Hog Island (New York)

The other was a mile-long (1600 m) barrier island that existed to the south of Rockaway Beach in Queens before being mostly destroyed by the 1893 New York hurricane and completely lost to erosion and storm damage by 1902.

The Barnum Island/Island Park/Harbor Isle "Hog Island" was used by the Native Americans to raise pigs, once they had been introduced by Europeans and left to run feral.

A syndicate of businessmen were about to bid $70,000 for the property, but she persuaded the owner to sell it to her for use as a working farm, to house and employ the poor.

After World War II, the non-New York City area of Long Island experienced significant economic and population growth.

Over time, the natural movements of the sea built up a large sandbar; reports suggest that it began to emerge from the ocean during the Civil War period.

The island attracted developers of various seafront beach resort businesses, including leisure pavilions, bathing facilities, saloons, and restaurants.

On August 22, 1893, strong waves covered Hog Island and reduced its size but left it generally intact, though accounts conflict on the level of damage.

[3][5] The following evening, during the overnight hours, a devastating hurricane made landfall in New York City, lasting from about 8:00 PM Wednesday to 8:00 AM Thursday.

The final result was that Long Beach became an island and Norton Basin was covered with sand and thus was no longer accessible to boats travelling therein.

[9] Professor Nicholas Coch of Queens College, along with local undergraduate students, was observing the work and its results, replenishing of the beaches along Rockaway when they noticed peculiar items along the coast.

The group uncovered hundreds of different artifacts including whiskey bottles, beer mugs, and even a hurricane lamp.

It was predicted in 2005 that if the city were to be directly hit by another hurricane of the intensity of the one in 1893, which destroyed Hog Island, the damage would likely be enormous.