Carl Rogers

Queens Village is located in the borough of Queens. It is a beautiful community, full with houses and parks. We will explore the rich history of Queens Village. Then examine my neighborhood in depth by focusing on Haitians and their contribution to Queens Village. As I summarize my research I will reflect on my personal opinion of my neighborhood.

History

It is important to get some background information of the borough this community came from; which is Queens. Queens County which was one of the original ten counties of New York was created in November 1, 1683. At that time Nassau was included as a part of Queens County. Queens was named after the English queen, Catherine of Braganza. In 1898 Nassau and Queens County separated and Queens became one of the five boroughs incorporated in the city of New York. At first Queens Village was one of the settlements in Long Island, this area was originally called Little Plains. The name was then changed to Brushville after a local blacksmith. In 1856, the village was named Queens for the county in which it located; village was added in 1923 to avoid confusion between the two. Queens Village rough boundaries proposed by the modern chamber of commerce are: union turnpike on the north, Francis Lewis Boulevard on the west, Murdock Avenue on the south and the belt parkway and Winchester on the east. In the 1600s, Queens Village was found thinly settled by the Jamecos which was a local Indian tribe. When this area was discovered by the Dutch in the 1600s, they mainly produced hay in Queens Village due to its grassy terrain. Since Queens Village and Springfield to the south were politically border area, they were very early a subject of dispute between the towns of Hempstead and Flushing as to exactly where the boundary line ran.

Controversies with the town of Hempstead must have been the sharpest for the very first entry in Town Records. The dispute with Hempstead was settled in 1665. The Hempstead Town Officers yielded up all the plains and which the line doth comprehend and all the meadows that lie below the little plains on the west side of the great river. (Seyfried4)

The road system in Queens Village area had evidently developed very early. Jamaica Avenue had been an Indian trail along the foot of the hills; it was also the road linking Hempstead to Jamaica and Jamaica to the ferry on the Brooklyn shore. It is probably referred to an entry in the town records for 1685 which speaks of the old path that goes to little plains. Hempstead Avenue appears in 1681 as the path or road between flushing and Hempstead. Farmers Avenue in Hollis appears for the first time in 1696 as the freeman's path. The first reference to Springfield Boulevard comes in 1697 where a farmstead is described as bounded on the west by the little plains run or highway.

The social structure of Queens Village was very limited. The population was predominately farmers. The town records mentions that the population consisted of saddlers, sawyers, millers, tanners, weavers, and carpenters. There seems to have been no manufacturing through

which goods could be transported from New York. The family spinning wheel served most household needs and ingenuity of the farmer had to meet. Queens Village developed quietly during the 1700's and slowly grew in population. Hollis Ave and Colfax Street which is the street I live on were both formed in 1765. Since Queens Village was at first mainly a farm, I found what farm my town was named. On Colfax Street to 209 place which is exactly where I live, the farm in that location was named Town of Jamaica in 1854.

One major development in Queens Village was the long Island railroad. The Long island R.R was chartered by special act of legislature on April 24, 1834. Since then the Long Island Railroad has been a major transportation to Manhattan.

In 1921 queens village was known as one of the fastest growing communities in the entire sate. In the fall of 1921, some of the leading business men saw the need for a bank. On Monday, December 5, 1921 the queens Bellaire ban opened its doors for business on the corner of Springfield and Jamaica Avenue. Another one of queens Village's noted landmarks is that building which occupies of the corner of 97th avenue and Springfield boulevard ad is today known as Antuns. This building was building was built as a hotel in 1915. In 1944, Autuns was transformed to one of the largest catering establishment in queens County. Each year the large staff of cooks, waiters and kitchen help prepare great senators, Governors.

Census and Ethic group

According to the 2000 Census, the total population of Queens Village is 27,253. Only 1,543 of this population contain Caucasians. About 23,032 of the population are black. The lowest number in race is Native Americans. Queens Village is vastly diverse; it's contained a large amount of immigrants. For example in the whole population of Haitians in Queens Village totals to 3782.

Haitian is an ethnic group that has a major impact on Queens Village. The reason why I choose to research this ethic group is because I am Haitian. I wanted to get background information on my culture. In the year of 2000, 145 Haitians immigrated to queens Village. Immigrant groups typically reconstruct some part of their homeland culture in their new environment. Language, religion, music and cuisine, along with homeland politics, are the standard staples of immigrants' reconstructed homeland cultures. These elements are prevalent throughout Queens Village.

Haiti is considered the lost paradise. It is known as the first Black Country to gain independence from colonial rule in 1804. Over the centuries economic, political, and social problems have transformed Haiti into the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. The native language of Haitians is Haitian Creole. This language is a mixture of many languages. The dominant religion of Haitians is catholic. Haitians usually attend the Catholic Church called sacred Heart located in Queens Village. Another religion that Haitians tend to practice is Protestantism. The First Revelation Church is a very popular Haitian church in Queens Village.

Many residents of Haiti came to New York for a better life. It is believed that New York presents an unlimited amount of opportunities. When Haitians first arrive to Queens Village, they limited to the types of jobs that are available to them. Many of them have to work jobs that are "off the books", meaning they do not pay taxes. Women usually work as nursing aides. They can work for agencies or find jobs independently. Haitian men usually work physically demanding jobs. Many come to Queens Village and open their own restaurants. Haitian restaurants are the dominant business in Haitian culture.

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