The Bronx

The Bronx is one of the five boroughs of New York City in the United States. It is coterminous with Bronx County of the State of New York. It is the northernmost and only borough of New York City on the North American mainland, located south of Westchester County. It also includes several small islands in the East River and Long Island Sound. {{GR|6}}. The Harlem River separates The Bronx from the island of Manhattan.

History

The territory now contained within Bronx County was originally part of Westchester County, an original county of New York State. The present Bronx County was contained in four towns: Westchester, Yonkers, Eastchester, and Pelham. In 1846, a new town, West Farms, was created by secession from Westchester; in turn, in 1855, the town of Morrisania seceded from West Farms. In 1873, the town of Kingsbridge seceded from Yonkers.

Related Topics:
Westchester County - Town - 1846 - 1855 - Morrisania - 1873

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In 1874, the western portion of the present Bronx County, consisting of the towns of Kingsbridge, West Farms, and Morrisania, was transferred to New York County, and in 1895 the Town of Westchester and portions of Eastchester and Pelham, were transferred to New York County. City Island, known as New York City's only nautical community, voted to secede from Westchester County and join New York County in 1896. In 1914, those parts of the then New York County which had been annexed from Westchester County were constituted the new Bronx County. New York City had also annexed the present-day Bronx County.

Related Topics:
1874 - Morrisania - New York County - 1895 - City Island - 1896 - 1914

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During the mid 1960s to the mid 1970s, many of the Bronx's apartment buildings were burned in an arson. Due to the heavy drug trafficing in the area, addicted tenants took advantage of the city's policies toward burn-out victims and the fact that Section 8 checks were addressed to tenants, not landlords (although some did burn their own buildings to collect on fire insurance). One reason for this was insurance companies' and banks' decision to stop offering their products in the South Bronx and other lower income areas -- a process known as redlining -- and landlords' subsequent decision to burn their buildings before their insurance policies expired and were not renewed. This era all but ended, after the destruction of nearly half of the buildings in the South Bronx, during the tenure of Mayor Ed Koch.

Related Topics:
1960s - 1970s - Arson - Took advantage - Section 8 checks - Ed Koch

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