Brooklyn has a water front of 200 miles, and when the Jamaica Bay im provement is carried out will have 150 more. Over $200,000,000 has been spent in the development of its shore line. It is estimated that more than half the foreign commerce of New York City is carried on from the Brooklyn docks. The steamship piers alone represent an in vestment of over $100,000,000. More than 40 steamship lines with a fleet of 700 ships leave and enter Brooklyn docks. One inlet from the East river alone, although only four miles in length, car ries more commerce annually than that floated on the entire Mississippi river.
There were in 1919 6 National banks with 2 branches, 6 State banks with 14 branches, 6 trust companies with 16 branches, 22 savings banks, and 20 pri vate banks with capital, surplus, and un divided profits of over $90,000,000 and representing resources of $1,000,000,000.
In addition to these institutions, there are 7 title and mortgage guarantee com panies with home or branch offices in the city that have assets of over $100,000, 000, a capital of $13,000,000, and a sur plus of $29,000,000. Savings bank de posits are $423,363,418. There are 695, 000 depositors with an average account of $609.
In 1919 there were 347,313 registered pupils in the public schools. The public school system includes a Training-school for Teachers, Girls' High School, Boys' High School, Manual High School, and Truant School. For higher education are the Polytechnic Institute for boys; the Packer Institute for girls; Pratt Insti tute (coeducational) ; the Brooklyn Col lege of Pharmacy, and the Brooklyn In stitute.
Brooklyn has been widely known as the City of Churches. There are now nearly 575 of such edifices and chapels, with a membership of 782,422. The Roman Catholic Church is the strongest denomi nation. Then follow the Methodist Epis copal, Protestant Episcopal, Baptist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Congregational, Reformed, synagogues, and others of va rious denominations.
The most important hospitals in Brook lyn are the Long Island College, Brook lyn, Brooklyn Homoeopathic, General, St. Mary's, Methodist, St. John's, and St. Peter's. The public institutions are most ly at Flatbush, and include the insane asylum, hospital, and almshouse.
The assessed valuation in 1920 was $1,865,123,952. The tax rate was 2.36.
Brooklyn was settled by the Dutch in 1636 at New Utrecht. In 1646 five small towns consolidated under the name of Breuckelen, from the Dutch town whence most of the settlers came. In 1666 the first Dutch church was built in Breuckelen. About this time the Eng lish came into possession of New York and Long Island, and Breuckelen became a part of West Riding. On Aug. 27, 1776, the battle of Long Island was fought in Brooklyn, and the village was held by the British till 1783. Brooklyn was incorporated as a village in 1816; slavery was abolished there in 1825, and in 1834 it became a city. Several adjoin ing towns were annexed from time to time, and in 1896 Brooklyn comprised all of Kings co. On Jan. 1, 1898, Brooklyn was consolidated with Greater New York, under the name of the Borough of Brook lyn.