A New York City tourist can place themselves inthis timeframe by thinking of the historical period. The 1812 war begins. Large amounts of immigrants flow New York City. Germans and Irish are the largest numbers. Germans have city skill sets, fair better than rural Irish. Anti-Catholic bias is strong during this time. Poverty in the 5 Pts is high. Tammany Hall corruption peaks but help many without a voice.
Abe Lincoln does some hat shopping and gives a speech. Edison lights the city as bridges cross rivers. Subway line est. Skyscrapers begin to tower over historic lower Manhattan. For those making their own NYC walking tour click on the book to the left to see rare NYC historical locations framed in the 1800's.
TIMELINE 1809-1909
1810 Large wave of
Irish immigrants begins to flow into New York City.
1811
Southwest Battery is finished (later named
Castle Clinton in
Battery Park). Its only access is via a wooden pier that projects about 250ft. Gov Clinton starts his push for the
Erie Canal. New City Hall is completed on current site. Only front is finished in marble since they believe the population will not move beyond Chamber St.
1812 US and UK go to war.
1820
Population 125,000.
1822
Yellow fever hits. Fulton fish market opens, it will close in 2005.
1825
Erie Canal is completed by mostly
Irish immigrants. It is a boom to business in New York.
1826
Irish and American street gangs start to form in the
Five Points. Bowery Theater is the first gas light theater.
1831
NYU is established.
1835 The Great Fire hits lower Manhattan. It devastates businesses and homes.
1836 Reformed Presbyterian Church opens.
1839 Second Trinity Church is damaged.
1840
Population is 300,000.
Five Points is worst location in the metro area.
1842
Board of Education is formed.
Map of City of New York completed.
1844 American bigots clashes between anti Irish and anti
Catholic immigrants.
1845 A massive wave of Irish immigrants begins. Equipped with only rural skills, their survival is perilous in the urban location of
Five Points.
1846 US Mexican War begins. Third Trinity Church is erected.
1847 Hundreds of thousands of
Irish immigrants flood the city escaping the
famine in Ireland via 'coffin ships'. Chinese Immigrants start to move into the
Five Points later known as Chinatown.
1848 The Five Points Mission is opened at a former brewery at the cross streets of Cross and Little Water.
1851 Typhus hits the city. New York City Resident Herman Melville publishes Moby Dick. Lower Manhattan painting by
Heine, J. Kummer & Döpler completed.
1854 House of Industry is operating at 155 Worth Street in the Five Points.
1855 Famed American street tough Bill "the Butcher" Poole dies from a gun shot in a local bar.
1857 Famed fight between city and state police leads to crime fueled weekend by criminals.
1860 Abe Lincoln arrives, buys a hat, takes a photos and woos the crowd during his presidential election campaign. Canal St sees a large increase in vice trades.
1861 Civil War begins. The
NY Fighting 69th(Irish) Regiment leaves for battle. 8
1862 Massive
draft riots occur when poor can't 'buy' their way out of draft for $300.
1865
Small poxs hits.
1869 Goldman Sachs begins at 30 Pine St.
1870
Battery Park is filled in and extended.
1871
Boss Tweed is arrested.
1876
Boss Tweed is put in jail, just as Tweed Court house is finished.
1880 Thomas Edison lights Broadway.
1883
Brooklyn Bridge opens.
1885 Save haven for Irish girls is set up at
Old Lady of the Rosary (Seton Shrine) at 7 State Street.
1886
Statue of Liberty is erected.
1888 Huge snow blizzard hits the city.
1894
Rapid Transit System (subway) is approved.
1899 First skyscraper is erected at 15 Park Row.
1900 Population 3.5 million.
Ellis Island starts processing large numbers of immigrants.
1903
Williamsburg Bridge is built. Typhoid Mary hits city.
1907
Custom House is built at
Bowling Green.
1909
Manhattan Bridge opens.
