Woodrow Wilson was a horrendous president. He set the precedent for lying the country into war. He tossed critics and antiwar protesters into prison during that war he got elected to keep the US out of. Under his presidency, the income tax was begun, the Federal Reserve created, and Prohibition enacted. Throughout the country, the hysterical anti-German sentiment unleashed during and encouraged by the Wilson administration caused ethnic Germans to cower and paper over their heritage — lubing the slope for FDR to intern Japanese-Americans a generation later. In Bushwick, that manifested itself in the renaming of Hamburg Avenue, between Central and Knickerbocker, to Wilson Avenue, no doubt further feeding the megalomania of the authoritarian occupant of the White House.
The worst presidents seem to be lionized by history, and those who helped simply by not hurting are unknowns. While I have no doubt that, as most public “servants,” Wilson thought he was saving the world and saving us from ourselves, means do not justify ends (and both the means and ends here were terrible). Maybe it’s time to exorcise an ugly nationalistic legacy in our multicultural Bushwick — nix Wilson, reinstate Hamburg Avenue!
(Disclaimer for the seriosos: considering the cost and annoyance of renaming a major street, this post is just a flight of fancy.)
Bushwick Dill October 6th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Jeremy, eat your liberty cabbage! Are you in league with the Kaiser or do you just hate freedom?
Jeremy Sapienza October 6th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
I’m still sore with Wilson for steppin’ down in nineteen-dickety-one. We had to say “dickety” back then cuz the Kaiser stole our word for twenty.
Man October 6th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
As a numismatic I thought Wilson was the best, I mean he’s on the $100,000 bill(or as Jeremy calls it pocket change).
Tony October 6th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Jeremy, were you ever able to find the original stone inscription at Wyckoff Heights Hospital reading “The German Hospital”? It was by the old entrance on the St. Nicholas ave side. Chances are they walled up the old entrance during renovation.
Jeremy Sapienza October 6th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Tony, I never did find it. Every time I go by I look, and can’t see anything, though that’s from the street, not up close.
mopar October 6th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
We could honor history by renaming it “Bush Ave.” Or is Bushwick Ave already enough Bushes for one Wick?
John Dereszewski October 7th, 2008 at 7:00 am
The problem with Mopar’s solution is that it would, in some people’s eyes, just change the name from one overrated President to our current disaster. (I don’t think “Bush – but not THAT Bush – Ave. would work as a street sign.)
Instead of changing the name, we might consider changing the “Wilson” after whom the avenue is named. This recently occurred in heavily Jewish Sheepshead Bay where Corban St., which was named after an LIRR President who just happened to be a notorious anti-Semite was remaned after a Corban who, I believe. was a Holocaust survivor.
To that end, we may wish to establish an informal “Name the Wilson” competition on this blog. Let’s see – it could be Mr. Wilson of Dennis the Menace fame, or Owen Wilson or ….. fill in the blank. The winning name will be declared at a party at Northeast Kingdom – and none of the bureaucrats will know the difference!
This could be fun.
Dresden October 7th, 2008 at 7:22 am
We were dragged, kicking and screaming, away from our isolationist status by Woodrow (gayest name ever) Wilson.
As far as I’m concerned, Europeans can kill themselves as much as they want. Do it like Darfur and I wouldn’t send a can of lima beans.
Dresden October 7th, 2008 at 7:32 am
I actually like that idea of John’s, and I’m not one who likes very many ideas.
So, in like kind, here’s my entry -
You know that Tom Hank’s movie when he’s trapped on a island and he names a basketball “Wilson”? That’s the guy.
Another one could be Phish’s song about Wilson, King of Prussia. Lame.
Jeremy Sapienza October 7th, 2008 at 8:46 am
Actually John, that’s a great idea. Funny about the Corban Place thing, I just read about it yesterday, and one of the options was Theodor Herzl. I think some of Brooklyn’s Palestinians might have a slight problem with that.
will October 7th, 2008 at 9:36 am
You forgot to mention Wilson was also a big racist!
http://www.reason.com/news/show/33906.html
Jeremy Sapienza October 7th, 2008 at 10:21 am
Wow, I didn’t know. All the more reason to get this murderous, authoritarian racist monster’s name off our street!
ricmac01 October 7th, 2008 at 10:31 am
Maybe Pudd’nhead Wilson – Mark Twain’s story of a northerner who comes to a small Missouri town and, because he is different, alienates the old-timers. A rather familiar theme in today’s Bushwick.
MoyJoy October 7th, 2008 at 11:41 am
I vote for former Met/Brooklyn Cyclones manager Mookie Wilson… I mean… come on… Mookie!
Jimmy Legs October 7th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Hello! League of Nations creator! Give him a vacant lot named after him at least!
Dresden October 7th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
League of Nations. Wowzers. I forgot about that anachronistic nothing.
FormerRidgewoodite October 9th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
The building at the corner of Harman St and Wilson Ave has a stone street corner stone sign at the secind floor that still says:
…. Harman St…..and…..Hamburg Ave.
John Dereszewski October 12th, 2008 at 11:27 am
Thought you would be interested in reading the attached piece. It concerns the now demolished Grove Theatre which, then as the Jefferson Casino, appears in the photo heading this page.
The picture was taken in 1908, when Hamburg Ave. was thrieving and Woodrow Wilson, a Virginia transplant, was the hardly known President of Princeton who was running to be New Jersey’s Governor.
http://cinematreasures.org/theater/8034/