Since this year's cats are Hudson River themed, in honor of the Quadricentennial celebration, I feel that it is appropriate to post about Quadricentennial events too. This past Thursday, I was fortunate enough to get to view the Quadricentennial Flotilla at two different celebrations, at Clermont State Historic Site, and at the Historic Catskill Point.
In 2009, the flotilla featured a variety of interesting historic boats and replicas:
-The Half Moon- a replica of the boat in which Henry Hudson sailed up the Hudson. This version of the Half Moon is actually the second replica of the boat-- the first was built in the Netherlands as a gift to the United States for the 1909 Hudson-Fulton Celebration.
-The Clearwater- a replica of a sloop, built to offer a unique environmental education experience for students up and down the river. The Clearwater is celebrating its 40th birthday this year, as well as the 90th birthday of its founder, Pete Seeger.
-The Onrust- a replica of the first European boat built in America. The boat, which was built at the Mabee Farm Site in Rotterdam Junction, NY, was just completed in May of 2009.
-The John J. Harvey Fireboat- retired by the FDNY in 1994, the boat was called back into active service on 9/11. In 2009, the boat was registered as a National Historic Landmark.
-The Launch 5 (a.k.a. the Patrollman Walburger)- retired by the NYPD, sold and abandoned at the bottom of a river, and then lovingly restored
-The Riverkeeper- the Riverkeeper organization was founded by a group of concerned fisherman, worried about pollution in the river, and its impact on fish-- this boat is used to patrol the river and report polluters
In 2009, the flotilla featured a variety of interesting historic boats and replicas:
-The Half Moon- a replica of the boat in which Henry Hudson sailed up the Hudson. This version of the Half Moon is actually the second replica of the boat-- the first was built in the Netherlands as a gift to the United States for the 1909 Hudson-Fulton Celebration.
-The Clearwater- a replica of a sloop, built to offer a unique environmental education experience for students up and down the river. The Clearwater is celebrating its 40th birthday this year, as well as the 90th birthday of its founder, Pete Seeger.
-The Onrust- a replica of the first European boat built in America. The boat, which was built at the Mabee Farm Site in Rotterdam Junction, NY, was just completed in May of 2009.
-The John J. Harvey Fireboat- retired by the FDNY in 1994, the boat was called back into active service on 9/11. In 2009, the boat was registered as a National Historic Landmark.
-The Launch 5 (a.k.a. the Patrollman Walburger)- retired by the NYPD, sold and abandoned at the bottom of a river, and then lovingly restored
-The Riverkeeper- the Riverkeeper organization was founded by a group of concerned fisherman, worried about pollution in the river, and its impact on fish-- this boat is used to patrol the river and report polluters
The idea of a river parade to celebrate important Hudson River anniversaries is not a new one-- as part of the festivities for the 1909 Hudson-Fulton celebration, a flotilla of replica boats and naval ships from around the world made the trip from New York City to Albany, stopping for celebrations in many of the river towns along the way. A replica of the Clermont (the North River Steam-Boat) and the first replica of the Half Moon both made the voyage-- sadly, both boats were lost due to neglect and vandalism in the early 20th century.
Check back soon for photos of the flotilla at Clermont and Catskill!
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