Mrs. James L. Ward, a widow and proverbial “crazy cat lady,” took a lease of the top floor above Jack’s Restaurant in July 1910. At that time, she had two cats, a pug dog, and a parrot. But then the cats had two cats, and they had two cats, and so on, and so on…
Archive for the ‘Cats in the Mews’ Category
1911: The 34 Cats Atop Jack’s Restaurant on Sixth Avenue and 43rd Street
Posted: 11th June 2024 by The Hatching Cat in Cats in the MewsTags: Cat Stories, Cats of Old New York, Jack Dunston, Jack's Restaurant, James L. Ward, John Jacob Astor, Medcef Eden
0
1939: Tommy Tucker, the Riverside Drive Cat Who (Almost) Inherited $5,000
Posted: 23rd March 2024 by The Hatching Cat in Cat Stories, Cats in the MewsTags: Castle Village, Cats of Old New York, Charles Paterno, Henry L. Hirscher, Julius Baier, Louise Baier, Riverside Drive, Victor Baier
When Tommy Tucker’s owner died in 1939, the former street cat who had been living in luxury in a beautiful old house on Riverside Drive almost inherited a fortune. (He made out pretty good in the end.)
A great cat story with some interesting history about the Paterno Castle in Washington Heights.
Announcing New Content: Cats in Hats, Old-Time Cats on the Clock
Posted: 17th November 2023 by The Hatching Cat in Cat Stories, Cats in the MewsTags: cats in history, Cats With Jobs, Historical Cats, Working Cats
As I find myself in a restrictive cast for a few weeks following ankle surgery, I have decided to distract myself from my foot by adding new content to the Hatching Cat. I was originally going to save this “Cats in Hats” project for my retirement years, but writing about old-time cats on the clock […]
1884: Tabby, the Staten Island Cat of Eltingville Set Out to Sea for 9 Days
Posted: 20th August 2023 by The Hatching Cat in Cat Stories, Cats in the MewsTags: Cats of Old New York, New York History, Noah Elting, Staten Island history
Although she lived through three storms while at sea in a small rowboat, Tabby the cat never lost even one of her nine lives during her nine days in the Sandy Hook Bay.
1944: The Chimney Cat Rescue of West Farms
Posted: 27th July 2023 by The Hatching Cat in Cat Stories, Cats in the MewsTags: Adriatic Hotel, Bryant Avenue, Cats of Old New York, Rose Colgan, Thomas Walker, West Farms
In April 1944, an unnamed cat fell down the chimney of a six-story apartment building at 1973 Bryant Avenue in West Farms. For four days and nights, Rose Colgan, who lived on the first floor, listened to the poor cat cry behind a wall in her department. It took four days, but she finally decided to take action.
