Source photo: Bayside Historical Society

Charlotte Megill Hix is a genealogist and historian, author of six books, and countless articles. She has written the The Crocheron Family of Staten Island, New York, published in 1979. In it, she traces the lineage of the Crocheron family, of which she is also a descendent. She is also one of twenty Esteemed Fellows of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (FGBS). She has assisted Friends in its reconstruction of Joseph Crocheron's past.

Joseph Crocheron, of Staten Island

Joseph, an 8th generation descendant of the Staten Island family, was born on 8 May 1824 on Staten Island and died on 18 August 1896, at the Crocheron House in Bayside, Queens, New York. He was a son of Daniel and Mary (Merrill) Crocheron, both of whom were born on Staten Island. Daniel's great interest in horse racing ran the horses Sally Walker and Snowball. Daniel influenced his son Joseph, who became well known as a racer of horses, along with Cornelius Vanderbilt Il and August Belmont. Daniel had entered the grocery business at Graniteville, Staten Island when he reached manhood and continued in this occupation for 50 years. Joseph was a well-known resident of Flushing.

See map for comparison of Staten Island and Flufhing (1776)

Source: NY Public Library

Liquor Businessman, Hotel Keeper, Race Horse Owner

Joseph appears to have spent most, if not all, of his adult life in New York City and Queens. He is found in the 1850 New York City Directory and his business was 'liquor'. In 1860, the New York City Federal census, list him as age 37 and states that he was a hotel manager. The address of this hotel, The Brower House, was 22 West 28th Street, New York City. In 1870, the New York census, Flushing, he appears with his wife Mary, age 37, He was at the Brower House on March 10, 1880 when his father visited him and subsequently died there. 

Crocheron listed on the 1860 Census New York County and the 1870 Census for Queens County

Mary and Joseph would also race horses. A 1862 article from the New York Times title "Trotting on the Fashion Course" is about the track in front of Crocheron's Mansion, in what is now Corona Plaza, Queens. This Fashion Course is not what we think of today. It was a race course that was known as the Fashion Race Corner. On 10 April 1861, he and others purchased land in what was then Newtown, now Corona, NY and this property became known as the Fashion Race Corner and the scene of speed contests between trotters, including Dexter, Fiora Temple and others.

Bay Side's Crocheron House

So now onto Joseph and Mary Crocheron and the Crocheron House. During its height, the Crocheron House saw a number of visitors and the growth of the Bayside Yacht club out of it's barn. The Crocheron House has been a part of Bayside lore in many ways, there were also a number of high class clam bakes, hunts, and escapades. To understand the lore of Bayside's Crocheron House, or Bay Side as it was also known at the time, one has to remember the distance between borough in New York City. Manhattan, while only a 20 minute car ride away, was —a journey of several hours by horse drawn carriage, which is how they would be traveling at the time, or —longer by sail boat. The creation of the Long Island Rail Road in the mid 1860s allowed a larger variety of people to come out to the area.

And the area itself at this time — was well, wild. Full of farm land, a few mills dotted Little Neck Bay and Alley Pond, and people enjoyed the escape from crowded, dirty, smelly Manhattan, or New York County. While there are some individual families that are local to Bayside and Flushing, the Crocherons are not one of them. Joseph Crocheron was born and raised in Staten Island in the 1800s. About 1850 the couple, Joseph and Mary, had begin their business venture in Manhattan. By the 1870s the Crocherons had moved to Bay Side, Long Island and became fixtures along the Bay.

Maps from 1891, 1909, and 1909 showing area that is now Crocheron & John Golden Park

Source: NY Public Library

Full view of 1860s and 1870s Census for Joseph Crocheron