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New York Harbor

Hudson River Towing: Austin’s Albany & Canal Line

March 16, 2023 by Peter Hess Leave a Comment

Canal Boats on the North River, New York in Gleason's Pictorial Drawing-Room Companion, December 25, 1852Jeremiah J. Austin, Jr. was born in 1819, just 12 years after the first commercial steamboat trip on the Hudson River and two years after construction of the Erie Canal began at Rome, New York. His father Jeremiah J. Austin Sr. was a prominent Albany businessman involved in Hudson River commerce.

After the Erie Canal opened, freight could be transported all the way across the Great Lakes to the entrance to the canal at Buffalo and then along the canal to Albany where it was shipped down the Hudson River to New York Harbor. From there freight could be fairly easily transported to any port on the East Coast, Europe or the Caribbean. [Read more…] about Hudson River Towing: Austin’s Albany & Canal Line

Filed Under: Capital-Saratoga, History, New York City Tagged With: Albany, Albany County, Albany Rural Cemetery, East River, Erie Canal, Hudson River, Legal History, Maritime History, New York City, New York Harbor, Steamboating, Supreme Court, Transportation History

Avoid Close Encounters with Marine Mammals

January 14, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

blue whale courtesy DECNew Yorkers along coastal shores are reminded to keep a safe distance from marine mammals and resist the urge to intervene when an animal comes ashore. Marine mammals, which include whales, dolphins, porpoises, and seals, are protected by federal and state laws to ensure they are not harmed and to keep people at a safe distance. [Read more…] about Avoid Close Encounters with Marine Mammals

Filed Under: Nature, New York City, Recreation Tagged With: Atlantic Ocean, dolphins, Long Island, Marine Life, New York Harbor, porpoises, Seals, whales, Wildlife

The Hudson River Steamboat Poughkeepsie; Later Known As The Westchester

December 13, 2022 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

Steamboat Poughkeepsie at dock (courtesy Richard V. Elliott Collection, Hudson River Maritime Museum)This essay was written for the Kingston Daily Freeman in the 1930s, transcribed by Hudson River Maritime Museum volunteer Adam Kaplan and reproduced here in a slightly edited form.

The tale of the steamboat Poughkeepsie is the story of a vessel that is still in service [in the 1930s] – although today the name Westchester has replaced Poughkeepsie and she is no longer a familiar figure on the Hudson River. [Read more…] about The Hudson River Steamboat Poughkeepsie; Later Known As The Westchester

Filed Under: History, Hudson Valley - Catskills, New York City Tagged With: Dutchess County, Hudson Highlands, Hudson River, Kingston, Long Island, New Jersey, New York City, New York Harbor, Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, Rondout, Rye, Steamboating, Transportation History, Ulster County, Westchester County

Watchable Wildlife: Harbor Seals

December 10, 2022 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

harbor seal courtesy U.S. Fish & Wildlife ServiceNew York’s most abundant seal is the harbor seal (Phoca vitulina), which can be found in the state’s marine waters from late fall to late spring. Harbor seals can range in color from brown, tan, or gray to silvery-white. [Read more…] about Watchable Wildlife: Harbor Seals

Filed Under: Nature, New York City Tagged With: Fire Island National Seashore, Great South Bay, Long Island, Long Island Sound, Montauk Point State Park, Nassau County, nature, New York City, New York Harbor, Seals, Spring, Suffolk County, Wildlife, winter

Simeon Ford: Deserter & War of 1812 Hero

November 13, 2022 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

Plattsburgh Republican, August 27, 1814In August 1814, Capt. Opie of the 5th Regiment of U.S. Infantry placed a bounty in the Plattsburgh Republican offering a $200 reward for the return of four deserters, including Simeon Ford, who was accused of deserting for the third time.

Ford was described as 24 years of age, 5-feet-7 and a half inches tall, with dark hair and eyes and a fair complexion. His occupation: brick layer. He was also described as a cunning, artful, imposing fellow possessing a “superior degree of loquacity” which he used “in a most imposing manner.” [Read more…] about Simeon Ford: Deserter & War of 1812 Hero

Filed Under: Capital-Saratoga, History Tagged With: Ballston Spa, Battle of Queenstown Heights, East Greenbush, Fort Columbus, Governors Island, Military History, New York Harbor, Niagara River, Old Fort Niagara, Rensselaer, Rensselaer County, Saratoga County, Saratoga County History Center, Saratoga County History Roundtable, War of 1812

Why Not? The Return of Lafayette’s Hermoine in 2024

November 3, 2022 by James S. Kaplan 1 Comment

hermoine leaving franceIn 1992, the shipyard at Rochefort France where the Hermione – the ship that brought Lafayette to America – had been constructed in 1780 was apparently in decline.

Several local entrepreneurs conceived of the idea that a replica of the Hermione should be built and sailed to the United States as a goodwill gesture. It was hoped that the project would perhaps improve the local economy and also remind Americans of the important historical ties between the United States and France. [Read more…] about Why Not? The Return of Lafayette’s Hermoine in 2024

Filed Under: Arts, History, New York City Tagged With: American Revolution, French History, Hermoine, Lafayette, Lower Manhattan Historical Association, Manhattan, Maritime History, Military History, New York City, New York Harbor, South Street Seaport Museum

$1.4M For Hudson River Estuary Community Projects

October 22, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Students catch fish with seine nets at 'Day in the Life of the Hudson and Harbor' event in AlbanyNew York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced grants totaling more than $1.4 million for 23 projects to help communities along the Hudson River Estuary improve water quality and enhance environmental education and stewardship.

The announcement coincides with the 20th Annual ‘Day in the Life of the Hudson and Harbor,’ where 5,000 student scientists are gathering along the Hudson River and New York Harbor to collect data on the Hudson’s fish and invertebrates, track the river’s tides and currents, and examine water chemistry and quality. [Read more…] about $1.4M For Hudson River Estuary Community Projects

Filed Under: Capital-Saratoga, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Nature, New York City, Recreation Tagged With: Bronx County, clean water, Columbis University, CUNY, DEC, Dutchess County, Fisheries, Hudson River, Hudson River Estuary Program, Hudson River Park, Hudson River Watershed Alliance, Hudson Riverkeeper, nature, New York City, New York Harbor, Newburgh, Orange County, Ossining, Oysters, Pace University, Putnam County, Randall's Island, Rensselaer, Rensselaer County, Rensselaer Plateau Alliance, Richmond County, Rockland County, Sarah Lawrence College, Saugerties, Stanford, Staten Island, The Bronx, Ulster County, water quality, Waterfront Alliance, Westchester County, Yonkers

Statue of Liberty National Monument To Begin Improvement Project

October 3, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Statue of Liberty courtesy Wikimedia user ElcobbolaThe National Park Service has awarded a $22 million construction contract to make repairs to the historic fort that serves as the foundation for the Statue of Liberty and its pedestal.

Funded by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), the project is expected to make drainage and safety improvements that will help preserve the structure and enhance accessibility for visitors. [Read more…] about Statue of Liberty National Monument To Begin Improvement Project

Filed Under: Arts, History, New York City Tagged With: Fort Wood, Historic Preservation, Liberty Island, National Park Service, New York City, New York Harbor, sculpture, Statue of Liberty

The First Slave Traders in New York

September 28, 2022 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

West India Company warehouse in Amsterdam. Engraving, ca. 1663.The first direct shipment of enslaved Africans arrived in New Amsterdam (now New York City) in 1655. The voyage of the White Horse came in the wake of significant changes in the Dutch Atlantic.  In this eessay, American historian Dennis Maika outlines how family and business connections shaped the development of a slave-trading center in Manhattan.

New Amsterdam’s residents would have immediately noticed something different about the arrival of the Witte Paert (White Horse) in the early summer of 1655. The stench of human excrement and illness emanating from the newly arrived “scheepgen” (small ship), left little doubt that a slaver had arrived after a long voyage. [Read more…] about The First Slave Traders in New York

Filed Under: History, New York City Tagged With: Atlantic World, Black History, Chesapeake, Dutch History, Economic History, Financial History, Legal History, Maritime History, Maryland, New Amsterdam, New Netherlands, New York City, New York Harbor, Slavery, Virginia

August 23, 1775: The British Bombard the City of New York

August 22, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

cast iron cannonball from the Fraunces Tavern Museum CollectionOn the night of August 23, 1775, during what is now remembered as the Raid on the Battery, the HMS Asia, a 64-gun British battleship, bombarded the city of New York’s shoreline with cannonballs and grapeshot.

The melee was started by Captain John Lamb’s company of Patriots, who attempted to steal British cannons from The Battery, at the tip of Manhattan Island. [Read more…] about August 23, 1775: The British Bombard the City of New York

Filed Under: History, New York City Tagged With: Alexander Hamilton, American Revolution, Fraunces Tavern Museum, Manhattan, Military History, New York City, New York Harbor

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