10. The First Ferry Operator on the East River Crossed from Bushwick to the Lower East Side

Bird’s Eye View of Manhattan and Brooklyn circa 1851. Image via Library of Congress

If you had to cross the choppy East River waters in a rowboat, who better to put your mind at ease than someone named Hazard? James Hazard lived in Corlears’ Hook in the Lower East Side, and in 1797 he became the first ferry operator to traverse the East River from the shores of Bushwick, on today’s Grand Street. At the time, it is unlikely he ferried regular commuters, but many farmers from the area used his service to bring their produce to the Lower East Side markets, which built up around Manhattan-side ferry landing spots. Hazard had the field to himself for a few years, and even got into the real estate game, but his enterprise eventually bankrupted.