lutes, and all manner of fa nfare. M iraculously, all hands were safe and in good health and their cargo of teas, silks and chi naware was so ld for a substantial profit. Little is known of the vessel's return to Albany, alth ough records seem to indicate that D ean may have arri ved in Jun e 1787. T he newspapers in New York C ity describe in detail his ar rival there, but, un fortunately, Albany newspapers carried only reprints of that article. W ith Captain D ean in command, the Experiment returned to ply the Hudso n Rive r trade. It was w ri tte n that, of all the sloops available fo r transit on the Hudson Rive r, the Experiment was by far the most interesting, fo r aboard that vessel travelers wo uld h ear the cap tain 's tale of adventure in C hina. In 1789, Hector St. John de C revecoeur published An Eighteenth Century Journey through Orange County. In it he comm en red on what an exh ilarating experience it was to travel aboard the Experiment. He described the sloop's unusually large cabin, decorated in C hinese fashi on with li ghted candles in glass bow ls. He was also impressed with D ean 's love and appreciatio n fo r the beauty of the Hudso n Rive r and his knowledge of its history. T he C hina voyage, com bined with his distinguished war record, made Dean a living legend. In the years that fo llowed, h e lived a contented li fe in Albany. He m arried Margaret W hetten in 1787, b uilt a new house overlooking the river, and saw his passenger and cargo business flo urish. H e enj oyed his 11 chil d ren and 3 1 grandchildren, and ma ny honors were bestowed on hi m, including th e renaming of Dock Street to Dean Street. It was a fitt ing reward for a lifetim e of service. O n 4 A ugust 1836, at th e age of89 , Stewart Dean d ied in th e company of his family. Albany's Last Days as a Frontier Town Dean lived to see dramatic changes on his rive r. Sometime aro und 1790, th e first major al teratio n of the Al bany riverfront took place, the res ult of increased traffic and a demand fo r more wareh ouse sp ace, as well as a need ro p ro tect the piers from winter ice and spring flooding. A seawall was buil t connecting the ends of two d ocks and was extended south until it touched the shoreline. The area was filled in and the res ul ting new thorough fa re was named
SEA HISTORY 87, WINTER 1998-99
The workday is winding down as a bright moon illuminates a mackerel sky, its silvery Light reflecting off a calm Hudson River. A group of merchants, relaxing after Loading a wagon, discuss the days events. Warm ribbons of Lantern Light catch the rounded cobblestones ofthe street. The sturdy sloops creak in the gentle breeze. A solitary crewman aboard a topsail schooner anchored in deeper water makes his final rounds, Lantern in hand, before coming ashore. Evening has Long been an artistic metaphor for endings, and I wanted my work to symbolize the end ofthe colonial years in what was to become a bustling industrial age. (Above: "Quay Street, "by L. F. Tantillo, Acrylic on canvas, 24" x 26'~ 1987; Collection of Patrick and Mary Ann Mahoney. Below: "Quay Street Study," by L. F. Tantillo, 1992; Collection ofDavid and Barbara van Nortwick)
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