March 30

Again, those who enjoy the hustle and bustle of big city life, and I mean HUSTLE and BUSTLE, you are welcome to it. I drove the entire length of Flatbush Ave today, in Brooklyn, and I hope I never have to do that again. But before that, I stopped at Gateway NRA. There are multiple “units” in this park. I only went to the Jamaica Bay area. The West Pond Trail at the VC seemed to be a bird watcher’s paradise. I saw my first Acadian Flycatcher (at least the photo I have matches what I found on the internet). Plenty of pesky Canadian Geese. A group of teenagers were being led around the trail by a park ranger. The skyline of Manhattan could be seen in the distance, and JFK jets were just to the northeast. A short trip down the Rockaway Peninsula led me to Fort Tilden. This is a previous military post, whose purpose was to protect the entrance to New York Harbor. Today one can see Battery Harris. a Nike Missile launch site, ballfields, parkland, and a theater. On the way to downtown NYC, I stopped at Floyd Bennett Field. The Ryan VC was closed, but one could look around the various hangers. This field was NYC’s first municipal airport, built in 1931. It became a Naval Air Station during World Way II.

Federal Hall NMem has seen some of the most important events in our country’s history. George Washington took the Presidential Oath of Office on its steps. The first Congress, by way of the country’s new Constitution, met here. The U.S. Supreme Court, with only three justices, resided on this property. In a short time, the building became a Customs House. It has been home to millions of dollars, acting as a sub-Treasury for a short time. There are three vaults one can view, within the rotunda of the building, each with displays showing what monies, gold, and silver were stored. Wall Street was becoming a financial giant, and the U.S. Treasury needed money “on-site” to help with operations.

A few blocks up Broadway Ave is the African Burial Ground NMon. Since around 1640 until 1795, black slaves had used this area to bury their dead. In 1991, excavation of the area, in order to build a 34-story GSA building, uncovered the remains of 419 people. Experts determined the entire track, known as “Negroes Burial Ground” up to 1754 as shown on an early map of the region, probably held close to 15,000 burials, but much of the land that contained those other people had been developed over the centuries. Efforts were undertaken to persuade the Federal Government to preserve this 6-acre area. Agreement was reached, and a National Monument was created. All remains were sent to Howard University for cataloging and research. On October 4, 2003, the bones were returned to the NYC site for an elaborate Rites of Ancestral Return ceremony, for reinterment. An Ancestral Chamber was built on the backside of the property. Until recently, one could walk into the chamber, but new studies indicate safety issues, so one can only view from the top. A 20-minute movie in the VC paints a poignant picture of the event of a slave death in the 1700s. The acting was excellent, and the film should not be missed.