So called from the French word, canard, meaning duck, the symbol of the Indian tribe that lived on the edge of Jamaica Bay, where ducks were plentiful. The area was originally a part of the town of Flatlands, where fishing and farming prevailed. In the 1870s the influx of immigrants that came to the area turned their attentions to mining the oyster beds and fishing the fertile waters of Jamaica Bay. Canarsie soon became a fashionable seaside resort and amusement area, drawing throngs to its vaudeville theaters and speakeasies. But, by the 1930s, the effects of the Depression, added to the pollution of Jamaica Bay, forced many to move on. Soon after, the amusement area burned to the ground. In 1939 the entire area was razed to make way for the Belt Parkway, a major highway. The end of World War II brought new immigrants to the area, many occupying one and two family homes. Rowhouses and duplexes rose, establishing a more urban area.