EEAC Plans Tour of The High Bridge on Saturday, May 14th 1pm

Join EEAC for a guided tour of the High Bridge! The High Bridge is the oldest standing bridge in New York City, having originally opened as an aqueduct in 1848 and reopened as a pedestrian walkway in 2015 after being closed for over 40 years. Two tour guides from Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct will guide participants over the bridge with an optional extension to the Morris-Jumel Mansion. There is a separate fee of $10 for those adult who wish to tour the historic mansion. 
The meeting point is on the sidewalk at 165th St. and Edgecombe Ave., in front of the park sign for Adventure Playground, which is part of Highbridge Park in Manhattan. Participants will walk to and from the bridge on a paved path that takes about 10-15 min.  In case of inclement weather, the tour will be rescheduled for a later date.


There's no shade on the bridge so please bring hats, sunscreen, etc. to protect your skin.
This tour is limited to 20 adults.  For more information click here.

Established in 1974, EEAC has advocated for excellence in formal and informal education in New York City and beyond. EEAC provides a network and forum for all committed to environmental education to grow professionally and to share ideas and information.

EEAC is the only nonprofit organization with the sole purpose of promoting and supporting outstanding environmental education in New York City schools and other centers for learning. EEAC provides a wide range of programs and services and relays information about environmental education resources and issues. It serves as New York City's umbrella environmental education organization, bringing together people and resources throughout the metropolitan area.

A Life Found in a Bottle "Adolph J. Linser Pharmacist Amsterdam Ave. & 167 St NY"

An old purple medicine bottle was found with a pharmacist's label stamped into the glass: Adolph J. Linser Pharmacist Amsterdam Ave & 167 St. NY.  This bottle allows us to look into the life of this individual at a particular point in the history of this city near Highbridge Park.

Adolph Joseph Linser was born in Austria on July 2, 1869 to Joseph and Hannah (nee Malin) Linser. The family immigrated to the United States in 1870 when he was one year of age.  He was apparently educated in the United States and as a youth of 14 years of age he matriculated in pharmacy training.

One can only imagine the state of pharmacological science education in the 1880s. After all, this was in an era before the Food and Drug Administration which was created by the establishment of the FDA in 1906.

The Pharmaceutical ERA, 1887, shows that Adolph Linser passed the examination of the Board of Pharmacy as a Pharmacist, in Brooklyn, NY at the age of about 18.

Adolph Linser married Anna Loewe, age 17, on March 15, 1891 in New York City.  Anna's parents were August Loewe and Frances Neuschwanter. Anna was born in New York City in 1874.

The Bulletin of Pharmacy for 1894 shows Adolph J. Linser is operating as a Pharmacist in  New York City.

The Pharmaceutical ERA March 3, 1898 shows "A. J. Linser has succeeded  Dr. H.M.S. King in the proprietorship of the pharmacy long operated by the latter at 2161 Amsterdam Ave. in Manhattan. This is the location that is stamped on the the medicine bottle illustrated above.

The Printers' Ink, April 6, 1898, shows Adolph J. Linser at  having a business at 2161 Amsterdam Ave. near 167th St.

Trow's Business Directory of Manhattan for 1898 shows Adolph J. Linser, Pharmacist, 2161 Amsterdam Ave.

The 1900 US Census shows Adolph Linser and his family of two children living in Washington Heights section of Manhattan.

The ERA Druggists' Directory for 1906, shows A. Linser operating a pharmacy at 2161 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY.

Sometime between 1906 and 1910 Adolph Linser appears to have ceased operating his pharmacy on Amsterdam Ave. and opened a pharmacy in Newark, NJ.  Therefore, the bottle pictured above is from between 1898 and 1910, and more likely from between 1899 and 1909.


The ERA Druggists' Directory for 1908 and 1910,  does not show A. Linser.  However, the 1910 US Census shows Adolph Linser as living in Newark, NJ.

The ERA Druggists' Directory for 1911 and 1913, show A. Linser at 108 Bowery, Newark, NJ.

The 1915 New Jersey State Census shows Adolph Linser residing in Newark, NJ.

The Newark, NJ Business Directory for 1916 shows Adolph J. Linser, Pharmacist,  located at 108 Bowery in that city.

The Practical Druggist, March, 1916 "A. J. Linser succeeds Chas. Turner at 1759 Myrtle Avenue, Brooklyn"  So, it appears that Adolph gave up his business in Newark around 1916 and moved to Brooklyn.

In the Journal of the National Association of Retail Druggists in 1917, it states "at a meeting held December 13, the Greater Ridgewood (Brooklyn, NY) Pharmaceutical Association elected the following officers:  A. J. Linser, President..."

The New York Times reported the Federal Court Calendar for the Eastern District of New York on Sept. 19, 1919 including a motion in a Bankruptcy Proceeding for Adolf J. Linser.

The 1920 US Census shows Adolph J Linser living in Queens, NY.

The New York Times reported on April 19, 1928 that A. J. Linser of Englewood, NJ has bought two plots in the Country Club Estates development at Teaneck, NJ. 

The 1930 US Census shows Adolph J Linser living in Bergenfield NJ.  Virginia B. Linser is listed as his wife.  Did Adolph's first wife, Anna, die prior to the 1930 census?  She would have been 56 years of age in 1930.  Or, more likely, was Adolph divorced from Anna?  Records show that there was an Anna Linser who was also born in 1874, died in Brooklyn in 1948. This would certainly point toward divorce.

The 1940 US Census shows Adolph J Linser, age 70, born in 1869 in Austria, being a naturalized US citizen and living at 166 Jefferson Ave., Tenafly, NJ., married to Virginia B. Linser, age 64.  It also shows that in 1935 the family lived in Essex County NJ (Newark?)

Adolph Linser died on April 1, 1963 at the age of 93.  The death certificate indicated that Adolph resided in New York City.

Adolph Linser and his first wife Anna (nee Loewe) had at least four children, including August, Elsie, Helen, and Ruth. 
Social Security number 141-14-0350 [indicating New Jersey, Social Security was enacted in 1935 and taxes were first collected in 1937].

Bottles stamped with the pharmacist's name and address were common during this period of time.

The bottle immediately above is from another local pharmacist on Amsterdam Ave. about 18 blocks to the south. It is embossed  "C.A. Henrichsen Pharmacist Cor. Amsterdam Ave and 149th St. N.Y. "

The bottle immediately above is yet another pharmacy bottle from F T Schmidt at the corner of Amsterdam Ave and 86th St.


In fact, embossed bottles were quite common during this era. Here (below) is a beer bottle embossed with  the initials JA and "Registered  Joseph Adler 1488 Amsterdam Ave., New York  This bottle not to be sold"

1488 Amsterdam Ave. is located in Harlem between 133rd and 134th Streets.

If anyone can add any additional information it would be greatly appreciated.
last revised 1/6/17

EARLY ADVERTISING CARD FOR TRANSIT TO THE POLO GROUNDS

This beautiful antique advertising card shows a horse drawn trolley with the captions "High Bridge",  "New Route to High Bridge", "Fare 5cts.", "To New Parks", "L D & C", "Base Ball Match this Afternoon", "Polo Grounds", "New York vs. Cleveland", and "225".

While the Giants were formed as a team in the National League in 1883, they did not move into the Polo Grounds near High Bridge Park until after the 1888 season.  The Giants won the World Series in 1888 and 1889.

On the other hand, a Cleveland team was originally formed as part of the National League in 1882 and it was called the Cleveland Forest Citys.  That same season the name was subsequently changed to the Cleveland Blues.  The team had a mediocre record and ultimately merged with the St. Louis Maroons the following year, 1885.  Cleveland then went without a major league baseball team for two years, and then, in 1887, they did form a new team, the Spiders, that was part of the American Association.  Then, in 1889 when the American Association dissolved, the Spiders became part of the National League.  They did not change their name to "The Indians" until 1915.

So, the fact that the trade card above makes reference to a game between New York vs. Cleveland at the Polo Grounds would indicate that that event took place in 1889 or later.  The fact that the trolley is horse drawn would indicate that the event must have been between 1889 and about 1900.
For more information on this particular card click here.

The Harlem & Manhattanville trolley started service in 1885 traversing the route from downtown New York City up along the Harlem River to 125th St. and then via 10th Ave. to the Polo Grounds and finally ending up at Fort George.

High Bridge Recognized by the NY Landmarks Conservancy 2016 Lucy G. Moses Preservation Awards

On April 28, 2016 the High Bridge will be recognized as a winner of the Lucy G. Moses Preservation Awards by the New York Landmarks Conservancy.  The award is one of NY Landmarks Conservancy's most prestigious honors.

The High Bridge, first completed in 1848, served as an aqueduct bridge bringing the first reliable and fresh water from Croton Reservoir in upper Westchester to New York City.  Construction on the bridge was started in 1839 and it is the oldest standing bridge in New York City.  The High Bridge has undergone major modifications during its 168 year history  -- most notably the addition of additional water tubes in the 1860s, the replacement of the pillars located in the Harlem River with a steel span in 1927, and the restoration completed in 2015.   The bridge connects the two boroughs of the Bronx in the Highbridge section to the Washington Heights section of Manhattan.

The 2015  bridge restoration now allows pedestrians and bicyclists to cross the 1,450 foot span thanks to the preservation efforts of the city.

The bridge officially re-opened to the public in early June of last year, but will be recognized as a preservation achievement at the upcoming ceremony in April.

The New York Landmarks Conservancy received nominations from restoration projects across the city that have made great gains over the past year.  To determine which projects merit awards, the conservancy looks at the preservation work specifically and what the projects bring to communities.

Appalachian Mountain Club Leads Hike Around High Bridge, 10:30AM April 9

Event Details

Organizer	Cynthia Tollo Falls
Cost	FREE
	Overview

PLEASE READ THIS CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU RSVP. I TAKE THE RSVP PROCESS VERY SERIOUSLY, AND I EXPECT THAT YOU SHOULD TOO. Join me and AMC dues paying Club members who do not have to RSVP on a fun, fast paced hiking tour of around 8-9 miles. 

MEETING DETAILS WILL BE SENT BY E-MAIL TO THOSE WHO RSVP THURSDAY NIGHT, APRIL 7. We already did Part II in October 2015. (I count backwards!) In Part II we visited the High Bridge and then headed North. This time, Part I, we are going to visit the High Bridge from the South.

Closed for some 40 years, the High Bridge recently opened up. It spans the Harlem River and connects Manhattan to the Bronx and was once used to bring water from the Croton Aqueduct to New York City. (The Manhattan Borough President said This is almost the eighth wonder of the world and that is one great exaggeration, but it is pretty cool to walk over it.) Before we visit the High Bridge, we'll tour Riverside Park. We'll then see the amazing Viaduct and stop briefly for lunch at Riverbank State Park. There will be some spectacular views of the Hudson River along the way. We will move at a fast pace, but we'll stop for a very short while a number of times to talk about what we see. Much of the hike will be along the waterfront. AFTER LUNCH WE ARE ALSO GOING TO TAKE A SHORT BREAK TO VISIT A UNIQUE ART EXHIBITION. In addition, right before we get to the High Bridge, we'll visit what was once the little village of Carmansville, located in the West 150s, and then we'll walk back and forth over the High Bridge. WE WILL THEN CLIMB UP ONE HUGE FLIGHT OF STAIRS-trust me, this is the best way to do this for several reasons-and then we'll finish up at a subway station. THERE IS GOING TO BE A LOT OF SURPRISES ON THIS ONE.

BRING LUNCH. NO FOOD STOPS TO BUY LUNCH. PLAN ON FINISHING BEFORE DINNER. (That means I'm not sure when we will finish, maybe around 5 or so?!)

We will meet BEFORE 10:30 A.M. to sign in. WE LEAVE PROMPTLY.

Meeting place will be close to a subway.

I bet you stopped reading by now, if not earlier! KEEP GOING-EXERT YOURSELF A LITTLE BIT.

Please consider joining the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) http://www.amc-ny.org/ The Club offers many hikes, walks, and events, and is also active in conservation efforts and trail maintenance. Only a few of the many hikes and walks that are offered by AMC leaders are posted on Meetup. 

Since this event will be posted as a last minute hike to AMC Club members, there is NO need for AMC club members to RSVP for this, unless you don't get last minute e-mails from Yahoo. (Contact me a few days before the hike if you are a dues paying AMC Club member and don't get these e-mails, and I'll tell you how.) Let's leave 10 spaces for AMC Meetup members.

 Needless to say, please take the RSVP process seriously and be considerate. If you have been a NO SHOW on any previous AMC Meetup event that I have led or are an abuser of the RSVP process, see your Attendance History- please do not sign up for this event because I am just going to delete your RSVP. Let someone else go who will actually show up. PRIORITY WILL BE GIVEN TO THOSE WHO HAVE PREVIOUSLY ATTENDED OTHER AMC MEETUP EVENTS THAT I HAVE LED. 

I am going to ask that people not post any comments or questions prior to the event. You have more than enough information to do this once you get the meeting details. No offense, but I don't need to know-and probably neither does anyone else- what you are doing that day if you can't make it or what you think the weather will be. AFTER the event, post as many comments and photos as you like.

If the weather forecast is really bad, see the Accuweather website like I do, I will post a notice on the day of the hike by 8:00 A.M. If there is no notice, we go. We will finish at the A subway station at 175th Street.

360 Degree View of The High Bridge

This is a rather unique view of the High Bridge taken with a 360 Degree Wrap Around camera.
We see that there isn't too much traffic on the bridge these days.  Now that the bridge is open, tell us about your experiences across it.  We also hear that the lights are not working either. What has been your experience?

Did Someone Lose a Horse's Head in Highbridge Park on Sunday Morning?

It was reported in a number of media sources today that a woman was walking inside Highbridge Park near 190th St. this morning when she saw a sealed cardboard container of Corona Beer.  She decided to open the box, and she unexpectedly found a horse's head.  The horse's head was cooked along with another animal's head inside the box.  The police are investigating the incident.

Maybe it was left over from the movie production of "The Godfather".

Another Dynamic Image of the High Bridge by Darren Levine

He is a Photographer/Videographer in NYC. When he isn't doing his regular work, he hunts around for photographic opportunities to capture.

GH4 Tokina 11-20 2.8On my way back from a gig, i happened to have the right camera with me, and i knew i would be passing by this area. The high bridge is a recently re-opened pedestrian bridge which they added these fantastic lights to. I had been meaning to find a good vantage point for some time, and finally found myself heading there at the right time with the right gear. I drove up and around, but only found tree-blocked views, then as i was heading back to the highway to head home, i actually had to pass right by this vantage point to get back into the highway. Darren Levine

Upcoming Winter Walk with Naturalist and Photographer Mike Feller at Highbridge Park

Behind The Lens: Discover Highbridge Park

Date: February 20, 2016

Bring your camera and join naturalist and photographer Mike Feller on a winter walk near the river in Highbridge Park.

Mike will discuss strategies for dealing with difficult lighting situations, lens and zoom choice for perspective control, and demonstrate the use of a large format film camera.

Please note: Space is limited. RSVP is required; please email RSVP@FortTryonParkTrust.org to register

Start time: 10:00 am

End time: 11:30 am

Contact phone: (212) 795-1388

Location: West 172nd Street and Amsterdam Avenue (in Highbridge Park)

Suzanne DeChillo/The New York Times

Mike Feller is an ecological consultant and photographer. He worked at NYC Parks for 31 years where he was Chief Naturalist from 1987 until 2014 and oversaw and participated in all aspects of survey, inventory, management planning, and restoration funding, planning, design, and construction, supervising a staff of 25 natural resources managers and field staff. Mike led the creation of the Forever Wild program that established 51 New York City nature preserves. Mike’s photographs have appeared in the New York Times, Universum, Geo, Spider, Urban Birds, Brooklyn Bridge, Keeping Things Whole: Readings in Environmental Science, Field Guide to the Natural World of New York City, Conservationist, Wild New York, Animal Neighbors (NYPL Exhibition 2002), Ohio Grade 6 reading exam, and Steelcase Inc. and R2K Inc corporate lobbies. In 2007 Mike provided descriptions of post-apocalypse Manhattan vegetation, habitat, and wildlife as ecological consultant on the Warner Brothers  film, "I am Legend".

Letter to John B. Jervis from 1839 about the Construction of the Aqueduct

This letter from H T Anthony was posted from Tarrytown, New York on January 10, 1839, and was addressed to John B. Jervis, the Chief Engineer for the construction of the Croton Aqueduct at the New York Water Commissioners Office concerning masonry, for the Croton Aqueduct on which Anthony was working at the time and which Jervis was overseeing.  The text reads:

 “Enclosed [not present] I return you a corrected copy of the final account of section 30.  At the suggestion of Mr. Allen I included in my certificate the total amount of the account.  I forgot to state, in explaining the cause of the mistake on 41 that I compared the total amount of the November estimate with the estimate published in the commissioner’s report of January 1838 & finding them to coincide very nearly I was induced to examine the calculations less rigidly than I should otherwise have done.  I have since examined the published estimate & find that the masonry in that is calculated for the erroneous length. Very Respectfully, Your Obedient Servant, T. J. Anthony”  

Henry Tiebout Anthony (1814-1884) is best known as a member of the New York Knickerbockers baseball team. He played in the very first organized baseball game, held at Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1846.  He was also a famous photographer and the vice president of the E. & H. T. Anthony & Company, which was the largest manufacturer and distributor of photographic supplies in the United States during the 19th century.  He had a close business relationship with Mathew Brady.

H T Anthony, c. 1860

In 1828, Henry Anthony entered the Columbia College and graduated with honors four years later. After that, he worked intermittently as a civil engineer, at the Erie railroad, Croton Aqueduct and Hudson River Railroad, and as a clerk at the Bank of New York. In 1839 he became interested in the new art of photography, which he learned along with his brother Edward.  Soon after Edward established his photography firm, Henry joined him in 1852, the firm becoming the E. & H. T. Anthony & Company.  It was the forerunner of the famous Ansco Photograph company.

Within the company, Henry was responsible for the manufacturing department and improved the use of colloidal and paper printing processes. In 1855, he became the editor of the Annual Bulletin of Photographic Invention and Improvement, which was published by the company in altered forms until and after his death in 1884. He died suddenly, a few days after being hit by a passing vehicle while crossing a street in New York.