Hi Jan, First, Richmond Hill was a village (incorporated in 1894) in the Town of Jamaica in Queens County. Prior to 1894, Richmond Hill was a hamlet in the Town of Jamaica, and from January 1, 1898, Richmond Hill was and is currently a neighborhood in the New York City Borough of Queens. Beginning on its northern border and proceeding clockwise, Richmond Hill is bordered on the north by Kew Gardens; on the east by Briarwood, Jamaica and South Jamaica; on the south by South Ozone Park and Ozone Park; and, on the west by Woodhaven, as shown on this map of Queens neighborhoods circa 1940: http://www.queenslibrary.org/gallery/past_exhibits/burgh/map.htm Richmond Hill is in the service area of the Richmond Hill postal station (ZIP Codes 11418 and 11419), a branch of the Jamaica, NY post office. Richmond Hill is the location of Jahns Ice Cream Parlor (117-03 Hillside Avenue), home of the kitchen sink sundae (that's a punchbowl with 50 scoops of ice cream, topped by various and sundry toppings and lots of whipped cream). For more information on Richmond Hill, please see the Richmond Hill Historical Society web page: http://www.richmondhillhistory.org/ Second, City Island was the third and last part of what is now the Bronx that was annexed by the city and county of New York from Westchester County. In 1896, City Island was annexed from the Town of Pelham in Westchester County. In 1898 it became part of the NYC Borough of the Bronx, which remained part of New York County until the Bronx County seceded and became independent in 1914. (Thus, for 16 years, from 1898 to 1914, New York City was made up of 5 boroughs, but only 4 counties.) City Island is in Eastchester Bay, in the southeast part of the Bronx, as seen on this map of the Bronx neighborhoods: http://www.angelfire.com/ny/Bx/map.gif City Island is a close-knit community and is known for its fish and seafood restaurants. Third, a key reason why many always think of Richmond County as "Staten Island" even though the borough's name was Richmond from 1898 to 1975 is because all places in Richmond County/Borough of Staten Island, before and after 1975, are in the Staten Island, NY post office and they all have a "Staten Island, NY" mailing address. Richmond County/Borough of Staten Island includes more than the Island of Staten Island: Staten Island is an island, lying south of Manhattan Island, bordered by New Jersey to its west (separated by the Arthur Kill), NJ to its north (separated by the Kill Van Kull), Upper NY Bay to its east, and Lower NY Bay and the Atlantic Ocean to its south. Also includes Shooter's Island, Prall's Island, and Island of Meadow -- all of which are bird sanctuaries. Also, to its south, are Hoffman Island and Swinburn Island which are part of the Gateway National Recreation Area, administered by the US National Park Service. Fourth, from November 1, 1683 to January 1, 1899, Long Island included (from west to east) Kings County, Queens County and Suffolk County. Following the secession of the eastern three-quarters of Queens County (the part that was not annexed by NYC on January 1, 1898) on January 1, 1899 to form Nassau County, Long Island then and now includes (from west to east) Kings County, Queens County, Nassau County and Suffolk County. The two westernmost counties are coterminous with the New York City Boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. Some (like me) argue that Dukes County, one of the original 12 counties created on November 1, 1693 is the original "east end" and should be included as part of Long Island from November 1, 1683 to October 7, 1691, when Dukes County and Cornwall County, another of the original 12 counties, were transferred to the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Dukes County consisted of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Island and a few smaller islands, and Cornwall County is now the Atlantic Coast of Maine (in 1820, as part of the Missouri Compromise, Maine was created out of part of Massachusetts). I hope this information is useful or, at least, interesting. Regards, Walter Greenspan Great Falls, MT & Jericho, NY

Thanks so much, Walter. You've been very helpful. I remember having relatives in Ozone Park and Jamaica as well as Richmond Hill. I was just a tot at the time....but one with a good memory I guess. Maureen ----- Original Message ----- From: <Soyamaven@aol.com> To: <GEN-NYS@rootsweb.com> Cc: <NY-LONGISLAND@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, November 11, 2006 8:16 PM Subject: [GEN-NYS] Richmond Hill, City Island, Staten Island, Long Island > Hi Jan, > > First, Richmond Hill was a village (incorporated in 1894) in the Town of > Jamaica in Queens County. Prior to 1894, Richmond Hill was a hamlet in > the Town > of Jamaica, and from January 1, 1898, Richmond Hill was and is currently a > neighborhood in the New York City Borough of Queens. > > Beginning on its northern border and proceeding clockwise, Richmond Hill > is > bordered on the north by Kew Gardens; on the east by Briarwood, Jamaica > and > South Jamaica; on the south by South Ozone Park and Ozone Park; and, on > the west > by Woodhaven, as shown on this map of Queens neighborhoods circa 1940: > > http://www.queenslibrary.org/gallery/past_exhibits/burgh/map.htm > > > Richmond Hill is in the service area of the Richmond Hill postal station > (ZIP > Codes 11418 and 11419), a branch of the Jamaica, NY post office. > > > Richmond Hill is the location of Jahns Ice Cream Parlor (117-03 Hillside > Avenue), home of the kitchen sink sundae (that's a punchbowl with 50 > scoops of ice > cream, topped by various and sundry toppings and lots of whipped cream). > > > For more information on Richmond Hill, please see the Richmond Hill > Historical Society web page: > > http://www.richmondhillhistory.org/ > > > Second, City Island was the third and last part of what is now the Bronx > that > was annexed by the city and county of New York from Westchester County. In > 1896, City Island was annexed from the Town of Pelham in Westchester > County. In > 1898 it became part of the NYC Borough of the Bronx, which remained part > of > New York County until the Bronx County seceded and became independent in > 1914. > (Thus, for 16 years, from 1898 to 1914, New York City was made up of 5 > boroughs, but only 4 counties.) > > City Island is in Eastchester Bay, in the southeast part of the Bronx, as > seen on this map of the Bronx neighborhoods: > > http://www.angelfire.com/ny/Bx/map.gif > > > City Island is a close-knit community and is known for its fish and > seafood > restaurants. > > > Third, a key reason why many always think of Richmond County as "Staten > Island" even though the borough's name was Richmond from 1898 to 1975 is > because > all places in Richmond County/Borough of Staten Island, before and after > 1975, > are in the Staten Island, NY post office and they all have a "Staten > Island, > NY" mailing address. > > Richmond County/Borough of Staten Island includes more than the Island of > Staten Island: > > Staten Island is an island, lying south of Manhattan Island, bordered by > New > Jersey to its west (separated by the Arthur Kill), NJ to its north > (separated > by the Kill Van Kull), Upper NY Bay to its east, and Lower NY Bay and the > Atlantic Ocean to its south. Also includes Shooter's Island, Prall's > Island, and > Island of Meadow -- all of which are bird sanctuaries. Also, to its > south, > are Hoffman Island and Swinburn Island which are part of the Gateway > National > Recreation Area, administered by the US National Park Service. > > > Fourth, from November 1, 1683 to January 1, 1899, Long Island included > (from > west to east) Kings County, Queens County and Suffolk County. > > Following the secession of the eastern three-quarters of Queens County > (the > part that was not annexed by NYC on January 1, 1898) on January 1, 1899 to > form > Nassau County, Long Island then and now includes (from west to east) Kings > County, Queens County, Nassau County and Suffolk County. The two > westernmost > counties are coterminous with the New York City Boroughs of Brooklyn and > Queens. > > Some (like me) argue that Dukes County, one of the original 12 counties > created on November 1, 1693 is the original "east end" and should be > included as > part of Long Island from November 1, 1683 to October 7, 1691, when Dukes > County > and Cornwall County, another of the original 12 counties, were transferred > to > the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Dukes County consisted of Martha's Vineyard > and > Nantucket Island and a few smaller islands, and Cornwall County is now the > Atlantic Coast of Maine (in 1820, as part of the Missouri Compromise, > Maine was > created out of part of Massachusetts). > > > I hope this information is useful or, at least, interesting. > > Regards, > > Walter Greenspan > Great Falls, MT & Jericho, NY > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > GEN-NYS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message