Sixty-five years ago, on the Canarsie Courier’s 40th anniversary, Walter S. Patrick, who, on April 22, 1921, established the Courier together with Lester J. Stillwell, returned to Canarsie to commemorate the occasion.
He and his successors, Edward M. Herrschaft, Joseph B. Samitz and Robert M. Samitz, posed for a photo in front of the Courier’s office, which was then located at 132 Conklin Avenue, and Mr. Patrick was quoted as saying that 40 years is a very long time. One can only imagine what Mr. Patrick might have said if he knew that the Courier would still exist and continue to be published in 2026, 105 years after it was established.
Several Canarsie newspapers, including one known as the Canarsie Herald, two entirely unrelated publications, each of which was known as the Canarsie Weekly, and one known as the Canarsie Local, all predated the Canarsie Courier. However, none of them survived for more than a brief period. I have discussed the history of these early newspapers in detail in a prior column (see “Canarsie’s Earliest Newspapers: The Predecessors of the Canarsie Courier,” Canarsie Courier, page 13).
The Courier’s initial location consisted of rented desk space inside the real estate office of the Harkavy Brothers at 1417 Rockaway Parkway, a building which originally served as the stationhouse of the Brooklyn and Rockaway Beach Railroad and was later converted to commercial use.
What accounted for the longevity of the Courier after so many other early Canarsie newspapers failed? The answer lies in Mr. Patrick’s perseverance.
In 1923, following a business downturn, the Courier ceased publication. Sadly, Mr. Stillwell, who held a full-time job and had a family to support, was unable to continue his participation in the venture.
Unlike the publishers of the newspapers which preceded the Courier, Mr. Patrick did not resign himself to defeat. He persevered.
Mr. Patrick rented an 8’ X 10’ unheated wooden shack, which stood on East 95th Street, between Conklin Avenue and Glenwood Road (approximately where the offices of School District 18 now stand), reorganized the Courier and resumed publication. The shack had neither a street address nor a telephone. Thus, Mr. Patrick utilized the street address of a nearby synagogue, which still exists at 9420 Glenwood Road, as the Courier’s business address. Similarly, he utilized the telephone number of a general store at 132 Conklin Avenue as the Courier’s telephone number. (Ironically, many years later, that very store at 132 Conklin Avenue would become the headquarters of the Canarsie Courier.) For a period of time, Mr. Patrick published the Courier from this tiny shack, presumably freezing in the winter and broiling in the summer. At some point in time, possibly during 1925 but definitely by March of 1926, he was able to rent a storefront, and the Courier relocated to its third site at 9620 Glenwood Road. Had Mr. Patrick not persevered, the Courier would have ceased to exist, just as the newspapers that preceded it did.
I would now like to turn my attention to another noteworthy aspect of Mr. Patrick’s life.
Following the passing of the former editor of the Courier, my dear friend Charles (Chuck) Rogers, his desk was emptied, and I, in my then capacity as co-president of the Canarsie Historical Society, was asked to review the documents that were found therein. One particular document, a letter from a party who knew Mr. Patrick very well, stated that at the time that he established the Courier, Mr. Patrick was both a communist and an atheist.
Despite both our close working relationship and our friendship, to my surprise, Mr. Rogers never shared this information with me. I pondered the possible reasons why, and I concluded that Mr. Rogers, ever the gentleman, knowing that I revered Mr. Patrick for his role as the co-founder of the Courier, did not want to tarnish my image of him.
Through the influence of his former business partner and friend, Lester J. Stillwell, and that of Reverend Clifford S. Kidd, the pastor of what was then known as the Grace Methodist Protestant Church, Mr. Patrick eventually renounced both communism and atheism, and embraced the existence of a supreme being, to the extent that he sold the Courier to Edward M. Herrschaft and began to study for the ministry. He was ultimately ordained and served as the pastor of a church for many years.
As we commemorate the 105th anniversary of the Canarsie Courier, let us pause to remember and to give thanks for the unique life of Reverend Walter S. Patrick, without whose fortitude and perseverance the Canarsie Courier would not exist.
Ira M. Kluger
President
Canarsie Historical Society
Photo from Canarsie Courier archives
