The Chronicle Visits The Bronx Historical Society “Birth of the Bronx” Lecture

Yesterday at the Bronx County Historical Society’s library in Norwood on Bainbridge Avenue, Society educator Angel Hernandez gave a lecture on “The Birth of The Bronx”, speaking for an hour and a half on the Bronx from the time of the Native American settlement to the 21st century, with a focus on coming together as a county in 1914.  

The packed house heard tales of Bronx skirmishes and soldiers, amusements and alcohol, buildings and baseball, manors and Morrises, churches and chattel….the Bronx had it all.  Here’s a map from the presentation of the town of Westhchester in Westchester County, now Westchester Sq. (home of the Bronx Chronicle offices) and the road going down to Throggs Neck and Ft. Schuyler.  A small Revoltionary War battle is annoted in the area near Lehman High School. (see videos below)

This lecture goer really enjoyed hearing about the historical foundations towards the end of the video below of the West Bronx as “more Dutch” and the East Bronx as “more English”, as settlers from Connecticut brought a particular New England culture to the “town of Westchester”, now Westchester Square, declaring it part of Connecticut at one point.  (Peter Stuyvesant ordered those guys out pronto when he heard about that stunt. )

Learn about Anne M. Hutchinson below. (Note: I don’t think she was a witch, but if you disagree that’s fine, we can argue about it.) (Note:  Yes, I’m being facetious.)

The Morris Park Racetrack below and the breweries of Morrisania above.

Here’s other video from the lecture.  Look for the Casanova’s of Hunts Point, the King’s Bridge that lead to the neighborhood and the naming of many area roads, leaders born, raised and buried in Woodlawn and other moments and stories of the formation of our beautiful Bronx.