The "James W. Baldwin" - A Boat Much Like the "Powell"

Editor’s Note: The following text is a verbatim transcription of an article featuring stories by Captain William O. Benson (1911-1986). Beginning in 1971, Benson, a retired tugboat captain, reminisced about his 40 years on the Hudson River in a regular column for the Kingston (NY) Freeman’s Sunday Tempo magazine. Captain Benson's articles were compiled and transcribed by HRMM Contributing Scholar Carl Mayer. This article was originally published November 18, 1973.

Steamboat "James W. Baldwin". Tracey I. Brooks Collection, Hudson River Maritime Museum.

The book “Mary Powell” published earlier this year and written by my good friend, Donald C. Ringwald, justly revived interested in the old “Queen of the Hudson.” However, another Rondout steamboat that had many striking similarities to the “Mary Powell” but never achieved the fame I thought she deserved was the old Rondout to New York night boat “James W. Baldwin.”

Both the “Mary Powell” and the James W. Baldwin” had much in common. Both steamboats were built at the same shipyard at Jersey City, the “Baldwin” in 1860 and the “Powell” in 1861. Both were built for service between Rondout and New York, the “Powell” as a day steamer, the “Baldwin” as a night boat. Both faithfully served their Rondout to New York route for almost the same period of time, the “Powell” making her last run in 1917 and the “Baldwin” ending her service only six years before in 1911.

Although the “Mary Powell’s” period of active service was a few years more, the “James W. Baldwin” probably made more trips. The “Powell” was treated almost like a yacht and her regular season would normally be from early May to mid-October. The “Baldwin,” on the other hand, was a work horse and she would start yearly service just as soon as the river ice broke up in March and run until river navigation was stopped by the ice of the following winter. Whereas the “Powell” carried only passengers, the “Baldwin” also on most trips would be heavily laden with freight and Hudson Valley cargoes.

Also, the “Mary Powell” ran only during the best months of the year as far as the weather was concerned the “James W. Baldwin,” on the other hand, had to combat the fogs of early spring and late fall with their potential accompanying hazards of grounding or collision and on occasion, even had ice to contend with. Clearly, she deserved more credit and fame than was to be her fate.

The “James W. Baldwin” first appeared on the Hudson River on the Rondout run in the spring of 1861. She was built for Captain Jacob H. Tremper of Kingston, one of the best known steamboat operators of his era. Originally 242 feet long and, as was the custom in that long ago day, she was a typical steamboat of her time – a sidewheeler with a walking beam engine and with her boilers on her guards abaft the paddle wheels.

When she came on the Rondout route, she was immediately hailed as the fastest night boat on the river carrying staterooms. Some old timers, as late as 1920, claimed that before she was lengthened and more staterooms added, she was just as fast as the famous “Mary Powell.”

When she was built, it was said she carried on her paddle boxes as the base of the fanlike wheel housings a carved portrait likeness in vivid colors of James W. Baldwin, the man for whom she was named. While under construction, Captain Tremper was allegedly going to name the new steamer “Wiltwyck.” Baldwin was the father-in-law of William F. Romer, Captain Tremper’s partner in his steamboat venture, and on his death a month or two prior to the vessel’s launching Captain Tremper decided to name his new boat after Mr. Baldwin.
In those days, captains frequently also attended to the business affairs of their steamers, as well, and Captain Tremper sailed on his new boat in this capacity from her first trip until his death in 1888. During this same period, the “Baldwin’s” chief engineer was David B. Jackson, known as “Boss” Jackson. It was said he could sit in his engine room and uncannily detect any unusual sound from his boat’s faithful beam engine, immediately tell where it was coming from, and take whatever corrective action was necessary in but a moment or two. He passed away two years after Captain Tremper on June 4, 1890, after 30 years of sailing up and down the Hudson on the “Baldwin.”

Since she sailed on the Rondout to New York run for fifty years, the “James W. Baldwin” had many running mates – as it took two steamboats to provide nightly service. First it was the steamer “Manhattan,” then the “Knickerbocker” and  then for a 19 year period the steamboat “Thomas Cornell” – until the latter was wrecked on Danskammer Point on March 27, 1882. The steamboats “City of Catskill” and the “City of Springfield” then ran opposite the “Baldwin” until the new steamer “City of Kingston” came on the route in 1884. After the “City of Kingston” was sold in 1889 to run on the Pacific coast, the steamer “Saugerties” filled in on the run until the steamboat “William F. Romer” came on the route – the “Baldwin’s” regular companion for her last 21 years of service.

Since the “James W. Baldwin” was built in an era when many vessels – particularly large sailing ships – carried intricately carved figure heads on their bow, the “Baldwin” also boasted fine examples of the wood-carver’s art.
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Only the “Baldwin” carried her carvings on the top of her spars, of which here were four for the purpose of strengthening her hull. On top of the forward spar was a very large eagle with wings spread. The second spar was surmounted by a large gold leafed ball. On top of the third spar was a Union soldier’s liberty cap, somewhat like the fireman’s cap which surmounts today’s flag pole in front of the Port Ewen fire house. Topping the after fourth spar was a sailor peering through a spy glass – always looking dead ahead. These ornamentations were subsequently removed in later years and disappeared, probably due to deterioration caused by the effects of winter snows and summer rains after making hundreds of trips up and down the Hudson.

Nightboat "James W. Baldwin" leaving Rondout Creek, sailing canoes in foreground. Donald C. Ringwald Collection, Hudson River Maritime Museum.

Like the “Mary Powell,” the “James W. Baldwin” had many devoted followers. One was an old southern gentleman by the name of John C. Alsdorf, who had been a colonel in the Confederate Army. In 1890 at the age of 86 and unattended,  Col. Alsdorf traveled from Atlanta, Georgia to visit some friends in the Catskill Mountains. He took the "Baldwin" from New York to Kingston and told the Second Mate, Charles Steenburgh, he had heard about the "Baldwin" from his son who had been a prisoner of war during the Civil War.

The son had been held as a P.O.W. in the Hudson Valley. When released, he had started his journey home on the "Baldwin." The elderly Colonel said to Mate Steenburgh, "Now, I have done something I wanted to do since my son told me about this sidewheeler. And what a wonderful stateroom I had last night; not even any vibration like the ones down home. She sure is some steamboat to be poud of and I will tell all my friends about her when I get back to Georgia."

Col. Alsdorf's admiration for the "James W. Baldwin" apparently grew during his visit to the Catskills, for on his return about two weeks later he bought a three-way ticket – sail to New York, and then back up to Kingston and back to New York again before resuming his return journey to Atlanta.

Another devoted friend of the "James W. Baldwin" was an early fireman on the steamer who lived in Sleightsburgh and had been drafted for the War between the States. Captured in 1863, he had been held as a prisoner of war at the infamous Andersonville prison. After his release at war's end, he made his way north from Georgia by his own devices, a good part of the journey I've been told literally on foot. Arriving penniless at Jersey City and walking along the waterfront, he saw the "James W. Baldwin" at her New York berth across the river.
The former soldier went to the Jersey City ferry terminal and asked if he could get a ride across the river. The collector curtly told him, "We don't carry people for nothing." A deckhand on the ferryboat overheard the exchange, rand up to the ferry's pilot house, and related the incident to the captain, knowing the captain had lost two sons in the war.

The captain immediately ran down and overtook the crest-fallen soldier walking away in his tattered blue uniform. The captain called out to him to wait and on catching up to him said, "Soldier, if you want to get to the New York shore come back with me. Where are you headed?"

The soldier told him he lived up the river and on seeing the "Baldwin" on which he used to work, he knew he could get a ride of Rondout.

The captain then gave the soldier twenty-five cents to carry with him, saying "I wish I could give you more, but I have to help my son's wives with their children."

The grateful soldier, after crossing the harbor, went aboard the "James W. Baldwin" and saw his old chief, "Boss" Jackson. It was reported to be a very happy meeting with the chief engineer supposedly saying, "You sure can sail up with us. And after you are home awhile and, if a job opens up, I'll let you know." After about a week, "Boss" Jackson was true to his word, and the former soldier was back on the "Baldwin," firing the same starboard boiler he had reluctantly left three years previously.

Author

Captain William Odell Benson was a life-long resident of Sleightsburgh, N.Y., where he was born on March 17, 1911, the son of the late Albert and Ida Olson Benson. He served as captain of Callanan Company tugs including "Peter Callanan", and "Callanan No. 1" and was an early member of the Hudson River Maritime Museum. He retained, and shared, lifelong memories of incidents and anecdotes along the Hudson River. ​

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