Brooklyn Today: August 7, 2012
Good morning. Today is the 220th day of the year. In 1902, much of Brooklyn, especially the southern and eastern parts of the borough, was still farmland. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle of Aug. 7, 1902, informed its readers that “Canarsie has been invaded as of lately by chicken thieves. Last night, the hen house of H.W. Schemelk was broken into and most of his choice breeders stolen.” Speaking to the Eagle, Schemelk said the hens were trained — they entered the house every morning and laid their eggs in a basket.
Well-known people who were born today include satirist Stan Freberg, singer B.J. Thomas (“Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head,” “Hooked on a Feeling”), Brooklyn-born actor Harold Parrineau (“Lost,” “Oz”), and humorist radio host Garrison Keillor (“The Prairie Home Companion”).
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