How did Wall Street in New York City get its name?

sequoianoir

Wall Street, named for the wall that the Dutch had built against invasion. Mar 25 04, 6:45 PM

MaggieG 5

Against pigs? Mar 25 04, 6:47 PM

sequoianoir

Apparently against warring American Indians. If it were to happen now Mags, then you might be right, given the Big Mac fixation. Mar 25 04, 6:54 PM

Senior Moments

I have seen several sites that would agree with Maggie's answer. Mar 25 04, 7:02 PM

webfoot39

There was an actual fortification built there by settlers, to keep out Native American "marauders" (whose land it was first, of course !) Mar 25 04, 10:42 PM

Senior Moments

There are many explanations but the one that is most relevant for today is the one on http://www.porkboard.org/didyouknow/trivia.asp Free-roaming hogs were famous for rampaging through the valuable grain fields of colonial New York City farmers. The Manhattan Island residents chose to block the troublesome hogs with a long, permanent wall on the northern edge of what is now Lower Manhattan. A street came to border this wall -- named aptly enough, Wall Street. Mar 26 04, 2:03 AM

england1066

Ignore the rubbish in the above answers.. did you notice the only person in world who thinks wallstreet is todo with pigs, is someone who runs a website called porkboard. This website is total in-accurate, and clearly full of people (who dont research) but do like to make up stuff! HOW WALL STREET GOT ITS NAME: "In 1653, a wall was constructed on the northern part of the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam to protect the colony from an attack from New England (eg British/English). The wall was made of 16 foot logs sunk four feet into the ground and sharpened at the top. The English did attack in 1664, and the wall was torn down in 1699. The street where the wall once stood was subsequently named "Wall Street." Nov 18 09, 11:53 PM

queproblema

Maybe nobody really knows. Investopedia says to keep out the British. Wikipedia says to keep out the Indians. The New York Stock Exchange says both. Qp guesses it incidentally kept out a few pigs and dogs. Too bad it doesn't keep the bears out. "As with many of the famous streets and roads in the world, Wall Street's origins have historical significance. Its name is a direct reference to a wall that was erected by Dutch settlers on the southern tip of Manhattan Island in the 17th century. During this time, a war between the English and Dutch threatened to spill over onto the island's American colonies. So the Dutch, located at the southernmost part of the island, decided to erect a defensive wall. Although this wall was never used for its intended purpose, years after its removal it left a legacy behind in the name Wall Street." http://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/181.asp "The name of the street derives from the fact that during the 17th century, Wall Street formed the northern boundary of the New Amsterdam settlement. In the 1640s basic picket and plank fences denoted plots and residences in the colony.[3] Later, on behalf of the Dutch West India Company, Peter Stuyvesant, in part using African slaves,[4] led the Dutch in the construction of a stronger stockade. A strengthened 12-foot (4 m) wall[5] of timber and earth, fortified by palisades, was created by 1653 .[3][5] The wall was created, and strengthened over time, as a defense against attack from various Native American tribes. In 1685 surveyors laid out Wall Street along the lines of the original stockade.[5] The wall was dismantled by the British colonial government in 1699." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_Street "1653 Stockade Erected in Manhattan A 12-foot-high wood stockade is erected across lower Manhattan from river to river to protect Dutch settlers from attacks by the British and Indians. 1685 Wall Street Laid Out Surveyors lay out Wall Street along the line of the stockade." http://www.nyse.com/about/history/timeline_chronology_index.html Nov 19 09, 12:50 AM

england1066

"Maybe nobody really knows" "Stockade Erected in Manhattan A 12-foot-high wood stockade is erected across lower Manhattan from river to river to protect Dutch settlers from attacks by the British and Indians." err no we do, just some people are anti-british. must be well anonying, some tiny little island (UK) controls the majority of the world, and names and builds most of early settlements in America. Also, it does seem as if you guys have forgotten that EVERYONE of your founding fathers were British?! Nov 19 09, 12:46 PM

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