Special Merit Roll, October, 1914 The accompanying picture shows James H. Murray, machinist at Clifton shops, and nephew of James H. Clark, superintendent floating equipment. On August 31st, about 3 p. m. “Jim” was working on the lighter “Monocacy,” when he heard a call...

July 2, 1925: Electrification! Seen as a major improvement & an enticement of commerce in Eltingville, the Civic League sponsored a colorful event at the Eltingville Train Station on the first day that the Tottenville Branch of the Staten Island Rapid Transit Railroad went electric. The...

“…are you not a lover of trees, the most interesting and beautiful symbols of country life? They are pictures of dignity, strength and serenity. Each one has a character and a message all its own. An acre of land on Staten Island –16 lots — in New York City, covered with...

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One more tangible piece of Staten Island History was forever wiped from existence on September 2, 2010. Despite efforts to save it, the Main House of Butler Manor was promptly demolished…in record time. It should be noted that the New York City Landmarks Commission denied Landmark Status...

Past-Present: Waterfront, Saint George  A hub of activity. Ferries, Steamers, Tug Boats and the Railyard of the B&O fronting Richmond Terrace…   While there is still plenty of maritime activity in the area, the Railyard is gone – replaced by a Municipal Parking Lot, a...

Well, almost Melvin. Here’s an article that documents the renaming of the town that had the first Linoleum manufacturing operation in America…  Time Magazine, Dec. 30, 1930  National Affairs: In Linoleumville A group of fastidious Canadians at Medicine Hat, Alberta, once...

“In the year 1680 it is known that there were two churches, with houses of worship on the island. One, and perhaps the first built, was a church of the Huguenots at Fresh kill, on what is known as the Seaman farm. The services in this church for nearly forty years later were conducted in...

Curious what the Crime Rate is on Staten Island? The NYPD releases weekly COMPSTAT statistics for the major crimes committed on Staten Island. These links are updated every week. Download by clicking the following links (in PDF format — Adobe Acrobat Reader required) Last Week’s...

Faber Park Monument – UPDATE Some time ago we posted a query on our Facebook Page from one of our members, Tony M., regarding a Monument: a bronze plaque that was once affixed to a boulder at Faber Park, Port Richmond. The plaque was stolen in the 1970’s, assumed for the value of the...

Did you know that Baseball Hall of Famer Ty Cobb was the 1st Pro Athlete to appear in a motion picture? And that scenes were filmed on Staten Island? The baseball game sequence in “Somewhere in Georgia” was filmed at the Aquehonga Athletic Club, Tottenville, in 1916. Many...

Some years ago, we happened upon a folder which had a penciled handwritten note on it that said “Uncle Elmer’s House”. In it were a number of photographs – most seem to be from a prospectus for an planned estate sale. We researched what was within and determined that this folder...