CHAPTER III 



DEVELOPMENT OF THE BRONX 



What Organized and Intelligent Effort has Accomplished — The Rush of 

 Capital and Steady Flow of Population. 



|RIOR to its annexation to New York City in 1874, the 



section which then comprised The Bronx lying west 



of the Bronx River, covered an area of but 12,317 acres 



and consisted of fifty-two sparsely settled villages and 



hamlets with an approximate population of 33,000. In 



1895, the territory east of the Bronx River, comprising 14,500 acres 



was annexed to the Borough, making a total of 26,817 acres in all, 



or 42 square miles of territory. 



Since the Borough's annexation to New York City in 1874, 

 when it became familiarly known as the "North Side," its growth 

 has been marvelous. From a population of 33,000 it grew to 430,- 

 980 in 1910, as shown by the latest census. This is an increase of 

 more than 1,300 per cent in thirty-six years — a record probably 

 never equalled in the history of the world. 



Since the Federal census was taken in 1910 the Health De- 

 partment estimated that the population of The Bronx by the middle 

 of this year (1913) would be 583,981. If the same increase con- 

 tinues for the next seven years — and it is safe to say it will — The 

 Bronx should have by 1920 a population of at least a million. 



The following table, based on the Federal census of 1910, has 

 been compiled by a well-known statistician. It shows the estimated 

 population of The Bronx up to and including the year 1920. 



Year Bronx 



1910 430,980 



1911 483,000 



1912 531,000 



1913 590,000 



1914 640,000 . 



1915 690,000 



1916 740,000 



1917 790,000 



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