Lithograph entitled: "Staten Island and the Narrows from Fort Hamilton." Historic Fort Hamilton is located in the southwestern corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It it was not officially named for Alexander Hamilton, until the twentieth century. Staten Island is located in the southwest part of the city. Historically, the central and southern sections of the island were dominated by dairy and poultry farms, almost all of which disappeared in the 20th century. The Narrows is the tidal strait separating Staten Island and Brooklyn. It connects the Upper New York Bay and Lower New York Bay and forms the principal channel by which the Hudson River empties into the Atlantic Ocean. It has long been considered to be the maritime "gateway" to New York City and historically has been one of the most important entrances into the harbors of the Port of New York and New Jersey.