The Bronx River: An Environmental & Social History

by Arcadia Publishing

Overview

Discover the fascinating history of the Bronx River and the ways this small waterway influenced and was affected by the people around it.

The Bronx River flows 23 miles from its source in Valhalla to its mouth, the East River in the Bronx. This waterway was used for centuries by Native American tribes for drinking, food and transportation. They called it Aquehung meaning a fast stream flowing along a high bluff. After the arrival of Europeans, though, the Bronx River suffered as industry prospered. It powered mills and, unfortunately, became a dumping ground for all kinds of waste. Its appearance and ecosystem were forever changed. However, community members are now again attempting to alter the river - only this time for the better - by helping it recover.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781609491802
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	06/28/2011
Series:	Natural History
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Maarten de Kadt has a doctorate in economics. His examination of the environment over the past twenty years exemplifies his desire to improve the lives of others. He has studied problems associated with municipal solid waste management, the delivery of drinking water and the removal and treatment of sewage waste. As a high school teacher, he was introduced to a destroyed but recovering Bronx River and used it to help students understand the possibilities of environmental recovery and of personal empowerment. Dr. de Kadt continues to be an environmental and community activist. He is a member of the Bronx River Alliance's Board of Directors and of the Bronx Borough President's Solid Waste Management Advisory Board.

Table of Contents

Preface: Introduction and a Framework for a Bronx River History 7

1 Production for Use: Minimal Impact 13

Before Contact with the Europeans 14

The Population Game 17

2 Producing a Surplus for Trade 19

The First Settlers Jonas Bronck 20

Early Development of Water Power 23

The Richardson-DeLancey-Lydig Dam 25

The Manhattan Company: The First Benchmark, 1799 27

3 Industrial Production Develops 29

The Lorillard Dam: 1792 to the Present 31

Old Stone Mill, Tuckahoe: 1805 to the Present 33

Bronx River Paint Company, 1809 37

Bolton Bleachery: 1840s to 1930s 38

Other Milldams 40

Coal Gasification 42

4 A Place to Live 44

Railroads: Transportation Innovation Brings Pollution, 1841 44

Population Increase 46

Kensico Dam 49

Rivers Receive Waste: The Second Benchmark, 1896 52

5 Reclaiming the River 53

Pleasant Pursuits 54

Sewers 55

The Bronx River Parkway 58

Social Differentiation along the Bronx River 63

6 Another Cleanup 68

Bronx River Restoration Publishes the Third Benchmark 70

Bronx River Working Group 72

7 The Amazing Bronx River Cleanup 77

Bronx River Alliance 77

Five Parks 84

Westchester 100

Community Involvement 101

8 Reclaiming a Natural Resource 105

New Benchmarks: Good News, Bad News, Difficult News 106

Efforts to Reclaim the Bronx River and Its Watershed 110

The Bronx River 112

Epilogue 115

Acknowledgements 119

Appendix: Timeline 123

Glossary 127

Notes 129

Bibliography 145

Index 151

About the Author 157