Boating history of Hudson found at maritime museum

By Jaime Tomeo
For the Poughkeepsie Journal

It's the only museum in the state exclusively preserving the nautical history of the Hudson River, its tributaries and the industries that developed around it.

Founded in 1980 by members of the Steamship Alexander Hamilton Society, the National Maritime Historical Society and local historians, the museum is in the Historic Rondout Waterfront.

Rondout's roots date to Henry Hudson's trip up the river in 1609, when he declared it a trading port.

The area soon teemed with commercial activity and vessels as mostly coal was transported from Pennsylvania to Rondout.

Today the 1898 steam tugboat Mathilda rests ashore, alongside a 100-year-old shad boat. Working boats and vessels that dock at Rondout are usually there for restoration, repairs or rest, said Executive Director Greg Bell, who added the museum has boats docking during the season.

"We get a number of Coast Guard boats and buoy-tending ships," Bell said.

Inside, the museum is a diverse accumulation of models, artifacts, photo-graphs and vessel blueprints directly related to the Hudson River transportation industry and commerce. The collection has grown with donations from local residents, such as Mathilda.

Visitors can visit from May through October. Event coordinator Bruce Goldstein said the program gets better as time goes on.

"In the museum there are steamboats that rode the Hudson more than 100 years ago," he said.

The museum, which attracts 7,000 visitors annually, chooses a different topic in the history of the Hudson River as its theme each year. This year's focus will highlight the Cornell Steamboat Co., the largest tugboat company in the country, which dates to the beginning of the century.

Photos, models used

"It is a very interesting exhibit with different types of objects displayed. There are historic photos and models of boats," Bell said. "There are also parts of the Cornell boats, with corresponding pictures from when they sailed."

Built in 1913, the Rondout Lighthouse, also owned and operated by the museum, is the largest lighthouse along the river. Tours include a footpath straight up to the top.

Admission fees, membership dues and state grants provide funding.

"When you are at the top of the lighthouse you feel as if you are in a separate place," Bell said. "It's amazing how quickly the environment changes in one mile."

The annual Shad Festival in May kicks off the museum's events. Guests are able to experience hands-on demonstrations,educational exhibits, music, craft vendors and boat rides to the lighthouse.

"It gives people a chance to celebrate spring by eating some shad, which only come up the river at certain points of the year," Bell said.