Terrain Fixes per "Manahatta" book: 1609, 1660, 1776

[tedbarnett]

For terrain accuracy, we need to review the notes in Sanderson's "Manahatta" book and make sure our terrain corresponds to these (cross-checking with the British Headquarters Map):

Collect Pond Area

• There were Oyster shell mounds near Collect Pond (from Lenape oyster-eating)
• Catiemuts Hill next to Collect Pond. Chatham south of Pearl Street. Windmill by 1662 west of Chatham St and a little north of Duane St. p. 246
• Canal St was "Lispenard’s Creek" (p. 247)
• Old Wreck Brook drained Collect Pond into East River. Along Roosevelt St (now Cherry St). p. 247
• Bunker Hill/Bayard’s Mount. North of Collect Pond. p. 249. Was 110 feet (33.5m) tall per Wikipedia

Minetta Creek

• East branch of Minetta Creek started at a spring east of 5th Avenue above 20th Street. p. 248
• Minetta Creek (p. 250):
  • "In this year [1816] Minetta stream was fully apparent; and as it was and is of considerable volume, it has been [a] very important and expensive factor in the construction of the foundations along its line, from its main source, near the site of the Union Club, to its discharge in the North River. Its other branch had its source at Sixth Avenue and Sixteenth Street, the two joining between Eleventh and Twelfth streets and Fifth and Sixth avenues; its course thence being irregular to Minetta Lane and Bleecker Street, thence direct to Hudson Street at King Street; then bifurcating and joining at Greenwich Street, thence to the river by Charlton Street" (Haswell 1896).
  • "[A] brisk little brook full of trout, in places a foamy rush through [a] narrow channel, elsewhere sulking under the shadow of the bank in the quiet pool below'" (Hill and Waring 1897).
  • "In 1820, there was still a small colony of muskrats, bordering this creek. The brook passed along the lower end of Potters' Field [now Washington Square Park], and formed a large pond called Bollus's pond, where Downing Street now is; the low swampy grounds that were filled up caused this pond, which lay a little north-west of Richmond Hill" (Cozzens 1843).
  • Janvier (1894), Randel (1864), Stokes (1915-28)

Stuyvesants Creek

• Stuyvesants Creek (p.251): rose near Rivington and Suffolk. Drained through Stuyvesant’s Meadows emptying into East River at 3rd Street. Other creek (“Ninth St Creek”) origin near first Ave and 6th Street, crossed Tompkins Square, flowed diagonally to outlet at 9th Street (and East River)

Other Notes

• Heere Gracht (Broad Street) was an inlet from the ocean for 1/4 mile (400m) p.244
  • Should it therefore be below sea level for 400 m?
• Maiden Street "rivulet with a series of pools" p. 245
• Golden Street was Golden Hill. Covered in yellow celandine. p. 246
• Mount Pitt (hill) at Grand and East Broadway
• Tea Water pump was at Chatham and Roosevelt St. p.246
• Richmond Hill. Chatham and Varick. Extended north (as “Sand Hills” up to Astor Place). p. 250
• “Manhattan Island” (p. 251): near East River, near Houston and Third and Lewis Streets. A one acre (64m on a side) knoll surrounded by marshes. Would form an island at very high tides.