Hudson River Maritime Museum Pilot Log 2013/2014

1

Hudson River Maritime Museum

1

Pilot Log 2013-2014

The Hudson River Maritime Museum is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit

organization dedicated to the preservation of the maritime history of the

Hudson River, including its tributaries and related industries.

Founded in 1980 by members of the Steamboat Historical Society of

America and local citizens, the Hudson River Maritime Museum

collects and preserves artifacts and objects related to the history of

shipping, boating, industries such as brick making, cement, ice

harvesting, and boat-building on the Hudson River, and the coal-

carrying terminus of the Delaware & Hudson Canal.

Located on Rondout Creek in Kingston’s historic Rondout

Waterfront District, the Hudson River Maritime Museum serves the

local community, tourists, and area schools with exhibits, historic

interpretation, and educational programs focused on the Hudson River.

The Hudson River Maritime Museum depends almost entirely upon

private donations and memberships to operate. It receives no state or

federal funding except through competitive, project-based grants.

Please consider joining our advertisers and members in making a

donation today.

Join us in 2014 for upcoming events like:

May: Opening Day

July: Hudson River Days

August: Antique & Classic

Boats Show

September: Pilot Club Gala

November: Sinterklaas

2


Table of Contents

Features:

About HRMM ………………………………………..………..……….1

HRMM Board and Staff ……………………………………..…..……..3

HRMM Honors Page…………………………………………………...4

Roger W. Mabie Award…………………………………..…………….5

“The View from the Bridge”………………………... ……..………….6

By Patrick McDonough, Executive Director

“In Memoriam”……………………………………………………….12

“The Cube is Coming!”……………………………………………….13

By Sarah Wassberg, Education Director

100 Mile Paddle Photos ………………………………………………16

“John F. Matthews: Photo Journalist of Historic Rondout and Kingston”

By Allynne Lange, Curator ………………………………………20

Clearwater Restoration Photos……………………………………….24

“Rondout: A Riverport” ……………………………………………...28

By Allynne Lange, Curator

“The Boat Models of Charles Niles” …………………………………34

By Allynne Lange, Curator

“The Hudson River Renaissance” ……………………………………44

By Allan P. Shope, Carbon Neutral Architect

Hudson River Days Photos……………………………………………52

Antique and Classic Boats Show Photos……………………………...56

“Believing in the River” ……………………………………………...58

By Lana Chassman, Director of Public Relations

Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign and Unity Ride Photos……68

HRMM Education and Volunteer Photos…………………………….74

Index of Advertisements ……………………………………………..78

3

Pilot Log 2013-2014


50 Rondout Landing

Kingston, NY 12401

845-338-0071

Open May-October, 11 am - 5 pm daily

www.hrmm.org

2013 Board of Trustees

Officers

President – Allan Bowdery

1st Vice President – Russell Lange

Treasurer – William Ryan

Secretary – Dale Wolfield

Board Members

Bob Carlzon, John Crist, Sal DePoala, Stephen Digilio,

Scott Johnson, Demetrios Karayannides, Ann Loeding,

Ralph Mills, Frank Wall, Jack Weeks, Ian Westergren

HRMM Staff

Patrick McDonough - Executive Director

Linda Seward - Business Manager

Allynne Lange - Curator

Lana Chassman - Director of Public Relations

Sarah Wassberg - Education Director & Volunteer Coordinator

4



2013 Honors Page

Pilot Club Honoree

For his long service as President of the Board of Trustees of the


Stephen Digilio

The HRMM Roger W. Mabie Award for distinguished service

to the citizens of the Hudson Valley is presented to

Allan Shope and Jack Weeks

Pilot Members

Eugene Berardi • Robert and Delores Carlzon • John Crist

Mary Alice and Ken Lindquist • Russell and Allynne Lange

Katherine Henstebeck (in memory of Edward Henstebeck) • Michael McCue

Donna & Tom Moynihan (in memory of Bill Drakert) • James Ottaway, Jr.

John R. and Mary Ellen Shults • Dr. Jack Weeks, and Dr. Elizabeth Collins

Carnes Weeks, MD • Gerald Weinstein

500 Hour Volunteers

Ralph Allen • Fran Drakert • Ron Searl • Jack Weeks • Russell Lange

Fleet Members

John Crist - Potic Mountain Oil Lamps • Drs. Engel and Lindgren

William DuBarry Thomas • The Marine Society of the City of New York

Karay Metals

Community, Foundation, Government, and Corporate Support

City of Kingston, New York • Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley

Dyson Foundation • IBM Corporation • Kiwanis • Hudson River Foundation

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

New York State Hudson River Greenway Heritage Conservancy

Kelly Family Foundation • Kingston Rowing Club • Kingston Sailing Club

Lindsay & O’Connor Foundation, Inc. • The Newcombe Foundation

The Jeanette F. Schlobach Charitable Trust • Southeastern New York Library

Resources Council • Stewart’s Shops • Thendara Foundation

5

Pilot Log 2013-2014

2013 Roger W. Mabie Award

The Hudson River Maritime Museum, in recognition of their

significant and sustained contribution and service to the Hudson Valley,

its residents, and its history, this year presents to

Allan Shope and Jack Weeks

the Roger W. Mabie Award, the Hudson River Maritime Museum’s

highest honor. Both Allan and Jack have made many contributions to

the Hudson Valley. During the past two years, in particular, they drove

a partnership between the Hudson River Maritime Museum and the

Hudson River Sloop Clearwater to create a beautiful, unique timber

frame building on the Rondout Creek, aimed at public education, boat

building and waterfront events. Their efforts have significantly added to

the vitality of the community, enriched the Hudson River Maritime

Museum’s capacity for public programming and have created a Home

Port for the sloop Clearwater. We thank them for their successful

efforts.

L to R: Jack Weeks and Allan Shope

during the 2012 barn raising event.

6


The View from the Bridge

By Patrick McDonough, Executive Director,


s friends of the Hudson

River Maritime

Museum, you’ve had the

great fortune to see the busiest

season in many years. With

recovery from Hurricane Sandy

complete, and construction of

the new Home Port and

Education Center finished, our

school education programs,

“Follow the River” lecture

series, and the new Cinema

Sundays and Family Days,

have reinforced the fact that we

are the place to go to learn about the history and heritage of the Hudson.

Preserving our history continues apace with ongoing work on Mathilda,

new construction to increase collection storage, and a steady stream of

folks doing research on the River and the Valley, and genealogical

exploration. Visitors from all over the world have visited our docks and

museum since our grand opening in May.

Our mission of Education, Preservation, Destination, has

transformed the Hudson River Maritime Museum into a diverse cultural

community center, with activities events and festivals drawing

thousands of people to the Rondout waterfront. The business

community recognizes it, and local government officials tout the

museum as the cultural anchor of the Rondout. Now, the area becomes

A

Executive Director Patrick McDonough

onboard the Liberator.

The View From the Bridge continues on page 8

7

Pilot Log 2013-2014

Doctors

Victoria A. Engel

Elaine M. Lindgren

Proudly support the


and its Waterfront

8


a cultural mecca with the addition of the Irish Cultural Center and The

Reher Center for Immigrant Culture and History. They join HRMM

along with the Trolley Museum of New York, the Arts Society of

Kingston, galleries, music venues, and more, to create a cultural

destination on the Rondout.

With the arrival of the Sloop Clearwater to her permanent winter

port here at the Museum, we have enhanced the waterfront experience

even more. They take residence six months out of the year at our newly

constructed Kingston Home Port and Education Center, offering “Open

Boat” days, which include music, pot-luck dinners and an opportunity

for the public to observe wooden boat building and repair first hand.

We jointly hosted what we hope will be our First Annual Barn Dancin’

on the Rondout, featuring Jay Unger and Molly Mason, along with Papa

Salsa. This beautifully complements the education, music, film,

lectures and special programs we hold and host throughout the season.

Our annual Hudson River Days and Antique and Classic Boat Show,

remain popular favorites, along with the Kingston High School Crew

team regattas, Kingston Sailing Club races and Rondout Rowing Club

events. And of course, classic boats of all eras continue to grace our

docks and draw interest to the waterfront, including the Half Moon, the

John J. Harvey fireboat, the Onrust, the Perriauger Mercury, the Pennsy

Barge, the Belle Aventure, and our friends on the Sloop Clearwater.

But, the event of the summer was surely the arrival of the Onondaga

Nation, paddling to our docks in one hundred canoes and kayaks with

the Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign, signifying cooperation

between natives and Europeans dating back four hundred years, and

especially calling for the preservation of the Hudson River and all

waters. On the same day, the Unity Riders of the Dakota Nation arrived

on horseback, also advocating for unity, peace and preservation. The

two nations met here at the museum, declaring it hallowed ground for

hosting this historic meeting of two great Nations, as they exchanged

greetings of peace and unity with speeches, prayers, drumming and

songs.

The View From the Bridge continued ...

9

Pilot Log 2013-2014

At this, the culmination of our 2013 season, we reflect on the

success and grandeur of an amazing year, and look forward to an even

greater year in 2014, continuing to spread the message of Education,

Preservation, Destination and Community.

HRMM Executive Director

Patrick McDonough with the

legendary Pete Seeger

10


11

Pilot Log 2013-2014

and its 2013 Exhibit

“Rondout: A Riverport”

12


In memory of

William Drakert

From Donna & Tom Moynihan

In Memoriam

Ann Thomas - Ann was the wife of long-time former board member

Barry Thomas. This gracious, lovely lady often accompanied her

husband to meetings at HRMM from their home in Morristown, New

Jersey, and was a vivacious and elegant presence at Pilot Club Dinners

for many years.

Bill Drakert - Bill was a lighthouse docent along with his wife Fran for

many years at HRMM. In addition to greeting adult visitors to the

lighthouse on weekends, Bill and Fran shared their knowledge of

the Rondout Lighthouse with many school groups as well.

13

Pilot Log 2013-2014

The Cube is Coming! By Sarah Wassberg, Education Director,


he Cube is a sound-proof portable recording studio custom

designed for the Voices of the Hudson Valley Project. Starting in

2011, the Hudson River Maritime Museum has been one of five

organizations in the Hudson Valley participating in this three year grant

from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and administered by

the Sound and Story Project of the Hudson Valley to digitize and share

existing oral history collections.

HRMM’s oral history collection is comprised of interviews of

approximately twenty Hudson River commercial fishermen and their

reminiscences of growing up on the Hudson River, their memories of

work as commercial fishermen, and their opinions on reasons for the

ecological collapse and decline of fish like shad and sturgeon.

T

The Cube on display outside of the Stone Ridge Library, the first organization to host it. Photo courtesy the Sound & Story Project of the Hudson Valley.

The Cube is Coming continues on page 14

14


Besides digitizing approximately half of the tapes in our collection,

the Voices Project grant also includes three years of annual

membership in Hudson River Valley Heritage (www.hrvh.org), an

online digital repository of collections from institutions around the

Hudson Valley and managed by the Southeastern New York Library

Resources Council, which is also a partner organization for the grant.

HRVH will host the full digitized interviews and make them available

for research and public listening, with metadata to make searching the

interviews easier.

In addition, an iPhone app is in development to showcase the variety

of stories that were clipped and mastered from the original interviews.

These one- to three-minute audio recordings have been edited for

clarity and continuity and are stories of interest to the general public.

These stories will also be available on SoundCloud and HistoryPin by

the end of the grant. In addition to allowing users to listen to stories, the

iPhone app will also allow users to record their own stories and share

them online.

The Cube will be visiting HRMM in the fall of 2013, as well as

visiting the four other participating organizations: The Home of

Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site, the New Rochelle Public

Library, the Nyack Library, and the Somers Historical Society.

Designed to record new oral histories in digital format, The Cube will

be visiting HRMM to record “Memories of the Hudson” of ordinary

local people to be added to the museum’s collections and shared online

with the general public.

The Hudson River Maritime Museum is proud to participate in this

important regional grant and hopes to continue to digitize the remainder

of its oral history collection, as well as begin digitizing other

collections items in the future.

The Cube is Coming continued….

15

Pilot Log 2013-2014

16


L-R: Andrew Mecinsky, Lana Chassman, Patrick McDonough, and Roman Kraus Andrew and Roman of the “100 Mile Paddle”, a national fundraising race for Autism Awareness and Clean Water initiatives, chose the Hudson River Maritime Museum as the launch site for their stand-up paddle race on the East Coast. Photo by Sarah Wassberg, Hudson River Maritime Museum.

These elite athletes from all over the US gather together just before beginning their race to NYC at 5:30 am on “Hudson River Days.” Photo by Lana Chassman, Hudson River Maritime Museum.

100 Mile Paddle

July 20th, 2013

17

Pilot Log 2013-2014

100 Mile paddlers get into place for the start of the race as the sun rises over Rondout Creek. Photo by Lana Chassman, Hudson River Maritime Museum.

18


19

Pilot Log 2013-2014

Located on Kingston’s Waterfront

15 West Strand St.

Kingston, NY 12401

845.334.8887

Open 11- 11 Seven Days a Week

Sunday Brunch 10 am - 3 pm

Ship to Shore is proud to sponsor the

Hudson River Maritime Museum’s

2013 Pilot Club Gala

20


John F. Matthews: Photo Journalist of Historic Rondout

and Kingston

By Allynne Lange, Curator,


hether it was steamboats, tugs, street scenes or floods, if it took

place in Kingston in the past 150 years, Jack Matthews

probably has a photograph of it. Jack through the years has been

extraordinarily generous in sharing his collection and his knowledge of

local history with the public. Many exhibits here at the Hudson River

Maritime Museum have been enriched by Jack’s images. Every year

he can be found presenting several slide programs illustrating the

history of Kingston to local audiences.

W

21

Pilot Log 2013-2014

This year in particular “Rondout: A Riverport” is predominately

drawn from Jack’s extensive collection. For this we are extremely

grateful.

The John F. “Jack” Matthews photographic collection, formed over

approximately sixty years, provides a unique and comprehensive

portrait of Rondout and Kingston from the 1870s, through the mid-20th

century. Having grown up in the Ponckhockie section of Rondout,

Jack recalls “everything one could want or need” was available in

Rondout – meats, groceries, banks, department stores – and of course

the ferry terminal providing transportation to the other side of the

Hudson River. The products of the region, most of it shipped through

Rondout, provided raw materials for the very foundation of our cities

and country – boat building, coal, cement, bluestone, and bricks.

Jack has been collecting historic images of Kingston for most of his

life, following in his father, Robert Matthews’, footsteps. Jack’s Dad

had started collecting local memorabilia when Jack was a boy. Jack

Jack Matthews gives the first lecture of the year and the first lecture in the new Kingston Home Port and Education Center, April 2013. Photo by Lana Chassman,


John F. Matthews continues on page 22

22


recalls that when he was about nine years old, the former mayor of

Kingston, Walter P. Crane, who was a neighbor, asked Jack to “take

what’s under my porch – bring your wagon and fill it up”. After Crane

died, stuff still stored under the porch – financial records, business

papers, and memorabilia from the 1909 Hudson-Fulton Celebration- all

started Robert Matthews and son Jack on a lifelong path to collecting

and sharing local history.

Jack Matthews’ calling card rings true:

“Don’t just hear about the past – see it when Jack Matthews presents:

‘Oldies’ of Kingston, Ulster County.”

John F. Matthews continued ….

23

Pilot Log 2013-2014

The replica Half Moon comes into dock for Hudson River Days. Photo by Lana Chassman, Hudson River Maritime Museum

24


Clearwater Restoration

Winter, 2012/2013

The Clearwater aboard the Black Diamond barge is nudged into place by the Cornell

tugboat. Photo by Ron Searl, Hudson River Maritime Museum.

Freshly milled boards occupy half of the then brand-new Kingston Home Port and

Education Center. Photo by Lana Chassman, Hudson River Maritime Museum.

25

Pilot Log 2013-2014

Cornell owner and Captain Matt Perricone (center), Tim Ivory (top left) and Clearwater

Captain Nick Rogers (right) secure the barge to the bulkhead. Photo by Lana Chassman,

Hudson River Maritime Museum.

The stern end of the Clearwater with a brand new rudder board and getting new ribs.

Photo by Lana Chassman, Hudson River Maritime Museum.

26


Bernard C. Gray

President/Funeral Director

845-331-3272

27 Smith Avenue Kingston

www.jvleahyfh.com

Congratulations Dr. John Weeks; a true friend of the Joseph V. Leahy Funeral Home and

well-respected member of the community, as well as other honorees on your achievements.

http://www.jvleahyfh.com

27

Pilot Log 2013-2014

28


Rondout: A Riverport By Allynne Lange, Curator,


ondout is the port area of Kingston, New York, and was a

separate village until 1872. The good natural harbor and deep

water provided by the Rondout Creek made for an early settlement

along the Hudson by the Dutch in the 17th century.

In 1825, after the discovery of anthracite coal in eastern

Pennsylvania, the Wurts brothers, built a canal called the Delaware &

Hudson Canal, which linked their mines near Honesdale, PA and the

Hudson River at Rondout. This canal enabled them to get their coal to

New York City. As soon as the canal opened in 1828, the port of

Rondout began a rapid growth from a few farms and docks into a boom

town.

Workers poured into the area to work on the canal and to patronize

businesses like stores and boatyards. Most of these newcomers were

R

29

Pilot Log 2013-2014

Irish and German immigrants, the Irish being first. They built homes,

then churches and schools. A busy downtown developed, and by the

1860s the population of Rondout surpassed that of Kingston, its nearby

neighbor. The canal brought great prosperity to the Kingston area,

which had been a farming village on the Esopus Creek, located at what

is now uptown Kingston. At the time the canal opened, Kingston was

the county seat and well-established. Although Kingston enjoyed the

prosperity that the D & H canal brought to the area, its citizens did not

necessarily approve of the Rondout newcomers, who tended to be a

rough and ready group.

Transportation became the main business of Rondout. This included

not only the millions of tons of coal which passed through during the

years of the D. & H. Canal, 1828 – 1898, but also other products

extracted from the earth nearby such as bluestone and natural cement.

After 1850 these products, as well as ice harvested on the Hudson, and

bricks produced from local clays, were shipped out of Rondout port in

great quantity. The majority of these products went to build New York

City, an ever-expanding city with large needs to accommodate the huge

numbers of immigrants arriving there in the 19th and early 20th

centuries.

Rondout: A Riverport continues on page 30

Broadway just below Abeel Street, c. 1920s. Greenwald’s Ralston Shoe Store is now an antiques center. Collection John F. “Jack” Matthews; Hudson River Maritime Museum

30


The local shipper Thomas Cornell, later joined by his son-in-law

S.D. Coykendall, became the local transportation baron, going from

sloop, to passenger steamboats, to towing steamers and tugboats. His

company, the Cornell Steamboat Company, dominated shipping on the

Hudson starting in the 1860s, and developed into having a monopoly on

towing on the Hudson from the 1880s through the 1930s.

Rondout became part of Kingston in 1872 after petitioning the state

to become its own city and being turned down. The bluestone and

cement industries declined after 1900, as did Hudson River ice as

cleaner sources were found. Bricks continued to be in demand, but after

the 1930s, Rondout began a slow decline as the national economy

waned. With upsurges of business, especially boat building, during

World Wars I and II, there were business highs, but the overall decline

prevailed with the area considered rundown by the 1960s.

Urban Renewal, a destruction of old business areas in the late 1960s,

saw many streets in Rondout demolished. In 1980 a renewal of business

Rondout: A Riverport continued...

31

Pilot Log 2013-2014

interest in the area, fueled partly by the cleanup of the Hudson River,

began.

Today Rondout is again a lively neighborhood with many

restaurants, marinas, shops, and the Hudson River Maritime Museum

which arrived in 1980, a pioneer in the revitalization of the waterfront

district.

Rondout Savings Bank c.1920

32


33

Pilot Log 2013-2014

34


The Boat Models of

Charles Niles By Allynne Lange, Curator


harlie Niles, a life-long

Kingston resident, has

been making Hudson River

boat models since about 1930.

As a young man he watched

minesweepers being launched

at Hiltebrant’s Shipyard. One

of his models represents one

of those boats. He also has

modeled at least one of the

Cornell tugs which he would

have seen growing up.

In his basement shop since

his retirement from Rotron,

Charlie has modeled the

entire spectrum of Hudson River boats from 19th century sloops to 20th

century mine-sweepers. A former watchmaker with his own shop on

Wall Street in Kingston, Charlie works in a particularly small scale at

about 30’ = 1”. With his skill as a watchmaker and jeweler, his steady

hands, and his love of the Hudson River boats, Charlie has hand-crafted

(from scratch) a series of models that might be called the “Jewels of the

Hudson.” They are beautiful representations of the boats that once were

a daily sight on the waters of the Hudson River and Rondout Creek.

Although many of the steamboats he has modeled were before his time,

he has read many local histories containing photos of the old boats

which he studied, as well as older models, and plans if they were

available.

C

The Boat Models of Charles Niles continues on page 36

35

Pilot Log 2013-2014

36


We are very pleased and honored to exhibit a selection of Charlie

Niles’ fine models at the Hudson River Maritime Museum.

The Boat Models of Charles Niles continued…..

37

Pilot Log 2013-2014

38


The

Higbee, Meier, Digilio

Group

John A. (Jack) Higbee, CFP® First Vice President, Financial Advisor,

Certified Financial Planner

845-334-7909, 800-962-7115, Fax 845-853-1565

[email protected]

Stephen Digilio, CFP® Vice President, Financial Advisor,

Certified Financial Planner

845-334-7925, 800-962-7115, Fax 845-853-1565

[email protected]

Jonathan Meier Financial Advisor

845- 334-7909, 800-962-7115, Fax 845-853-1565

[email protected]

Morgan Stanley Wealth Management

91 North Front Street

Kingston NY 12401

mailto:[email protected]



39

Pilot Log 2013-2014

40


A view of Rondout Harbor and Island Dock (center left) looking east from the railroad bridge over Rondout Creek, circa 1921. The Mary Powell, at right, is

undergoing the dismantling process before she was ultimately scrapped, as evidenced by one of her smokestacks laying on shore. Note the two men in the row

boat for scale. HRMM, John F. “Jack” Matthews Collection. On display now in the 2013 exhibit “Rondout: A Riverport.”

41

Pilot Log 2013-2014

42


30th Annual Antique & Classic Boat Show

Hudson River Maritime Museum on historic Rondout Creek

August 16 and 17, 2014

43

Pilot Log 2013-2014

44


The Hudson River

Renaissance

By Allan P. Shope, Carbon Neutral Architect,

former President, Board of Directors,

Hudson River Sloop Clearwater

t first glance, the land on Oak Hill Road looks like untouched

wilderness, but if you observe closely and delve into its history,

surprising narratives unfold.

The most visible remnants of the past are the brick kilns, peaceful

now, nearly hidden, in various states of disintegration, testaments to the

industrial commotion that took place little more than a century ago. In

the late 19th century, iron manufacturing magnates identified ample,

high-quality ore deposits in Mount Tom, southeast of the Oak Hill

property. The enterprising businessmen also found the topography of

A

845-336-6300

fax: 845-336-4146 email: [email protected]

1560 Ulster Ave Lake Katrine, New York 12449

www.adamsfarms.com

45

Pilot Log 2013-2014

the area advantageous for their venture: a continuous downhill slope all

the way from the mouth of the mine to the Oak Hill Road riverfront

enabled them to use the power of gravity to transport the mineral

blocks along an elaborate, 3.5-mile mini-railroad system that they

constructed – including a bridge crossing over the Hudson River

Railroad tracks – to a dock from which ships carried the ore to an

ironworks upriver in Troy. Just before reaching the dock, the train cars

full of iron ore ran along a ledge above a row of nine kilns, each sixty

feet high, twenty feet wide, and capable of roasting one hundred tons of

ore per day. The cars dumped their contents into the tops of the kilns,

where it was burned with coal dust to remove impurities. After

cooling, workers loaded the purified ore from the bottom of the kilns

into empty cars that then rolled another couple of hundred feet downhill

to the boats at the dock.

In its heyday, hundreds of men toiled in the mining operation,

helping to feed our young nation’s voracious appetite for Bessemer

steel to build railroads and bridges. Numerous rough, unpainted, two-

family wooden dwellings were built on the Oak Hill Road land for the

Hudson River Renaissance continues on page 46

The remains of an historic iron ore kiln on Oak Hill Road property, where Allan Shope is building a

new home. Photo by Allan Shope.

46


workers who operated the kilns and loaded the boats. Nearly all the

trees of the virgin forests for miles around gave their lives in support of

the iron roasting and house building enterprises. A scattering of white

oaks, tasked with the mission of providing shade instead of fuel or

lumber, were spared the ax. The business lasted a mere two decades

and shut down shortly after 1900, unable to compete with the vast

deposits of superior quality ore discovered at Minnesota’s Mesabi Iron

Range. Only the crumbling kilns and traces of a few stone foundations

remain, along with the rare, ancient, white oak survivors sprinkled amid

the second-growth forest. Nature has bounced back from man’s assault.

Similar dramas pervade the Livingston property. Animals once on

the verge of extinction thanks to human transgressions have been drawn

back from the brink. New York State accommodated abundant wild

turkey populations before the Europeans arrived. The early settlers cut

down the forests for timber and to create farms, destroying the turkeys’

habitat. They also killed the large fowl for food all year round, hunting

without restriction until, by the mid-1840's, not a single turkey was left

Hudson River Renaissance continued….

We salute the Hudson River Maritime

Museum for serving the community

for 33 years!

47

Pilot Log 2013-2014

in the state. A full century later, after farming had declined and woods

had begun to grow back, a small remnant population of wild turkeys in

Pennsylvania crossed the border into western New York and took

root. Their presence ignited interest in bringing them back throughout

the state, and, after several false starts, conservationists succeeded in

reestablishing plentiful, healthy populations of the bird, enough to allow

seasonal hunting (although my vegetarian family keeps the wild

gobblers on our land safe from any close encounters with cranberry

sauce, no matter how extensive the flocks).

The bald eagle demonstrates another such triumph. Trapping,

shooting, and poisoning, as well as reproductive impairment from

pesticides (especially DDT) and toxic compounds in the fish they

consumed, decimated the eagle’s formerly bountiful numbers in the last

century. The banning of DDT and countless conservation efforts over

the past few decades led to a dramatic resurgence, even prompting the

eagle’s removal from the Endangered Species list in 2007. While the

iconic bird of prey still struggles with such threats as habitat destruction

from logging and development along waterways, lead poisoning from

Wild turkey poults. Photo by Allan Shope.


48


ammunition in prey shot by hunters, and power line electrocution, New

York's bald eagles fledge approximately ten percent more offspring

each year than the year before. It seems that lessons have been learned,

and Americans feel such a passion for protecting our majestic national

emblem that its future appears secure. Few sights surpass that of a bald

eagle fishing in the Hudson River. Since their recovery, that rare treat

has become a frequent viewing experience on the Oak Hill Road land,

yet no matter how common, I will always find the spectacle

breathtaking.

The entire Hudson River valley presents a story of rejuvenation. As

the last glacier receded twelve thousand years ago, it left behind

magnificent mountains, a glorious clean river flowing down from the

Adirondack Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean, a vibrant, diverse

ecosystem, all of which stirred thousands of years of human inhabitants

to treasure the region. The Native Americans who lived there –

Mohicans in Livingston – trod softly, making full use of nature’s

bounty respectfully and sustainably. The settlers who ultimately drove

Hudson River Renaissance continued…..

49

Pilot Log 2013-2014

them off the land behaved far less charitably towards the wilderness

they occupied. In a relatively short period of time, a small number of

short-sighted, arrogant people inflicted enormous damage, exploiting

the land and treating the river like a sewer.

Eventually, the residents of the river valley rose up. In 1969, Pete

Seeger spearheaded the construction of a traditional Hudson River

sloop named Clearwater. The replica sloop was to be owned by its

contributing members (“everybody’s boat”) and sail along the river

“...showing people what the river used to be, how it’s polluted now and

what it can be,” arousing awareness and passion for the mission of

saving the river. Along with the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, many

outstanding organizations sprang up – including Scenic Hudson,

Riverkeeper, the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, and Hudsonia –

to reverse centuries of abuse and propel the river and its surroundings

towards a full ecological recovery.

These stories have no end. The forces that want to capitalize on


50


nature, no matter the cost, and the forces that struggle selflessly to

revitalize and protect the environment, will always be locked in a tug-of

-war. But when I stand on the land in Livingston and see a bald eagle

snatch a fish from the river, or watch Clearwater sail along carrying a

load of eager schoolchildren, I feel inspired by nature’s ability to

recover from atrocities and mankind’s willingness to change to a more

just path.

Sailing up my dirty stream

Still I love it and I'll keep the dream

That some day, though maybe not this year

My Hudson River will once again run clear. - Pete Seeger

Hudson River Renaissance continued….

51

Pilot Log 2013-2014

52


Hudson River Days July 20th and 21st, 2013

The two man submarine Seahorse at the entrance to the museum courtyard during Hudson River Days, 2013. Photo by Lana Chassman, Hudson River Maritime Museum.

A vendor from Brook Farm Project CSA sells flowers and vegetables in the shade of Mathilda during Hudson River Days, 2013. Photo by Lana Chassman, Hudson River Maritime Museum.

53

Pilot Log 2013-2014

Members of POOK (Percussion Orchestra of Kingston) and the Energy Dance Company ready themselves to perform on the porch of the Kingston Home Port and Education Center during Hudson River Days, 2013. Photo by Lana Chassman, Hudson River Maritime Museum.

The replica Half Moon at dock during Hudson River Days, 2013. This year’s event drew over 2,000 to the Rondout waterfront. Photo by Lana Chassman, Hudson River Maritime Museum.

54


Eric & Luke Keyser, Funeral Directors

65 Lucas Ave Kingston, New York 12401

326 Albany Avenue Kingston, New York 12401

216 Broadway Port Ewen, New York 12466

Compassionate. Caring. Affordable

(845) 331-1437

www. KeyserFuneralService.com

55

Pilot Log 2013-2014

56


Antique and Classic Boats Show

August 17th & 18th, 2013

Some of the first vessels to arrive to the Antique and Classic Boats Show. Photo by Lana

Chassman, Hudson River Maritime Museum.

Boats and happy visitors lined up in front of Mathilda and the Kingston Home Port and

Education Center. The periauger Mercury is in the foreground on land. Photo by Lana


57

Pilot Log 2013-2014

A full dock of historic, antique, and classic vessels in front of the museum. Photo by

Lana Chassman, Hudson River Maritime Museum.

Admiring some of the entrants. Who will win the People’s Choice Award? Photo by

Lana Chassman, Hudson River Maritime Museum.

58


Believing in the River By Lana Chassman, Director of Public Relations,


The inspiration for this essay came from the dedication and determination of former

Board President Steven Digilio, especially during the formative stages of the building’s

development; carbon neutral architect and world traveler Allan Shope; and John

“Jack” Weeks, MD, avid sailor, timber framer, retired Kingston physician and project

co-chair with Allan for the Kingston Home Port and Education Center.

These three gentlemen are honored this evening for the museum’s

Annual 2013 Pilot Club Gala Dinner and Auction.

legendary wooden boat; a small gem of a museum dedicated to

preserving regional and maritime history; a fortuitous slice of real

estate situated along a picturesque creek; ample docking facilities along

one of the few protected deep water ports on the river; a determined

community with a waterfront district deeply invested in the arduous

process of cultural and economic revitalization; a core crew of

A

59

Pilot Log 2013-2014

individuals with a passionate vision becoming translated from concept

to reality through architecture; and, of course, the very river itself – the

Hudson – seemingly as old as time.

And, at just the right time, all of these seemingly individual

“intersecting tributaries” aligned and merged, ultimately propelling

themselves on one particularly powerful, spiritual concept – what Allan

Shope referred to as a basic “belief in the river”.

A CONCEPTUAL OVERVIEW

The concept of a strategic partnership between the Hudson River

Maritime Museum and the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc.

organization is logical because the two organizations are intimately

bound through the commonality of an amazing natural asset in New

York State. The Hudson River, whose influence, prominence, vitality,

and certainly its resilience, has continued to endure for millennia.

The museum extends itself into the community through its

collections, archives, educational programs and tours, events and

A Feeney Enterprises tug pushes a barge up Rondout Creek. Photo by Lana Chassman, Hudson River Maritime Museum.

Believing in the River continues on page 60

60


lectures. Clearwater uses the “power of song” and music as well as its

associated festivals, internship programs, advocacy and uniquely, the

replica sloop Clearwater as a “floating classroom” – a gentle yet

alluring mechanism, connecting constituents of diverse demographics.

A 64’ x 36’ timber frame structure is now known as the Kingston

Home Port and Education Center at the Hudson River Maritime

Museum. It is located on the historic Rondout Creek in the downtown

waterfront district of Kingston, New York, which also happens to have

been the very first capital of the once fledgling Empire state. The

building tangibly completes this reciprocal cycle of wood and water:

that of a beloved wooden boat to the “river which flows both ways”.

[NB: On a recent visit by the Native American “Two Row Wampum

Renewal Campaign” and the Unity Ride, a member of the Mohican

tribe noted that the Hudson River or “Muhheankantuck” actually

translates into “the river which flows all ways”.]

The programs, exhibits, events and lectures occurring within the

center’s oak and iroko wood walls now are well on their way to

Believing in the River continued….

61

Pilot Log 2013-2014

confirming the testament to this exciting partnership.

A TIMELINE SET IN PLACE

The proposed timeline for this impressive project itself was

admirable. Meetings and negotiations were held. Project co-chairs

(Allan Shope and Jack Weeks) as well as the allocation of expertise and

engagement were agreed upon; grants were ably written; donations

were solicited; volunteers were enlisted; even appropriate species of

wood were located. Remediation plans for periodic creek flooding

were incorporated into the building’s foundation designs. Architectural

renderings and plans were drafted and re-drafted, and the merit of

various color schemes was contemplated. Site measurements were

taken, and surveying was completed. Building permits were obtained

and an official call was put out for bids to complete the finishing work.

Even the skeptics were gradually converted and became invested in the

project. And then, the heavy equipment began to dominate the

The Clearwater sits under wraps next to the brand new Kingston Home Port and Education Center, December 2012.

Photo by Lana Chassman. Hudson River Maritime Museum


62


museum’s courtyard and its auditory space.

The museum’s ground, laying parallel to its docks on the Creek, was

“ceremonially broken” on July 21, 2012, marking the annual “Hudson

River Day” which had evolved from the 2009 Hudson-Fulton-

Champlain Quadricentennial Celebrations. Then, on September 15, the

timber frame structure was erected in a celebratory Amish-style

community ‘barn raising.’

And yes, the subtle, yet powerful driving inspiration – activist and

musician Pete Seeger and his devoted wife Toshi were present. Pete

joyously led the throngs of enthusiastic attendees in song and spirit, and

those participating in the event will never forget the momentum of that

day. Following this symbolic celebration, for the next few months, the

finishing work continued at a fever-pitched pace.

IN GENTLE GRANDEUR, SHE ARRIVES HOME

On December 15, at approximately 2:50 pm, the sloop Clearwater

determinably approached the museum from the river’s intersection at

the creek, cradled on the Black Diamond barge, which was nudged

The Clearwater arrives atop the Black Diamond barge, pushed by the Cornell, a

restored tug in December of 2012. Photo by Lana Chassman,


Believing in the River continued….

63

Pilot Log 2013-2014

along by the Cornell tug. Watching the de-masted wooden boat

approach its new winter home port elicited a few sad comments by

some speaking in defense of the temporarily disabled sloop. However,

as one reviews these images for the second time, a feeling of gentle

grandeur arises, and the symbolic wooden vessel appears, instead, to

be embraced by the river whose waters she plies during her active

sailing season.

Once the barge was secured in the creek’s bed, the captains and

crew began preparing Clearwater for her much needed “make-over”.

An A-frame was constructed over the boat and then tarped in “cocoon-

like” fashion so that both boat and workers could be protected from the

winter and spring elements. Restoration work began in earnest.

A PAINSTAKING RESTORATION IN WOOD

These two organizations unite through this natural resource of wood

once again – not only through the vessel itself but also through the

venerable art of boat building. The “elders” train their younger


64


counterparts in the fine arts of crafting, lofting, planing, measuring,

repairing, refashioning, restoring and systematically maintaining a

vessel constructed of a perishable material. Attention to detail and

nuance as well as the meditative mantra and associated rhythms of

woodworking are learned, practiced and executed on a daily basis

within the new Kingston Home Port and Education Center. Planers and

antique saws adorn the space, and protective gear is worn by the

workers who toil in tandem. In eager anticipation of its “due date to

sail,” a daily pilgrimage was made by these shipwrights, apprentices,

interns, captains and crew.

Finally, it’s time for the sloop to return to her patiently receptive

river. As quickly as the Kingston Home Port and Education Center had

been populated by workers and crew, the transference from boat

building workshop to an experiential education center; meeting, film

series and lecture space; and an event/festival venue seemed to occur

overnight.

In retrospect, some interesting observations about this structure

Believing in the River continued…..

65

Pilot Log 2013-2014

become strikingly evident: the building certainly has a personality. It

possesses a receptive, welcoming nature and connectedness. The

Kingston Home Port and Education Center has the unique ability to

conform to its occupants – whether it’s one of Clearwater’s “open boat

days” during the winter months; a jointly-held “Barn Dancin’ on the

Rondout;” a restoration space for a top mast on the replica ship Half

Moon during a brief stop-over at the museum’s port; a meeting space

for a local bank’s prime investors; a tender memorial venue for the late

Toshi Seeger during the Kingston Arts Festival’s “Voices for Water”

program; local school-aged children as well as lifelong learning

students reading the artfully designed and informative wall banners

(which cover such topics as the science of sailing, navigation and

discovering how and why boats float) and working with the hands-on

installations about weights and pulleys; a Rondout watercolor

exhibition; a communal venue for the museum’s popular monthly

A memorial service for the late Toshi Seeger at “Voices for Water,” part of the first annual Kingston Arts Festival, August 2013. Photo by Lana Chassman,



66


“Follow the River” Lecture Series, “Family Day @ the Maritime”

programs or the new “Cinema Sundays” featuring classic and

independent films with a maritime twist.

The existence of this building visually completes the Museum

Courtyard Complex. Many remark that the building looks as if it were

always meant to be there, proving that the Kingston Home Port and

Education Center is fulfilling its mission – to function as a lively

educational and communal refuge.

Close inspection of the structure’s façade reveals a symbolic

docking rope “anchoring” the museum’s 1898 steam tug Mathilda to

the Home Port. And on ceremonial occasions, a majestic pair of eagles

has literally performed a celebratory “fly-by” while the creek’s

ubiquitous mallards provided a flotilla for approaching vessels.

As the trio of Digilio, Shope and Weeks have often remarked: we

have a museum and a dock; you have a boat – we all have a “belief in

the river.”

Believing in the River continued…..

67

Pilot Log 2013-2014

Serving Families Since 1953

411 Albany Ave., Kingston, New York 12401 | 845-331-0631

68


Carl Mazawasicuna, a member of the Unity Ride, waiting for the Two Row Wampum

canoeists. Photo by Lana Chassman, Hudson River Maritime Museum.

Indigenous Native American drums with a replica of the Two Row Wampum Treaty wampum belt. Photo by Lana Chassman, Hudson River Maritime Museum.

Two Row Wampum Renewal

Campaign and the Unity Ride,

August 1st, 2013

69

Pilot Log 2013-2014

A ceremonial fire was built on this rainy August day in anticipation of the day’s events to commemorate the arrival of the Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign and the Unity Riders. Photo by Lana Chassman, Hudson River Maritime Museum.

The Unity Riders gather together during their long ride from Manitoba, Canada. Photo courtesy Chief Gus Higheagle, Dakota Nation, Unity Riders.

70


The “two parallel rows” of canoeists representing the Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign approach the Hudson River Maritime Museum’s docks. Photo by Lana Chassman, Hudson River Maritime Museum.

The two rows of paddlers from the Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign come into

dock to be greeted by hundreds of supporters.. Photo by Lana Chassman, Hudson River

Maritime Museum.

71

Pilot Log 2013-2014

Hundreds of supporters and spectators gathered at the museum despite the rain to see

the Two Row paddlers and Unity Riders. Photo by Lana Chassman, Hudson River

Maritime Museum.

Everyone warming up, and having lunch in the KHPEC after the arduous paddle around

Kingston Point. Photo by Lana Chassman, Hudson River Maritime Museum.

72


The Big Band Sound Jazz Orchestra is proud to support the


73

Pilot Log 2013-2014

Voted “Best of the Hudson Valley - 2013”

74


Dedicated long-time volunteer Fran Drakert works in the Archives to catalog and house

artifacts and documents. Photo by Lana Chassman, Hudson River Maritime Museum.

Middle school students from Kingston Catholic School visit HRMM for a behind-the-

scenes tour and stop to talk with Captain Nick Rogers of the Clearwater in the KHPEC.

Photo by Lana Chassman, Hudson River Maritime Museum.

Education Programs and

Volunteers at HRMM, 2013

75

Pilot Log 2013-2014

The John J. Harvey historic fireboat visits HRMM for the third year in a row for

educational programs in conjunction with Rondout Valley Schools. Photo by Lana


Hudson River Maritime Museum Education Director Sarah Wassberg helps a visiting

student discover mechanical advantage in the KHPEC as part of a new hands-on

educational exhibit. Photo by Lana Chassman, Hudson River Maritime Museum.

76


A great turnout for Pete Roberts’ lecture on bluestone in the KHPEC, part of the “Follow

the River” lecture series. Photo by Lana Chassman, Hudson River Maritime Museum.

The Mathilda gets “anchored” to the Kingston Home Port and Education Center. The

rope protects and disguises electrical wiring. Photo by Lana Chassman, Hudson River

Maritime Museum.

77

Pilot Log 2013-2014

The Kingston High School Crew Team begins their spring training exercises in the museum yard. Photo by Lana Chassman, Hudson River Maritime Museum.

Visitors view watercolor paintings by Ray Curran at his art opening for the show “The

Rondout is in Watercolor” in the KHPEC. Photo by Lana Chassman, Hudson River

Maritime Museum.

78


Name Page Number

Adam's Fairacre Farms 44

Adirondack Trailways 20

Ametek Rotron 64

Antique and Classic Boats Society 42

Arold Construction 33

Basch & Keegan, LLP 18

Belle Aventure 17

Big Band Sound Jazz Orchestra 72

Burgevin Florist, Inc. 60

Carey Construction 30

Classic Harbor Line Back inside cover

Clearwater 15

Commercial Associates Realty 31

Drs. Engel and Lindgren 7

Fala Technologies 32

General Tools and Instruments Back cover

George W. Redder 33

Health Alliance of the Hudson Valley 73

Hudson River Cruises 73

Hudson Valley Foot Associates 22

Jaffer Electric, Inc. 50

Johnson's Signs & Tees 55

Jordan Trading, Inc. 35

Joseph V. Leahy Funeral Home, Inc. 26

Karay Metals 11

Keyser Funeral & Cremation Services 54

Kingston Times, Ulster Publishing 27

Madden's Fine Wines & Spirits 67

79

Pilot Log 2013-2014

Main St. Financial 9

Maintetti, Mainetti, & O'Connor 36

Marine Society of the City of New York 10

Mariner's Harbor 23

McAllister Towing 39

Mid Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union 39

Mountain Valley Manor 32

N & S Supplies 26

P&T Surplus 18

Potic Mountain Oil Lamps 11

Rondout Savings Bank 37

Rusk, Wadlin, Heppner, & Martuscello, LLP 58

Safeco 72

Sav-On Party Centre Inside front cover

Savona's Trattoria 63

Scott Dutton Associates Architects 54

Ship to Shore 19

Simpson-Gaus Funeral Home 67

Speigel Brothers Paper Co. 46

Steven Grossman, DDS 48

The DeForest Agency 43

The Higbee, Meyer, Digilio Group 38

Thomas F. Lindgren, CPA 49

Tires Plus 66

Ulster County Tourism 51

Ulster Savings 43

William DuBarry Thomas 10

Williams Lumber 28

80


Full Page

7.5x4.5”

$325

Half Page

3.5x4.5”

$195

Inside or back

cover

$600

Two-page spread

$1,000

Support HRMM

and its non-profit

mission—advertise in

The Pilot Log Reserve your space by

December, 2013 and

get last year’s prices!

Call 845-338-0071 ext. 16 or 15

for more information

81

Pilot Log 2013-2014

82


Hudson River Maritime Museum Pilot Log 2013/2014

Documents

Transcript of Hudson River Maritime Museum Pilot Log 2013/2014