One hundred years ago, the landscape of Firth Avenue in Maspeth was relatively new. The Firth family, after which the street had been named, had settled here and are profiled in this edition. Their heirs sold their property to a developer who built the rowhomes pictured just south of Grand Street. There was open land just past that and a hilltop building in the distance. The area was criss-crossed by dirt roads and there were no motorized vehicles. The street trees, planted in a perfect line, were still young. A boy stood at the corner in his knickers. Today, although much remains the same, much has also changed. Kids certainly dress a lot differently today. The streets are not only paved, but crosswalks are painted. Grand Street is now Grand Avenue. Both the building on the corner and the rowhouses have undergone noticeable alterations. The trees are a lot taller. The LIE now cuts a chasm past the rowhouses with that hilltop building becoming one of the casualties of its construction. Street signs today are bold and bright and there are telephone wires hanging across the road. The City has installed trash cans and parking meters. And there are a ton of cars. Yet you can still gaze down this street and envision a quieter time in Maspeth’s history.