clasonspointny.html

Clason's Point:

One of several peninsulas which protrude into the East River from the southern Bronx, Clason Point stands between the mouth of the Bronx River and, to the east, Pugsley's Creek. The site of a large Native American settlement, comprising more than seventy dwellings, it was known as Snapakins, "land by the two waters," when the first European settler, Thomas Cornell, established his farm in the mid-seventeenth century. Dotted with summer estates in the nineteenth century (when it borrowed the name of landowner Isaac Clason), the riverside settlement soon attracted excursion steamers from downtown, offering swimming, restaurants, dance halls, and other amusements. With the building of the IRT tracks above Westchester Avenue in 1920, the neighborhood became home to commuting families. In the 1980's, the last of the large beach clubs was replaced by a public housing project.

The Clason Point Amusement Park, at the end of Soundview Avenue, featured a pool whose water was taken right from the East River. It had no filtration system in place, therefore, it was not very clean water.�� People would call this pool "The Inkwell".

Subject: re: Clason Point
Hi,

I'm new to this group and my interest was stirred by someone on the NYC list mentioning that Clason Point is having a 50th anniversary celebration or something of the sort. I was wondering if any commemorative booklets are available and is such an event taking place.

I was born on Webb Ave in the Bronx but don't remember much from those pre-memory years. When I was very young my family moved to Clason Point where my grandmother lived on Underhill Ave. very near a beach on the East River.

That's where we went swimming (no mention of pollution in those days). My grandmother lived in the village of Westchester or West Farms when she was younger but she and her family summered in an old army tent in Clason Point.

My dad, who was in the Navy during WW1 helped her convert her tent to a bungalow and she lived there until about 1947. My family later moved from the Fordham area to Clason Point when I was about two. We lived quite near grandma and I spent a lot of time with her in her bungalow. I did my first grade in Holy Cross Church on Soundview Avenue.

When I was about 7, I remember grandma having 3 of her friends over to her house about once a week to play cards or something and she would give me a small aluminum pail with a lid to take to the saloon on Soundview Avenue. I would take it in, place it on the bar and the saloon keeper would fill it up and I took it back to the bungalow. Usually no word or money was passed.

We moved to Nassau County before the Whitestone Bridge was built and I used to love going to grandma's house on the ferry from College Point on LI to Clason Point and back again.

My mother also had some friends who lived on houseboats sort of near the ferry dock. I loved going there to visit.

There was still a truck farm on Soundview Avenue when I started school. It was sort of up on a cliff right near the school. All those granite cliffs seemed to have disappeared.

I have heard that the old amusement park near the ferry slip, which was a ruin even when I was a child is being built with up with condos now. I have pictures in the old family album of 4th of July parades passing there with men still in their uniforms from WW1. I also have pictures of races run by people in their old bathing suits (women). Grandma wore a bathing suit that was of a wool dress that came down to her knees with knee length pants to match and black stockings and bathing shoes. My own suit was of wool and very scratchy.

I hope if there is a celebration of some kind that some kind soul will let me know and if there is some literature about I would really like to be able to buy it.

Best regards,

Peggy

In the southern part of the vicariate, Holy Cross parish, the first of the 1920s East Bronx parishes, held its first Masses in the basement of the casino at Kane's Clason Point Grove, a popular amusement park that thrived at the turn of the last century.

KANE'S

DOWN THE POINT

THE END OF THE POINT, Had a grand style that lasted from 1877 till 1938. To get here before 1910 required an excursion by boat from the various points in Long Island, South Bronx and Manhattan that had a Ferry or launch stations. An overland journey might also be undertaken via Trolley along Westchester Ave and then by open Bench wagon along Clason Point Rd. to the waterfront. In 1910 the road was widened and renamed Sound View Ave. and a Trolley line installed and the crowds came in ever increasing numbers. The elevated Subway was built around 1920 and in turn many new homes were built and Clason Point did indeed have it's 'Finest Hour'. The hub of activities centered around the one quarter square mile at the end of the Point. Here were located The Amusement Parks, Kanes Casino, Ferry, Shoreham hotel, White's and Frank Siebert's boatyards, Kiasers boat house restaurant, the Boat House colonies, P.S. 47 Annex, Higg's Camp Grounds and boat yard, Killian's Grove and Pavilion, Di!etricht's Restaurant and tavern, the Trolley Loop and Chicorelli's Farm.

WHAT A TIME THEY HAD AT KANE'S.......Clambakes and Chowder Society Picnics, Marching and Singing Society Fests, Political rallys, Swiss Gymnastic Exhibitions....The outdoor bandstand verberated with the lusty sounds of the Old Time Brass Bands and Popular Jazz Bands performed on the Band stand at the indoor Dance Floor. Marathon Dances were a featured attraction...Helen Kane the 'Boop Boop a-Doop Girl was a favorite, a Clason Point girl she started her career singing and Tap Dancing on roller skates at Kanes. Kate Smith our 'God Bless America' girl came often to entertain. During Prohibition, Dutch Schultz, Two Gun Crowley and other Bootleggers made it their favorite hangout. The First Catholic mass was held in the often flooded celler. In the late 30's the German 'Bund' held meetings there. Primo Cannero the 'Giant' heavyweight Boxer came. Patrick Kane a former Political leader owned the establishment and Mr. Adam Martin managed it.

Kanes closed 1942.

By the early 20th century Clason Point was a mix of estates, farmland, and plenty of undeveloped swampland. Several landowners commercially developed their properties as picnic areas, beaches, dance halls, and amusement parks. Ferries between Clason Point and College Point in Queens ensured a steady stream of visitors, and the destination point for daylong excursions soon grew into a seasonal resort.