The Hook Creek Bridge is a wooden

footbridge A footbridge (also a pedestrian bridge, pedestrian overpass, or pedestrian overcrossing) is a bridge designed solely for pedestrians.''Oxford English Dictionary'' While the primary meaning for a bridge is a structure which links "two points at a ...

spanning Hook Creek on the South Shore of

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. The bridge connects Meadowmere Park in

Nassau County, New York Nassau County ( ) is a suburban County (United States), county located on Long Island, immediately to the east of New York City, bordering the Long Island Sound on the north and the open Atlantic Ocean to the south. As of the 2020 United St ...

, with the neighborhood of Meadowmere in

Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

History

The bridge originally opened in 1908. In 1923, ninety boathouses were developed in Meadowmere, marking the start of changes to the area. The

John F. Kennedy International Airport John F. Kennedy International Airport is a major international airport serving New York City and its metropolitan area. JFK Airport is located on the southwestern shore of Long Island, in Queens, New York City, bordering Jamaica Bay. It is ...

runway is approximately away from the Hook Creek Bridge. By 1969, the bridge was in need of repair. Meadow Camp was located near the Queens end of the Hook Creek Bridge. The Meadowmere area at Hook Creek Bridge was known for its

duck hunting Waterfowl hunting is the practice of hunting aquatic birds such as ducks, geese and other waterfowls or shorebirds for sport and meat. Waterfowl are hunted in crop fields where they feed, or in areas with bodies of water such as rivers, lakes ...

in the early 1900s. A picture taken by Charles Siebeneichen that is included in the

Queens Library The Queens Public Library (QPL), also known as the Queens Borough Public Library and Queens Library (QL), is the public library for the borough of Queens, and one of three public library systems serving New York City. It is one of the largest li ...

Digital Collection of 1926, shows a view from the bridge titled "Hook Creek Off Bridge.” Many families, including Charles Siebeneichen's family, spent the summers on Hook Creek meadow (on the Queens side) from 1875 to 1926. During the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

, the Siebeneichen family spent their summers at the Meadow Camp boathouse and survived off of the land and fish caught in Hook Creek and the surrounding waters. According to Mary Louise Siebeneichen, "it did not look so good, but it was a place of peace care-free and happy for all who came to rest a while and live near God at "Meadow Camp." Summer 1926 farewell to a memory".

References

{{Portal bar, Transport, Engineering, New York (state), New York City Bridges completed in 1908 Bridges in Nassau County, New York Bridges in Queens, New York Pedestrian bridges in New York (state) Wooden bridges in New York (state)

History

See also

References