Before New York — Photo Gallery — National Geographic Magazine

Current Issue November 2009
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Before New York

When Henry Hudson first looked on Manhattan in 1609, what did he see?

/2009/09/mannahatta/img/01-nyc-714.jpg /2009/09/mannahatta/img/mannahata-60-01.jpg Computer-generated image by Markley Boyer /2009/09/mannahatta/img/02-nyc-view-714.jpg /2009/09/mannahatta/img/mannahata-60-02.jpg Photograph by Robert Clark /2009/09/mannahatta/img/03-times-square-714.jpg /2009/09/mannahatta/img/mannahata-60-03.jpg Art by Philip Straub Times Square Long before it became a symbol of Manhattan's hectic pace, the intersection where Seventh Avenue crosses Broadway (see next photo) was once a quieter place.]]> /2009/09/mannahatta/img/04-times-square-714.jpg /2009/09/mannahatta/img/mannahata-60-04.jpg Photograph by Robert Clark Times Square Some 400 years ago, two creeks met here in a red maple swamp and fed a beaver pond (see previous photo).]]> /2009/09/mannahatta/img/05-pre-hudson-714.jpg /2009/09/mannahatta/img/mannahata-60-05.jpg Computer-generated image by Markley Boyer Hudson River Jeffrey's Hook, at the narrowest spot between Manhattan and New Jersey, was a crossing point for Native Americans centuries ago.]]> /2009/09/mannahatta/img/06-hudson-river-714.jpg /2009/09/mannahatta/img/mannahata-60-06.jpg Photograph by Robert Clark Hudson River Today the Little Red Lighthouse, made famous by a children's book, stands beneath the George Washington Bridge at Jeffrey's Hook.]]> /2009/09/mannahatta/img/07-pre-harlem-714.jpg /2009/09/mannahatta/img/mannahata-60-07.jpg Computer-generated image by Markley Boyer Harlem Plains The Lenape people may have used fire to keep open this grassy plain for hunting deer and other game.]]> /2009/09/mannahatta/img/08-harlem-plains-714.jpg /2009/09/mannahatta/img/mannahata-60-08.jpg Photograph by Robert Clark Harlem Plains The same bedrock that jutted through the ground in 1609 can still be seen today in Harlem's Marcus Garvey Park.]]> /2009/09/mannahatta/img/09-pre-foley-714.jpg /2009/09/mannahatta/img/mannahata-60-09.jpg Art by Philip Straub Foley Square The Collect Pond sustained Lenape villagers before becoming the main freshwater supply for Dutch and English settlers.]]> /2009/09/mannahatta/img/10-foley-square-714.jpg /2009/09/mannahatta/img/mannahata-60-10.jpg Photograph by Robert Clark Foley Square Polluted by a tannery, the pond was buried under slums later cleared to build the square.]]> /2009/09/mannahatta/img/11-george-washington-714.jpg /2009/09/mannahatta/img/mannahata-60-11.jpg Photograph by Robert Clark Half-Moon, his mate Robert Juet noted that the water off Manhattan Island was "a very good harbor for all windes."]]> /2009/09/mannahatta/img/12-rock-shelter-714.jpg /2009/09/mannahatta/img/mannahata-60-12.jpg Photograph by Robert Clark