Little Old Canarsie
Memories Of Those Canarsie Summers

Now that the summer is gone, my memory turns back to the summery days during 1912. Let us start to stroll at a point on Kings Highway and Canarsie Lane, where a frame house stood - occupied by Sam Lott and family. In front of the house was a wooden stand from which home grown vegetables were sold. This lane was one of the only two ways to get into Canarsie in those days - the other being Rockaway Avenue.

As we walk along, we pass on the left a yellow house occupied by the workers for Jill Brothers, big farmers in the Canarsie area. Then, on the right, we see the old Wyckoff homestead, one of the oldest remaining houses in the U.S., then standing under the arch of the Long Island Railroad.

Down on the left side of the lane we pass the home of Schenck Lott and just as we turn at the beginning of Varken Hood Road, we come to two large mansions. On the left is one occupied by the Loman family and, adjoining, is that occupied by the Schreifers.

We then pass the home on the left - that of Ryan's Coach and Livery Stables - and next door we see Sam Giles hammering away on the anvil as he shoes horses, which are quite numerous in Canarsie.

In front of the blacksmith's shop is the store and home of the Bullwinkle Family. Across the way is the home of the hay, grain and feed business of Julius Popkin (father and mother of the Popkin boys who are still in business, now in the auto line). As we walk down from there on East 92nd Street, then known as Main Road, we come to the store on the left of Carl Hube and, further down on the right hand corner of School Lane, the Hager James Candy and General Store - where all the kids from P.S. 114 came to buy candy and cake on their lunch hour.

Now we continue our stroll and pass, on the left, the beautiful mansion of Uncle Bill Van Ahnen. We also pass the saloon of Hy Krier on the opposite corner and then we come to the grocery store of Joseph Krier.

Across Flatlands Avenue, on the left corner, stands the drug store owned by Louis Chrome; his family lives upstairs. Across the way is a big tract of land which is fenced in and which bears a sign which says "This is Campbell's Manor," owned by Frederick and William Campbell who lived on the land facing what was later East 91 Street.

A little further down we come to St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, while across the way is the butcher and vegetable store of Ben Van Houten. Then on the corner of East 92 Street and Skidmore Lane is a building occupied by Fritz Straussner, which was used as a grocery store. This is the building where all the Canarsie boys volunteered to serve in the Civil War when called by President Abe Lincoln.

These boys who served in the Union Army were from Canarsie, which according to voting population, produced more enlisted men than any other comparable town or village in the U.S.

We proceed again, and a little way down we pass the home of the Gasline family. Next door is a small building which houses the Canarsie Wheelmen, consisting of about 25 bicycle riders.

We then pass the Methodist Church on the corner of East 92 Street and Church Lane, better known as the "Road to Lott's House." Just before we reach the Church (I forgot to mention) is the ice cream parlor owned by Joseph Trent who made all his own ice cream. He was also the superintendent of Canarsie Cemetery.

Next door was the home of the Schenck family and down further, next to the church, was Bob Mathews' Candy Store. Next to that was the grocery and hardware store of T.F. Winterberg, run by him and his family. Next to the store was the big mansion of Hammond Van Ahnen, while across the way was the beautiful estate of Ely Abrams, the well known oyster dealer.

Now we pass by the home of Al Skidmore, who was one of Canarsie's leading blacksmith and horseshoers. Across the way we pass the lovely home of Robert Mathews and down further is the home of William R. Wilson and family. On the opposite side is the race track, which extends from East 92 Street to East 94 Street, and was used on holidays by the Canarsie Wheelmen.