A Newsflash From The Past: "Tis The Season For Drowned Bodies" In Gowanus Creek

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, May 30, 1857

While researching neighborhood history, I came across this fun, if slightly gruesome, 1857 article from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle archive on the Brooklyn Public Library web site. Reports of drownings in the Gowanus Canal were rather frequent back then, but I had never heard that there was a 'season for drowned persons." Since the article was written in May, we can assume that we are fast approaching that same time of year, though these days, there don't seem to be just as many drowning incidents as in 1850's.

The Carroll Place mentioned in the article was, of course, the stretch of Carroll Street from Smith Street to the Gowanus before it was renamed in the 1870's..

The most bizarre drowning in the Gowanus Canal had to be the sad tale of 8-year-old Tony Studo of 455 Carroll Street in 1915. His death and burial caused a row between two neighborhood undertakers, which escalated into more deaths and a brawl involving 150 people. Read about it here:

The Strange Tale Of The Gowanus Canal, The Tragic Death Of A Boy, Dueling Undertakers And The Sale Of Wood Alcohol...in 1915

Related stories:

Car Plunges Into Gowanus Canal Early On Saturday Morning

Car Plunged Into The Gowanus Canal...in 1921

Diving Into The Gowanus Canal From the 3rd Street Bridge...Back In 1979

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When A Section Of President Street Was Secor Place And Carroll Street Was Carroll Place

An 1874 Map of the Gowanus Canal area

Detail of 1874 Map

Union Street between Smith and Hoyt was once called Bergen Street

This section of President Street was Secor Place

The former Carroll Place, now Carroll Street

Second Street was known as Balchen Place

Carroll Gardener and friend Alexandrea is as passionate about the neighborhood's history as I am. Over the years, she has amassed an amazing collection of old photos and maps, which she generously shares often with me and PMFA readers. Recently, Alexandrea and I have emailed back and forth about a map from 1874 that she found of the area along the Gowanus Canal.

Very interestingly, four of the blocks between Smith and Hoyt Streets in our neighborhood had different names than they have today. For those blocks, Union Street was once called Bergen Street, President Street was Secor Place and Carroll Street was actually named Carroll Place. And Second Street, believe it or not, was called Balchen Place.

This new knowledge prompted Alexandrea and me to check historical documents and sure enough, we came across plenty of evidence that these blocks went by those names.

It has even been suggested by some neighborhood old-timers that Carroll Place and Secor Place (President) between Smith and Hoyt, which are close to the once private community garden now known as Carroll Park, were gated.

It is difficult to pinpoint exactly when the streets were renamed, but from my search, I would conclude that the switch happened around the time the 1874 map above was printed since the name still appear in newspaper ads at that time. (See the 1875 'for sale' ad below.)

These streets were all laid out on land that belonged to farmer Jacob Bergen, descendant of a Dutch/Norwegian family. (You can read some fascinating Bergen family history here) The area of Bergen's farm was known as Bergen Hill and ran along the Gowanus Canal to Smith Street.

Below are some great information Alexandrea and I stumbled upon when we searched these old street names. I'll post more soon.

And as always, Alexandrea, thanks for sharing your finds with me and with everyone else.

Brooklyn Eagle Archive, November 23, 1854

***Take the time to read the mention of the desirability of the

proximity to the Gowanus canal in the ad above.

Brooklyn Eagle Archive From 1875

Sales ad for the lot now occupied by #259 Carroll Street

Brooklyn Eagle Archive, March 20, 1875

The J. Bedell mentioned above was the builder of several houses on Carroll Street.

He had his office on Smith Street.

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