Ontheoccasionofthe Erie Canal opening, on Nov. 4, 1825, vessels ofall descriptions crowded New York Harbor for the "Wedding ofthe Waters " celebration . (Erie Canal Opening, J.L. Morton-W. H. Dougal.Museum oftheCityofNew York , Gift of Harry MacNeill Bland)
tion, taking 500 prisoners and demoralizing the British. They were further hampered by the ingenious heavy iron chains the Colonials forged and stretched across the Hudson at strategic points. After years of resourceful resistance, the final victory gave settlers up and down the Hudson impetus to a new era. On August 17, 1807, a strange craft stalled briefly before a doubtful crowd as it pulled away from an East River pier and proceeded upriver. Robert Fulton's 130-ft steam prototype Clermont, built with the money of Robert Livingston, a large estate holder on the Hudson, made the trip to Albany in record time. Some envious, some plain astonished, sloop captains watched her defy wind and tide. The steamboat era had arrived ; by 1812 there were twelve steamers on the river. The genesis of the steamboat on the Hudson was a subject of immense pride and a world first for a young republic struggling to get out from under the long shadow of the British. One other event on the Hudson would also serve to lift the growing national awareness. In October 1825 , the Erie Canal was completed. "The Big Ditch," as it was called, linked the Hudson to Lake Erie to bring the riches of the West through New York State instl'!ad of the Canadian St. Lawrence. The feat of building the world' s longest canal further reinforced national pride. New Yorkers went wild. Canal opening festivities announced by the Buffalo Emporium were described "such as has not occurred since the Declaration of Independence." "Well may New-York rejoice in an achievement that would add glory to the most powerful nation on earth," continued the editorial. When the flotilla of canal boats and steamboats bearing the casks of Erie water forthe "Wedding of the Waters" celebration in New York City passed the banks of the river, it was alive with wellwishers. Cannon salutes, cheers and small boats greeted them at every turn . In New York harbor, forty -six vessels, including twenty-nine steamboats, all brilliantly decked with flags, bunting and flowers , took part in the ceremonies.
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By comparison to her vibrant past, the Hudson today appears a very quiet river. The remains of Adriaen Block's Tyjgre lie in a hall in the Museum of the City of New York, the keel of the river's immortal steamboat the Mary Powell rests in the mud of the Roundout Creek. The soft swish 22
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of dugouts can't be heard although a few replicas of the famous sloops with their immense spread of sail can be seen occasionally. The small boats fishing for shad at night after the manner of the River Indian with a burning pine knot at the end of a pole have disappeared too . Still , even the commuter's glimpse I get of the river from a crossing span on my way to work, or the view from a bluff in the Highlands as a lonely tug and barge or recreational sloop threads its way along, is a daily inspiration to me-one long felt by those who have lived by it. In fact, the river is experiencing a renewal of sorts. Lead by groups 1ike Clearwater Inc., preservationists are keeping highrises off the banks of the river, leaving it open to the public as it was in the time of the River Indians, wooden boat enthusiasts are building another replica sloop on the river's banks in Montrose, and more and more fishermen are out in the Spring to catch the now bountiful shad and other fish that a cleaner river has spawned. O
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To explore the history of the Hudson River further, the following books come recommended : The Hudson Through the Years, by Arthur G. Adams (Lind Publi ca tion s, Westwood NJ, 1983); Life Along the Hudson, by Allan Keller(Sleepy Hollow Restorations, Tarrytown NY , 1976); A Sweet and Alien Land, by Henri and Barbara van der Zee (Viking Press, New York NY, 1978); and Chaining the Hudson, by Linco ln Diamant (Carol Publi shin g Group, New York NY, 1989). For those interested in ex ploring the Hudson by vessel or vehicle, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc., in Poughkeepsie, New York , has published a new book with a grant from the Hudson River Foundation . Down by the Riverside directs readers to 34 local parks and riverfront lands along the Hudson.
A map of the Hudson from Donald C. Ringwald' s steamboat history Hudson River Day Line, showing the steamboat stops in large print.
SEA HISTORY 58, SUMMER 1991