Early Means of Communication 223 



1903. In accordance with this plan, during the last decade, 

 blasting, grading, cutting down of hills, and filling in low places 

 and quagmires have been going on in all portions of the 

 Borough. Should a person familiar with a locality where 

 such changes are going on visit it a year or two later, he would 

 find it developed into wide, well-paved streets, lined with 

 solid blocks of residences, factories, or stores. 



A most notable street improvement of recent years is the 

 Grand Boulevard and Concourse, which is a great highway 

 extending from Gerard Avenue and East 161st Street to the 

 Gun Hill Road, a distance of nearly four miles. The road is 

 182 feet wide, and is to serve as a link between Manhattan 

 and the park system of the Borough, though no arrangements 

 have yet been completed for connecting the lower end of the 

 Concourse with Manhattan. The idea of the road originated 

 with Louis J. Heintz, the first Commissioner of Street Im- 

 provements, as far back as 1890; but the preliminaries were 

 not completed and ground broken until October 1, 1902, and 

 the Concourse was not officially opened until November 24, 

 1909. If the expectations of its promoters be realized, it 

 should be the most magnificent boulevard in the world. 



In colonial days, everybody rode horseback, and this was 

 the usual method of getting from place to place. The women 

 rode on a pillion behind a man, the pillion being a pad, or ad- 

 ditional saddle, behind the regular saddle, upon which the 

 woman sat comfortably and safely, as she could hold on to 

 the rider in front, as well as having a stirrup by which to 

 steady herself. Many of the horses were of fine breed, and 

 the wealthy gentlemen kept horses for hunting and racing 

 in the English fashion. Some of the gentry had a coach and 

 four with liveried footmen and outriders, and so travelled in 

 great style, even if not in much comfort on account of the 



