Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DeWitt Clinton
Mayorofthecity,governorofthestate,andU.S.
senator, Clinton (1769-1828) is best re-
membered for negotiating the construction of
the Erie Canal in 1817-25. By connecting the
Great Lakes to the Hudson River, he helped to
secure New York's future as a predominant sea-
port.
DeWitt Clinton
Jacob Riis
Appalledbyimmigrantlivingconditions,Riis(1849-1914),asocialreformer,writer,
and photographer, used photos taken in tenements to illustrate his stories, shocking
the middle class and motivating them to act. His 1888 article,
Flashes from the
Slums
, and his book,
How the Other Half Lives
, brought national attention.
John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
The largess of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. (1874-1960) helped support housing in Har-
lem,theBronx,andQueens,createdFortTryonParkandtheCloisters,andprovided
land for the United Nations. The construction of
Rockefeller Center
employed
thousands at the height of the depression and gave the city an enduring landmark.
Fiorello LaGuardia
Considered the city's best mayor, after his election in 1933 LaGuardia (1882-1947)
modernized andcentralized achaoticcitygovernment, eliminated waste,unifiedthe
transitsystem,andobtainedfederalfundstohelpthecity.Amanofthepeople,heis
remembered for reading the comics on the radio during a city newspaper strike.
