Place:Astoria, Queens, New York, United States

source: Family History Library Catalog

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Astoria is a neighborhood in the western portion of the New York City borough of Queens. Astoria is bounded by the East River and is adjacent to three other Queens neighborhoods: Long Island City to the southwest, Sunnyside to the southeast, and Woodside to the east. , Astoria has an estimated population of 95,446.^[1]

The area was originally called Hallet's (or Hallett's) Cove after its first landowner William Hallet, who settled there in 1652 with his wife, Elizabeth Fones. Hallet's Cove was incorporated on April 12, 1839, and was later renamed for John Jacob Astor, then the wealthiest man in the United States, in order to persuade him to invest in the area. During the second half of the 19th century, economic and commercial growth brought increased immigration. Astoria and several other surrounding villages were incorporated into Long Island City in 1870, which in turn was incorporated into the City of Greater New York in 1898. Commercial activity continued through the 20th century, with the area being a center for filmmaking and industry.

Astoria is located in Queens Community District 1^[2] and its ZIP Codes are 11101, 11102, 11103, 11105, and 11106.^[3] It is patrolled by the New York City Police Department's 114th Precinct.^[4] Politically, Astoria is represented by the New York City Council's 22nd and 26th Districts.

History

Excerpt from Old Roads from the Heart of New York: Journeys Today by Ways of Yesterday, within thirty miles around the Battery page 37, 38:
A brief voyage, and you arrive at Astoria; a part of greater New York, a large, busy, crowded town, and yet a place never seen by many Manhattanites.

The northern corner of this promontory is called Hallett's Point, which name, along with that of Hallett's Cove, came from William Hallett, who emigrated to this place from Dorsetshire as early as 1652. A grant from Stuyvesant and a purchase from the Indians gave him all the land which is now covered by Astoria, and he may justly be regarded as the pioneer of this point.

It was in 1839 that the region of Hallett's Cove was made an incorporated village, and something like a boom occurred. A female|seminary was started, and John Jacob Astor, being interested in the place, promised to contribute largely to its support. The name "Astoria" was given to the new village, the ferry to Eighty-sixth Street was established, and the growth was rapid.

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