Friday, November 30, 2007

This is a test




Lion dancing in Elmhurst. Justice Avenue to be exact.
I just wanted to see how inserting videos worked.
I guess I can hit the street with my video camera now.

Looks like I'm not the only one interested in the Durkee plant

An Elmhurst/Corona blog has posted a story about the school being built.
As they say - more to follow....

http://junctionblvd.blogspot.com/2007/11/potentially-toxic-site-continue-to-go.html

Monday, November 26, 2007

Durkee


A washed out shot from 11/25/05 showing the front entrance.

Durkee today



More shots from 11/25/07

Railroad Siding


The factory had it's own siding off the Port Washington branch of the LIRR. Hampton street bridge in distance

Durkee


The virtues of the building




More Durkee


Built in 1917 and opened in October of that year.

Newtown High School


I'm posting this for free hosting, but don't worry I'll post my photos of Newtown with and without it's tower in the coming weeks.

Solar power


While it has nothing to do with Elmhurst's past, I'm posting this photo of a solar power system a homeowner has set up on 92 street near the mall because do-it-yourself projects have always fascinated me.

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Two links to "Queens Crap" from Elmhurst

http://queenscrap.blogspot.com/2007/11/olde-elmhurst.html
Shows two grand old homes

and

http://queenscrap.blogspot.com/2007/11/elmhurst-dream-home.html
Shows what is often built to replace them.

The more things change......

Mustard warms Elmhurst

Wealthy residents rise in protest against a factory in their midst.

Wealthy residents of the Elmhurst section of Queens have risen in protest against the location of a mustard and spice factory of the Durkee Company on Corona Avenue and Card Place, in the very midst of their homes. The proposed site is almost bounded by property belonging to St.Bartholomew's Roman Catholic Church, St. Jame's Episcopal Church, the Elmhurst Methodist Church and the Newtown Dutch Reformed Church. Within a stone's throw are homes of well-known members of the theatrical profession. All the property was originally sold under restriction.
With the information that the Cord Meyer Company had sold the property to the Durkee Company came the statement that the factory would be surrounded by lawns and flower beds, and it would be an ornament to the community. But this did not satisfy the residents, and last evening William Boyes announced that he had been engaged as counsel by several of them to oppose in court the establishment of the factory.

Published in the New York Times March 16, 1917


Two subjects I will touch upon as this blog grows are:

1. Cord Meyer - the developer of Elmhurst
2. at the turn of the century Elmhurst was a wealthy neighborhood, with large homes lining Whitney avenue. Most were plowed under to meet the post World War One housing boom.

Durkee aerial photo


This is a few years old because the K of C is still standing on 43 avenue.

Durkee today



The site as it looks today. A high school is in the works.
There is a thriving market for old Durkee containers on Ebay, check your pantry.
and Durkee today

Scan of a Durkee factory postcard



Printed by the Commercial Art Post Card Co. Brooklyn, NY #311 in a series

E.R. Durkee & Co.

45-10 94th Street, Elmhurst, NY 11373
I had been thinking of starting a blog for quite some time as a way of sharing some of the Elmhurst postcards I have been collecting over the years. Today as I was crossing the Hampton Hill bridge I noticed that the Durkee factory was being gutted, so I decided to walk over and take a few photos thinking the building was not long for this world. The sign pictured tells a different tale, but it was enough to finally get me in gear.

Welcome

I have created this blog to share my photos of Elmhurst's past