What once stood near Ralphs Ices | Then and Now

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — This was once this quiet trolly line along Richmond Avenue at Catherine Street. An electric streetcar stopped at the corner; the motorman stood at the front of the car, and a conductor stood on the side platform. Several passengers are seated in the car and the sign on the front of the streetcar says, “Bulls Head,” with the number “62″ on the front of the streetcar. The photo was taken on August 9, 1912, as described on the back of the photograph.

The contrast is remarkable. If you look closely, a few buildings in the old photograph may be in the current photo. Today, on the right corner of the image, you can see the corner of the famous Ralph’s Ices roof, built in 1928, with the busy stretch of Port Richmond Avenue. The history of Ralph’s Ices dates back to 1928, when immigrant Ralph Silvestro sold Italian ice from the back of his truck. As he put down brick-and-mortar roots in Port Richmond, he opened the first location, the flagship store, in 1949.