The following incredible tale about a retired fire horse that saved a little girl’s life at Coney Island Dreamland is based on the story in my new book, The Bravest Pets of Gotham: Tales of Four-Legged Firefighters of Old New York.
Posts Tagged ‘Coney Island’
1905: Harry, the Lifesaving Horse of Dreamland, Coney Island
Posted: 12th October 2024 by The Hatching Cat in FDNY Horses/Mascots, Horse TalesTags: Coney Island, Fighting the Flames, Horses, New York City History
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1899: King and Queen, the Diving Quadrupeds of Coney Island, Brooklyn
Posted: 7th May 2015 by The Hatching Cat in Animal Attractions, Horse TalesTags: Biograph Company, Coney Island, Diving Horses, Frederick S. Armitage, King and Queen, New York History, Roosevelt Building, Sea Lion Park
Billed as the amazing high diving horses, King and Queen were two pure white Arabian horses who had a knack for diving on their own from great heights into almost any body of water.
1903: Topsy, the Elephant Electrocuted by Thomas Edison at Coney Island’s Luna Park
Posted: 14th March 2015 by The Hatching Cat in Animal Attractions, Elephant TalesTags: Circus Elephant, Coney Island, Elephant Hotel, Luna Park, New York History, Topsy
This true elephant story brought tears to my eyes, and was very difficult to write. However, I believe it’s an important story to tell in order to show how far we’ve come in America when it comes to treating both animals and humans, how far we still need to go, and how important it is for us to ensure that other countries catch up and keep pace with us.
1893: Wallace, the Lion that Caused an Uproar on the Site of Pete’s Tavern
Posted: 21st April 2013 by The Hatching Cat in Animal AttractionsTags: Animal Tales, Coney Island, Frank Bostock, New York History, Old New York, Pete's Tavern, Wallace the lion
On October 27, 1893, thousands of people gathered on East 18th Street near Gramercy Park for what may – or may not – have been a well-orchestrated publicity stunt for a traveling menagerie. Apparently, a giant circus lion named Wallace had escaped his cage inside the small, 12×20 stable at 129 East 18th Street and was eating a prized trotter horse that he had killed. Today, we know 129 East 18th Street as the site of Pete’s Tavern, the oldest continuously operating restaurant and bar in New York City.
