By 1666, the Native American population had been displaced from the Flushing Meadows site by European settlers, although a deed reserved the right to hunt on the land for the Native Americans. The meadows became known as the Corona Meadows. Beginning in 1640, Dutch settlers moved into the area, establishing the town of Newtown to the west of the site (which would become Elmhurst, Corona, and other areas in western Queens), and the town of Flushing to the east. They consisted of the "Canarsee" and "Rockaway" Lenape groups, which inhabited coastal wetlands across Queens and Brooklyn. The area was first settled by Algonquian Native Americans of Long Island (referred to erroneously as " Mantinecocks"). Species inhabiting the site included waterfowl and fiddler crab, with fish using water pools for spawning. Through the 19th century, the site continued to consist of wetlands straddling Flushing River. Prior to glaciation, the Flushing River valley was used by the Hudson River to drain southward into the Atlantic Ocean. The Flushing Meadows site became a glacial lake, and then a salt marsh after the ice melted. The moraine created a drainage divide, with rivers north of the moraine such as the future Flushing River emptying into the north shore. During glaciation, what is now Flushing Meadows Park was formed just north of the terminal moraine that runs across Long Island, which consisted of sand, gravel, clay and boulders. In particular, bays and estuaries were formed along the north shore of Long Island. History Early years ĭuring at least three glacial periods, including the Wisconsin glaciation around 20,000 years ago, ice sheets advanced south across North America carving moraines, valleys, and hills. "Corona" was added to the name during the 1964 New York World's Fair. By the 19th century, the word "flushing" had become associated with "a cleansing by rushing water". The name "Flushing" is a corruption of the port town of Vlissingen in the Netherlands. The park is named after the nearby neighborhoods of Flushing and Corona, which are separated by the park. View of New York State Pavilion tower and the Unisphere in 2013 The park is at the eastern edge of the area encompassed by Queens Community Board 4. Private, non-profit groups such as the Flushing Meadows–Corona Park Conservancy and the Alliance for Flushing Meadows–Corona Park provide additional funds, services, and support. The Flushing River continues to run through the park, and two large lakes called Meadow and Willow Lakes take up much of the park's area south of the Long Island Expressway.įlushing Meadows–Corona Park is owned and maintained by New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, also known as NYC Parks. It formerly contained Shea Stadium, demolished in 2009. Its attractions include the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the current venue for the US Open tennis tournament Citi Field, the home of the New York Mets baseball team the New York Hall of Science the Queens Museum the Queens Theatre in the Park the Queens Zoo the Unisphere and the New York State Pavilion. Following the 1964 fair, the park fell into disrepair, although some improvements have taken place since the 1990s and 2000s.įlushing Meadows–Corona Park retains much of the layout from the 1939 World's Fair. Flushing Meadows–Corona Park was created as the site of the 1939 New York World's Fair and also hosted the 1964 New York World's Fair. New York City Parks Commissioner Robert Moses first conceived the idea of developing a large park in Flushing Meadow in the 1920s as part of a system of parks across eastern Queens. Starting in the first decade of the 20th century, it was used as a dumping ground for ashes, since at the time, the land was so far away from the developed parts of New York City as to be considered almost worthless. Until the 19th century, the site consisted of wetlands straddling the Flushing River, which traverses the region from north to south. Flushing Meadows–Corona Park is the fourth-largest public park in New York City, with a total area of 897 acres (363 ha). It is bounded by I-678 (Van Wyck Expressway) on the east, Grand Central Parkway on the west, Flushing Bay on the north, and Union Turnpike on the south. LIRR: Port Washington Branch to Mets–Willets Pointįlushing Meadows–Corona Park, often referred to as Flushing Meadows Park, or simply Flushing Meadows, is a public park in the northern part of Queens, New York City.
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