1924 $2.5 M Land Sale Gives Rise To Sunnyside Gardens

www.autogallery.org Jewett 4-door touring sedan.

Get into a conversation with a longtime Queens resident and you're likely to discover a subscriber of the Long Island Star-Journal, a daily paper that informed the community about local and world news until it folded in 1968. A banner across the Star-Journal masthead reminded readers that the newspaper's name came from the merger of the Long Island Daily Star (1876) and the North Shore Daily Journal--The Flushing Journal (1841).

Welcome to March 1924!

On March 10, the Long Island Rail Road approved a $2.5 million sale of 1,160 lots between Queens Boulevard to the south and the railroad right of way to the north and Dickenson Avenue (52nd Street) and Bliss Street (46th Street). The tract, considered one of the largest real estate deals in the borough at the time, was to be developed into one- and two-story housing. The development that was built was one of the finest planned communities in the country. The area, now known as Sunnyside Gardens, was later placed on the

National Register of Historic Places and is currently a candidate for landmark designation.

Photo Gazette archives Sunnyside Gardens

The automobile was firmly entrenched in popular culture by 1924. Ads with colorful copy extolled the virtues of makes and models both forgotten and familiar. The "True Blue" Oakland six-cylinder had a beautiful and enduring "automobile" finish (as opposed to a delicate "piano" finish). The Nash four-door sedan could seat five passengers, and at $1,640, its rich upholstery and heavily coiled steel springs were a real value. The new Essex coach, with the old Essex pep plus Hudson smoothness, went for under $1,000. The Hupmobile bragged that it was the car with smartness, dash and harmony of line. The Chandler ads talked of the car's advanced transmission. The Buick, noted for its riding comfort, power and safety, was the hallmark of value. The Jewett Six made for an elegant family car. The Oldsmobile, with a baked enamel finish and headlights that were legal in every state, was the lowest priced six-cylinder in the world at $795. Ford Motor Company, the largest car company at the time, urged its customers to "buy now because every spring the demand for Ford cars is several hundred thousand greater [than] the available supply". At $295, it was the cheapest major model on the market (although an automatic starter cost $85 extra). Hellan Motors, ("It will

www.nashcarclub.org 4-door Nash sedan

pay to buy a Chevrolet--easy to ride-- easy to pay") had the largest service plant in the country at 29th Street and Bridge Plaza.

The Queensboro Subway extension finally pushed "through" to 41st Street and Broadway in Manhattan when the last seven-foot rock barrier to Times Square was blasted into a heap. Although the line remained far from complete, service to Fifth Avenue was expected to be finished by autumn. Each day, nearly 100,000 people used the tunnel between Hunters Point and Grand Central Terminal.

A pioneer College Point woman, 83, recalled the old days when sociability reigned. Mrs. Robert Ludders left Manhattan with her family just before the Civil War, when goats still roamed Fiftieth Street. When they moved to College Point, she regularly walked to Flushing because there was no stage [coach] service yet between the two villages. Water came from wells and illumination from whale oil lamps. A 100 x 50 foot lot went for $100 and a mechanic received good wages when he got $10 for a week. Rent of $8 a month for five rooms was considered exorbitant. Flushing Bay was full of fish, clams and crabs and on the weekend, hundreds came to enjoy the wonderful waterfront in College Point- before, as she said, "pollution ruined everything". College Point was mostly German and Irish, and a good many Irish learned to speak German. She reminisced on drinking habits. "People were able to enjoy a sociable glass of beer in the old days," she said. "Now they drink raw liquor, which breeds disorder."

The 1920s were the height of Prohibition, and the Star-Journal had story after story on the unending game between the authorities and "rum-runners" who always seemed to be on hand to assure that the supply of spirituous liquors never ran dry.

On March 28, fake police raided the Astoria home of Louis Bedel, a waiter at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, and stole all his liquor. A suspect from Flushing, James Burroughs, was arrested and awaited arraignment in the Long Island City Magistrate's Court following the brazen theft of what the police described as a $10,000 load of chosen liquors. Bedel claimed to be holding the liquors for a friend from The Bronx who had recently moved to California. The consignment was purchased before the advent of Prohibition, he claimed. According to the police, the consignment included 10 cases of Scotch whiskey, 15 cases of rye, 20 cases of cognac and 20 cases of cordials. The thieves, they said, were connoisseurs. They spurned 14 bottles of liquor the police called "bum sherry".

Patrolman Clarence Donady of the Astoria precinct snared a $3,000 rum truckload after a two-mile chase along Astoria Boulevard from the Flushing waterfront to 48th Street. After forcing the truck driver to pull over and to then drive his cargo to the police station, officers confiscated 23 cases of whiskey. Each case had 12 bottles. The cases, which were still damp, came in by boat from Long Island Sound, the authorities theorized.

Across the borough in Forest Hills at Queens Boulevard and Ascan Avenue, a sharp-eyed patrolman pulled over a truck loaded with 210 cases of beer. The truck and its contents were sent to the Elmhurst precinct where, under guard, their fate was to be decided by U.S. Revenue Agents.

While standing at Bridge Plaza early one morning, traffic officer William Hughes heard the strain of "Annie Laurie". He listened for a time and thought that the bass was a trifle too base and he went to investigate. He found four young men seated in an automobile at Bridge Plaza South and Jackson Avenue, "murdering Annie" as Hughes called it. They became evasive when he questioned them. The driver started the motor, attempted to drive away, then promptly ran up on the sidewalk, narrowly missing a pole. Hughes, who became "indignant", ran after the car. He did not have far to go. It stopped suddenly after only 100 feet because of a pump that happened to be in its path. The men were taken to the Hunters Point station house, where they were charged with intoxication. The driver faced an additional charge of reckless driving. They dug into their pockets and together paid the $25 fine.

Under the caption, "Broadway Amusements", the Star ran ads from the golden age of Broadway theaters. The Empire presented George Bernard Shaw's "Saint Joan", while the Earl Carroll Theater had Ziegfeld's great musical comedy. Eddie Cantor was starring in "Kid Boots". The Republic had the legendary comedy, "Abie's Irish Rose". The Music Box showcased "Irving Berlin's Third Annual Revue".

On March 14, a Steinway ferryboat went up for auction and fetched only a heartbreaking $550. The city was so upset officials were mulling over reneging on the sale. The ferry, which was originally purchased in 1884 for more than $90,000, had plied the 92nd Street ferry run for more than 40 years. The city had bought the vessel in 1920 for $75,000 from the New York and East River Ferry Company. There had been some talk about mooring it in College Point for use as a public bath, but it was decided that the best course of action would be to sell it.

About 30 persons were present when the auction began. Jack Cohen was the auctioneer. Jack did his best to jack up the price, but it was a heartbreaking job. Bidding started at $200. Jack scowled. "All right," said someone else, "I'll make it $300." Jack's disgust was still evident. Then some gave the bid a boost for $20. From there it went to $340, to $400, to $410. "Five hundred fifty," said R. S. Daly of Manhattan. "Whew! $550 for a ferry boat," whewed an innocent bystander. "Who'll make it $551?" coaxed Jack with an appealing look in his eye, but there were no takers. "Wrap it up and make him take it home," muttered one of the unsuccessful bidders who was flabbergasted by a show of so much wealth.

That's the way it was in March 1924!

The Society is open to the public on Saturdays, noon to 4 p.m. at Quinn's Gallery, 4th Floor, 35-20 Broadway, Long Island City. On April 2, 2007, at 7 p.m., come out for an evening of fun when Debbie Van Cura will revive "The Beer Gardens of Queens: Pork, Pilsner, and Polkas", the favorite lecture in our 15-year series, Her talk will look into the rise of the popular entertainment venue that gave us today's Bohemian Hall and Park. For more information, call the Greater Astoria Historical Society at 718-278-0700 or visit www.astorialic.org.