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Independent Civic Association of Sheepshead Bay and Brooklyn Civic Council records

Call Number

1978.125

Dates

1924-1975, inclusive
; 1924-1960, bulk

Creator

New York City Housing Authority
Brooklyn Civic Council (New York, N.Y.)
Independent Civic Association of Sheepshead Bay, Inc. (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
Milgram, Joseph B.

Extent

3.8 Linear Feet
in nine manuscript boxes and one oversize box.

Language of Materials

English .

Abstract

The Independent Civic Association of Sheepshead Bay and the Brooklyn Civic Council records include minutes, correspondence, reports, clippings, scrapbooks, graphic materials, and additional ephemera reflecting the activities of both organizations, as well as the history and development of the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Sheepshead Bay and Marine Park. The materials were donated by Joseph B. Milgram, who was an officer of the Independent Civic Association of Sheepshead Bay and the Brooklyn Civic Council. Materials date from 1925 to 1975, with some undated items.

Historical Note

The residential Brooklyn neighborhood of Sheepshead Bay was settled in the late 18th century and named for the abundance of local sheepshead fish. It is located on a bay of the same name that borders the Rockaway Inlet from the Atlantic Ocean. The neighborhood's boundaries were originally declared from the east side of Ocean Avenue to Plum(b) Beach Creek, and from the south side of Neck Road to the waterfront of Sheepshead Bay, but have since extended to being from the east side of Ocean Parkway to Plumb Beach, and from the south side of Kings Highway to Sheepshead Bay.

The Independent Civic Association of Sheepshead Bay was founded in 1922, 24 years after Brooklyn's consolidation with New York City. The Association was one of 70 group members of the Brooklyn Civic Council, which addressed civic issues for the whole of Brooklyn. The Association's members were male, over the age of 21, and residents or property owners in Sheepshead Bay. The association's objectives focused on suggesting and securing community improvements and promoting community spirit.

Sources:

  1. Constitution of the Independent Civic Association of Sheepshead Bay, 1925.
  2. "Sheepshead Bay." In The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn edited by Kenneth T. Jackson and John Manbeck, 194-199. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 2004.

Scope and Contents

The Independent Civic Association of Sheepshead Bay and the Brooklyn Civic Council records include minutes, correspondence, reports, clippings, scrapbooks, graphic materials, and additional ephemera reflecting the general activities of both organizations. The collection covers a wide range of topics relevant to Brooklyn and the greater New York City area, including civic improvement, public utilities, public transportation, and housing projects and legislation. Materials also relate to the history and development of the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Sheepshead Bay and Marine Park. Materials date from 1925 to 1975, with some undated items. The collection is arranged into five series:

Missing Title

  1. Independent Civic Association of Sheepshead Bay minutes and records, 1925-1948
  2. Independent Civic Association of Sheepshead Bay correspondence and newspaper clippings, 1927-1972
  3. Scrapbooks, 1926-1936
  4. Brooklyn Civic Council Records, 1936-1975
  5. Graphic materials, circa 1930-1940

Conditions Governing Access

Open to researchers without restriction.

Preferred Citation

Identification of item, date (if known); Independent Civic Association of Sheepshead Bay and Brooklyn Civic Council records, 1978.125, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Historical Society.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Joseph B. Milgram, 1974.

Other Finding Aids

An earlier version of this finding aid, containing more information and a complete folder listing, is available in paper form at the Brooklyn Historical Society. Please consult library staff for more information.

Collection processed by

Eden Marie M. Picazo

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 11:10:21 +0000.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: English

Processing Information

Minimally processed to the series level.

Note Statement

change to complete_series_level

Repository

Brooklyn Historical Society

Container

Box: 1978.125 4 of 9 (Material Type: Text)
Box: 1978.125 1 of 9 (Material Type: Text)
Box: 1978.125 7 of 9 (Material Type: Text)
Box: 1978.125 6 of 9 (Material Type: Text)
Box: 1978.125 8 of 9 (Material Type: Text)
Oversize: OS-9 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)
Box: 1978.125 3 of 9 (Material Type: Text)
Box: 1978.125 2 of 9 (Material Type: Text)
Box: 1978.125 9 of 9 (Material Type: Text)
Box: 1978.125 5 of 9 (Material Type: Text)

Series 1: Independent Civic Association of Sheepshead Bay minutes and records, 1925-1948, inclusive

Extent

0.95 Linear Feet in 12 folders.

Scope and Contents

This series contains minutes of the Association's bimonthly meetings detailing issues for discussion and action. Folder 9 also contains specifications for and photographs of a trolley sign in the city of Pittsburgh, PA.

Series 2: Independent Civic Association of Sheepshead Bay correspondence and newspaper clippings, 1924-1972, inclusive

Extent

1.15 Linear Feet in 27 folders.

Scope and Contents

This series contains correspondence and newspaper clippings reflecting the general activities and interests of the Civic Association. Materials also relate to the Brooklyn Borough Gas Company, the Brooklyn neighborhood of Marine Park, the Citizens' Transit Committee, and housing projects and legislation in Brooklyn, including the proposition of a housing development on Floyd Bennett Field in Gateway National Recreation Area. Additional items include issues of the Association's newsletter, The I.C.A. Record; reports issued by the New York City Housing Authority; and miscellaneous maps and pamphlets on Brooklyn. The bulk of the correspondence is addressed to or from Joseph B. Milgram, the secretary of the Civic Association.

Series 3: Scrapbooks, 1926-1936, inclusive

Extent

0.94 Linear Feet in 10 folders.

Scope and Contents

This series contains scrapbooks of newspaper clippings, the bulk of which are titled and numbered on each page. Each scrapbook has a central theme that the articles support. Topics include numerous civic and political organizations, the Gas Consumers' League, the Utilities Consumers' League, and Marine Park.

Series 4: Brooklyn Civic Council records, 1936-1975, inclusive

Extent

0.74 Linear Feet in 10 folders.

Scope and Contents

This series contains the minutes and correspondence of the Brooklyn Civic Council. The bulk of the correspondence is either addressed to or from Joseph B. Milgram, a member of the Council's executive committee.

Series 5: Graphic materials, circa 1930-1940

Extent

0.1 Linear Feet in one folder.

Scope and Contents

This series is housed in an oversize box and contains photographs and images pertaining to the neighborhood of Sheepshead Bay and the construction of the Belt Parkway and Marine Parkway. Included are a scrapbook of photographs of streets and houses in Sheepshead Bay; an aerial photograph of Sheepshead Bay and the surrounding area; an original cartoon satirizing New York City Parks Commissioner Robert Moses and the construction of the Belt Parkway, as well as a reproduction of the image; a photograph of Sheepshead Bay with the Marine Parkway and Bridge drawn in; and a publication on Marine Parkway issued by the New York City Parks Department, the New York State Department of Public Works, and the Long Island State Commission, containing maps and photographs.

Center for Brooklyn History
128 Pierrepont Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201