Walter Bowne (1770-1846), served as a State Senator and as New York City Mayor. As Mayor (1828-1832), Bowne is remembered for his strict policies aimed at preventing cholera epidemics. Following reports of an outbreak in a neighboring town during the summer of 1832, Bowne established a stringent quarantine policy regulating travel in and out of the metropolitan area. Bowne, like others of his time period, believed that cholera was spread through direct human contact. He required that all ships maintain a distance of at least 300 yards from municipal ports and that carriages remain at least 1.5 miles from the city limits. Bowne's well-meaning attempts to prevent a cholera outbreak failed, and hundreds of New Yorkers died of the disease. It was not until 1883 that the German physician Robert Koch discovered that cholera spreads through contaminated water or food. By that time, cholera epidemics had been largely contained by the construction of the Croton Aqueduct and the provision of clean water for consumption and bathing.

Theodore Foulk (1848-1924) was a prominent nurseryman who established a successful business in Flushing. In 1895, he acquired and, for the next 29 years, ran Bloodgood Nurseries on Broadway in Flushing, along with other properties in Mineola, New York, and New Jersey. Now located in Horsham, Pennsylvania, Bloodgood Nurseries was first established in 1798 by Joseph Bloodgood and, still in business, it is considered the oldest continuously operating nursery and landscape company in the United States. On his death, Foulk left the City of New York $10,000 in his will, designating half of his gift for the improvement of Kissena Park in Fresh Meadows and the other half for the improvement or extension of the playgrounds at Flushing. Foulk was born in Andrews Bridge, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, to Aaron Foulk and Margaretta J. (McIntyre) Foulk, the first of their four children. In 1882, he married Mabel Pyle Way, a Quaker who was originally from Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. The couple had three children: Helen, Donald, and William. In 1894, Foulk moved with his family from Red Bank, New Jersey, to Flushing, where he established his nursery business and made his career. By 1895, he had acquired Bloodgood Nurseries, which was located on the south side of Northern Boulevard between 134th and 150th Streets. His son, William, later joined him in the business. Foulk also partnered with William Flemer Sr. of F\&F Nurseries in Springfield, New Jersey, to form the American Nursery Company—an effort to expand operations and increase efficiency—and he ran his nurseries up until his death. In his will, Foulk made additional gifts to a variety of organizations and charities, including Flushing Hospital and Associated Charities of Flushing. On September 19, 1924, Foulk died at his home in Flushing, and Mabel followed in 1942. The couple are buried in Oxford Cemetery in Oxford, Pennsylvania. Foulk’s contributions to local parks and institutions left a lasting legacy in Flushing, reflecting a deep connection to the community. In 1935, an NYC Department of Parks press release announced the opening of the new Bowne Playground, adding that some of the funds used in its construction were obtained through Foulk’s bequest, as he was “particularly interested in playground development.” In 1936, the City installed a plaque in Bowne Park in Flushing to commemorate Foulk’s gift.