When the Europeans first arrived, the Canarsee Indians lived here in the fishing village of Sapokanikan, named for the tobacco crops that grew along Minetta Creek.  The Minetta, which the Dutch interpreted as meaning ‘devil’s water’, originated in the environs of Union Square, ran through present-day Washington Square and spilled into the Hudson, a few blocks south of here.

This map of Manhattan was prepared in 1865 by a civil engineer named Egbert Viele, a man who had learned a great deal about the island’s topography and hydrology during his service as chief engineer of Central Park.

In the center of the map is a rectangular reservoir on the site of the Great Lawn in Central Park.  Further south, you’ll see broad stretches of beige along the coastlines, which indicate landfill.  The island used to be a lot smaller, didn’t it?  Part of the reason it expanded so much was that the city sold water lots to entrepreneurs who assumed the chore of acquiring landfill and filling them in with rocks, dirt, trash… whatever they could find.

 The dark green areas indicate water—rivers and marshland.  On the left side of the map, can you find a little stream spilling out into the Hudson—that’s Minetta Creek.  Today, Minetta Lane follows the ancient path of the long forgotten stream.

Experience these and other stories in our Greenwich Village tour.  We offer a unique NY tour experience, told with audio narration, hundreds of pictures, video clips, gps-enabled map, trivia quizzes, local recommendations, and much more.  Walk New York with Racontrs in your hand and take a walk through history.