals and the public. Without more remonstrance then, in case this matter is not speedily and promptly attended to by your Worships, we hereby protest, that necessity compels us to provide therein by the following Ordinance and Placard, whereof we by these presents, do first notify the Burgomasters and Schepens, and clear ourselves of all damage and injury that may follow therefrom. Done at Fort Amsterdam in New Netherland the 12th August, 1653.

(Signed) P. Stuyvesant.



More on the hogs of New York

First Sidewalk in Manhattan

In June, 1672, the Mayor’s Court of New Amsterdam ordered

 a Strooke or foot path to be paved before the front of the houses, from the house of Mr Bedloo at the Waterside to the house of Cornelis van Borsum, and from thence to the house of Mr Steenwyk [and from] the house of Dom. Niewenhuysen to the State house.

While footpaths were not uncommon in the early city, this marks the first occurrence of what we would recognize as a sidewalk: a paved path running along the front of the houses. The sidewalk ran in front of the waterfront houses that stood along what is now the north side of Pearl Street between Whitehall and Coenties Alley, where the State House stood.

Isaac Bedloo, at whose house the sidewalk started, was alderman at the time the sidewalk was ordered, and a member of the Mayor’s Court that ordered it. One imagines he expressed his favor for having a dry, paved passage from his front step to the State House where meetings were held.