.
John W. Reed was born in 1842. He served in the Civil War as a member of the 14th Regiment. In 1895, he was the Foreman for the Flatlands Hook and Ladder Fire House and in 1896, he was made the Chief of the Flatlands Volunteer Fire Department, (both located in Canarsie). Besides fighting fires - he fought for the wooden firehouses to be purchased on Rockaway Parkway. ( They had previously been leased from the City). By 1897, Reed was President of the N.S. Ford Veterans Post #161. In 1899, he purchased the plot on which he would build his home- where he lived until his death. On March 5th, 1906, Reed was the founding President of the Canarsie Board of Trade. He was responsible for the opening of East 94th street and other Canarsie roads amongst other public infrastructure improvements. In 1907, he pressed Borough officials to have the Canarsie flats dredged, so that vessels of deep freight could sail up to the Canarsie docks with building materials. He had the foresight of our current pier being built by the Federal Government for those exact same freight and supply purposes. (Current pier built in 1926). In 1911, he was honored along with 90 other remaining veterans from the "Fighting Fourteenth", at the Armory at 8th Avenue, Manhattan. Attendees that honored them totaled more than 855 people. Reed was a member of the Canarsie Quadrant Club, a life-long member of the Lafayette Lodge No. 64, the Kings County Volunteer Firemen's Association and was one of the last living members of the Flatlands Volunteers Fire Department when he passed away on January 30th, 1922. He lived at 1103 East 94th Street.
Paul Curiale is a throwback to the old ways of community caring.
Dr. Charles Capellino was one of the most involved residents to ever reside in Canarsie. He founded the group and was President of the "Concerned Citizens of Canarsie.".
John Marshall Wilson was born on April 10th, 1847. Wilson enlisted in the Civil War at the age of 16. He fought with the New York Company E, 17th Regiment in the Battle of Gettysburg. After the war he returned to his hometown, Canarsie and focused of making change happen. In May of 1886, he won a limited term for Justice of the Peace as former JOP Voorhees Overbaugh retired his position. In 1887, Wilson was elected to Justice of the Peace; full term. He often settled local civic disputes amongst residents to find common ground. In 1888, he was promoted to Associate Justice. These positions were different then than today as all activities happened in Canarsie and Flatlands, lavish court houses were relegated to City of Brooklyn Justices. In June of 1888, he provided protection for the Kings County Prohibition Society officials, who were attempting to impose drinking restrictions. In late 1888, Democratic part boss: McLaughlin stepped down and Wilson became party boss. In 1891, he successfully fought to stop a Flatbush sewer from being constructed through Canarsie That same year, he was honored and presented a diamond locket during a community ceremony. In 1894, during the great coal strike, he chartered a vessel to New Jersey to bring back coal for Canarsie, Brownsville and New Lots residents. He repeated this act several times. He established rigid quarantine protocols to prevent smallpox during the 1890's epidemic. In 1895, he retired as Judge. For leisure, he participated in Pigeon Shooting Clubs, was a member of the N.S. Ford Post #161, the Order of the Owls, Grace M.P. Church and was a founding member of the Canarsie Ovals Baseball team. He lived his entire life at the same house where he died at 1178 East 96th Street. He passed away on January 4th, 1918. In May of 1963, Junior High School 211, was named in his honor.