In the second half of the 18th century, the area belonged to John Morin Scott, head of the New York militia, where he served under the command of George Washington. Near the Scott mansion on the current 43rd Street, agriculture was carried out, in particular horse breeding.

In 1904, New York publisher Adolf Ochs moved his newspaper business to a new building on 42nd Street in the center of the neighborhood. He convinced the then mayor of New York, George McClellan, to build a subway station there and call it Times Square. On April 8, 1904, the square was solemnly renamed with the participation of the mayor, and after only 3 weeks, the first electrified advertisement appeared on the bank wall at the corner of 46th Street and Broadway