Monday, October 6, 2008

A Little Taste Of History (44)

Topic: Happenings in NYC During the 1900s #2

International Ladies Garment Workers Union founded in June 3, 1900. The union has been credited with the eradication of the sweatshop conditions forced upon the immigrants workers during the rapid rise of the needle trades, which had their origins in the invention of the sewing machine in 1846 and of the cutting machine 20 years later.

Located in the heart of Manhattan's financial district, the Broad Exchange Building was, at the time of its construction in 1900-02, the largest office building with the highest estimated real estate value built in Manhattan. Designed by the renowned architectural firm of Clinton & Russell, the Broad Exchange Building contained 326,500 square feet of rentable floor area and was estimated to cost $3.25 million.

Miss Florence E. Woods, established the record of being the first member of her sex to obtain a permit to operate an automobile in Central Park. Miss Woods is seventeen years of age and the daughter of Clinton E. Woods, general manager of the Woods Auto-Vehicle Company of Chicago, where her home is. She is attending school in NYC and lives at 182 west 80th street.

The 23rd Police Precinct Station House, located on the south side of West 30th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, was erected in 1907-08 to the design of R. Thomas Short, who is best known as a designer of apartment buildings as a partner in the firm of Harde & Short. This station house served the legendary Tenderloin section of midtown Manhattan that was previously part of the 19th Precinct, one of the city's busiest.

In accordance with one of the rites of the Jewish religion, requiring that damaged or defective scrolls of the law be put in the Genizah, or secret hiding place, as in the olden times, or buried, eighteen scrolls, each comprising one complete Pentateuch, which were recently damaged by fire, were buried yesterday in Washington Cemetery by several orthodox Jewish congregations on the lower east side, which owned them. It was said this was the first time this ceremony has been observed in the United States.

Source: thehistorybox.com

Contact: miriammedina@earthlink.net or miriam@thehistorybox.com

No comments: