New York is one of the most significant historical cities in the U.S. However, there’s a lot of unsettling and disturbing history that stands in the state — history that many people are unaware of. Here are 10 absolutely wild historical facts about New York that are determined to leave you with goosebumps and second-guessing your sanity.
1.
Washington Square Park has a mass grave of thousands of bodies buried underneath it. The Park used to be a Potter’s field, a burial ground for unidentified bodies, and it’s believed to be over 20,000 corpses still underground.
2.
In 1903, Thomas Edison’s company filmed a public execution of an old circus Elephant named “Topsy” in Coney Island by electrocution. It was later turned into a short film for public viewing.
3.
In the 1800s, New York had a “lunatic” asylum that residents could visit for entertainment on Roosevelt Island. They would be paid to go see patients and treat it like a fair attraction. This was coined as “asylum tourism,” but visits stopped when investigative journalist Nellie Bly exposed the horrible treatment of its patients by disguising herself as one.
4.
New York City is home to one of the deadliest industrial fires: the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. The fire killed 146 workers out of the 500 that worked in the factory. The tragedy reshaped labor laws nationwide since many died from locked fire escape doors that prevented the workers from leaving.
5.
In New York from 1854 to 1929, children were auctioned off to families and institutions for labor. This came to be known as the Orphan Train Movement, and it was completely legal at the time, requiring no background checks or anything. Over 250,000 abandoned and orphaned children were relocated from eastern cities to more midwestern, rural areas in attempts to find homes.
6.
Central Park was home to Seneca Village in the 1800s — a predominantly African-American community that was gentrified and paved over to construct the park. Many owned property within the village, but were forced to relocate after the land was acquired by the City through eminent domain in the early 50s.
7.
In the late 1940s, an investigation by Brooklyn District Attorney Miles McDonald uncovered a connection between the New York Police Department and the city’s prominent politicians and crime bosses. Several officers were indicted, and hundreds more took early retirement. The systemic corruption partly inspired the next few decades of “Mafia” films such as The Godfather and Goodfellas.
8.
New York is ranked as one of the top states with the most recorded serial killers, following closely behind states like California, Florida, and Texas. Infamous serial killers like Joel Rifkin, David Berkowitz, and Richard Cottingham are a devastating, horrific part of New York’s history.
9.
Many New Yorkers were skeptical about the stability of the Brooklyn Bridge after its construction was completed in 1883. An extreme panic was caused after a woman tripped and fell up the stairs to the bridge, funneling a human stampede that killed 12 people, irreparably impaired 7 people, and severely wounded several others. A year later, circus showman P.T. Barnum marched 21 elephants and 17 camels across the bridge to prove its safety.
10.
And finally, During his autopsy, Albert Einstein’s brain was taken by Dr. Thomas Stoltz Harvey without true permission. He carried the brain around for nearly 40 years across states, institutions, and numerous studies. Harvey is reported to have removed Einstein’s eyeballs as well, which are now stored in a safety deposit box in New York City.
Which historical fact did you find the wildest? Share in the comments below.