The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-04-03
LAYING OFT BROaDW ~.
lss~ the CItys Gr-As Midway Decam,
What % D. TO-dny.

| To TINE EDITOR OP THE SUN-S,r Tho
writer who said In THE SrS Of March -
that COWS were the probable engineer VINO
laid out Broadway evidently does not know
the early history of that thoroughfAre
| II II probable that the earliest Dutch road
running out Of the city followed ladia1
trails and that Broadway south 81 the ros'
once was part NJ an Indian trail The
early Topography ~ this Part 81 Manhattan
, Island will show that this - the natural
route an indiv idual would take IN going
to the sOuthernmost point 81 the island
| 4 riVulet ran on the line of the present ley
street to the Hudson. which was then On
the line Of Greenwich street A creek ran
| from about Nassau street TO the East River
on the line Of Maiden lane. street road
or trail would run between the heads Of
| these two streams
Furthe south there was q blun overlook
ing the river nov Indicated by the rear wall
Of Trinity Churchyard. still further south
there was a marsh with = stream through
Il. on the line Of Beaver street The line
OF Broadway r. the only one which would
run directly 70 the Indian settlement nesr
the lower end of the island and void 'he
natural obstacles on the route.
u y hardly necessary to show WHY the
route nOrthward followed the present PARK
row and the Bowery The early post ROAD
which Was originally laid out IN isss ~ n"
| out in s39. was a very crooked road touch
| ing the elite OF the present Flstiron Building
Al one Point TO about Fifiy-iouTth stree.
9th fhird avenue south q lhe pfs.ea.
the suppo-itiOn that the old post road an'
Third avenue are identical The earl
history OF Broadway y not shrouded a.
After the purchase Of MAnhattan Island
by Governor Minuit be erected a fort or
tho site OF the hlockhou-e where the neE
custom House stands, and stone M
about Broadway and Bea yer street \ pio'
a around the grave Of an "a rlier guardian or
the bios khoUse. this plot. about in1 fee
square. extending northWard from Broad
fort To the mill and another from the for
ca the cemetery are believed to have boon
the "a rliest of the Dutch roads on the Island
The only other road vas along the water
front from the hndng place about the loot
Of Broad street, Then an inlet. % the tort
CEN etery being cleo red, there wa- then an
open space With extended 10 the fort
owner of the island. the Governor set aside
= plot north Of the cemetery Tor his garden,
and beyond that was has orchard. the later
there l. no known record when the road -
the OrchaT RI was clea red u - proha hle that
this was done during the fif-t year Of Min.
uit- rule THIS j. the - rlie-t history -
Broadway as "A thorou vhfa ~. 10 Vas no.
COW Path. hpt road leadlnx from 90" tor
past the III and the cemetery TO The GOV.
ernor's orchard. The part south Of The u..l
20 the fort was Glen red for market pls ..
later the IA Rde. afterwaTd green. now
In ieH Governor Kisft granted 20 Hen
driCk Jansen a tract from about Wal stree.
to Maiden lane 90 - Of the Governor p or. b.
ard lea wing a space bet weeu the Two a. a
thorou ghfare 4 fence built across the i-'-
aud In iBta s@parated the lan~"u grant.
whirh had now bs.'orue the bsuvu Fsr..
from the village Before This Uhffl" WHn-
dered az will through heIds and Woud- roe
- a ri tbs, 0al - L. nd "a rho
ent site Of City Hall Park Nf'sr tho len"
Was ercctcd cattle we're driven turougI.
the gate IN the fence and along the side ~
OF the sevenIsen thorou Ehfares surveyed
~ rasI Nam sy. 20 me r Ta .i GiT ' F.a
now pars o. whi1shsii street. we're AID Guy
* the pMlSsIe which took The plaS" Of ne
fence IN 1858 was called Rreede Veg broad
applied 20 IL. Whole fhof"u shfare from 70 ~
fort 20 the Commons ,Ciiy Hall PET.
The map Of i.;o shows a rop', walk ga ~"
Commons was a farm road from the yu'~
OF the Lsuensrd farm. about Leonard stree
1870 When The British erected a pal -ate
Alon g the north side 81 the Commons about
iIta, they opened the vest -'dr from re
outhern point Of the Commons 70 the ROAD
% the Lspenard farm and called N" ue'
road Great George street Two year .I'"r
stresI. NO 10 further sS,ension Was made
until after the Revolution. lt was laic "u'
TO the marsh A. North street iHor-f.u
street, In isOl. cut through tn the kau'a..
estate In 1917. and followed the lane through
that estate 10 the post road AZ SiNis"n'L
street. opened In isiI
From Tits point Broadway - the old r0-'
road to Twenty third street. North ~
lwensy-thtrd street broadway T. ~" u.'
Hoo min <dale road. laid out In I;O1 straight
=asd and Widsned. " Sn- opened un fi"
present. line to Sevcuty-nr@t street In ~.
and the part from Thirt fourth 10 I'i.'
ninth street was Widenet 10 - pr"-Hu'
width lef tween 1893 and 1870. The pr'Eiu..
liloomtn gdals road ended ~ the DE IA
farmhouse. about nth street North 90
street vas a farm road
old broadway. from Lawrence. stree -
&c Etrssi. is par ~ obi road. 90 Ply
Broadway north 81 ia~th street Wa ''r-
merry kingrbridRr road. laid out ~ l'.'CN
and Albany l. T.
NEw NOHE March 81