Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City, is still remembered fondly for the 5c Staten Island Ferry ride to Manhattan. The rolling hills of Staten Island greet ships as they enter the Narrows of New York Harbor and sail beneath the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. The island’s ever-evolving history dates back to days as a hunting ground of the Lenape Indian tribe. Today, it is a thriving suburban community. In this volume, the reader will explore the roots of this historic island, tour its streets, and meet some memorable Staten Islanders–Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, founder of one of the largest fortunes in America;

Governor Daniel Tompkins, who served as vice president

of the United States under President Monroe; and Alice

Austen, one of the pre-eminent women photographers

of the nineteenth century. Italian patriot Giuseppe Garibaldi and inventor Antonio Meucci created a legacy on the island, as did the oystermen from Snow Hill, Maryland, who founded Sandy Ground. The reader also glimpses historic charitable organizations such as Sailors’ Snug Harbor and Mount Loretto and visits the living village known as Historic Richmondtown.