In this town is also the United States Navy-Yard, containing about 40 acres; which was purchased of John Jackson, Esq. by Francis Childs, Esq. for $40,000, and on the 23d day of February, 1801, was conveyed by said Childs to the United States.
ANCIENT NAMES AND REMAINS.
In 1667, this town was known by the name of Breucklen. In the act to divide the province of New-York into shires and counties, passed Nov. 1, 1683, it is mentioned by the name of Breucklyn. It is also called Broucklyn in the act to divide the province into shires and counties, passed, Oct. 1, 1691. The present name Brooklyn, does not appear to have been generally adopted until after the Revolutionary war.
Heads of Indian arrows, beds of oyster and clam shells denoting the former residence of the aborigines, are frequently found in different parts of this town.
Among the most ancient remains are two houses, one owned by the family of Cortelyou, built in 1699; the other standing on Fulton-street, in the village of Brooklyn. The last mentioned house was occupied by the Colonial Legislature as a Sessions house, during the prevalence of the small-pox in New-York, in 1752; and at this house on the 4th of June, 1752, 2541 Bills of credit issued by this Colony, amounting to £3602, 18, 3, were cancelled by the Colonial Commissioners. This house was also occupied by Gen. Putnam as his head quarters during the stay of the American Army, on Long-Island, in 1776. But the oldest house in the town of Brooklyn is supposed to be the house known as No. 64 Fulton-street, in the village of Brooklyn, and now owned and occupied by Mr. Jacob Patchen. Mr. Charles Doughty, who has been dead about 25 years, and was about 85 years of age when he died, said that this was an old house when he was a boy. Mrs. Rapalye, the mother of John Rapalye, whose property in Brooklyn was confiscated during the Revolutionary war, says that this house was built by a family of the Remsens who came from Holland.
SOIL AND CLIMATE.
The soil of this town appears to be mostly alluvial, though some few primitive rocks are to be met with. Several years since, in digging a well on some of the highest ground in Brooklyn, a hemlock board was found at the depth of 30 feet, and again at the depth of 73 feet, oyster and clam shells were met with, which crumbled on being exposed to the air.
The shores of Brooklyn, where they are not defended by wharves, are undergoing continual and rapid changes, in consequence of the velocity of the current in the East River. The tide rises here about 5 feet.
There is very little doubt, but that Governor’s Island was formerly connected with Red Hook point in this town. It is an established fact, that previous to the Revolutionary contest, cattle were driven from Red Hook to Governor’s Island, which places at that time were only separated by a very narrow channel, which is called Buttermilk channel, and is now wide and deep enough to admit of the largest size of merchant vessels passing through.
The climate is very changeable, but cannot be called unhealthy. People in this town live to as great age, as in almost any other part of the United States; as instances of which, April, 1823, Mr. Tiebout died in this town, aged 100 years and 10 months. The same year, Mr. Schoonmaker died, aged 84 years; and in 1824, Mary Peterson, a colored woman died, aged 103 years. It is not an uncommon thing for the inhabitants to live beyond the “three score years and ten.”