DEPARTMENT OP PARKS. 09 



In 1685 a charter was obtained from Governor Dongan, 

 securing the island to the town of Gravesend. The concourse 

 portion of it was sold for a nominal sum to Kings County, to 

 remain under the control of the Park Department. 



]ts name at this time was Cunny Island, while the Dutch 

 called it Conijnen Eylaudt. It had two inlets through it, 

 making three islands. The first, at the eastern end, now the 

 Manhattan property, was known as Sedge Bank Island; the 

 second, known as Giiisbert's or Johnson's Island, extending 

 from a point between the Brighton and Manhattan Hotels up 

 to Paul Bauer's, where the Piney inlet was located. West of 

 this inlet lay Piney Island. At one time it was much larger 

 than it is now, and was well wooded with cedar and. pine trees. 

 This Piney inlet was the direct entrance for the fishermen of 

 Gravesend through which to deal with New York. 



There are several old maps in existence which seem to be 

 well authenticated — one as long ago as 1666, made by a Mr. 

 Hubbarde. Jeremiah Williamson made a map in 1765 ; John 

 Terhune made another in 180(5. Lifford and Strong made 

 maps at an early date. The U. S. Coast Survey made maps in 

 1835 and 1855. A study of these maps, together with the 

 shape of Coney Island at the present time, show a continued 

 and considerable change of its contour. 



There are many accounts of the wonderful changes that have 

 taken place on this changeable island. On one of the older 

 maps spoken of may be found these words : " This beach has, 

 within the memory of living men, washed away more than a 

 mile in one night." 



Mr. John Van Dyck declared a number of years ago that 

 Coney Island had on it high and long sand hills, where now it 

 is flat and level, and covered at intervals by the tide. He fur- 

 ther said that he had cut grass where the shore now is, as well 

 as a considerable distance out in the ocean. Mr. Court Lake, 

 in 1839, when he was seventy-nine years old, "stated that his 

 grandfather, about one hundred and ten years before that time, 

 had cut a quantity of cedar posts on a part of Coney Island, 

 which was then two miles from the shore, and he himself had 



