Travis, Staten Island facts for kids
Travis is a neighborhood in the western part of Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City. It has both homes and businesses.
Travis is bordered by Meredith Avenue and Victory Boulevard to the north. To the east is the William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge. The Fresh Kills are to the south, and the Arthur Kill is to the west.
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History of Travis: From Village to Factory Town
Travis is one of the oldest neighborhoods on Staten Island. It was once an Indian village. During the American Revolution, it was called New Blazing Star Ferry. A small fight happened here during the Battle of Staten Island.
Ferries crossed the water here since 1757. This made Travis an important stop on the route between Philadelphia and New York. In the early 1800s, the village was named Travisville. It was named after Captain Jacob Travis. Later, it was known as Long Neck and then Deckertown.
The Linoleum Factory and a New Name
In 1873, a company bought 300 acres in the area. They built the first linoleum factory in the United States. Linoleum is a type of floor covering. The inventor of linoleum, Frederick Walton, helped set up the factory. Many skilled workers from England came to work there. Because of the factory, the area was named Linoleumville.
By the early 1900s, 700 people worked at the factory. This was half of the local population. Many of these workers were immigrants from Poland. Linoleumville became a Polish community. The factory closed in 1931. After it closed, residents voted to rename the community Travis.
Modern Changes in Travis
Over the years, Travis has become less isolated. This is partly due to the West Shore Expressway and the Teleport. Sometimes, the air quality in Travis has been poor. This was because of the nearby Fresh Kills Landfill and factories in New Jersey.
Culture and Community Life in Travis
Travis is well-known for its fun annual Independence Day parade. This parade has been held every year since 1911.
Sylvan Grove Cemetery and Independence Park
Many of the first families of Travis are buried in Sylvan Grove Cemetery. This small cemetery is near Victory Boulevard. For a while, it was in bad shape due to vandalism. In 1982, a group called the Friends of Abandoned Cemeteries of Staten Island started. They work to fix up old cemeteries like Sylvan Grove.
Work began in 2010 to turn the area next to the cemetery into "Independence Park." This will be a new park for the community.
Mid Island Little League
Travis is also home to the Mid Island Little League. This baseball team won the 1964 Little League World Series. Their field is located where Travis Avenue and Victory Boulevard meet.
Facilities and Services in Travis
The 1980s brought more businesses to Travis. A large movie and bowling complex was built. The West Shore Plaza also opened. It has a Burlington Coat Factory store.
The Teleport and Local Businesses
The Teleport is a big industrial park. It is located on the eastern edge of Travis. Many companies that work with the Internet and telecommunications are located there. The roads next to the West Shore Expressway also have many shops and businesses.
Fire Services in Travis
Travis has FDNY Squad Company 8, a fire station. It also has one of the last volunteer fire houses in New York City. This is the Oceanic H&L Company No. 1. Oceanic was formed in 1881. This makes it one of the oldest volunteer fire houses in the country. The fire house was moved by horse to its current spot on Victory Boulevard.
Old and New in Travis
The building of the movie theater changed Travis a lot. Traffic patterns changed, and new homes were built. Many old homes on large plots of land are being replaced with new row homes. Even with these changes, Travis still feels like a unique place.
An old candy store called Tennyson's Confectionery is still standing. It is now a balloon and party store. But for almost 100 years, it was a penny candy store. It was a popular spot for locals and firefighters.
Transportation in Travis
Victory Boulevard starts in Travis. This is a main road on Staten Island. It was built in 1816 and was meant to be the fastest way from New York to Philadelphia.
Bus and Train Services
Bus service along Victory Boulevard connects Travis to the College of Staten Island and the St. George Ferry Terminal. These are the S62, S92 routes.
A ferry used to cross the Arthur Kill from Travis to Carteret, New Jersey. It stopped running in 1929. However, a passenger ferry continued until the mid-1960s.
Freight trains also serve Travis. They use the Travis Branch of the Staten Island Railway. This line goes to the Howland Hook Container Terminal.
Travis also has express bus service to and from Manhattan during busy hours. The SIM32 runs along Victory Boulevard. Other express buses like the SIM2, SIM22, SIM23, SIM24, SIM25, SIM26 run along the West Shore Expressway. Some of these buses, like the SIM2, SIM25, and SIM26, make stops in Travis.
Education in Travis
Travis is home to P.S. 26, an elementary school. It is part of the New York City Department of Education. In early 2020, plans for a new elementary school were announced. This new school will have 476 seats for students.
Notable People from Travis
Travis has been home to several interesting people:
- Ichabod Crane was a real military officer. He lived in Travis. He did not like that Washington Irving created a fictional, cowardly teacher with the same name in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
- Isabel González was not a resident, but she helped fight for Puerto Ricans' rights as US citizens. Her fiancé came to work in the linoleum factory in Linoleumville. When she tried to join him, she was stopped by US immigration. She was denied entry because she was unmarried and pregnant. At that time, Puerto Ricans were not considered US citizens. Her fight led to a series of court cases. Eventually, a law was passed in 1917 that made Puerto Ricans US citizens.
- Billy Urbanski was a baseball player for the Boston Braves. He was born in "Linoleumville," which was renamed Travis in 1931.
- Pfc. Fred J. Walczak was present at the famous flag raising at Iwo Jima. He is in the famous "Gung Ho" photo of the Marines who raised the flag. He was also wounded in the battle.
- Paul Zindel grew up in Travis. He lived on Glen Street as a teenager. Many of his young-adult stories are based on Staten Island. His book The Pigman is set on Staten Island.
Population and Demographics
In 2010, the population of Travis was 2,953 people. The population breakdown was roughly: 71% White, 3% Black, 16.9% Hispanic, 6% Asian, and 2.2% Other. These numbers include areas like Bloomfield and Chelsea, but most residents live in Travis.
Images for kids
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Sylvan Grove Cemetery
See also
In Spanish: Travis (Staten Island) para niños
