They live in a lighthouse not over one hundred and twenty miles from New York,
on the Hudson River, keep it themselves, and their lamp is always trimmed and burning,
and on a foggy night when the light is not visible you can hear one of them a mile off
blowing a fog horn herself; for the Government has been too mercenary to give them
one of the automatic kind. Moreover, they have saved many lives. Miss Kate C.
Crowley is the mistress and keeper of Saugerties Lighthouse.  She is capable of any
daring deed involving danger or self-sacrifice; and as to the manner in which
the lighthouse is kept, it is unexcelled.

It was a bright, starlight night, and the writer sat in the pilot house, talking to the
steersmen, who guided the steamer safely through the shadows of the frowning peak of
the Highlands, and answered questions or volunteered information between the
rotations of the wheel. As we turned a bend in the river a light that looked like a star of
the first magnitude twinkled far away in the distance. That's  fifteen miles away; said
the man at the wheel.;That's Saugerties Light. We';ll lose it again a dozen times in the
turns of the river. Do I know the girls? Well, no, not to speak to ';em, but I';ve seen ;em
on the river many a time by daylight, pulling away a great heavy row-boat that no two
river men would care to handle in one o£ them gales that sweep down through the
mountains. Well, it was one of these occasions, I was comin' up the river on the old
Columbus after she'd got out of carryin'; passengers, and took to the towin' business.
We'd got little north of Rondout. and I was all alone at the wheel; I heard a rumblin';
behind me, and I looked around, and when I saw a great big cloud with thunderheads
rushing up from the south, I knew we were going to catch a ripper. We were then pretty
nearly abreast of Tivoli, and Saugerties Lighthouse was only about two miles ahead. A
sloop loaded with bluestone, which had just put out from the mouth of Esopus Creek,
and was standing down the river, went over when the squall, struck her; and soon I saw
two men struggling in the water.

Hardly a minute elapsed before two female forms were seen fluttering around
the small boat by the lighthouse.  In another minute it was launched, and it bobbed up
and down in the seething, foaming waters. The two girls, bare-headed, with a pair of
oars apiece, began pulling toward the men in the water. The waves ran so high, the
gale blew so madly, the thunder roared so incessantly, and the lightning flashed in such
blinding sheets, that it seemed impossible for the women ever to reach the men, to keep
headway, or to keep from being swamped. But they never missed the opportunity of a
rising billow to give them leverage, and they managed by steady pulling to get ahead
until they reached the men in the water. The great danger was that the tossing boat
would strike the sailors and end their career, but one of the gals leaned forward over the
bow of the boat, braced her feet beneath the seat on which she had been sitting,
stiffened herself out for a great effort, and as her sister kept the bow of the craft
crosswise to the waves, caught one of the men beneath the arms as he struck out on
top of a billow, lifted and threw him by main force into the middle of the boat, and then
prepared, for the other man. He had got hold of the sloop's rudder, which had got
unshipped, and was floating on the water. He let go and swam towards the row-boat,
and was hauled in also by the woman and his half-drowned comrade. You couldn't
have got any river boatmen to do what those girls did.

Ellen is a brunette, tall, slim, with dark eyes and dark hair. When Kate is animated she is exceedingly pretty. She has a [illegible] of milk-white teeth, and dimpled cheeks, and looks at you with a pair of large eyes full in the face. She said: "We are simply two girls trying to do our duty here in this quiet place, taking care as best we can of our blind father and aged mother."

If you enjoyed this post and would like to support more history blog content, please make a donation to the Hudson River Maritime Museum or become a member today!

Editor's Note: Thank you to Alison Morris, Hudson River Maritime Museum education intern, for this blog post. For more information about the environmental history of the Hudson Valley view the Rescuing the River online exhibit.

The battle for the environmental well being of the Hudson Valley has been a long and hard fought battle. Without Frances “Franny” Reese the physical state of the Hudson Valley would be extremely different today as well as the overall grassroots environmental preservation movement otherwise known as “a movement that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or economic movement. Movements and organizations use collective action from the local level to implement change at the local, regional, national, or international levels.”[1]
           
Spurred by a love of the Hudson Valley region by way of her husband’s family home, Obercreek Farm, set on former dairy farmland in the hamlet of Hughsonville in the Town of Wappinger, Franny joined with other activists to advocate at a local level to preserve the beautiful lands of their homes along the Hudson River.[2]  It is important to acknowledge the hard work and contributions of women like Frances Reese and how they spearheaded different grassroots movements that still have significance in preserving the lands of the Hudson River Valley and the river itself.
           
​Born in Manhattan in 1917, Frances Reese attended Barnard College, majoring in playwriting and English, and also attended Yale Art School. In 1937, she married her husband Willis Livingston Meier Reese. They both shared interests in conservation and preservation in the Hudson Valley.[3] Frances was a “lifelong advocate and protector of the land and life in the Hudson Valley” and was considered an “environmental trailblazer.”[4] She was “a founder and chairwomen [(1966-1984)] emeritus of the environmental group Scenic Hudson [founded in 1963] and a veteran of the fight to keep a power plant from being built on Storm King Mountain.”[5] Prior to the establishment of Scenic Hudson, a non-profit environmental preservation organization, “grassroots environmental activism did not exist” in the capacity that it does today.[6] Known by many, Franny “was a sparkplug in the movement that began over 40 years ago” ensuring that unbridled development in the Hudson Valley would not go unchecked.[7] She unfortunately passed away in July of 2003 after sustaining fatal injuries in a car accident “on Route 9 near Cold Spring.”[8]

​In 1965, she and the crew of citizens that she recruited, initially known as the Scenic Hudson Preservation Committee, won legal standing to take on the Federal Power Commission and the developer, Consolidated Edison who were attempting to build, at the time, the largest hydroelectric plant, on Storm King Mountain.[9] Not only would the face of Storm King Mountain be forever changed if Con. Edison's plans were approved, but because of the porous nature of the Hudson Valley's bedrock, there was a high risk that untreated Hudson River water would filter into groundwater, which was and is the source of drinking water for Cornwall, NY.[10] The location of the proposed plant’s construction and water pipeline was also located extremely close to the Catskill Aqueduct.[11] Concerns were raised about the potential impacts of blasting, and how it could interrupt or damage the aqueduct, significantly or completely interrupting the water supply to New York City.[12]   This decision came to be known as the “Storm King Decision.”[13] Stopping this development, “Frances and her committee of like-minded individuals achieved important precedent in the national environmental movement, establishing the principle that citizens could intervene in court cases affecting the environment.”[14] She, and those who would become the Scenic Hudson founders, opposed such a development as it would deface the famous peak of Storm King Mountain and harm the ecology of the Hudson River.[15] Language from this case would go on to be included in the 1969 National Environmental Policy Act.[16] In similar legislation, like the 1969 National Environmental Policy Act, there also came the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency that mandated environmental impact studies for construction projects.[17] The Clean Water Act of 1977 and the Superfund Law of 1980 also secured passage in the legislation through precedent set by the Storm King Decision.[18]

During Franny’s lifetime and involvement in Scenic Hudson which eventually became the organization that we know today, “she […] oversaw the group's legal and educational work. She attended board meetings[...] and remained cheerfully active as a strategist for policy and litigation, a liaison to state and federal governments and one of the organization's leading fund-raisers.”[19]
           
​You might ask, how might the environmental movement and land preservation directly impact the Hudson River? Well, it's important to look at particular locations along the Hudson that would not be the way they are today without Franny Reese’s direct contributions and actions. The Franny Reese State Park, Highland, New York,, which is a recognized by New York State Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation as well as the Palisades Interstate Park System, is one of these very locations. The very organization that Franny helped in establishing, Scenic Hudson, manages the grounds of this park to this day. Through its official recognition and ultimate protection under these organizations, the natural landscapes and ecosystems of the Hudson River Valley are allowed to flourish. Through the very establishment of Franny Reese State Park, Scenic Hudson was able to “conserve this magnificent bluff-top forest [and] to prevent a massive residential development from destroying it.”[20] Industrial development that would otherwise negatively impact the land through the destruction of crucial ecological communities as well as pollution is blocked from occurring. It is with state parks, like Franny Reese, that the natural views and integrity of the Hudson River Valley and the River itself are maintained. As the Franny Reese State Park has direct access to the Hudson River, it also preserves the riverfront land, and the river itself directly, through its allocation of environmentally preserved land through the park systems and non-profit organizations like Scenic Hudson.

​The very creation of parks leads to the ability for non-profit organizations, like Scenic Hudson, to conserve important ecological environments and allow for individuals to explore the natural treasures of the Hudson Valley. The very ability for people to be able to connect with nature is one of the important motivating pillars for Scenic Hudson.

Movements like environmental conservation go hand in hand with many other women’s movements. Franny Reese’s involvement in such critical environmental projects and decisions in the Hudson Valley provides insight into the larger picture of Women's involvement in crucial public change organizations and efforts. Environmental conservation movements empower women. In many instances, women are often subordinated under men and their voices largely go unheard or are completely blocked. Environmental conservation gives women an outlet to enact meaningful and lasting change in their communities. This ultimate growth of women's participation in public policy contributes to the ultimate increase in women’s involvement in everyday institutions of society and life. According to the organization IUCN, “women often have deep knowledge of their local ecosystems, and are habitually the primary caregivers and providers for their families. They are more likely to be directly impacted by environmental degradation, particularly in developing countries where they may rely heavily on natural resources for their livelihoods.”[21] When looking at the role that the environment plays in the larger picture of established societies, it is easier to recognize the interconnectedness between environmental conservation and political activism and change. Below are two critically important quotes from the IUCN that illuminate the necessity of environmental conservation and activism in the scheme of women’s rights and empowerment:
 
“Women's participation in environmental policy and action is not only a matter of equity and justice, but also essential for achieving sustainable development. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, [...] states that ‘gender equality is not only a fundamental human right but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world.’”[22]
 
“Empowering women and amplifying their voices in environmental policy and action is crucial to achieve sustainable development and address the urgent environmental challenges facing the world today. It requires recognizing the gender inequalities that exist, and working to overcome them through inclusive and gender-responsive policies and programs. It also requires valuing women's knowledge and expertise, and supporting their leadership and entrepreneurship. Only by doing so can we ensure that the environmental policies and actions we take are effective, equitable, and sustainable for all.”[23]
 
The undeniable contributions of Franny Reese reveal the larger story of how land conservation was a crucial aspect of public change/advocacy for women’s rights and the maintenance of the Hudson Valley and Hudson River.

                                                                               Bibliography
Allen, Maeve. “5 Inspiring Women Who Made History in the Hudson Valley.” Hudson Valley Magazine, July 19, 2023. https://hvmag.com/life-style/hudson-valley-inspiring-women/.

Balakrishnan, Srinivasan. “Empowering the Unheard: Why Women’s Voices Are Crucial in Environmental Policy and Action.” IUCN, March 3, 2023. https://www.iucn.org/story/202303/empowering-unheard-why-womens-voices-are-crucial-environmental-policy-and-action. 

“Franny Reese State Park.” Scenic Hudson, June 28, 2023. https://www.scenichudson.org/explore-the-valley/scenic-hudson-parks/franny-reese-state-park/.

“Grassroots.” Wikipedia, February 24, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grassroots.
Hereth, Susan. “Franny Reese: A Hero For the Hudson Valley.” Accessed March 6, 2024. https://www.scenichudson.org/wp-content/uploads/legacy/u2/freesebooklet.pdf 

“Parks & Trails New York: What’s in a Name? Who Was Franny Reese?” Parks & Trails New York. Accessed March 6, 2024. https://www.ptny.org/news-and-media/you-gotta-have-friends/2020/04/whats-name-featuring-franny-reese-state-park.

Rosenberg, Steve. “Preservation and Perseverance: Pillars of Scenic Hudson’s Grassroots Legacy.” Hudson River Maritime Museum. Accessed March 6, 2024. https://www.hrmm.org/history-blog/preservation-and-perseverance-pillars-of-scenic-hudsons-grassroots-legacy.

“Powering The Hudson: Storm King.” Hudson River Valley Heritage. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://omeka.hrvh.org/exhibits/show/rescuing-the-river/powering-the-hudson/storm-king. 

Saxon, Wolfgang. “Frances Reese, 85, Defender of Hudson Valley.” The New York Times, July 9, 2003. https://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/09/nyregion/frances-reese-85-defender-of-hudson-valley.html.

Zissu, Alexandra. “How Franny Reese Fought Con Edison and Saved Storm King Mountain.” Times Union. Accessed March 6, 2024. https://www.timesunion.com/hudsonvalley/outdoors/article/how-franny-reese-fought-coned-saved-storm-king-16972561.php.   

Experiencing maritime travel during the reign of the steam engine in the Hudson River Valley was a vastly different experience for women than it was for men. Especially during the 1800s, it was quite rare to find both men and women traveling in the same spaces, such was the case in most forms of transportation, including steamboats on the Hudson River. The standard for the time was that men and women, when traveling, should be separate from each other. Matthew Wills on JSTOR Daily writes,
 
“The Victorian segregation of men and women into separate spheres was quite rigorous in hotels, trains, and steamboats by the 1840s. Escorted and unattached ladies – ladies being very much a middle and upper class designation – were kept apart from unattached men (whatever their social status) via separate entrances, rooms, cars, and cabins.”[1]
 
Mind you that the vast majority of these women traveling on steamboats on the Hudson River were of moderate to high wealth. To find steamboats or any other form of transportation without separate spaces for men and women was rare. It was very common to see women traveling with a suitable male escort, and rare to see women traveling without one. While women and men could meet each other in saloons and dining rooms, women would not permanently stay in these areas, and had access to their own separate space that only women could access. These separate spaces, at least on a Hudson River steamboat, were called “Ladies Cabins.” These spaces acted as their own separate saloon or parlor for women to relax and socialize with each other on journeys up and down the Hudson River, including everything women would need right down to their own bathroom facilities. Even the Rondout’s hometown steamboat, the Mary Powell, “Queen of the Hudson,'' had a ladies cabin.

These ladies cabins would be managed by a female member of the steamboat’s crew. Such was the case with a Miss R. White, who was in charge of the ladies department on the steamboat L. Broadman.[2] Another example that depicts a woman being in charge of a ladies department of a steamboat is the story of the steamer Chief Justice Marshall. This unfortunately unnamed woman became a hero during a trip along the Hudson. The Newburgh Gazette reported on May 7th, 1830 that during a routine trip on the Hudson a boiler aboard the steamer Chief Justice Marshall exploded leading to boiling hot steam spreading across the ship. Immediately reacting, the unnamed woman quickly shut the door leading to the ladies cabin, and thoroughly secured it. This prevented the boiling hot steam from entering the cabin and scorching the women within the cabin alive.[3] While it is quite unfortunate that this woman was left unnamed, she is nevertheless responsible for saving the lives of all the women who were located in the ladies cabin of the steamer Chief Justice Marshall.

Another woman that worked aboard a steamboat was Fannie M. Anthony, a stewardess aboard the famous steamer Mary Powell in its “ladies cabin.” As a woman of color, Fannie would clean and maintain the cabin, along with assisting passengers with requests. As a stewardess, her job would be similar to that of a housekeeper of a wealthy family. She would serve aboard the Mary Powell for decades before retiring in 1912. Interestingly, she was celebrated in local newspapers, uncommon at the time due to the fact that she was a woman of color, whose experiences are usually disregarded and forgotten throughout history.

 For example, an 1894 issue of the Brooklyn Times Union, quoting the Newburgh Sunday Telegram, celebrates Fannie Anthony in an article titled “Compliments for a Jamaica Woman.” It reads,
​
“Mrs. Fannie Anthony, the efficient and obliging stewardess on the steamer Mary Powell, is about concluding her twenty-fifth season in that capacity. Mrs. Anthony enjoys an acquaintance among the ladies along the Hudson River that is both interesting and highly complementary to the amiable disposition and cheery manner of the only female among the crew of the favorite steamboat. Mrs. Anthony travels over 15,000 miles every summer while attending to her duties on the boat. She seldom misses a trip and looks the picture of health and happiness.”[4]
 
You may notice that the article refers to Fannie as a Jamaican woman, they are not saying she is from the island of Jamaica in the Caribbean, she is actually from Jamaica, Queens in New York City. There are many other articles just like this one that reference Mrs. Fannie Anthony and talk about her in a positive way. While she was only a stewardess aboard the Mary Powell,  it seems that through her enjoyable personality, the excellence of her service, and longevity in the time she served aboard the Mary Powell, she managed to overcome many of the immovable obstacles that faced most women of color at the time. Like the steamboat Mary Powell herself, Fannie achieved a measure of fame not usually afforded ordinary people, much less a woman of color.
         
These three women all played vital roles in ensuring the successful, enjoyable, and safe travel of steamboats along the Hudson River. These women dedicated themselves to the people they served in their respective “ladies cabins.” In the case of Miss R. White and Mrs. Fannie Anthony, that was to serve their passengers with distinction and dignity. In the case of that unfortunately unnamed woman who worked in the “ladies cabin” of the steamer Chief Justice Marshall, she was a hero who saved the lives of everyone in the ladies cabin from being boiled alive from the steam that escaped the engines of that steamer.

I​f you enjoyed this post and would like to support more history blog content, please make a donation to the Hudson River Maritime Museum or become a member today!

Originally built in 1839 of granite Robbins Reef Lighthouse is located between Staten Island's North Shore and the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor.  The spark plug style lighthouse warns mariners to avoid a rocky reef.  The solar powered light, blinking every six seconds is maintained by the US Coast Guard. The Noble Maritime Collection maintains the structure.

Before the days of automated lights, lighthouse keepers and their families lived in the lighthouses and maintained the lights. The Robbins Reef lighthouse has six levels from the cellar where the cistern was kept for fresh water up to the the lantern gallery above the fifth level balcony. The kitchen was on the first level, the sitting room and office on the second floor with bedrooms on the third and fourth levels.

Katherine Walker maintained the light for 33 years following the death of her husband Captain John Walker. from pneumonia in 1890. The lightkeeper's duties included: checking the light throughout the night to be sure the lens was clean so the light could be seen - this was especially important on frosty winter nights.  A foghorn, powered by an engine in the basement, sounded every three seconds. When it failed, the lightkeeper had to hammer on a bell at the top of the tower until help came from the mainland to repair the engine. Detailed records were required as was meticulous cleaning of the lens and windows. Rescues were an important part of Kate's duties as she took her rowboat out to aid mariners in trouble. The American Seaman's Friend Society maintained a library boat that provided reading material. 

Learn more about the Noble Maritime Center, Kate Walker and the Robbins Reef Lighthouse here. 

​If you enjoyed this post and would like to support more history blog content, please make a donation to the Hudson River Maritime Museum or become a member today!

Everyone loves a good ghost story. Especially during this time of year, as Halloween approaches in the Hudson Valley region. Rondout Lighthouse is home to one of these ghostly tales.

The Legend of the Widow’s Watch tells the tale of a young bride who haunts the Rondout Lighthouse, forever searching for her lighthouse keeper husband who perished on their wedding night in a tragic boating accident. On certain autumn nights, lucky (or perhaps unlucky) people may catch a glimpse of this ghostly woman in white watching over the dark waters for her beloved groom to return.

Well, I hate to be the Grinch of Halloween, but this tale, like most legends, has taken tiny bits of truth and spun them into myth.
​
Catherine (Parsell) Murdock Perkins, the presumed subject of this ghost tale, was no weak maiden fair left pining for her groom. While it was her first husband, George Murdock, who was initially hired as the keeper of the Rondout light, she obtained the position after his death and (wo-)manned the lighthouse for over fifty years. 

Catherine, now widowed at age twenty-eight with three young children in her care (the youngest just eight months old and the oldest only four years), took over running the lighthouse and the many difficult tasks that included. Fuel oil for the light would have to be hauled, wicks would need to be trimmed precisely, the glass lens carefully shined. The light was to be lit punctually at sundown, and kept burning until sunrise.  Logs were kept detailing the supplies used, with different monthly and quarterly reports to be filed. The entire lighthouse, even the bedrooms, were to be meticulously kept and subject to inspection.

Catherine married a second time, to Jeremiah Perkins, probably sometime before the 1861 birth of the first of their two children together. Instead of passing the keeper position to her new husband, she continued in the role herself. The 1865 New York State census indicates that Jeremiah worked as a laborer, while Catherine’s occupation was lighthouse keeper.

Catherine was widowed for a second time a few months after that census was enumerated. In August of 1865, details of Jeremiah’s death were published in the Albany Argus:
​
Jeremiah Perkins…. deck hand on the steamer "Santa Claus", had occasion one day last week to go on board the barge "Humboldt", in tow of the steamer.  He had been in the hold of the vessel, and on attempting to ascend, and when he had taken a couple of steps on the ladder, it fell over backward with him, causing him to fall heavily upon the floor.  He was so much injured that he was not able to extricate himself, and he lived but a couple of hours after the accident.[1]

​Catherine, now thirty-six years of age, persevered with her work keeping the lighthouse marking the mouth of the creek illuminated. The sailors that plied the waters of the Hudson River and Rondout Creek relied on her for their safety.

In 1867, a second Rondout Lighthouse was constructed. This second lighthouse was Catherine’s home until her retirement at age seventy-nine in 1907, after more than fifty years of dedicated service. James Murdock, her son who had been born in the lighthouse, was the next family member to take on the lighthouse keeper position.

Catherine died at son William Perkin’s home in Ponckhockie in 1909 at the age of eighty-one years, after a long illness.

The lighthouse that had been Catherine’s home was left boarded up after being replaced by a third Rondout Lighthouse in 1915. The lighthouse that had been Catherine’s home was eventually demolished in 1954.

While a spooky tale of a heartbroken, widowed bride haunting the Rondout Lighthouse might be appealing to those looking for a fright, the actual facts show little resemblance to the legend. While Catherine was widowed twice, and both husbands’ deaths did, in their own way, involve boats, she was far from a newlywed at the time of either of their deaths.

​The Rondout Lighthouse that stands today was constructed years after Catherine’s death, and was not a building she would have known in life. Given the season, however, if you dare to check out the legend for yourself, a few evening lantern cruises remain available through Halloween night! ​https://www.hrmm.org/all-boat-tours.html

For Women's History Month, we're revisiting all the ways in which women have had an impact on the Hudson River. Today, we're highlighting a lecture we hosted in 2020 - only our second virtual lecture ever! - with conservation expert Cara Lee. 

In "Women and the Revival of the Hudson River," Cara discusses how the Hudson River has had a revival in the last sixty years and the roles that many women have played in this epic story, including the ways they created important narratives about the river against the backdrop of societal change. Cara is accompanied by special guest Aidan Mabey. 

To learn more about the environmental history of the Hudson River more generally, check out our online exhibit, "Rescuing the River: 50 Years of Environmental Activism on the Hudson." You can also read about the women of the Palisades Interstate Parks Commission in Jeanne Haffner's "Women in the Forest: Tree Ladies and the Creation of the Palisades Interstate Park." 

For more about other remarkable women in the Hudson Valley, check out this article by Scenic Hudson.

For more lectures, check out our Follow the River Lecture Series, sponsored in part by Rondout Savings Bank.

​If you enjoyed this post and would like to support more history blog content, please make a donation to the Hudson River Maritime Museum or become a member today!​

In the long history of the Hudson River, there have been some truly extraordinary women. From lighthouse keepers and steamboat crews to political movers and shakers, we've put together a list of our favorite blog posts highlighting some of the Hudson River Valley's most fascinating ladies. To read each post, just click on the photo or title. Enjoy, and Happy Women's History Month!

​Fannie M. Anthony - Stewardess of the Mary Powell
Fannie M. Anthony was Stewardess aboard the steamboat Mary Powell for more than 40 years, from approximately 1870-1912. Of mixed Indigenous and Black heritage, Fannie fought stereotypes to become a beloved figure on the Hudson River.

Dorcas Schoonmaker vs. the President
​When her husband Abram died, Dorcas took his place as keeper of the Saugerties Lighthouse in the 1840s. But at a time when all lighthouse keepers were political appointees, a change in the Presidency put her career at risk.  

Media Monday: Kate Walker and Robbins Reef Lighthouse
From 1890 to 1919 Kate Walker kept the Robbins Reef Lighthouse. Located in the middle of New York Harbor, south of the Statue of Liberty, Kate kept the light burning. 
​

Kate and Ellen Crowley - Heroic Guardians of the Saugerties Light
​When their father lost his sight, Kate Crowley took his place as keeper of the Saugerties Lighthouse in the 1870s. With her sister Ellen, they kept the light, cared for their parents, and even affected daring rescues.

Woman Welder on the Rondout
​Danish widow and welder Mrs. Catherine Nelson is the only woman known to have worked on the construction of the Rondout Creek Suspension Bridge, in 1921. 

Women in the Forest: Tree Ladies and the Creation of the Palisades Interstate Park
​Guest author Jeanne Haffner, PhD recounts how women helped save the Palisades and build the Palisades Interstate Park. 

The Women of Schuyler Mansion
Guest author Danielle Funicello traces the lives of the Schuyler women and their impact on New York State and national history. 

The Indomitable Catherine Murdock
​The local favorite! Catherine Murdock served as keeper of the Rondout Lighthouse for over 50 years, from 1856 to 1907. 

For more Women's history, join us for the virtual lecture "Espionage and Enslavement in the Revolution: The True Story of Robert Townsend and Elizabeth" by Claire Bellerjeau on Wednesday, April 13, 2022 at 7:00 PM on Zoom!

You can check out more events and offerings at Women's History Month Kingston.

​If you enjoyed this post and would like to support more history blog content, please make a donation to the Hudson River Maritime Museum or become a member today!​

In the spirit of the Seven Sentinels film, today we are revisiting a time in which all lighthouse keepers in the country were direct political appointments by the President of the United States. This form of political patronage was legally in place until the 1890s, and in the early days of lighthouses, meant that keepers were replaced at every election.

Although numerous Hudson River Lighthouse keepers were removed - for one reason or another - under this system, one of the most egregious examples was the removal of lighthouse keeper Dorcas Schoonmaker of the Saugerties Lighthouse. Dorcas became keeper after the death of her husband Abram Schoonmaker, who had replaced former keeper (and member of the opposite political party) Joseph Burhans in the last. In 1849, Dorcas, a widow with young children, was removed from her position and Joseph Burhans was put back in place. There were few options for widowed women to make a living for their families in the 1840s and '50s, especially if they did not own a home from which to operate a boarding house or similar business. We have found at least two newspaper articles eviscerating President Zachary Taylor for his decision to replace Dorcas (even though it is likely he had no hand in the decision-making at all, leaving it to local party bosses). But perhaps justice was ultimately served - Taylor became the shortest-serving president in U.S. history, dying suddenly just 16 months after taking office.

You can read transcriptions of the newspapers below, both of which quote the Saugerties Telegraph:

"Taylor Continues Proscribing Women." Monmouth Democrat, Freehold, NY, August 9, 1849.

The conduct of the heartless Administration is daily developing more and more of its enormous propensities for proscription. The removal of prominent office holders, of indomitable Democracy and enemies of every phase of whiggery, is a prerogative in the exercise of which we shall not complain. But when women, widows with families of children, are hunted and deposed, to gratify a vindicative [sic] political revenge, we think such outrages should call upon the head of Taylor the indignation of every honest man in the community. We have noticed previously, the removal of women from petty post-offices, the income barely being sufficient for their support.

The latest instance which has come to our knowledge, is as disgraceful as those which have preceeded [sic] it. It is the removal of Mrs. Dorcas Schoonmaker, a poor and highly respectable lady, from the office of keeper of the Saugerties light-house, in the Hudson River - The Telegraph, published in that village, thus alludes to the case.

Under President Tyler's Administration, in 1844, Abram E. Schoonmaker was appointed keeper of the light-house at this place [Saugerties]. He had been a boatman for years, and was at that time unable to perform hard labor. His appointment gave universal satisfaction to both parties. The salary supported him and his family. He was very attentive to his duties, and continued to hold office to the time of his death, in 1846. During the last year of his life, while he was confined to his room, and the greater part of the time to his bed, the duties were performed by his wife, and with such marked regularity and attention as to receive the universal commendation of the boatmen on the river. So interested were the masters of vessels on the Hudson on behalf of this lady, then as now a widow, with a family of children dependent on her for support, that a petition for her appointment to the office was at once drawn up, numerously signed, and forwarded to the proper department, and she was accordingly appointed. She has held the office from that time until this week, when she was removed to make room for Joseph H. Burhans, who was considered, it seems, entitled to receive it from the present administration - being a blue-light Federalist of the Hartford Convention school.

It further states a remonstrance had been forwarded to the proper authorities, protesting against her removal, signed by every steamboat captain and every sloop captain navigating the Hudson, to whom it was presented, Whigs as well as Democrats, being a large majority of the officers of boats on the river; all of whom bore testimony that never since the first establishment of the light-house, has the light been kept with that care at all times of night as during the time when Mrs. Schoonmaker had charge of it. But all to no purpose.

The voters of Ulster county will give Taylor such a demonstration at the next election, as will teach him a lesson which the Whigs of this State will be compelled to commit to memory.

On the same day, all the way down in Tennessee, Mrs. Dorcas Schoonmaker also made the news, in largely the same language:

"The Second Washington," The Daily Union (Nashville, Tennessee), August 9, 1849.

General Taylor has removed Mrs. DORCAS SCHOONMAKER, a poor and highly respected lady, from the office of keeper of the Saugerties light-house, in the Hudson River. The Telegraph, published at that place, thus alludes to this case:

Under President Tyler's Administration, in 1844, Abram E. Schoonmaker was appointed keeper of the light-house at this place [Saugerties]. He had been a boatman for years, and was at that time unable to perform hard labor. His appointment gave universal satisfaction to both parties. The salary supported him and his family. He was very attentive to his duties, and continued to hold office to the time of his death, in 1846. During the last year of his life, while he was confined to his room, and the greater part of the time to his bed, the duties were performed by his wife, and with such marked regularity and attention as to receive the universal commendation of the boatmen on the river. So interested were the masters of vessels on the Hudson on behalf of this lady, then as now a widow, with a family of children dependent on her for support, that a petition for her appointment to the office was at once drawn up, numerously signed, and forwarded to the proper department, and she was accordingly appointed. She has held the office from that time until this week, when she was removed to make room for Jos. H. Burhans, who was considered, it seems, entitled to receive it from the present administration - being a blue-light Federalist of the Hartford Convention school.

The Cincinnati Enquirer says that a remonstrance has been sent to Washington against her removal, signed by every steamboat Captain and sloop Captain navigating the Hudson, to whom it was presented - whigs as well as democrats - being a large majority of all the officers of boats on that river; all of whom bear testimony that never since the first establishment of the light-house, has the light been kept with that care at all times of night as during the time when Mrs. SCHOONMAKER had charge of it.

Is not that small business for the "Second Washington?"

With references to the Cincinnati Enquirer, it seems as though the plight of Mrs. Schoonmaker may have gone "viral" in 1849, with her story published in multiple newspapers throughout the country. 

Sadly, Dorcas, who had lost several children in addition to her husband, moved in with one of her adult daughters and died just a few years later, in 1851, at the age of 49. She is buried with Abram in Mountain View Cemetery in Saugerties, NY.

​If you enjoyed this post and would like to support more history blog content, please make a donation to the Hudson River Maritime Museum or become a member today!​ You can also donate to support the museum's upcoming documentary film, "Seven Sentinels: Lighthouses of the Hudson River," which will include this story and many more.

Today's Media Monday is all about woman lighthouse keeper Kate Walker! Kate was the keeper at Robbins Reef Lighthouse from 1890 to 1919. Although she did not keep her lighthouse for as long as Catherine Murdock, Katherine Walker became just as famous. To learn more about Kate, check out this video by the U.S. Lighthouse Society's Historian. 

The Robbins Reef Lighthouse is currently owned by the Noble Maritime Collection in Staten Island. The Hudson River Maritime Museum is working on a documentary film about Hudson River Lighthouses, and Robbins Reef is one of them! You can help bring the museum's documentary film series to life by sponsoring or donating at www.hudsonriverwise.org/support. 

​If you enjoyed this post and would like to support more history blog content, please make a donation to the Hudson River Maritime Museum or become a member today!​

This year is the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Rondout Suspension Bridge (or the Wurts Street Bridge, the Port Ewen Bridge, or the Rondout-Port Ewen Bridge, etc!), which opened to vehicle traffic on November 29, 1921. 

The bridge was constructed to replace the Rondout-Port Ewen ferry Riverside, which was affectionately (or not so affectionately) known as "Skillypot," from the Dutch "skillput," meaning "tortise." Spanning such a short distance, the ferry was small, and with the advent of automobiles, only able to carry one vehicle across Rondout Creek at a time, causing long delays. Motorists advocated for the construction of a bridge, which was set to begin in 1917. But when the United States joined the First World War that spring, construction was delayed until 1921.

Staff at the museum had long known that there was a woman welder on the construction crew, but we knew nothing beyond that. Had she learned to weld at a shipbuilding yard during the First World War? Was she a local resident, or someone from far away? There were more questions than answers, until a few weeks ago when HRMM volunteer researcher and contributing scholar George Thompson ran across a newspaper article that he said went "viral" in 1921. Entitled, "Woman Spider," and featured in the Morning Oregonian from Portland, Oregon, the article indicated that "Catherine Nelson, of Jersey City" was our famous woman welder.

Having a name sparked off a flurry of research and the collection of 37 separate newspaper articles, all variations on the same theme. Fourteen articles were all published on the same day, September 3, 1921. But only one had more information than the rest - "Never Dizzy, Says Woman Fly, Though Welding 300 Feet in Air. Mrs. Catherine Nelson Has No Nerves, She Loves Her work and Is Paid $30 a Day," published in the Boston Globe. Which, wonderfully, included a photo of Mrs. Catherine Nelson!

Here is the full article from the Boston Globe:

KINGSTON, NY, Sept 3 – Three hundred feet above the surface of Rondout Creek, a worker in overalls and cap has been moving about surefootedly for several days on the preliminary structure that is to support a suspension bridge across that stream.

Thousands of glances, awed and admiring, have been cast upward at the worker, stepping backward and forward and wielding an instrument that blazed blue and gold flames and welded together the cables from which the bridge will swing.

“Some nerve that fellow’s got!” was a favorite remark, to which would come the reply: “You said it!”

But there’s more than awe and admiration now directed aloft, for it turns out that “that fellow” is a woman – Mrs. Catherine Nelson of Jersey City, the only woman outdoor welder in the world.

Isn’t Afraid of Work

She isn’t afraid of her work; she loves it; and – of course this is a big inducement – she gets $30 a day for it. She has never had an accident in her seven years’ experience at the trade. She’s as strong as a man, weighing 180 pounds to her 5 ft 6 in of height, and is a good looking, altogether feminine, Scandinavian blonde. She’s 31.
​
"I was born in Denmark and was married there," Mrs Nelson told the reporter. "But my husband died and left me with two small children, so I had to shift for myself.

"For two years I worked as a stewardess on an ocean liner, but I could not have my children with me and my pay wasn’t much, so I cast about for harder and better-paid work, so I could have my own little home.

"My husband was a garage keeper in Denmark, and I had worked with him, so I knew something of machinery. I got a job in a machine shop in this country. They had an electrical welding department there and I soon got a place there. I grew to love the work and I’ve been at it for seven years.

Does Not Get Dizzy

"This is the highest job I’ve been on, but one of my first was on a water tower at Bayonne, 225 feet tall. I’ve been on smokestacks and tanks plenty. No, I don’t get dizzy. I wear overalls and softsoled shoes, and I’m always sure of myself, for I haven’t any nerves.

"I like to pride myself on the fact that I’ve never turned down a single welding job because it might be dangerous.'

Showing Mrs. Nelson’s standing in her trade, it was she who was sent up from Jersey City when Terry & Tench, the bridge contractors, asked the Weehawken Welding Company for their best operator. 

"My children and I are happy and comfortable now,' she said; 'and I hope to afford to take them home to Denmark for Christmas. But I will come back and tackle some more welding jobs."

The last published article we could find, "Says She Has No Nerves," published in the Chickasha Star, in Chickasha, Oklahoma on September 16, 1921, is almost a verbatim reprint of the Boston Globe article.

As a cable welder, Catherine Nelson was responsible for welding together the cable splices that made up the longest length of the cable span. Wire cable is produced in limited sections, and often the cable was spliced together with welding, which is among the strongest of the splices, replacing the earlier versions of wire wrapping, and later screw splicing. Welded splices are stronger and more durable than both. 

Most welding was typically done in a shop setting, but some, as with Catherine Nelson, were done on site. She may have done additional welding while walking the cables, as most of the newspaper stories focus on her working 300 feet up in the air. 

Once the initial suspension cables were in place, supporting cables for the deck of the bridge could be constructed, which were designed to provide additional support, rigidity, and to spread the weight load across the entire bridge. 

This particular bridge is said to be unique for its "stiffening truss," located under the deck of the bridge. 

The bridge was opened on November 29, 1921 to great fanfare. It remains the oldest suspension bridge in the Hudson Valley, predating the longer Bear Mountain Bridge by several years.

As for Catherine Nelson? We've yet to find any additional information about her, but if you have any leads, or are a relative with family stories, please let us know in the comments!​

​​If you enjoyed this post and would like to support more history blog content, please make a donation to the Hudson River Maritime Museum or become a member today!​