The history of early Bayside is
closely identifed with that of Flushing. The earliest known inhabitants
of Northeast Queens — Bayside,
Flushing, Douglaston and Little Neck — were the Matinecock Indians,
one of the thirteen tribes on Long Island. They were a numerous and prosperous
tribe who engaged in hunting and fishing Their prime industry, however, was
the manufacture of wampum, which is a type of small cylindrical bead made
from white or purple seashells. The shells were found in the bays and inlets
of the north shore of Long Island, and were of superior quality. They were
highly prized by the Indians who lived in interior areas. They used the beads
to make necklaces, or wove them into belts of considerable beauty. The Indians
attached a mystical power to the beads. They were used not only to decorate
clothing, but also for other purposes — to honor a noble deed, to seal
a contract, to pay tribute, and for other symbolic reasons. It is generally
believed that wampum was used as monetary exchange, but the Indians did not
use it as such until the practice was introduced by the Dutch sometime later.
1639
The Dutch Governor, William Kieft, purchased all the land that today encompasses
Queens County from the Indians.
1645
The town of Flushing was founded on October 10, 1645. The Governor signed a
charterwhich conveyed tracts of land to eighteen settlers, most of them English,
who had requested the protection of Governor Kieft. The "certain quantity
or parcel of land" extended from Flushing Creek to the western shore of
Matagarison's (Little Neck) Bay. Thus, Bayside, then an un-named locality,
became the eastern boundary of Flushing - - "Vlissingen", as it was
called by the Dutch. Two of the patentees were brothers, John and William Lawrence,
who had emigrated from England in 1635. William was only twenty-two years old.
He received the largest grant. It encompassed a large portion of what is today
Bayside, in addition to a section of Tue's Neck (College Point) and an unknown
amount of land in the town of Flushing. The land acquired by the new settlers
was still wilderness, so it was probably for protection that they clustered
together on their "home-lots" in the village. In the early eighteenth
century, the first Lawrence homestead was built in Bayside. Joseph, son of
the deceased William, received an extensive tract of land along Little Neck
Bay as a legacy from his mother. Thirteen generations of Lawrences were to
live on that tract of land overlooking the bay.
The Lawrence famiIy was a dominating
force in colonial history. WilIiam, one of the wealthiest men in the colonies,
served as a magistrate
under Dutch and English rules. His brother John was Mayor of the City under
both rules, and served as Justice of the Supreme Court from 1693 until his
death in 1699. An eighteenth century descendant, John Lawrence, was appointed
Judge-Advocate for the trial of the British spy Major John Andre. Another
descendant was the famous naval hero, Captain James Lawrence, who lost his
life in the conflict of 1813. During the fierce battle between his ship,
the Chesapeake, and the British ship, the Shannon, he was mortally wounded.
As he lay dying, he gave his last command, "Don't give up the ship!"
Bayside's last tangible link with
colonial history is the Lawrence Cemetery. located at 216th Street and
42nd Avenue. The land is part of the
original grant received by William from Governor Kieft in 1645. Among those
buried there are Cornelius VanWyck Lawrence, Mayor of New York City (1834-37),
Judge Effingham Lawrence and eleven of his twelve children, one of whom was
Joseph, an editor of the San Francisco newspaper, the "Golden Era".
Joseph was credited with discovering the authors Bret Harte and Mark Twain.
The Alley
Until 1824 there were no bridges over the Flushing River or at the head of
Little Neck Bay, where Northern Boulevard is today. For those who travelled
from New York City to eastern Long Island, it was necessary to go around the
water on a street called Alley Road.The road ran through the area known as "The
Alley", between the water and the hill to the south. Today, the Long Island
Expressway Service Road is there.
1821
A small settlement, known as the Alley Pond Trading Post was located at the
roadside close to the pond. It provided for the needs of local farmers with
a general store, grist-mill, and blacksmith shop. It was also the site of Flushing's
first post office, which was officially called "The Alley Post Office".
From 1821 until 1826, Postmaster Samuel Barnum presided over his mail in a
corner of Benjamin Loweree's store. Then, the post office moved to Flushing.
When the railroad came to Long Island, the commercial development
of Bayside, Little Neck and Douglaston began. The importance of the Alley
settlement waned. By the time the Cross Island Parkway and Long Island Expressway
were built, the buildings were in disrepair. They were finalIy demolished.
Today, the land and its history are incorporated into Alley Pond Park.
