Walking Into The Past
Broad Channel resident Don Riepe shares the history ofJamaica Bay with visitors.The unique and lively history of Broad Channel came alive for 22 people who took part in a special walking tour on Sunday, Oct. 11.
The group was led by local historian, Vivian Carter, who also authored of Images of America: Rockaway Beach. As she has done on numerous historical Rockaway tours, she wove the island community’s story around key places they visited along the way.
In the process she showed where and how Broad Channel has changed over the past one hundred plus years, and also where it has very much remained the same.
The tour also took in the natural history of the island as well. The group visited the home of Broad Channel resident and head of the Northeast Chapter of the American Littoral Society, Don Riepe.
Against the sweeping back drop of Jamaica Bay, Riepe explained about the ongoing marsh restoration projects.
Carter noted that, “Other highlights included a walk through the Callaghan bungalow on the East 12th Road boardwalk.” The bungalow, owned by Kevin and Marina Callaghan, sits out over the bay and has been restored to look as it did in the early 1900’s.
“People were just blown away by that little jaunt, which was the last stop on the tour,” she added.
According to Carter, all the tour participants came from Manhattan, Brooklyn and mainland Queens. The tour, supported by the Municipal Arts Society, was added due to popular demand and increased interest in Broad Channel and the Rockaways.
The Municipal Arts Society presents hundreds of tours each year for both visitors and New Yorkers to explore the five boroughs.
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