Political Formation and Topography 1 1 



The only regular military organization in the Borough is 

 the Second Battery of the State National Guard, which 

 prides itself on being the pioneer company of the Borough. 

 It was organized February 4, 1833, in the city of New York 

 and moved to temporary quarters on Bathgate Avenue near 

 East 177th Street on October 25, 1902. It occupied its new 

 armory on Franklin Avenue and East 166th Street on June I, 

 1910. The ground and building cost #57,200. The battery, 

 which is now officially Battery A, First Battalion, Field 

 Artillery, N. G., N. Y., consists of six officers and one hundred 

 and eleven men. The battery is equipped with four three- 

 inch breech-loading field guns, four Colt rapid-firing guns, and 

 four Gatling guns. In addition, there are forty-four horses, 

 the property of the battery, and the necessary equipment 

 of harness, small arms, caissons, etc. 



One of the most important factors in the development of 

 the Borough on its commercial and sociological sides has been 

 the North Side Board of Trade. This is composed of the 

 leading business and professional men of the Borough, and 

 those having business or other interests there. The society 

 was organized March 6, 1894; an d since that time it has been 

 untiring in its efforts to arouse a proper public spirit and pride 

 in the Borough and in disseminating information about it, 

 so as to attract manufacturing and other enterprises and a 

 superior class of residents. That this has been successfully 

 done is shown in the large number of commercial enter- 

 prises, the increase in traffic facilities, and the doubling 

 of the population within the last decade. On Saturday, 

 October 28, 191 1, the corner-stone of the new North Side 

 Board of Trade building was laid by Mayor Gaynor with 

 appropriate ceremonies. The building is located at Third 

 and Lincoln avenues and East 137th Street. When fin- 



