...al and antiquarian lore travestied in the first part of the Knickerbocker History, records the numerous landmarks and traditions of the city. Corlaer's Hook was then something more than a memory, Hell Gate was still a menace to navigation, the Collect was not all filled up, and the tolls levied at Kissing Bridge formed a standing jest. In such an environment the tradition of Steele and Goldsmith culm...