This bridge changed everything on Staten Island, changing it from a rural area of small towns and open spaces and farms (which I recall) to one of suburbia. I remember going to Fort Wadsworth with my family in the early 1960s to check the progress of the building of the bridge. The fort is now open to the public, and it is managed by the National Park Service and is part of the Gateway National Recreation Area.
Staten Island was a Tory area during the American Revolution. However, I read an account that said Americans were standing in the area of the picture above when British ships left New York after losing the revolution. Apparently the British fired a shot at the new citizens of America as they were yellling insults at the departing soldiers and sailors of their former country.
Two books about the bridge that are available for borrowing are The Bridge by Gay Talese and Spanning the Narrows by Brian Merlis.
The South Beach branch is close by this scene.
Every summer we would stay
Every summer we would stay at my Uncle's (Dr. Herbert V. McCormick, 154 Johnson Ave) for a month to get us out of Jersey City. I didn't like it much for the crickets keep me awake. I do remember walking to MainSt. to get bread at the end of the street. I'm past 80 and do have some fond memories of the ice cream pollar and movies. We would take the ferry over to Perth Amboy and while my Uncle visited a relative we would go shopping. My Uncle Bert died in 1945 and my good Aunt Margaret. died 1981. They were both buried at the Bedell Funeral Home that my Uncle often said were related. In the late 1970's my aunt told me the house would be closed up and everything would be sold at auction with the proceeded left to her only nephew who was born blind. Until 1963 when we moved to Missouri, we would go over from Holmdell, NJ and mow her lawn. As fate had it we were notified by here caregiver that she had changed her will leaving the house to a church.The proceeds from the auction was devided between about 15 relatives in the sum of
4400.00 plus. We would have been happen IF her nephew receive it all. The Reverand's wife showed me a box of pictures but didn't offer me any. This may be of interest because of the many old pictures that were in the box of Tottenville. The Rev. Williams retired and moved somewhere in NJ so say the neighbors said when I was on a genealogy hunt a few years ago.
I'm doing Genealogy and found that my Uncle's father was Rev. William H. McCormick 1832 Morristown and had been a circuit rider stationed in Staten Island and well as his son Rev. Charles Wesley 1857 NJ.
I have often thought a Totten of Morris Co. paid my Uncle's way though dental school. The Totten's had a famous dentist son Van Doren Totten so I figured being the Sirus Totten was married to a Catherine McCormick 1835 that this was the connection. Can't prove it yet as well as relative in Pearth Smboy.
Justine McCormick Peterson, Mesa, AZ.
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