William J. Howard, an entrepreneur from the West Coast founded Howard Beach, New York, in 1879. The area, then referred to as Hawthorne Creek, was appealing for fishing, clamming, water sport, and vacationing at that time (1). Capitalizing on the resources provided by the creek, William Howard purchased the 37 acres west of it and built this land into what we now call greater Howard Beach (2).  After the construction of the Hotel Howard and the extension of the Long Island Railroad, Howard Beach became a bustling neighborhood and continued to grow from there.

 Below is a timeline of the history of the Howard Beach neighborhood.

 More information on Howard Beach, NY, is available at www.howardbeach.com

1. http://www.howardbeach.com/History/tabid/76/articleType/ArticleView/arti...
2. http://www.howardbeach.com/History/tabid/76/articleType/ArticleView/arti...