99 RYERSON STREET NORTH OF MYRTLE AVE.

Searching through the Land Conveyances I found one with John Ryerson’s name, it seems John Ryerson was a farmer and owned this land. Ryerson street is named after him who owned this land at some point in time. Here on this conveyance it states the land is now owned by the heirs of John Ryerson.

In several articles i read in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle from 1840’s-1860’s it states Jerome Ryerson as a sheriff, possibly John Ryerson’s son or brother. Below in the article published by the Brooklyn Daily Eagle on December 18, 1856 you can see clearly Jerome Ryerson’s name as a sheriff.

http://eagle.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/Default/Skins/BEagle/Client.asp?Skin=BEagle&AW=1261356528515&AppName=2&GZ=T

Ryerson street was known for having a population mostly consisting of “mechanics” which at this time was the name for blue collar workers.

Louisa Whitman bought the house in May 1855.

The house was at the time a two story wooden frame structure with a cement porch.

At the time Walt Whitman was 36 and unemployed, its was here at this residence that Whitman wrote Leaves of Grass, he would walk to Rome brothers print shop to make the first copies of the book.

On July 11th Walter H. Whitman, Walt’s father dies at the house.

http://eagle.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Search&Key=BEG/1855/07/12/3/Ar00325.xml&CollName=BEG_APA3_1841-1860&DOCID=543362&PageLabelPrint=&Skin=%42%45%61%67%6c%65&AW=%31%32%35%37%32%31%32%37%30%38%38%34%33&AppName=%32&GZ=%54&sScopeID=%41%6c%6c&sPublication=%42%45%47&sSorting=%53%63%6f%72%65%2c%64%65%73%63&sQuery=%77%68%69%74%6d%61%6e%20%6c%65%61%76%65%73%20%6f%66%20%67%72%61%73%73&rEntityType=&ViewMode=GIF&GZ=T

If you follow this link you can see an ad in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle where Whitman is selling copies of Leaves of Grass on July 12th 1855. Whitman was placing ads almost daily, endorsing the book.

On July 21th , Ralph Waldo Emerson writes a letter to Whitman praising him for Leaves Of Grass, he sends it to the Ryerson residence.

In September Moncure Conway, one of Emerson’s friend visits Whitman at this residence on Ryerson street.

On Nov 19th Louisa Whitman sells the house.