New-York tribune., 1906-05-13
GOSSIP OF THE BOROUGH
When Fulton Street Was Only a
C0zo Path.

That Fulton street was ~0zs<S a mere cnwpath
IS hardly conceivable to modern Brooklynites
who are familiar with the borough's busiest
thoroughfare as 1T is to-day. Yet in a way the
historic fact Is not so incongruous. No creature
with larger mathematical bump than the
phrenologists assert is TO be found in bOvines
could have marked out so crooked a way. Along
its sinuous course streets radiate to every point
Of the compass. At one time or another almost
every important street in the borough reaches
Fulton street Perhaps it is because of this that
Il has been able to gain much local impor-
tance as a centre of trade
When Fulton street was a cowpath the old
Dutch settlement that has developed into the
City of Churches was known as "Breuckelen'
In time the cowpath received the name Of the
Ferry Road" only the lower portion Of It had
any semblance of road. This started the
ferry and ran uptown just about as its more
pretentious successor does to-day.
Between the ferry and where the Borough Hall
now stands the Dutch built fort. When this
fort was torn down the first OF the long list Of
Brooklyn churches was erected. Across the road
from the church a graveyard was laid out but
not a vestige Of either the building the graves
now remains
Fulton Ferry is one Of the Oldest ferries be-
tween the shore Of Brooklyn and that of Man
granted the ferry operators their first lease.
As the locality grew more populous. little set
flements-Gowanus, Red Hook, Bedford, Grip
plebush Wallabout and others-joined and be-
came Brooklyn The chief occupation Of the
early Brooklynites was farming traces of which
occupation are still to be observed under strin-
gent police protection in the suburbs Brooklyn
was not much Of a town two hundred years
ago. It's assessed valuation in 1907 was only
Sl5.0O0-the price Of a couple of the regulation
@)x10O-foot building lots OF to-day
Brooklyn was some" in the burglar line even
then, however. The Masonic" burglar would
probably blush with embarrassment IL he
should hear what an insignificant amateur he
IS compared with some OF the fun nedged nj
Sates that they used to turn out on the western
END OF Long Island. No less a person than the
distinguished Captain Kidd himself took IN
Brooklyn his first lessons IN the craft he after-
ward perfected. The first heard OF the captain
was when he led a party OF Brooklyn farmers
IN an expedition to clear the surrounding waters
Of freebOOters.
In time Fulton street was laid out in a care
ful style and was called the Kings Highway
All the prosperous citizens OF F3roolylvn ls-,a5
along the Kings Highway. or from II ran :
little path that acquired the name Of Iov,
Lane The christening is attributed to a ha bi
acquired by the young men OF the early DAYS D
cutting upon the bordering fences the name y
young Dutch girl. who must have aroused IN,
Gender passions Of every youth in town to iudg
from the amount OF evidence handed down I,
poster1ty. The girl vas the beautiful Sarah a
BeFolse, the daughter OF John de Bevoise
Even in these early days the business peoni
had begun 20 locate their stores and off3oes ale-
fAis street