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Beemster & Manhattan
Beemster & Manhattan
When someone refers to Manhattan images of tall buildings and busy streets comes to mind immediately. A significant number of Americans know that the foundation of the biggest city in the USA can be traced back to the early Dutch immigrants, but what most people fail to realize is that the Beemster polder is directly responsible for the layout of Manhattan.
Manhattan was originally a forest of oak, maple, chestnut, and pine trees inhabited by Native Indians. Giovanni da Verrazano, an Italian Explorer, was first “white man,” as the Native Indians referred to early explorers, to see Manhattan. Prevented from landing by a heavy storm, da Verrazano turned back. The first landing on Manhattan was in September 1609 by Henry Hudson, who was employed by the Dutch East India Company. In 1610, a thriving trade began between the Indians and the Dutch. The first settlers to arrive in Manhattan were Dutch emigrants who landed during May of 1623. As the population grew Manhattan became a very large fur trading post. Manhattan Island was later purchased from the Indians, for the legendary twenty-four dollars. Peter Stuyvesant was one of the earlier Director-Generals of New York City, then referred to as New Amsterdam. His legacies include the construction of the first hospital and the development of the first lottery.
Back in The Netherlands the Beemster Polder was reclaimed for the sea around the same time, in the year 1612. As the seaclay at the bottom of the
polder became firm roads were built so that the new inhabitants could utilize all the newly available farmland. When the first roadways were created it was decided that the best way to maximize land use and have optimal access to all areas was to build the roadways in the shape of a grid.
Many of the engineers and construction workers who drained and then designed the layout of the Beemster polder were among the early immigrants in Manhattan. As the forests were cut to make room for the sprawl of the growing numbers of residents, it was foreseen that it was essential to design the growth of Manhattan in a utilitarian fashion. The Beemster polder plans were scrutinized and decided to be the best way to carryout road construction throughout Manhattan.