November 15: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

November 15, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1867, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “From present appearances it would seem as if the most sanguine expectations and prophecies of the projecters and friends of the Prospect Park would be realized. Each day’s work now tells upon the appearance of the Park, each stroke develops new beauty, each disclosure challenges fresh commendation. Yesterday the Park was crowded with equipages of all sorts and kinds, from the heavy family coach to the box seat and shell of the veriest ‘sport,’ while the equestrian cavalcade was out in full force. We doubt if any Park exists whose natural advantages can compare favorably with those of the Prospect.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1912, the Eagle reported, “‘Forest fires in the United States,’ says the Secretary of Agriculture in a recent bulletin, ‘have caused an average annual loss of about seventy human lives, the destruction of trees worth at the very least $25,000,000, and the loss of stock, crops, buildings and other improvements to the amount of many millions more. To these must be added enormous losses from the destruction of young tree growth, deterioration of the soil, damage to watercourses and adjacent property by low water and flood, interruption of business and depreciation of property. By inquiry into the causes and extent of such fires we are able to realize in some degree the magnitude of their losses even though their annual amount in dollars may not be apparent.’”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1914, the Eagle said, “No more interesting feature marked the dedicatory exercises on Sunday and Monday last of the new Arbuckle Educational Buildings to be conducted in furtherance of the social service of Plymouth Church than the placing on view in the lecture room of the church of a collection, undoubtedly the most complete ever assembled, of relics or momentoes in the life of Henry Ward Beecher. The collection represents the realization of an ambition of General Horatio C. King’s of sixteen years standing, entertained ever since he has been clerk of the church, and its completeness pays tribute to his perseverance. His efforts thus so happily crowned have throughout received material aid and stimulus from Mrs. King, a daughter of John T. Howard, who founded old Plymouth, in 1847, and just afterward as clerk signed the call to Beecher to come from Indianapolis as the first pastor.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1929, Home Talk/The Star reported, “‘Traffic to the proposed Narrows vehicular tunnel will apparently have to come through Bay Ridge, and what we are all striving for is the routing, concentrating and locating of this traffic to places in Bay Ridge where it will do the least harm.’ This was the way James L. Meeks, president of the Bay Ridge Citizens’ Association and Chamber of Commerce, summed up the tunnel approach situation, at that organization’s November meeting, Wednesday night in the Bay Ridge Masonic Temple, 257 Bay Ridge ave. President Meeks is offering personal cash awards for the best suggested location of exits and entrances at the Bay Ridge end of the Narrows tunnel. The contest is open to everyone. It is his opinion that cash prizes create an incentive on any subject. He also added that many a layman and long time resident of Bay Ridge have splendid ideas on subjects of this nature. The awards consist of four cash prizes, as follows: First prize, $100; second, $75; third, $50, and fourth, $25, to be distributed at the March meeting.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1952, the Eagle reported, “AUGUSTA, GA. (AP) — President-elect Dwight D. Eisenhower got ready today for his important role in the forthcoming conference with the outgoing administration after a lengthy talk with Governor [Thomas] Dewey. Eisenhower named Dewey his standby adviser on matters of ‘emergency temporary character’ after their final important conference during the President-elect’s vacation here. The powwows with Dewey late yesterday left Eisenhower’s four remaining days here clear of any announced top visits before the President-elect flies to Washington Tuesday for a meeting with President Truman and cabinet members. Eisenhower conferred for four hours at his golf course retreat with the Republican Governor who played a large part in winning the nomination for the former five-star General. The President-elect announced afterward that he found Dewey’s ‘availability’ as an adviser in top policy matters of an urgent nature ‘more than gratifying to me.’ In disclosing the part Dewey had agreed to take in the Eisenhower administration the President-elect implied he had been unable to persuade the New York Governor to accept a cabinet position.”

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Shailene Woodley
Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “Downtown” singer Petula Clark, who was born in 1932; “Law & Order” star Sam Waterston, who was born in 1940; “The Shawshank Redemption” star Bob Gunton, who was born in 1945; “Vacation” star Beverly D’Angelo, who was born in 1951; “Animal House” star James Widdoes, who was born in 1953; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Michael Hampton (Parliament-Funkadelic), who was born in 1956; former Tonight Show Band leader Kevin Eubanks, who was born in 1957; “The Craft” star Rachel True, who was born in 1966; former N.Y. Knicks point guard Greg Anthony, who was born in 1967; Nickelback singer Chad Kroeger, who was born in 1974; “NCIS” star Sean Murray, who was born in 1977; model Lily Aldridge, who was born in 1985; “The Fallout” star Shailene Woodley, who was born in 1991; and swimmer and Olympic gold medalist Blake Pieroni, who was born in 1995.

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WIT AND WISDOM: Franklin P. Adams was born on this day in 1881. The Chicago native is known for his newspaper column “The Conning Tower” and for his radio appearances on “Information Please,” but his most famous work is the poem “Baseball’s Sad Lexicon,” a tribute to the Chicago Cubs’ double play combo of “Tinker to Evers to Chance.” He died in 1960.

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FOUNDER’S DAY: President Franklin D. Roosevelt laid the cornerstone of the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C., on this day in 1939. The memorial honors Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence and the third president of the U.S. It was officially dedicated on April 13, 1943, the 200th anniversary of Jefferson’s birth.

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Special thanks to “Chase’s Calendar of Events” and Brooklyn Public Library.

Quotable:

“Seeing ourselves as others see us would probably confirm our worst suspicions about them.”

— columnist Franklin P. Adams, who was born on this day in 1881