336 The Story of The Bronx 



through which Tippctt's Brook finds its tortuous way. Over- 

 head the elevated portion of the subway thunders on to its 

 terminus at West 2^26. Street abreast of Van Cortlandt 

 Park. On the right of the station are the Van Cortlandt 

 mansion and the lake. Just south of the mansion, a road 

 connects the opposite sides of the valley ; this is the old Albany 

 Post-road. On our right, as we go farther up Broadway, is 

 Van Cortlandt Park ; and on our left, are the hamlet of Mosholu 

 and the heights of Riverdale, a rough, broken country, full 

 of short, knobby hills, separated by deep ravines and gullies. 

 A part of the old Albany Road lies to the west of Broadway, 

 a continuation of Dash's Lane. This present line of Broad- 

 way was filled in about 1808 by the Highland Turnpike 

 Company, which hung gates and charged toll, having control 

 of the road all the way to Albany. Upon the rocky heights 

 to the west, the remnant of the band of Stockbridge Indians 

 found hiding-places from their pursuers. 



Instead of going up Broadway, we may cross to the eastern 

 side of the valley by the ancient causeway (Macomb Street) 

 over whose construction Verveelen and Archer had a row; 

 or we may cross to the station of the Putnam Railroad over 

 Depot Street, and follow the Albany Road to the park, or 

 the Boston Road to the top of the hill to Sedgwick Avenue 

 and the new Jerome Park reservoir. 



The reservoir lies in the former townships of Kingsbridge 

 and West Farms (Fordham), and occupies the site of the 

 Jerome Park race-track. Work upon the reservoir was begun 

 in August, 1895, an d the contract called for its completion in 

 August, 1902. The reservoir was to consist of two basins 

 capable of holding two billions of gallons and covering with 

 water 212 acres out of the 309 bought by the city, thus making 

 it the largest distributing reservoir in the world. The western 



