# What remains of the Dutch history of NYC? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 6, 2012, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-remains-of-the-dutch-history-of-nyc/614974 "2012-03-06T21:57:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-remains-of-the-dutch-history-of-nyc/614974/21 "2012-03-07T04:09:28Z")
The Wallkill River flows north from New Jersey into the Hudson. Named after the Waal River in the Netherlands. ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-remains-of-the-dutch-history-of-nyc/614974/22 "2012-03-07T04:13:17Z")
[Kill Van Kull](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kill_Van_Kull) > [@](#): > > The Kill Van Kull is a tidal strait between Staten Island, New York and Bayonne, New Jersey in the United States… The name “Kill van Kull” has its roots in the early 17th century during the Dutch colonial era, when the region was part of New Netherland… Kill comes from the Middle Dutch word kille, meaning riverbed, water channel, or stream. Kill van Kull translates as channel from the pass or ridge. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-remains-of-the-dutch-history-of-nyc/614974/23 "2012-03-07T04:18:51Z")
> [@Svejk\_1](#): > > Breukelen is a town in the Netherlands, as are Haarlem (Harlem) and Vlissingen (Flushing). Kill does not mean water, but once upon a time it did refer to a type of river; of course, many rivers in the North East end in -kill, not just in NY. Another fun one: apparently Coney Island comes from the Dutch konijn, which may once have been spelled Coneyn, and means rabbit. Whether or not it comes from Dutch, Coney is, and has been for a very long time, an _English_ word which means rabbit. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-remains-of-the-dutch-history-of-nyc/614974/24 "2012-03-07T04:55:21Z")
Kil is also a celtic/scottish geographical name - Kildonan, Kilkenny, Kildare… > [@](#): > > kil- from Gaelic cill, a churchyard; hence Kilmarnock, Kilbride etc. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-remains-of-the-dutch-history-of-nyc/614974/25 "2012-03-07T05:01:56Z")
It’s been argued that the modern American concept of a “district attorney” is a direct descendant of the Dutch colonial magistrate _schepen_. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-remains-of-the-dutch-history-of-nyc/614974/26 "2012-03-07T05:10:20Z")
Stuyvesant High School. A public high school that is one of the best high schools, public or private, in the country (or for that matter, the world). While known for math and science they also have some athletic teams that call themselves “The Flying Dutchmen”. Oh and, beyond math and science, Thelonious Monk and Tim Robbins are graduates among a bunch of other notable people. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-remains-of-the-dutch-history-of-nyc/614974/27 "2012-03-07T09:21:07Z")
Are there any surviving buildings or other physical structures (apart from the aferomentioned roads) from the New Amsterdam period? ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-remains-of-the-dutch-history-of-nyc/614974/28 "2012-03-07T10:43:32Z")
> [@TSBG](#): > > Their names remain. The Bronx is named after a Mr. Bronck … Except that [Jonas Bronck](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonas_Bronck) wasn’t Dutch. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-remains-of-the-dutch-history-of-nyc/614974/29 "2012-03-07T10:57:08Z")
Even old “New York” was once “New Amsterdam?” Huh. Why’d they change it? ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-remains-of-the-dutch-history-of-nyc/614974/30 "2012-03-07T11:21:01Z")
When the Brits took over in 1664, they preferred to honor their Duke of York rather than the great Dutch city. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-remains-of-the-dutch-history-of-nyc/614974/31 "2012-03-07T11:25:41Z")
(Well, technically, to honor the northern English city under the Duke’s ostensible title.) ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-remains-of-the-dutch-history-of-nyc/614974/32 "2012-03-07T11:31:59Z")
I can’t say. People just liked it better that way. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-remains-of-the-dutch-history-of-nyc/614974/33 "2012-03-07T11:40:06Z")
> [@Intelligently\_Designed](#): > > Also, the windmill and beaver on the city’s flag. Windmill I get, but beaver? I’ve been to Amsterdam and I never saw any… Ah, never mind. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-remains-of-the-dutch-history-of-nyc/614974/34 "2012-03-07T11:43:15Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Windmill I get, but beaver? I’ve been to Amsterdam and I never saw any… > > Ah, never mind. Funny! And are we sure that’s a windmill, not a stylized frond of marijuana? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-remains-of-the-dutch-history-of-nyc/614974/35 "2012-03-07T20:50:36Z")
> [@fiddlesticks](#): > > Roosevelt Drive? 🙂 Both of 'em. The only President born in NYC had more than a little Dutch blood: [http://www.nps.gov/thrb/index.htm](http://www.nps.gov/thrb/index.htm) ---
**Author:** ![MacCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maccat/32/216_2.png) [@MacCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacCat)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-remains-of-the-dutch-history-of-nyc/614974/36 "2012-03-07T20:51:53Z")
I didn’t notice the dreaded Van Wyck Expressway mentioned yet… ---
**Author:** ![svd678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@svd678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/svd678)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-remains-of-the-dutch-history-of-nyc/614974/37 "2012-03-07T22:40:28Z")
FeAudry: slight correction - The (Dutch) Reformed Church in America still exists. The (German) Reformed Church in the U.S is the one that eventually became part of the UCC. Both dropped the nationalities from their names. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-remains-of-the-dutch-history-of-nyc/614974/38 "2012-03-07T23:07:41Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > Are there any surviving buildings or other physical structures (apart from the aferomentioned roads) from the New Amsterdam period? Here is one - oldest [house](http://www.wyckoffassociation.org/) in NYC (well, Brooklyn at least) ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2012, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-remains-of-the-dutch-history-of-nyc/614974/39 "2012-03-08T00:20:46Z")
Demographically speaking, you have to put it into perspective and consider the fact that when the Dutch finally turned the city over to the English there were only about 5000 people living in Dutch Manhattan, and maybe 2000 people in Brooklyn. You can imagine how those numbers were swamped by the later waves of immigration from Ireland, Italy, Eastern Europe, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2012, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-remains-of-the-dutch-history-of-nyc/614974/40 "2012-03-08T00:48:14Z")
So… did “going Dutch” (or “Dutch treat”) originate in NY, or Holland? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-remains-of-the-dutch-history-of-nyc/614974.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-remains-of-the-dutch-history-of-nyc/614974.md?page=3)