Passover Provided to Patients on Welfare Island (1935)

Passover - Welfare Island - NYT - 1935 April 17

Touring Roosevelt Island - 75 Years Ago Today

An article published 75 years ago today by the New York Times offers an interesting time capsule view of then Welfare Island. I have only posted here a few measly snippets, which truthfully don't even start the tour, but if you subscribe to the NYT you should have full access to the article. Sorry not trying to be an advertisement.

Fifty Two Years Ago Ferrry Service Discontinued

Fifty two years ago this weekend, June 22nd, ferry service from East 78th Street to Roosevelt Island, then Welfare Island, was discontinued due to in major part to the opening, in 1955, of the lift bridge connecting the island to Long Island City. The end of service marked the end of twenty-one years of service connecting the island to Manhattan by water.

Pictures: Last Trolley Over Queensboro Bridge & The Last in New York State

Courtesy of the photo collection of Railfan FRANK PFUHLER you can link to a picture set that includes photos of car 601 taken on the last day, April 7, 1957, of the running of the local trolley across the Queensboro Bridge.

The sad part is that today that same trolley car is below as it rests at the Trolley Museum of New York at Kingston.

Roosevelt Island’s Name Changes – A Short History

What did FDR, Marcus Garvey, and Roberto Clemente all have in common? They each had destinations re-named in their honor by NYC on July 19, 1973. In FDR’s case it was then Welfare Island which was being re-named. The Island bore the name “Welfare Island” for a mere 52 years as opposed to the Island’s prior name “Blackwell Island” which it bore for much longer. The second image below details this discontent with the name change to Welfare Island.