THE FERRY ROAD
ON
LONG ISLAND
BY
EUGENE L. ARMBRUSTER
BRUIJKLEEN COLONIE
When the Dutch West India Company started to colonize New Netherland, large tracts of land,
generally called manors, were granted to rich merchants of the Netherlands, who were among
the directors of the company. These manors, excepting one, Rensellaerwijck, had proven failures,
as the patroons found it impossible to secure a sufficient number of men who were wilIing to ship to
the new country and cultivate the wild lands for them. The West India Company then started upon a
new policy. Willem KIEFT was appointed governor; he bought land across the East River of the
Indians and began a new colony on the site of present Brooklyn. The land was granted in smaller
parcels to the colonists, who became the owners of these pieces of land, which they cultivated.
This new experiment was start.ed in 1638. After a few years the colonists became more numerous
and a rowboat ferry was established, one Corne1is DIRCKSEN being the ferryman. The Company
erected a tavern, called the Stad-herberg, on the Manhattan Island shore, where the Long Island
colonists found shelter for the night, being brought over to Long Island in the morning and back
to Manhattan Island at nightfall by this ferryman, until they had cleared their lands and were
able to erect dwellings upon their plantations. This colony was called, Bruijkleen Colonie, which
means colony of freeholders, bruijkleen being the Dutch word for free loan.
The Indian trail passed through Maereckkaakwick, a village of a Big Bird band. Above
the Indian village the trail forked, one branch leading to Keshkechqueren, the other to the council
place. The trail continued along the base of the Green Hills, on the north side, as far as the
New Lotts of Bushwick, where it crossed over the hills. That part of the trail leading over the
hills here has become famous as the Rockaway footpath through an incident connected with the
Battle of Long Island. The trail hence led to Rechouwhacky, another village of the Qmarsee band,
situated on Rockaway Bay, and passed the village of a conquered band which dwelt within the Canarsee
territory and was known as Chameken (at present Jamaica). The trail ran further to the land of the
Marsapeague band, which latter was after a few years joined by their fellow tribesmen, the
Maereckkaakwick Indians, who had in the meantime sold their lands in Kings County to the
white men and who became known in their new abode as Merric or Merricoke band.
The Indian trail running through the Bruijkleen Colonie was within a comparatively short time
widened into a wagon road and became known as the Ferry Road. A settlement sprang up at the landing
place which became known as Bruijkleen Veer or Bruijkleen Ferry.
Another settlement was started in 1645 on the site of the former Indian village Maereckkaakwick,
which was named Breukelen in honor of an old Dutch town.
A third settlement, was made along the trail leading to the bay; this was called Middelwoud,
Midwoud or Flatbush.
A fourth one, on the same trail, was called Amersfoort (now Flatlands). Settlements were
also made on the other branch of the trail, as Bedford, Jamaica, etc.
Nieuw Amsterdam having been made a city in 1653, in the following year took over the ferry
from, Come1is DIRCKSEN, as a valuable asset and rented out the ferry privilege.
Egbert Van BORSUM, being the ferryman in 1656, erected the first ferry house
on the Long Island shore, which was also used as a tavern. The Stad-herberg, having been given
by the West India Company to the municipality of Nieuw Amsterdam for the use as a town hall, became
known as the Stadhuijs. It was, however, in part still used as a tavern to accommodate visitors
from Long Island.
The Corporation sold this building, which was built of Holland brick, in 1699 to one
John RODMAN, reserving the bell, the Kings Arms and the iron parts, belonging to the
prison, for the new City Hall, which was in the same year erected on upper Wall Street on the site
now occupied by the Sub-Treasury.
On the balcony of this building, George WASHINGTON, was inaugurated the
first president of the United States. The City Hall was not to be used as a tavern in future, and a
building for that purpose was erected at the Long Island side of the river.
In 1664, the city had become known as New York under the English rule and thus the Corporation
of New York had bought in 1694 a piece of land at the Long Island ferry landing and built in 1699-1700
a tavern of brickstone, a new ferry house and a landing bridge and constructed a well at an aggregate
cost of £435. This tavern was destroyed by fire in 1747 or '48; a new two-story tavern, sixty feet
square, was erected in 1749, which became known as the Corporation House; this, too, was consumed
by fire in 1812 and its ruins were taken down in 1817.
NEXT.. The KINGS HIGHWAY
Back To FERRY ROAD Main
Back To TOWN Main
Return to BROOKLYN Info Main Page