Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was born in Concord, Massachusetts. Thoreau attended Harvard University where he met Ralph Waldo Emerson, with whom he would have a complicated but impactful friendship. After graduating, he became a teacher but resigned after just two weeks. Following a brief stint helping at the family business, pencil-making, Thoreau started a small school with his brother that survived for three years before closing. Thoreau then began dedicating his life to writing, and submitted poetry to a magazine. This magazine was made by Emerson and others in the Transcendentalist movement, which celebrated individualism, emotionality over rationality, and intuition. In 1845, after little success and a return to his family's business, Thoreau moved to a piece of land on Walden Pond, on Emerson's land and built his own home. He largely lived off the land, spent his time in nature, and writing about his observations and thoughts. The latter made up the famous book "Walden" which is composed of a series of essays. Partway through his time at Walden, Thoreau refused to pay his poll taxes and spent the night in jail. Though his aunt paid it and got him out the next day, these events were impactful and led to his essay "Civil Disobedience" in which he wrote about resisting an unjust government that promoted imperialism and slavery. He continued writing about abolition until his death in 1862.

Poet, novelist and playwright Langston Hughes (1901-1967) grew up in the Midwest and moved to New York City to attend Columbia University. Hughes is known as a leading figure in the Harlem Renaissance, a cultural mecca for Black intellectuals and artists in the early 20th century. He wrote about African American life between the 1920s and 1960s, including "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," "Montage of A Dream Deferred," and "Not Without Laughter," which won the Harmon Gold Medal for Literature. His ashes are interred beneath a mosaic in the NYPL's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, in Harlem.

John Watusi Branch (1943 – 2013) was the co-founder of the Afrikan Poetry Theater in Jamaica, Queens. Branch, known as “Baba,” meaning “father,” co-founded the Afrikan Poetry Theater Ensemble, the progenitor to the theater, with Yusef Waliyayain in 1976, bringing together poets and musicians performing jazz, funk, and African rhythms. The Afrikan Poetry Theater was incorporated as a nonprofit in 1977 and expanded to offer cultural and educational tours to West Africa and developed a summer youth employment program. He was a well-known figure in the pan-African movement to establish independence for African nations and unify black people across the world. He was a published poet and author of several titles, including “A Story of Kwanza: Black/Afrikan Holy Days” and “Journey to the Motherland.”

More info coming soon. If you have information about a named place currently missing from our map, please click on "Add/Edit" and fill out the form. This will help us fill in the blanks and complete the map!

Asif Rahman (1985–2008) was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He came to the United States at an early age in 1988. After graduating from high school, Rahman attended Queens College in Flushing, where he worked as the Literary Editor of the college newspaper and organized a spoken word poetry group. Throughout his 22 years, Rahman showcased his talents through several forms of art, including writing, performing spoken word poetry, drawing, painting, photography, singing, and beatboxing. For example, he performed spoken word poetry at various shows, wrote numerous poems, rap lyrics, and even recorded music. Rahman enjoyed sharing his art with others, but on the cusp of his first and only CD being released, his life was tragically cut short on Queens Boulevard, infamously known as the “Boulevard of Death.” On February 28, 2008, Rahman was killed by a freight truck on Queens Boulevard while riding his bike home from his Teacher’s Assistant job at P.S. 58 - The School of Heroes. After Rahman’s death, his mother, Lizi Rahman, started a campaign lasting over twelve years to make Queens Boulevard safer. It inspired a movement among Rahman’s close supporters as well as community stakeholders along the boulevard to demand for the city to fix the dangerous street. Over 10,000 individuals, hundreds of businesses, and dozens of organizations have supported the campaign by signing petitions, participating in community design workshops, and holding local rallies. Since the onset of this activism in Rahman’s honor, crashes and fatalities have declined dramatically, which prompted the evolution of a new and more hopeful nickname for Queens Boulevard: the “Boulevard of Life.” On June 17, 2023, the intersection of Queens Boulevard and 55th Avenue in Elmhurst, where the 22-year-old Rahman tragically lost his life, was co-named in his honor.

Joseph G. Totten (1788-1864,) the namesake of Fort Totten Park in Bayside, Queens, was born in New Haven, Connecticut. He was educated as an officer at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in the Hudson Valley of New York. Totten spent most of his military career in the Army Corps of Engineers, at least partially responsible for the construction of numerous examples of military infrastructure and fortifications around the United States. He began his career in New York Harbor, assisting in the construction of Castle Williams and Castle Clinton in 1808. Totten saw further service during the War of 1812 in upstate New York on the Niagaran Front, engaging the British on the Canadian border. Totten saw additional combat during the Mexican-American War, gaining accolades for his efforts at the Siege of Veracruz. Totten would pass away at the age of 75 during the American Civil War in Washington, D.C., still in active service. Beyond his military accolades, Totten was a co-founder of the National Academy of Sciences and participant in the founding of the Smithsonian Institution.   Fort Totten Park was originally planned in 1857, by soon-to-be Confederate General Robert E. Lee, to defend northerly access to the East River in conjunction with Fort Schuyler,  now home to the State University of New York’s Maritime College. The fort, initially called Willets Point, was renamed for Totten upon his death in 1864. It served largely as a hospital, due to its already obsolete construction. Fort Totten would serve in many other capacities, such as a test site for anti-aircraft weaponry, a school for anti-submarine warfare, several communication centers, and most recently as a post for the U.S. Army Reserves. The fort was acquired by New York City Parks in 1987, with a further 93 acres added in 2001, for recreational purposes. The U.S. Army and Coast Guard still utilizes small portions of the fort for their operations, but many of the larger buildings are now either owned and operated by NYC Parks or the Bayside Historical Society, which possesses a large photographic archive regarding the fortification. 

John “Jack” Boyle (1941-2019) dedicated 30 years to the FDNY. Born on November 25, 1941, Boyle's commitment to service began before his firefighting career. He served as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. Following his military service, Boyle became a New York City Transit Police Officer and was a founding member of the Transit Police Bagpipe Band. Boyle joined the FDNY as a member of Ladder 102/Engine 209 in Brooklyn. His bravery was recognized in 1978 when he received the Holy Name Medal from the mayor's office for rescuing children from a fire. In 1979, he transferred to the elite Rescue 1 unit in Manhattan, where he served until his retirement in 2002. That same year, the FDNY Holy Name Society honored him as "Man of the Year" at St. Patrick's Cathedral. As a first responder at Ground Zero after the September 11, 2001 attack, Boyle's dedication continued. Tragically, he passed away on August 24, 2019, at the age of 77, from severe lung damage resulting from his work at the site. Boyle is survived by his wife, Dawn; his children, Patrick and Caitlin; and his siblings, Charles Boyle, Ruth Burke, and Mary Alice McCrann, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and friends. On September 7, 2024, over 100 people, including members of the FDNY and the U.S. Army, attended the street co-naming ceremony in his honor. At the event, Dawn shared, "He loved his neighborhood. Never wanted to leave it, and that’s why he’s here, buried, and we’re here, and I’ll never leave here.

More info coming soon. If you have information about a named place currently missing from our map, please click on "Add/Edit" and fill out the form. This will help us fill in the blanks and complete the map!

Tom Seaver (1944-2020), also known as “The Franchise” and "Tom Terrific," signed with the New York Mets in 1966 and pitched for the team from 1967 to 1977. He won the National League Rookie of the Year in 1967 and Cy Young Award in 1969. During his time with the team, he was selected to ten All-Star teams, led the league in strikeouts five times, and had five one-hitters and five 20-win seasons. He also led the "Miracle Mets” to win the World Series in 1969 and appeared again in the 1973 World Series. Fans were heartbroken when Seaver was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in June 1977, where he continued to dominate. He finally pitched a no-hitter in 1978 and recorded his 3,000th strikeout in 1981. He found himself back on the Mets in 1983 and finished his career with the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox from 1984 to 1986. When he retired in 1987, he had a record of 311-205, with a 2.86 ERA and 3,640 strikeouts. Seaver was a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee in 1992 and wears the New York Mets cap on his plaque in the Hall. After retiring from playing, Seaver continued with baseball as an announcer, working for both the New York Yankees (1989-1993) and New York Mets (1999-2005) before retiring again to run Seaver Vineyards in California. The Mets retired Seaver's uniform number, 41, in 1988. Shortly before his death in 2020, the New York Mets changed their address to 41 Seaver Way, naming the part of 126th street outside the ballpark in his honor. On April 15, 2022, a statue of Seaver created by sculptor William Behrends was unveiled in front of the stadium. The bronze and stainless steel work, which stands 10 feet high and weighs more than 33,000 pounds, depicts Seaver in his trademark pitching stance.

Born in Veracruz, Mexico, Lorena Borjas (1960-2020) was a fierce advocate for the transgender and Latinx communities in Queens. Borjas moved to the U.S. in 1980 and earned a green card through a Reagan-era amnesty program. She was convicted of charges related to prostitution in 1994, but the charges were later vacated, since she was forced into prostitution by human traffickers. However, other convictions remained on her record until 2017, when then-Governor Andrew M. Cuomo pardoned her. She became a U.S. citizen in 2019. Borjas inspired many people through her advocacy for the LGBT community. She co-founded the Lorena Borjas Community Fund in 2012 and was actively involved in many organizations, including the AIDS Center of Queens County, the Hispanic AIDS Forum and the Latino Commission on AIDS. In 2015, she founded El Colectivo Intercultural TRANSgrediendo, a non-profit organization that works to defend the rights of transgender and gender non-binary people. The organization provides legal and medical services to trans and non-binary sex workers and undocumented members of the community. Although Borjas had already been taking sex workers to clinics to get tested for HIV and helping to get lawyers for possible deportation cases, El Colectivo was a way for her to officially continue that work. She also became a counselor for the Community Healthcare Network's Transgender Family Program, where she worked to obtain legal aid for victims of human trafficking. Borjas died on March 30, 2020, of complications from COVID-19. On June 26, 2022, a bill was signed by Governor Kathy Hochul establishing the Lorena Borjas transgender and gender non-binary (TGNB) wellness and equity fund, which will be used to invest in increasing employment opportunities, providing access to gender-affirming healthcare, and raising awareness about transgender and gender non-binary people in New York.

More info coming soon. If you have information about a named place currently missing from our map, please click on "Add/Edit" and fill out the form. This will help us fill in the blanks and complete the map!

Exterior view of the Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library and Cooperman Plaza on the Queens College campus.

Margaret I. Carman (1890-1976) taught at Flushing High School for 44 years. she was instrumental in establishing the Flushing Freedom Trail to link the area’s rich heritage through its landmarks. Carman was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and served as President of the Bowne House Historical Society for 10 years.

Anna Moscowitz Kross (1891-1979) served as NYC Commissioner of Corrections from 1953-1966. She was a lawyer, judge and advocate for women and the poor.

Rep. Benjamin S. Rosenthal (1923-1983) represented northeast Queens in the U.S. Congress from 1962 until his death in January 1983. Born in Manhattan, Rosenthal attended New York City public schools, Long Island University and City College before serving in the U.S. Army during WWII. He received his law degree from Brooklyn Law School and was admitted to the bar in 1949. In 1962, Rosenthal won a special election to the Eighty-Seventh Congress to fill the vacancy caused when Rep. Lester Holtzman won a seat on the state Supreme Court; Rosenthal was then reelected to the 11 succeeding Congresses. During his congressional tenure, Rosenthal was an early opponent of the Vietnam War and a champion of consumer protection causes. He was a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and chairman of the Subcommittee for Commerce, Consumer, and Monetary Affairs. The Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library is the main library on the Queens College campus and was named upon its opening in 1988 to honor Rep. Rosenthal. The 350,000-sq.-ft., six-story building also houses the school’s Art Library and Graduate School of Library and Information Studies. Its hilltop location provides striking views of the Manhattan skyline to the west. Rep. Rosenthal’s papers are housed in the library’s Department of Special Collections and Archives.

Lewis Mumford (1895 - 1990) was a literary critic, historian, sociologist, philosopher of technology and city planner, who was an expert on urban architecture and cities. Mumford was an original homeowner in Sunnyside Gardens, where he lived with his wife, Sophia, and their two children from 1927 to 1936, at 40-02 44th Street. Mumford was born in Flushing and graduated from Stuyvesant High School in 1912. He studied at the City College of New York and The New School for Social Research. Showing his early interest in utopianism, he wrote his first book at the age of 27, entitled, The Story of Utopias, where he argued that utopian literature could provide useful ideas for the present. Mumford had a broad career as a writer whose literary output consisted of over 20 books and thousands of articles and reviews. He was also the long-time architecture critic at The New Yorker magazine. In 1962, his book, The City in History, won the national book award for nonfiction. Mumford was arguably the most read and influential urbanist of the mid-20th century.

Doreen J. Angrisani (1956-2011) was raised in Ridgewood, Queens, and lived there with her sister and brother-in-law. She worked for Marsh & McLennan at the World Trade Center and was killed in the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001

George Washington Carver (1864-1943) was well-known for being ahead of his time in the world of natural science. He sought to find cash crop alternatives to discourage straining labor of cotton picking. In addition, he invented tools and methods to make agriculture more efficient. As a Black man born in the early 1860s, Carver faced significant barriers to obtaining his education and pursuing his research interests. He developed his understanding of agricultural labor for three years on his own plot of land before becoming the first Black student at Iowa State University. After graduating Iowa State in 1896 with a Master of Science Degree, he went on to teach agriculture at Tuskegee Institute. Carver taught for 47 years passing down lessons such as crop rotation and other farmer techniques. Carver was a prodigy in learning, specifically curious as to the different uses of produce like peanuts, and the invention of new products. His many contributions include glue, the Jesup Wagon, a vehicle to carry agricultural exhibits to town, instant coffee, shaving cream, and 325 uses for peanuts. George Washington Carver High School for the Sciences in particular was established after the closing of Springfield High School by the NYC school board in 2007. Springfield High School became an educational campus housing George Washington Carver, as well as Excelsior Preparatory High School, and Queens Preparatory Academy. G.W.C. High School is most known for maintaining Springfield’s veterinary program.

More info coming soon. If you have information about a named place currently missing from our map, please click on "Add/Edit" and fill out the form. This will help us fill in the blanks and complete the map!

Paul Russo (1986 – 2018) was a lifelong resident of Ozone Park and is remembered as a young man of deep faith who dedicated much of his life to helping others. He attended local schools and was involved with local sports and Little League associations. He was also a member of the Frassati Fellowship of NYC, a Catholic group of young people dedicated to prayer and charity work. He worked as a real estate agent, and participated in volunteer-led efforts to build homes for the homeless in the United States as well as Central and South America,. Paul’s zeal for helping the poor was an inspiration to many others in the community. Paul passed away in 2018 at 33 after a long and courageous battle with cancer, and was survived by his mother, Antha, and father George Russo, owner of the Villa Russo in Richmond Hill, and president of the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Queens. He also left behind four siblings and many, many friends.

In February, we celebrate Black History Month by honoring the many Black faith leaders honored by the borough of Queens with place names.

Frank Joseph McManus (1948-1968) was killed in action in Dau Tieng, Vietnam, on September 17, 1968, at the age of 20. He had been in Vietnam for only six weeks when the helicopter transporting his unit back from a scouting patrol was struck by heavy fire as it landed. The first man out of the helicopter was wounded. Private McManus, despite the intense fire, left the helicopter to try and help him. McManus wrote from Vietnam that the men in his platoon were like his brothers. He had many friends and was always there for them. He was proud to wear his uniform and loved his country. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. McManus grew up in Queens on 80th Street, near Ditmars Boulevard. He attended Our Lady of Fatima Parochial School and Bryant High School in Queens. In December 1975, seven years after his death, residents of his Queens community erected a small stone monument at 81st Street and Ditmars Boulevard, around the corner from his family's home, at the park where Frank McManus played as a child. The inscription reads: "A Community Remembers." The following passage is from a message that Agnes and Peter McManus, his parents, wrote at his entry on “The Wall of Faces”: "The community erected a beautiful memorial stone in his memory near his home. LaGuardia Airport donated the Frank McManus Park... Every Memorial Day, we fly up to New York to attend the Memorial for Frankie and all the Boys who lost their lives for the Freedom of our Country. I am a Gold Star Mother who is very proud."

In the course of his 25 years in politics, Joseph Addabbo (1925-1986) won much respect from his colleagues, constituents and community for his ability to be just, compassionate and effective. A lifelong resident of Ozone Park, he was educated at City College and St. John’s University, where he received his law degree in 1946. Addabbo began his career as a lawyer. First elected to represent the 6th District in Queens in 1960, Addabbo, a Democrat, was re-elected to Congress 12 times. He supported legislation to benefit the elderly, education, small businesses, veterans benefits, and appropriation of funds for economically depressed areas. As Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense (1979-1986), Addabbo played a powerful role in both shaping and challenging national defense policy. He worked to curb defense spending, sponsored legislation to halt the Vietnam War, and advocated a nuclear freeze while at the same time bolstering defense contracts for New York. Addabbo served in Congress until he died on April 10, 1986.

Saint Andrew Avellino (1521-1608) was an Italian lawyer, writer, theologian, Catholic priest, and religious leader of the Theatine order. Recognized for his eloquent preaching, care for the sick, and extensive correspondence and other writings, he was canonized as a saint in 1712 by Pope Clement XI. Born in Castronuovo, Sicily, and named Lancelotto, he went to elementary school in his hometown before going on to Venice to study philosophy and humanities. He continued his education in Naples, focusing on ecclesiastical and civil law and receiving a doctorate degree in law. He was ordained as a priest at the age of 26. Avellino worked for a time as a lawyer at an ecclesiastical court in Naples. While arguing a case one day, he lied and felt such remorse that he quit his work to focus on spirituality. After being commissioned in 1556 to reform a local convent, he was attacked by those who opposed the reforms, and he went to recuperate at a monastery of Theatines, an order of clerics founded in 1524 that focused on reforming Catholic morality. While there, he entered the order at the age of 35 and took the name of Andrew, becoming a leader of the movement and helping to form additional Theatine monasteries in Milan, Piacenza, and elsewhere. Avellino’s religious zeal and eloquent preaching attracted many disciples and new adherents to the Catholic Church, and his many letters and other theological works were published over several volumes beginning in 1731. On November 10, 1608, he died of a stroke while celebrating a mass, and his remains are located at the Church of St. Paul in Naples. He is a patron saint of Naples and Sicily and is often invoked against sudden death. Saint Andrew Avellino Catholic Academy is located at 35-50 158th Street in Flushing. The school first opened on September 25, 1925, however, the parish church was founded in 1914. When selecting a patron saint for the parish, the bishop at the time was concerned about the number of priests who had suffered heart attacks and thus chose Saint Andrew Avellino.

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) was the third president of the United States and an American Founding Father. He was born on April 14, 1743, in Shadwell, Virginia, and quickly became a key figure in the American struggle for independence. A fierce advocate for liberty, Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence at 33 as a member of the Second Continental Congress. He held many political offices throughout his life, serving as Governor of Virginia (1779 -81), U.S. Minister to France (1784-90), and Secretary of State to George Washington (1790-97). Jefferson often famously came into conflict with Alexander Hamilton, especially when Jefferson was Secretary of State and Hamilton was Secretary of the Treasury. Jefferson consistently advocated for a limited federal government and for states’ rights throughout his political career, while Hamilton advocated for the opposite. Jefferson was also Vice President during John Adams’ term as President, and was himself elected President in 1800, completing his second term in 1809. As President, one of his biggest achievements was the acquisition of the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon in 1803, and reducing the national debt significantly. Jefferson also established the University of Virginia at the age of 76 in his retirement, which he largely spent at Monticello, the plantation he inherited from his father. Jefferson also inherited slaves from his father and his father-in-law, most of whom were enslaved at Monticello. Many of those enslaved who worked in the house were of the Hemings family, including Sally Hemings. Jefferson was the father of at least six of Hemings’ children, and the first was born when Hemings was only 16. He was, however, conflicted about the moral implications regarding slavery, and eventually freed all of Hemings' children. Jefferson died in Monticello on July 4, 1826, on the 50th anniversary of the ratification of the Declaration of Independence.

Paul Raimonda (1922 – 1988) was a community leader and life-long resident in Long Island City and head of the Astoria Heights Homeowners and Tenants Association. Raimonda attended P.S. 126 and William C. Bryant High School and served for four years in the Army Air Corps during World War II.  He was an active member in the Long Island Seneca Club, but his most notable contribution was the creation of the Astoria Heights Homeowners and Tenants Association in 1971. Through the Tenants Association, Raimonda and community members sought to give a unified voice to residents. He was an instrumental leader in a successful campaign to block a state takeover and expansion of Rikers Island in 1980. In addition, Raimonda was a member of Community Board 1 and of the Liberty Regular Democratic Club. In April 1987, the Italian American Regular Democratic Association of Queens named him Man of the Year, and he received the good wishes of Governor Mario Cuomo.

Jeanne Manford (1920 - 2013) Born Jean Sobelson in Flushing Queens, she married Jules Manford, had three children (Charles, Morty and Suzanne) ; she earned her bachelor's degree from Queens College in her 30s and joined the faculty of PS 32 in Queens in 1964. After her son Morty, who was openly gay and an activist, was beaten in April 1972 for protesting news coverage of the gay rights movement, Jeanne wrote a letter to The New York Post criticizing the police for not protecting him. Jeanne also gave interviews to radio and television shows in several cities in the weeks that followed. Two months later, on June 25, she walked alongside her son in a gay liberation march, carrying a sign: “Parents of Gays: Unite in Support for Our Children.” These turned out to be the first steps in the founding of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays – PFLAG, now a national organization. In 2013, President Barack Obama honored Manford posthumously with the 2012 Presidential Citizens Medal, the second highest civilian award given by the United States, for her work in co-founding PFLAG and ongoing years of LGBT advocacy. Morty Manford (1950-1992) was an assistant New York State Attorney General and a prominent early LGBTQ+ activist and advocate for gay rights in the United States. Morty was born in Flushing, Queens, to Jeanne and Jules Manford. While a student in 1968, he helped found Gay People at Columbia University, one of the nation's first gay campus groups. In 1969, he was at the Stonewall Inn when a melee broke out between gay customers and raiding police officers. That year Mr. Manford helped found and became president of the Gay Activists Alliance (GAA) and played a key role in organizing the Christopher Street Liberation Day March, which marked the first anniversary of the Stonewall riots and later evolved into the annual NYC Pride Parade. While protesting coverage of gay rights at the 50th annual Inner Circle dinner and lampoon show in 1972, Morty was beaten by the president of the city's Uniformed Firefighters Association, prompting his mother to start the organization Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays – PFLAG. Morty graduated from Columbia in 1975 and from Cardozo Law School in 1981, and was a public defender for the Legal Aid Society until he began working for the Attorney General in 1986; he died of complications from AIDS in 1992. His tireless efforts paved the way for greater acceptance and rights for LGBTQ+ individuals, and his activism continues to inspire generations. Dr. Jules M Manford (1919 – 1982) was born in New York and was a dentist and advocate who lived with his wife and three children in Flushing Queens. He helped his wife Jeanne Manford to start Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays – PFLAG, and was the proud father and supporter of his gay son the activist and lawyer Morty Manford.

In May, we celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month by honoring the many Jewish leaders whose names grace our public places. Please click the Add/Edit button to help us complete these entries by adding photographs and memories of these honored individuals.

Mother Maude Ford (1881-1970) was born in Barbados. She was a dedicated member of the Salvation Army, working first in Harlem in the 1920s with young women. After becoming First Chaplain she was called to minister in Jamaica, Queens, where she went door to door, serving the needs of the people. Soon, she established a church that held its first open-air service in July 1925. After a fire and then winds tore down the tents, the church moved to the basement of Ford's home at 157-01 110th Avenue, where she lived with her husband John. Mother Ford's dynamic ministry welcomed people of all races to her church, which grew quickly, so that by March 1926, her garage was dedicated as the Gospel Truth Tabernacle. In April 1931, the church was incorporated and its name was changed to Christ Pentecostal Temple, Inc. By 1953, she had negotiated the purchase of land and completed the construction and dedication of the current church edifice, located at 109-45 157th Street. Mother Ford was a forceful and beloved presence in the community of Jamaica until her death in 1970.

James B. Colgate (1818-1904) was the son of multimillionaire William Colgate, founder of Colgate Soap Company – now known as Colgate-Palmolive. James started a New York Stock Exchange brokerage firm in 1852. During his lifetime, Colgate donated over a million dollars to Madison University in Hamilton, NY., which was later renamed Colgate University in his honor. With this he supported the construction of various buildings and the university’s endowment fund. Upon his death, he left money to the Baptist Educational Society in New York.

Daniel Carter Beard (1850-1941) was a prominent Progressive-era reformer, outdoor enthusiast, illustrator, and author, and is considered one of the founders of American Scouting. His series of articles for St. Nicholas Magazine formed the basis for The American Boy's Handy Book (1882), a manual of outdoor sports, activities, and games that he wrote and illustrated. In addition, he authored more than 20 other books on various aspects of scouting. His work with author and wildlife artist Ernest Thompson Seton became the basis of the Traditional Scouting movement and led to the founding of the Boy Scouts of America in 1910. Beard was born on June 21, 1850, in Cincinnati, Ohio. When he was 11, his family moved across the Ohio River to Covington, Kentucky. The fourth of six children, he was the son of Mary Caroline (Carter) Beard and James Henry Beard, a celebrated portrait artist. In 1869, Beard earned a degree in civil engineering from Worrall's Academy in Covington and then worked as an engineer and surveyor in the Cincinnati area. In 1874, Beard was hired by the Sanborn Map and Publishing Company, and his surveying work led him to travel extensively over the eastern half of the United States. His family joined him in moving to New York City in 1878, and they settled in Flushing. From 1880 to 1884, Beard studied at the Art Students League, where he befriended fellow student Ernest Thompson Seton. Beard’s time there inspired him to work in illustration. His drawings appeared in dozens of newspapers and magazines, such as Harper's Weekly and The New York Herald, and he illustrated a number of well-known books, including Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889) and Tom Sawyer Abroad (1894). In 1894, he met and married Beatrice Alice Jackson, and together they had two children, Barbara and Daniel. His career led him into the magazine industry, and he became editor of the wildlife periodical Recreation in 1902. While at Recreation, he wrote a monthly youth column, and in 1905, he founded the Sons of Daniel Boone to promote outdoor recreation for boys. By 1906, he had moved on to Women’s Home Companion and then to Pictorial Review three years later. In 1909, he founded Boy Pioneers of America, which merged together a year later with similar scouting groups, including Seton’s Woodcraft Indians, to become the Boy Scouts of America. In 1910, Beard founded Troop 1 in Flushing, one of the oldest continuously chartered Boy Scout Troops in the United States. Beard was one of the Boy Scouts’ first National Commissioners, holding the position for more than 30 years until his death. Known to millions of Boy Scouts as “Uncle Dan,” he served as editor of Boys’ Life, the organization’s monthly magazine, and he became an Eagle Scout at age 64. In 1922, he received the gold Eagle Scout badge for distinguished service, the only time the badge was awarded. Through his work with his sisters, Lina and Adelia Beard, who together wrote The American Girls Handy Book (1887), Beard also encouraged girls to take up scouting. He helped in the organization of Camp Fire Girls and served as president of Camp Fire Club of America. His autobiography, Hardly a Man Is Now Alive, was published in 1939, and Beard died at home in Suffern, NY, on June 11, 1941. In 1965, his childhood home in Covington, Kentucky, became a National Historic Landmark. Daniel Carter Beard Memorial Square is located in Beard’s former neighborhood of Flushing at the intersection of Farrington Street and Northern Boulevard. A street co-naming ceremony in Beard’s honor was held on June 28, 2014. Other sites in Flushing named for Beard include [Daniel Carter Beard Mall](https://nameexplorer.urbanarchive.org/pr/nameexplorer/c/86b83c9f-838c-49d0-bd3a-4ca000f20093) and [J.H.S. 189 Daniel Carter Beard](https://nameexplorer.urbanarchive.org/pr/nameexplorer/c/9ae2baa6-3ec4-457e-8dd3-76ebabb14b00).

Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) is widely regarded as one of the most innovative and influential figures in jazz, known for both his trumpet improvisations and his distinctive singing voice. He also broke down numerous racial divides in the music and entertainment worlds, becoming the first Black performer to get featured billing in a major Hollywood film ("Pennies From Heaven," 1936) and the first Black host of a national radio show (Fleischmann's Yeast Show, 1937). Born in New Orleans in 1901, Armstrong grew up impoverished in a racially segregated city. He dropped out of school in fifth grade to work, and developed a close relationship with a local Jewish family that gave him odd jobs and nurtured his love of music. By the age of 11, Armstrong wound up in the Colored Waif’s Home for Boys, where he joined the band and studied the cornet in earnest. Upon his release from the home in 1914, he began working as a musician on Mississippi riverboats and other local venues. His reputation skyrocketed, and by the early 1920s he moved north, performing and recording with jazz bands in Chicago and New York. Throughout the 1920s and '30s, Armstrong made dozens of records with his own and many other ensembles, toured extensively, and began performing in Broadway productions and movies. After some business and health setbacks, and in response to changing musical tastes, Armstrong scaled his group down to a six-piece combo in the 1940s and resumed touring internationally, recording albums and appearing in movies. Some of his biggest popular hits came in the later years of his career, including "Hello Dolly" (1964) and "What A Wonderful World" (1967). His grueling schedule took its toll on his heart and kidneys and in 1968 he was forced to take time off to recuperate, but he began performing again in 1970. Armstrong died in his sleep in July 1971, just a few months after his final engagement at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York. The original Louis Armstrong Stadium was constructed as the Singer Bowl for the Singer Sewing Machine Company's 1964-65 World’s Fair exhibit and renamed for Armstrong in 1972. Armstrong had lived in nearby Corona from 1943 until his death in 1971. In 1978, the stadium was refurbished and reconfigured when the United States Tennis Association moved the annual U.S. Open to Flushing Meadows from its previous home in Forest Hills. In 2018, the old stadium was replaced with a brand-new Louis Armstrong Stadium, featuring 14,000 seats and a retractable roof. A bronze plaque from the original stadium's dedication to Armstrong has been installed over the ticket window of the new construction.

This STEAM collection spotlights the famous scientists whose achievements set in motion pivotal moments in history. ANATOMY + ART **I.S. 061 Leonardo Da Vinci** Although he is most recognized as the painter of projects like the Mona Lisa and the Burlington House Cartoon Da Vinci was invested in inventing and how art, science, and mathematics intersect. BIOLOGY + PIANO **George Washington Carver High School for the Sciences** George Washington Carver invented machinery to make cultivating crops more efficient and used the fruits of his labor to invent household essentials like bleach, glue, and flour. ELECTRICIAN/ INVENTOR + PUBLICIST **Benjamin Franklin High School for Finance & Information Technology** Benjamin Franklin’s career extended way outside of politics. Outside of founding his own business and contributing to the moral pillars of the United States, Franklin was committed to inventing and experimenting with how electricity could assist everyone. PHYSICS/ SOUND ENGINEERING **P.S. 205- The Alexander Graham Bell School** Alexander Graham Bell invention of the telephone was revolutionary for communication. It allowed for the public access of long-ranged conversations and local information, connecting communities nationwide. CHEMISTRY **M.S. 158 Marie Curie** Marie Curie was well known in both the science community for being the first woman to earn a Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903. Curie went on to earn another Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1911. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE + LITERATURE **Rachel Carson Intermediate School** Rachel Carson set environmental advocacy in motion when she argued against anthropogenic stresses on wildlife. Her works of writing have allowed for the education of the public to these dangers as well as voiced a call to action for the ban of the chemicals. MECHANIC and DRAFTSMAN + LITERATURE **Latimer Gardens** Along with the greatest inventors of the times, Lewis Latimer was self-taught in mechanical engineering. He worked with names like Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Alva Edison and Hiram S. Maxim to form the base plans for the inventions we have today. Latimer was just as much an artist as a scientist.

Thurgood Marshall was born in 1908 in Baltimore, Maryland. His father was a railroad porter and steward and his mother a teacher. After graduating from Lincoln University, he was rejected from the all-white University of Maryland Law School, he attended Howard University Law School. He graduated at the top of his class in 1933, he went into private practice and worked on different civil rights suits. One successful suit was against the University of Maryland Law SchooL for denying a Black applicant solely based on race. Marshall worked for the NAACP first as a staff lawyer, then as a lead chair, and a few years later as the chief of the Legal Defense and Education Fund. He won 29 of the 32 cases the NAACP brought before the U.S. Supreme Court, which related to voting rights issues, segregation and more. His most famous case was Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka in which "separate but equal" as a justification for segregation was struck down. Marshall was later named U.S. solicitor general and nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court. Here he continued to advocate for change and justice for marginalized peoples throughout the United States. He retired with the nickname "the Great Dissenter," indicative of his continued commitment to advocacy even in the midst of a conservative court.

In February, we celebrate Black History Month by honoring the many Black activists and organizers honored by the borough of Queens with place names.

Edwin Hoyt (1804-1874) was a businessman who lived in Astoria in the 1800s. he was the millionaire senior partner in Hoyt, Sprague, and Co., a dry goods business, with Governor William Sprague of Rhode Island. Hoyt’s son, Edwin Chase Hoyt, and Governor Sprague’s son both married daughters of Salmon P. Chase, Secretary of the Treasury under President Abraham Lincoln, and later Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. When Hoyt died on May 15, 1874, at the age of 70, all prominent dry goods businessmen kept their doors closed on the morning of his funeral out of respect for the deceased.

Brendan Byrne (1908 – 1987) was a former member of the New York City Board of Education and a public-relations consultant who helped revitalize Richmond Hill, Queens A high school teacher for 10 years and the author of several history books, he was appointed to the Board of Education by Mayor Robert F. Wagner in 1961. Earlier in his career Mr. Byrne was an editor of Facts magazine and other publications. During the 1960s he was executive director of the American Heritage Foundation, a nonpartisan philanthropy that encouraged voter registration, and a vice president of the Valley Forge Foundation. He also was a consultant on philanthropy. In later years he worked with Queens merchants to improve the economic well-being of the area and served as president of the Richmond Hill Development Corporation. Among his published books is a How-to marketing guide for Richmond Hill that is in the Queens Public Library catalog. 

William Wordsworth (1770-1850) was born in Cockermouth, Cumberland, in the Lake District of England. He was one of the founders of English Romanticism and one its most central figures and important intellects. Wordsworth's collaboration with Samuel Taylor Coleridge led to one of the most famous collections of poetry, entitled "Lyrical Ballads." Wordsworth was Britain's poet laureate from 1843 until his death in 1850. He is remembered as a poet of spiritual and epistemological speculation, being deeply concerned with the human relationship to nature and for his fierce advocacy of using the vocabulary and speech patterns of common people in poetry.

Samantha Smith (1972-1985) was an American peace activist during some of the most tense moments in the Cold War. Samantha Smith was born in Maine in 1972. In 1982, at 10 years old, she decided to write a letter to the then current Soviet Union Leader Yuri Andropov. Smith had listened to newscasters and watched science videos on the imposing threat of nuclear war. Feeling anxious about the global situation, Smith followed her mother's advice to reach out directly to the new leader of Soviet Russia. In the letter, Smith expressed her concern over the threat of war. She asked Andropov if he was planning to vote for there to be a war and "why he wanted to conquer the world." The letter was published in the Soviet newspaper "Pravda." Although Smith was excited that her letter was published, she had not yet received a response from Andropov himself. Therefore, Smith wrote a second letter, this time to the Soviet Ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Dobrynin, to ask why Andropov hadn't responded. In the spring of 1983, Andropov responded to her letter, assuring that he did not want to conquer the world and inviting Smith and her family to visit the Soviet Union. This letter gained national attention and although some were skeptical on Andropov's reasons for inviting Smith to the USSR, she ultimately decided to go and visited in July, 1983. Samantha was met with a warm welcome from the Russian public and media. During her two week stay in Russia, Smith visited Lenin’s grave, the Bolshoi Ballet, the Artek summer camp in Crimea, and met Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman to go to space. She met many people, including fellow children, many of whom had never met an American before. Her visit was widely covered by both Soviet and Western press. She was dubbed "America’s Youngest Ambassador." Upon her return to the United States, Smith appeared on many media outlets such as "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson," Disney Channel (where she interviewed Democratic presidential candidates), had many interviews, and began writing her own book. Smith described that Americans had been given the wrong impression of Soviet people. She reported that unlike how the Soviets were often portrayed, they wanted peace just as much as any American did. Smith also stated that the other children she met in Russia were just like some of the kids she knew in the United States. Overall, the experience was very positive for Smith and highlighted the humanity that exists no matter which country you are from. However, with this coverage, some questioned whether Samantha Smith was being used as a pawn by both governments. Yet some argue that by presenting and representing herself as a regular American girl, Smith evaded this mistrust. Additionally, although the goal of the invitation might have been to show Soviets as peace-loving and kind, the trip also brought a favorable light to Americans. Smith made it hard for both sides to continue villainizing each other. Samantha Smith's journey was inspirational and showed the power of human connection during war. However, her work had little impact on the increasing strain between the two governments. The relationship continued to deteriorate and nuclear war was still a massive threat. Through this turmoil, Smith was prepared to stay in the spotlight and stand as an example of what can be achieved through openness and curiosity. Tragically, Samantha Smith and her father were killed in a plane crash in 1985 on their way back to Maine. She was 13 years old. Both the United States and the Soviet Union mourned her passing. President Reagan sent a condolence letter to her mom and both American and Soviet officials attended her funeral in Maine. In total, about 1,000 people attended. She was also eulogized in Moscow as a champion of peace. Since her death, many places and things have been named in her honor. Such as a bronze statue in Augusta, Maine made in 1986, depicting Smith releasing a dove with a bear cub clinging to her legs. The bear cub represents both Russia and Maine, bears are considered iconic symbols of both areas, and the dove is an international symbol of peace. Additionally, in 1985, Soviet Russia released a stamp with Smith's face and name (in Russian) and named a diamond found in Yakutsk, Siberia after her. Following her death in 1985, her mother Jane Smith, founded the Samantha Smith Foundation. Over the course of a decade, The foundation organized summer visits for children, to and from the Soviet Union and its successor states. In 1986, Jane Smith accompanied 20 of Samantha Smith's classmates on a trip to Moscow to visit some of the site Samantha had also visited 3 years earlier. In 1988, Soviet children came to summer camp in Maine, and Maine children went to summer camp in Russia through the Foundation. Then in 1990 the Foundation hosted children from the Chernobyl fallout zone, many of them suffering radiation-induced health problems. The next year, in 1991, they hosted even more children from that area. In that same year, the Foundation started a business internship program in the U.S. for young adults from the Soviet Union and its successor states. Interns spent a month in a carefully chosen business in Maine to learn. The Foundation continued to sponsor summer camp and internship programs until 1995. Sadly, by 1995 newer and larger youth exchange organizations emerged and competed for the same grant money. Although the Samantha Smith Foundation is currently dormant, it still has an annual board of directors meeting to distribute the funds that it does receive to other nonprofit programs with a similar mission. Samantha Smith has had a lasting legacy. Her openness and curiosity reminded the world of the importance of human connection and kindness even in the midst of a war. In 2008, Smith posthumously received the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award for helping to bring about a better understanding between people of the Soviet Union and the United States. Smith continues to be honored for bringing humanity to a scary and contentious time in history.

Francis de Sales (1567-1622) is a saint in the Catholic Church well known for two books, Introduction to the Devout Life and A Treatise on the Love of God, and he wrote countless letters. Because of this voluminous writing, he's the patron of journalists. And because of his writings, teachings, and gentle approach to spirituality, there are many schools and parishes named in his honor, including this one, which was founded in 1913. De Sales was born on August 21, 1567 at Thorens, in the Duchy of Savoy. While studying to be a lawyer at the college of Clermont in Paris, he took a theology course that led to him making a vow of chastity. To avoid his father's plans for his marriage, he accepted a position working for the pope, the highest office in the diocese, and received Holy Orders in 1593. As provost of the Diocese of Geneva, where Calvinists had a stronghold, he began conversions through preaching and sharing his Catholic writings. He continued this work after being named Bishop of Geneva in 1602, including developing Catholic instruction for young and old believers. With Jane Frances de Chantal, another saint, de Sales helped establish a new religious order known as the Sisters of the Visitation. He died on December 28, 1622 at 56 years old. He was beatified in 1661 and canonized by Alexander VII in 1665. In 1877 Pope Pius IX proclaimed him Doctor of the Universal Church.

Douglaston was colonized in the 17th century by the British and Dutch. The original inhabitants who lived there, the Matinecock people, are part of the larger Algonquin nation. While the Matinecock people are said to have sold land to the Dutch, there was also documented violence against them prior to this, as well as a smallpox epidemic that devastated the community years later in 1652. Others were forcibly removed from the land by Thomas Hicks. Members of the Matinecock tribe remain in Queens today. Douglaston is located on the North Shore of Long Island, bordered to the east by Little Neck, and to the west by Bayside. It represents one of the least traditionally urban communities in New York City, with many areas having a distinctly upscale suburban feel, similar to that of Nassau County towns located nearby. George Douglas purchased land in the area in 1835, and his son William Douglas later donated a Long Island Rail Road Stop.

Clement Clarke Moore (1779–1863) was a professor of Oriental and Greek literature at New York's General Theological Seminary from 1823 to 1850. He also donated a large piece of land that he had inherited, located in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, to the seminary. Moore wrote on a variety of topics but is best known today as the author of the enduringly popular Christmas poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas." The poem was first published anonymously in 1823 and there has been debate over its true authorship; many scholars believe it was actually written by Henry Livingston, Jr., but decisive proof has been elusive. The poem became a classic popularly known as "The Night Before Christmas” and brought the idea of Santa Claus to mainstream culture. Moore died in Newport, Rhode Island in 1863. The Moore family was among the earliest settlers of Elmhurst, Queens, having been granted 80 acres there in the mid-1600s; Clement Moore spent much of his childhood at the family estate in Newtown. The Moore Homestead Playground, also in Elmhurst, is named in the family's honor. Prior to the colonization of Elmhurst, the land was considered part of the Canarsie and Munsee Lenape territories.

Patricia Brackley (1940-1999) was an activist who focused her efforts on beautifying Rockaway. She was president of the Shore Garden Club of Belle Harbor and Neponsit and served as vice president of the Second District of the Garden Clubs of New York State. Born in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, Brackley graduated from Indiana’s Purdue University in 1961 and moved to New York to work as a schoolteacher. An expert florist in her own right, she became an accredited flower show judge and wrote a gardening column for her local newspaper, The Wave. Dedicated to the beautification of her Rockaway community, Brackley took it upon herself to renovate the neighborhood’s Cronston Triangle. With particular care, she designed plantings, seats and a sprinkler system for the park. Spending $10,000 from her own funds to make those designs become a reality, Brackley also helped beautify the nearby Beach Channel Drive median and worked with neighborhood storeowners along Beach 129 Street to plant trees and flowers in front of their establishments. After fighting cancer for several years, Brackley died in January 1999.

Peter’s Field is named for two of the city’s most prominent historical figures: Peter Stuyvesant (1610-1672) and Peter Cooper (1791-1905). Peter Stuyvesant, a Calvinist minister’s son, born in The Netherlands, joined the Dutch West India Company at the age of 22. After becoming the director of the company’s Caribbean colonies of Curaçao, Aruba, and Bonaire in 1643, Stuyvesant led a victorious attack on the island of Saint Martin; he gravely injured his right leg and was forced to have it amputated. The wooden leg he wore from then on earned him the nickname “Old Peg-Leg.” Stuyvesant arrived in New Amsterdam in 1647 as the Director General of New Netherland and quickly worked to limit the sale of liquor, enforce his own church’s domination, and persecute Lutherans, Quakers, and Jews. Stuyvesant bought a farm, the Bouwerie (the namesake of the Bowery), in 1651, and built his home, White Hall, in 1655 at what is now the intersection of Whitehall and State Streets. Often remembered as a violent despot, Stuyvesant also encouraged commerce and helped form New Amsterdam’s municipal government until the British seized New Netherland in 1664. Following his withdrawal from public life, he retired to his farm where he lived until his death in February 1672.  New York City native Peter Cooper, an inventor with little formal education, began his career as a cloth cutter during the War of 1812. After becoming a prosperous glue manufacturer, Cooper built the country’s first steam engine, the Tom Thumb, at his Canton Iron Works factory in Baltimore. Deeply involved in New York City politics, he worked to disentangle the fire and police departments from their political connections, to supply better water and sanitation, to improve prison conditions and to provide the poor with public education. The namesake of the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (formed between 1857 and 1859), Cooper was an unsuccessful presidential candidate in 1876, when he ran on the Greenback ticket. 

John Bowne (1627-1695) was an English emigrant who arrived in in New Netherland, or Vlissingen (now Flushing) in 1649. He fought against Governor Pieter Stuyvesant's edict to restrict religious freedom by allowing Quakers to meet in his home. Bowne was arrested, fined and imprisoned for months by Gov. Stuyvesant and even deported due to his religious activities, though he was later set free by the Directors of the West India Company. He returned to his home later and acquired more land, including that designated for the Flushing Quaker Meeting House and a burial ground, where he was buried upon his death in 1695. Flushing had the previous name of Flushing Creeke by the original inhabitants who lived there, the Matinecock people, part of the larger Algonquin nation. While the Matinecock people are said to have sold land to the Dutch, and possibly to Bowne as well, there was also documented violence against them prior to this, as well as a smallpox epidemic that devastated the community years later in 1652. Members of the Matinecock tribe remain in Queens today.

Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) is widely regarded as one of the most innovative and influential figures in jazz, known for both his trumpet improvisations and his distinctive singing voice. He also broke down numerous racial divides in the music and entertainment worlds, becoming the first Black performer to get featured billing in a major Hollywood film ("Pennies From Heaven," 1936) and the first Black host of a national radio show (Fleischmann's Yeast Show, 1937). Born in New Orleans in 1901, Armstrong grew up impoverished in a racially segregated city. He dropped out of school in fifth grade to work, and developed a close relationship with a local Jewish family that gave him odd jobs and nurtured his love of music. By the age of 11, Armstrong wound up in the Colored Waif’s Home for Boys, where he joined the band and studied the cornet in earnest. Upon his release from the home in 1914, he began working as a musician on Mississippi riverboats and other local venues. His reputation skyrocketed, and by the early 1920s he moved north, performing and recording with jazz bands in Chicago and New York. Throughout the 1920s and '30s, Armstrong made dozens of records with his own and many other ensembles, toured extensively, and began performing in Broadway productions and movies. After some business and health setbacks, and in response to changing musical tastes, Armstrong scaled his group down to a six-piece combo in the 1940s and resumed touring internationally, recording albums and appearing in movies. Some of his biggest popular hits came in the later years of his career, including "Hello Dolly" (1964) and "What A Wonderful World" (1967). His grueling schedule took its toll on his heart and kidneys and in 1968 he was forced to take time off to recuperate, but he began performing again in 1970. Armstrong died in his sleep in July 1971, just a few months after his final engagement at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York. Armstrong and his fourth wife, Lucille Wilson, purchased their home in Corona in 1943, shortly after they were married, and lived there for the remainder of their lives. After Lucille’s passing in 1983, she willed the home and its contents to the city of New York, which designated the City University of New York, Queens College to administer it. The house was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976 and a New York City Landmark in 1988. The archives became accessible in the 1990s, and the historic house opened for public tours in 2003. It also now serves as a venue for concerts and educational programs.

Thanks to his granddaughter, Susan Latham, we can tell a fuller story about William Latham, whose name graces a pocket park in Elmhurst.

Horace Harding (1863-1929) was born to an influential publishing family. He entered the banking world and moved up through connections on his wife's side. Harding served as a director for multiple entities including American Express and numerous railway trusts. Harding enjoyed art collecting and spent time cultivating the Frick collection. Harding was extremely influential in Long Island and supported Robert Moses' "Great Parkway Plan" to build a highway from Queens Blvd. to Shelter Rock in Nassau County. He also supported the Northern State Parkway and construction of the Long Island Expressway. His support of new roads happened to coincide with his desire for an easier pathway to his country club. Harding died at 65 from influenza and blood poisoning.