Little Old Canarsie
Steamboat Creek: A Natural For Fishing Parties

One of Canarsie's creeks, known as Steamboat Creek, came to its beginning from Jamaica Bay just about where the Canarsie Pier is today, and ran along the present Seaview shopping center and ended just in back where the office of O.T.B is now.

This creek was filled in by sand dredged from Jamaica Bay after the City of New York had condemned the waters due to pollution on April 1, 1920.

No one was allowed to take any more shellfish, such as oysters, clams and mussels for fear they might catch typhoid fever on account of the many sewers dumping into the bay. Also, no bathing was permitted in any part of Jamaica Bay on orders of the N.Y.C. Health Department. You were still allowed to take fish because they have to be cooked before eating, but shellfish can be eaten raw and that was the danger of getting ill. So they had to ban taking any from the bay.

Among the party guides who would take their boats so people could fish, was "Uncle Joe" Harris. One of his guests was Senator Wagner, father of Robert Wagner, the former Mayor of N.Y.C. He, in later years, had sons to assist him, William and John.

The above photo, courtesy of the Canarsie Historical Society/Brian Merlis collection, shows some of the places along Steamboat Creek, starting on the left with Boegel's Dance Hall, then George Rigby's cabaret and Schelein's and Rose Victors on the end. Just where the creek turned, was the building belonging to John Voorbeck, who repaired boat engines. John Denton said the photo and some parts of the story were furnished to him by Bill Harris, grandson of "Uncle Joe."

Many other famous fishing guides who took loads of sportsmen out to fish were George Ainsback, Henry Davenport, Rich and Art Johnson, and Chas. (Bluefish) Meyers. This was a great sport those days for businessmen and Wall Street brokers, to go out and come home with bags of fresh fish.

At the end of the creek, just about a hundred feet from Rockaway Avenue, now known from Seaview Avenue as St. Jude's Place, many times you could see the well-known black man, known all over as Uncle Hen Simmons at this spot, with his white horse and open wagon loading it up with mussels, which he called black diamonds that he sold all through the Flatbush section.

Many other old Canarsiens had boats tied up in this creek. Among them were Charles Sofield, Louis Klee, father of William (known as Pop Klee), Denman Bevish, Rich McAvoy, Herbie Morrison, John Hitchler, William Sellers, Max Casey and many others I just can't recall. And so I end another chapter of Little Old Canarsie.

Reader Comments

No comments have been posted. Be the first!

Other Stories With Comments:
Article	Comments
Golden City: Bought, Burned, Bought Again	1