![]() ![]() Perhaps the name was passed down informally by British troops who were stationed at Coney Island during the American Revolution. The land to its west became known as West Brighton. He ended up acquiring all of Middle Division, plus some oceanfront property to its west.Įngeman called his land Brighton Beach. It took Engeman several years to build the complete family trees and sales records required to trace each lot's ownership.Īgainst all odds, Engeman succeeded in identifying all of the two-hundred to three-hundred owners, and also in convincing all of them to sell. The owners were scattered around the United States and some were even in other countries. This was a daunting task in an era where communication took place by telegraph or letter. Stillwell knew who held title only to some of the lots in Middle Division.Įngeman said he wanted to buy all of Middle Division and would take care of tracking down who owned each lot. The ownership of these little lots had become further fragmented among hundreds of descendants as inheritances took place over generations. The problem with Middle Division was that it was split into dozens of little two-acre lots. It therefore was privately owned and could be available for sale. The Middle Division land, however, had been distributed out of the trust between 16. Most of Sedge Bank was held in trust by the Town of Gravesend on behalf of the heirs of Gravesend’s original founders, and hence not available for purchase (see Early Coney Island History article). Stillwell specialized in Coney Island real estate because his family had lived in the area for generations. Stillwell about buying land in the easternmost area of Coney Island, today known as Brighton Beach (then known as Middle Division) and Manhattan Beach (then known as Sedge Bank). Instead, he ended up embarking on a new adventure.Įngeman went to see a real estate lawyer and broker by the name of William H. Engeman returned to New York after the war, looking to settle down. During the Civil War, he became a millionaire by selling the Union Army large numbers of mules and horses he sourced from ranchers and farmers. ![]() He worked as a carpenter and did various odd jobs, including driving teams of mules. Engeman, born in New York City in 1840, left home as a teenager to find better opportunities in the West. William Engeman's Mission to Unify Brighton Beach. ![]()
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