It would be hard to imagine Northern Boulevard as a one lane street today, but before the 1939 World’s Fair, it was a traffic disaster. “I’ve seen pictures of Northern Boulevard in the late ‘20s and the traffic was worse than today’s rush hour,” said author Jason Antos. “The cars were much bigger back then, they were tanks.”
On Tuesday, August 3, Antos will release his fourth book under Arcadia Publishing’s “Then and Now” series titled Flushing, which looks at the rural, swampy land that turned into one of the busiest neighborhoods in Queens. At the age of 29, one might expect the historian behind books Whitestone, Shea Stadium and Queens to be a bit older, but Antos believes history is finally reaching a younger generation.
“History was always a turn off because it was considered a dry subject, but because it has become more interactive there is a larger following among different age groups,” said Antos, who cited television and the internet as prime factors in the resurgence in local history. “It’s a growing field.”
The 95-page book starts at very beginning by explaining the origin of the name Flushing and the controversy surrounding the earliest records, which were lost in a fire on town clerk Jeremiah Vanderbilt’s estate in 1789.
“Most of the land deeds were destroyed in that fire because nothing was copied in those days, everything was original,” said Antos.
Through pictures provided by various sources, readers are able to compare the dramatic difference in structure and landscape from the 1800s to the present day. It took Antos seven months of data collection and writing with a one month period for editing to complete his historical record. After writing three other books, this was his easiest and most pleasurable to write.
“I had the most fun writing this book because it’s right in my own backyard,” said Antos, a lifelong resident of Queens.
Antos hopes his book will be used by future generations who want to learn about the history of Flushing and discover their roots. He has plans for future historical works and has a genuine love for writing.
“Once you finish [a project] and it gets out there, it doesn’t belong to you anymore. It belongs to the world. It belongs to the people and that’s a very good feeling.”
Antos recently spoke at the Fresh Meadows Library on Saturday, July 31. He will also speak at the Flushing Library, located at 41-17 Main Street, at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, September 15.
Flushing can be purchased through Arcadia Publishing’s web site, www.arcadiapublishing.com.
