Going, going,...
A reader emails over to announce a new e-book about the history of Coney Island, another part of the City quickly being gentrified into a luxury product.
Roaming about, ([the author] Professor Solomon) interviews old-timers—searches for antiquities—explores what is left of the amusement area. (Among his finds: a man who remembers seeing the first human cannonball, shot into the air at Coney Island; the remains of Steeplechase Park; and a ride—the Wonder Wheel—that began as a perpetual-motion machine.)
He also provides a history of Coney Island—from its Canarsie Indian days, to its era as a lawless, Tijuana-style resort, to the rise and fall of its amusement parks. On this historical tour, you’ll meet such personages as John Y. McKane (notorious mayor of Coney Island); George Tilyou (amusement-park pioneer); and the Wild Man of Borneo (actually, an actor from the Bronx). And you’ll visit the Pavilion of Fun, French Nudist exhibit, Elephant Hotel, Trip to the Moon, Insanitarium, Tunnel of Love, flea circus, Feltman’s restaurant (where the hot dog was invented), and other vanished attractions.
Our City is changing before our eyes, and it's always been thus. The least we can do is preserve our memories.
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History | Non-Fiction | New York City
What does "Coney Island" mean?
One of the mysteries of Coney Island is the origin of the name "Coney Island." The book "Brooklyn by Name" (its authors were mentioned in the "Corbin Place" controversy) really didn't state a position on "Coney Island."
The popular theory is that "coney" refers to rabiits that used to inhabit the island.
I've often wondered about that. You usually don't name an island after rabbits. You name an island after kings and queens. I've speculated that the name "Coney Island" might come from "konig," or "king."
I've not seen the evidence to state a conclusion either way.