Posts Tagged ‘New York History’

Like most cats that became the popular mascots of New York City police stations, fire stations, hotels, and theaters in the 1800s and 1900s, Jim began his life as a vagrant cat without friends or influence. It didn’t take him long, however, to win the hearts of the managers, actors, and patrons of the old Union Square Theatre.

In June 1912, New York City Police Commissioner Rhinelander Waldo created a new 42nd Precinct to serve the people of the rapidly developing northern tip of Manhattan. In July 1913, the 207 policemen of the 42nd Precinct packed up their gear and moved into the old Guion/Rathbone house on Haven Avenue at West 177th Street.

For Lady Alice, Sir Tom, and the men of the 42nd Precinct, life was good in the old Rathbone mansion at 177th Street and Haven Avenue in Washington Heights.

On May 1, 1857, the Quarantine Commissioners purchased 50 acres of the Wolfe Farm on Staten Island for $23,000 for use as a quarantine for sick immigrants.

For years, Grumpy Bizallion’s monument was the tallest at Hartsdale Pet Cemetery in New York, standing just over six feet.