William Lawrence (1622-1680) was the first Englishman to settle on the small peninsula now known as College Point, Queens. In 1645, Lawrence purchased 900 of the 17,000 acres of land sold by the Matinecock Native Americans who occupied the region. The village was renamed Lawrence’s Neck after the prominent landowner and became part of the College Point locality, named after St. Paul’s College (founded 1838). Due to its prime East River waterfront location with easy access to Brooklyn, Long Island, and the remainder of Queens, College Point began as an industrial village, hosting silk mills, breweries, and the India Rubber Comb Company. It’s waterfront access and working class populace later made the area a favorable locale for amusement parks, beer halls, and steamboat excursions.