The Plass was an American vehicle manufactured in 1895 by Reuben H Plass.[1]

Background

Reuben Hopkins Plass was born in Hudson, New York around the year 1840.[2] At the beginning of the Civil War on 26 April 1861, he was a Lieutenant in Company A of the 7th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment.[2] After serving for a few months, on 3 June, he returned to work for his father, John T. Plass, during the war making cannon and gun blocks.[2] He claimed to have built his first car in the 1860s. He held patents from 1869 for a velocipede and 1874 for a gas governor.[3] After the war, Plass and his father manufactured bandsaws. Between 1893 and 1895, Plass unsuccessfully sought appointment as a Consul-General to Cuba.[4]

In 1897, Plass invented a luminous lifeline for night use in sea rescues.[5] By January 1899, Plass was bankrupt.[6] In June, he was present at the forming of the Automobile Club of America.[7]

Plass fell ill in 1904 and died from this illness on August 27, 1907 in Kings County, New York at the age of 67. His wife, Isabella Caroline James, survived him.[2]

Vehicle and designs

The Plass patent was for a rear-engined phaeton with an L-shaped tiller designed to be steered by either hand or foot. In 1895 Plass designed and patented a self-propelled sleigh with centre wheels and runners at the front and rear, an idea reasonably similar to the concept of modern snowmobiles.[8] In 1899 he patented a single seat dog-cart design with a mid engine.[9]

The 7th New York Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was composed almost entirely of German immigrants and is also known as the Steuben Guard or the Steuben Regiment. It should not be confused with the 7th New York Militia, an entirely different regiment whose service overlapped with the 7th New York Volunteers.

Service

The regiment was organized in New York City and was mustered in for a two-year enlistment on April 23, 1861. Early in its training, it was so poorly equipped that a civilian who visited the troops wrote a letter to the editor of The New York Times (published May 16, 1861) complaining that tailors within the regiment had to resew the uniforms and put buttons on them, and that some of the soldiers were wearing "flip-flaps". The letter-writer was impressed (spelling and punctuation as in the original):

I have seen no troops before, and I have seen none since, in which there was the same indescribable aspect of discipline. The men were not in uniform, but very poorly dressed, — in many cases with flip-flap shoes. The business-like air with which they marched rapidly through the deep mud of the Third-avenue was the more remarkable.

With "one or two exceptions" almost every officer then in the regiment had experience in European armies, and six out of eight of the soldiers had seen service, often in battle. "The only arms they have as yet are a few old muskets bought by the officers themselves."[1]

The regiment was mustered out of service on May 8, 1863.

Casualties

The regiment suffered 102 deaths from wounds and 47 from other causes, for a total of 149 fatalities.

Commanders

Colonel John E. Bendix

Colonel Edward Kapff

Colonel George W. Von Schack

Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Gaebel

A velocipede (/vəˈlɒsəpiːd/) is a human-powered land vehicle with one or more wheels. The most common type of velocipede today is the bicycle.

The term was probably first coined by Karl von Drais in French as vélocipède for the French translation of his advertising leaflet for his version of the Laufmaschine, also now called a 'dandy horse', which he had developed in 1817. It is ultimately derived from the Latin velox, veloc- 'swift' + pes, ped- 'foot'.[1] The term 'velocipede' is today mainly used as a collective term for the different forerunners of the monowheel, the unicycle, the bicycle, the dicycle, the tricycle and the quadracycle developed between 1817 and 1880. It refers especially to the forerunner of the modern bicycle that was propelled, like a modern tricycle, by cranks, i.e. pedals, attached to the front axle[1] before the invention of geared chains and belt and shaft drives powering the rear.

History

Among the early velocipedes there were designs with one, two, three, four, and even five wheels. Some two-wheeled designs had pedals mounted on the front wheel, while three- and four-wheeled designs sometimes used treadles and levers to drive the rear wheels.

The earliest usable and much-copied velocipede was created by the German Karl Drais and called a Laufmaschine (German for "running machine"), which he first rode on June 12, 1817. He obtained a patent in January 1818. This was the world's first balance bicycle and quickly became popular in both the United Kingdom and France, where it was sometimes called a draisine (German and English), draisienne (French), a vélocipède (French), a swiftwalker, a dandy horse (as it was very popular among dandies) or a Hobby horse. It was made entirely of wood and metal and despite the condition of the roads at the time was sometimes ridden for long distances.

It was almost 40 years until "velocipede" came into common usage as a generic term, with the launch of the first pedal-equipped bicycle, developed by Pierre Michaux, Pierre Lallement and the Olivier brothers in the 1860s. The Michaux company was the first to mass-produce the velocipede, from 1857 to 1871. That French design was sometimes called the boneshaker, since it was also made entirely of wood, then later with metal tires. That in combination with the cobblestone roads of the day made for an extremely uncomfortable ride. These velocipedes also became a fad, and indoor riding academies, similar to roller rinks, could be found in large cities. In 1891 L'Industrie Vélocipédique (Cycling Industry) magazine described 'La Société Parisienne de constructions Velo' as 'the oldest velocipede manufacturer in France', having been founded in 1876 by M. Reynard, and awarded the 'Diploma of honour' at the Exposition Universelle (1878) (World's Fair).[2]

During the 1870s advances in metallurgy led to the development of the first all-metal velocipedes. The pedals were still attached directly to the front wheel, which became larger and larger as makers realised that the larger the wheel, the farther you could travel with one rotation of the pedals. Solid rubber tires and the long spokes of the large front wheel provided a much smoother ride than its predecessor. This type of velocipede was the first one to be called a bicycle ("two wheel"), and its shape led to the nickname penny-farthing in the United Kingdom. They enjoyed a great popularity among young men in the 1880s who could afford them.[citation needed]

While young men were risking their necks on the high wheels, ladies and dignified gentlemen such as doctors and clergymen of the 1880s favoured the less risky tricycle. Many innovations for tricycles eventually found their way into the automobile, such as rack and pinion steering, the differential, and band brakes, the forerunners to drum brakes.

On May 8, 1888, in Washington D.C, Matthew A. Cherry patented new contributions to a velocipede design that could seat up to 3 people including an overhead awning.[3]

1880 Velocipede

1880 Velocipede

 

The American Velocipede, 1868, a wood engraving from Harper's Weekly

The American Velocipede, 1868, a wood engraving from Harper's Weekly

 

Thomas McCall in 1869 on his velocipede

Thomas McCall in 1869 on his velocipede

Boneshaker

Boneshaker (or bone-shaker) is a name used from about 1869 up to the present time to refer to the first type of true bicycle with pedals, which was called velocipede by its manufacturers. "Boneshaker" refers to the extremely uncomfortable ride, which was caused by the stiff wrought-iron frame and wooden wheels surrounded by tires made of iron.

History

This type of bicycle was invented in the 1860s in France and first manufactured by the Michaux company from 1867 to 1869 – the time of the first bicycle craze, and copied by many others during that time. It fell out of favor after the summer of 1869, and was replaced in 1870 with the type of bicycle called "ordinary", "high-wheel", or "penny-farthing".

Few original boneshakers exist today, most having been melted for scrap metal during World War I.[4] Those that do surface from time to time command high prices, typically up to about $5,000 US.[citation needed]

Design

The construction of the boneshaker was similar to the dandy horse: wooden wheels with iron tires and a framework of wrought iron. As the name implies it was extremely uncomfortable, but the discomfort was somewhat ameliorated by a long flat spring that supported the saddle and absorbed many of the shocks from rough road surfaces. The boneshaker also had a brake – a metal lever that pressed a wooden pad against the rear wheel. The front wheel axle ran in lubricated bronze bearings, and some had small lubrication tanks that would wick oil from soaked lamb's wool into the bearings to help them run smoothly. Like the High Wheel bicycles that became popular later in the 19th century, boneshakers were front-wheel drive, but in comparison they had smaller wheels (only about 1 m), and were heavy, with a lightweight model weighing 14 kilograms (30 lb) or more.

European "boneshaker" bicycle, circa 1868.

European "boneshaker" bicycle, circa 1868.

 

The Michaux velocipede had a straight downtube and a spoon brake.

The Michaux velocipede had a straight downtube and a spoon brake.

 

The penny-farthing at the Estonian Sports and Olympic Museum in Tartu, Estonia.

The penny-farthing at the Estonian Sports and Olympic Museum in Tartu, Estonia.

In railroad use

Further information: Draisine

Railroads in North America often made use of a three-wheeled handcar designed to be operated by a single person, which came to be known as a "railway velocipede" or "railroad velocipede".[5][6][7][8] The three-wheel hand-pump rail car's invention is credited to George S. Sheffield of Three Rivers, Michigan.[9] Legend has it that because of inadequate train service to his home, Sheffield built a simple three-wheel car, allowing him to commute 11 kilometres (7 mi) between home and work without having to walk.[9] While so traveling one evening, he discovered a break in the track, and flagged down a night freight train, thus preventing a possible accident.[9] The railroad rewarded his efforts by bankrolling his invention.[9] George Sheffield obtained the patent for his device in 1879, calling it a "velocipede hand car."[9] Originally manufactured by G.S. Sheffield & Co. and later manufactured by Fairbanks, Morse & Company, the Sheffield velocipede remained in use up to World War II.[9]

Animation of a handcar, based on a patent by George S. Sheffield[10]

Animation of a handcar, based on a patent by George S. Sheffield[10]

 

Single-person railroad velocipede on display at the Toronto Railway Historical Association.

Single-person railroad velocipede on display at the Toronto Railway Historical Association.

 

3-wheeled velocipede or handcar on a railroad track. It is operated by hand.

3-wheeled velocipede or handcar on a railroad track. It is operated by hand.

 

Velocipede or handcar at the Nevada State Railroad Museum

Velocipede or handcar at the Nevada State Railroad Museum

 

Velocipede at the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum

Velocipede at the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum

Patents

U.S. Patent 59,915 – Velocipede (reissued as RE7972)

U.S. Patent 382351A VBLOGIPEDE (Lifetime, Expired)

See also

Outline of cycling

References

 Oxford Dictionary of English, 'velocipede'

 Tonton Velo, pour les velos anciens. L'Industrie vélocipédique January 1891. Société Parisienne de Construction Vélocipédique

 US 382351, Cherry, Michael A., "Velocipede", issued 1888-05-08

 Hamilton, Ray (2013). Joy of Cycling. Chichester, England: Summersdale Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-0-85765-992-7.

 "Provincial News". The Gardeners' Chronicle. London (39): 702. September 30, 1843. Last week. Mr. Braithwaite and another gentleman arrived at Brentwood from the Shoreditch station of the Eastern Counties Railway, each upon a four-wheel locomotive propelled by themselves, at the rate of at least twelve miles an hour [19 km/h]. The name given to these novel carriages is 'Railway Velocipedes'.

 Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office, Volume 78 (1897) pp. 395 &c., Government Printing Office, Washington D.C.

 James T. Allen (1892) Digest of Cycles Or Velocipedes with Attachments: Patented in the United States, from 1789 to 1892, Vol. 1, U.S. Patent Office, Washington D.C.

 "A Motor-Wheel for the Railroad Velocipede" (Nov 1916) Popular Science Monthly Vol. 89, No. 5, p. 742

 "Museum Receives Major Acquisitions" (PDF). All Aboard, The Frisco Railroad Museum, September 1986 (accessed on CondrenRails.com). Retrieved January 20, 2021.

A phaeton is a style of open automobile without any fixed weather protection, which was popular from the 1900s until the 1930s. It is an automotive equivalent of the horse-drawn fast, lightweight phaeton carriage.[1]

A popular style in the US from the mid–1920s and continuing into the first half of the 1930s was the dual cowl phaeton, with a cowl separating the rear passengers from the driver and front passenger.[2]

Phaetons fell from favour when closed cars and convertible body styles became widely available during the 1930s. Eventually, the term "phaeton" became so widely and loosely applied that almost any vehicle with two axles and a row or rows of seats across the body could be called a phaeton.[3] Convertibles and pillarless hardtops were sometimes marketed as "phaetons" after actual phaetons were phased out.

History

See also: Phaeton (carriage)

The term phaeton had historically described a light, open four-wheeled carriage. When automobiles arrived it was applied to a light two-seater with minimal coachwork. The term was interchangeable with spyder, derived from a light form of phaeton carriage known as a spider.[4] Originally meant to denote a faster and lighter vehicle than a touring car, the two terms eventually became interchangeable.[5]

A detachable folding or rigid roof could be added before a drive in preparation for inclement weather, and side curtains or screens could be installed once the roof was in place. This was mainly temporary and partial relief rather than the more permanent, watertight protection offered by a convertible. As a result, a phaeton was much lighter than the sturdier, weather-ready convertible. Since the body was entirely open, it was easy to add or remove an extra row of seating where space had been left in the original construction.

A phaeton differs from a convertible in having no winding or sliding windows in the doors or the body.[6]

1917 Hudson phaeton

1917 Hudson phaeton

 

Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8 Sala

Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8 Sala

 

1930 Studebaker

1930 Studebaker

 

1930 Ford Model A

1930 Ford Model A

 

1934 Ford Model B

1934 Ford Model B

 

Toyota AB phaeton

Toyota AB phaeton

Doubles and triples

There were also double phaetons, with two rows of seats, triple phaetons, and closed phaetons.[4][3]

After 1912, American use of the term began to be most closely associated with the "triple phaeton" body configurations that had room for three rows of seats, whether all three were installed or not. This also led to the term "phaeton" becoming similar to, and eventually interchangeable with, the term "touring car".[7][8]

1924 Rolls-Royce 40/50

1924 Rolls-Royce 40/50

 

1935 Duesenberg

1935 Duesenberg

 

1905 Mercedes 28/50 PS double phaeton

1905 Mercedes 28/50 PS double phaeton

 

Cadillac phaeton carrying President Johnson, 1967, nicknamed the "Queen Mary" by his Secret Service detail

Cadillac phaeton carrying President Johnson, 1967, nicknamed the "Queen Mary" by his Secret Service detail

 

1997 Chrysler Phaeton concept car

1997 Chrysler Phaeton concept car

Dual cowl phaeton

Specific use of the term phaeton is with the dual cowl phaeton, a body style in which the rear passengers were separated from the driver and the front passengers by a cowl or bulkhead, often with its own folding windshield.[9]

1935 Duesenberg Model SJ LaGrande Dual Cowl Phaeton

1935 Duesenberg Model SJ LaGrande Dual Cowl Phaeton

 

1956 Chrysler Imperial Parade Phaeton

1956 Chrysler Imperial Parade Phaeton

Decline in popularity

1948 Willys-Overland Jeepster, the last phaeton to be made by an American manufacturer

The phaeton and the touring car were popular up to the 1930s, after which they were largely replaced by the convertible, which also had a retractable roof, but also included side windows so that the car could be completely enclosed.[10]

The Willys-Overland Jeepster was the last true phaeton produced by a major US automaker,[11] and was introduced ten years after the previous phaeton to be offered by an American manufacturer.[12] The post-World War II demand for automobiles - of any description - was an opportunity for Willys-Overland to build on the Jeep's military recognition and they evolved the 1946 Jeepster two-door station wagon to the 1948 phaeton.[13] It provided a "Spartan but adequate appointments" that included hinged front door vent windows and plastic side curtains rather than roll-up glass windows.[13] Marketed from 1948 to 1951, the Jeepster phaeton was a rather expensive niche vehicle and "though admired by many, it was purchased by relatively few."[14]

In 1952, a year after Willys last offered the Jeepster, Chrysler Corporation built three Imperial Parade phaetons for ceremonial use, one by New York City, one by Los Angeles, and one intended for the White House, but ultimately used for events throughout the United States.[15] These were dual-cowl phaetons custom-built on stretched versions of the company’s Imperial Crown Limousine chassis.[16]

As a model name

In the late 1930s, Buick included a "convertible phaeton" body style, which was actually a four-door convertible, as the doors had roll up windows in them and the car could be fully closed.[17][18][19]

During the 1956 model year, Mercury marketed the four-door hardtop versions of its Montclair and Monterey models as "phaetons."[20][21]

In 2004, Volkswagen introduced a vehicle with the name Phaeton, which has a typical four-door sedan body style.[22]

1934 Buick "convertible phaeton"

1934 Buick "convertible phaeton"

 

1956 Mercury Montclair Phaeton 4-door hardtop sedan

1956 Mercury Montclair Phaeton 4-door hardtop sedan

 

2013 Volkswagen Phaeton – a four-door hardtop sedan

2013 Volkswagen Phaeton – a four-door hardtop sedan

See also

Brougham

Coupé

Grand tourer

Roadster

Runabout

Patents for Reuben H. Plass

Patents 1 - 5 of 5

First set of recordsLast set of records

Number Date Patentee Title Type

54,888 May 22, 1866 G.P. Ganster Improvement in Wrenches screw adjust wrenches

82,244 Sep. 15, 1868 J.T. Plass, R.H. Plass Apparatus for carbureting air carburetors

88,205 Mar. 23, 1869 R.H. Plass Improvement in velocipedes

177,745 May 23, 1876 R.H. Plass Improvement in gas-governors

570,952 Nov. 10, 1896 R.H. Plass Self-propelling vehicle motor vehicles

A tiller or till is a lever used to steer a vehicle. The mechanism is primarily used in watercraft, where it is attached to an outboard motor, rudder post or stock to provide leverage in the form of torque for the helmsman to turn the rudder. A tiller may also be used in vehicles outside of water, and was seen in early automobiles.

On vessels, a tiller can be used by the helmsman directly pulling or pushing it, but it may also be moved remotely using tiller lines or a ship's wheel. Rapid or excessive movement of the tiller results in an increase in drag and will result in braking or slowing the boat.

Description

A tiller is a lever used to steer a vehicle. It provides leverage in the form of torque to turn the device that changes the direction of the vehicle, such as a rudder on a watercraft or the surface wheels on a wheeled vehicle. A tiller can be used by directly pulling or pushing it, but it may also be moved remotely using tiller lines or a ship's wheel; some kayaks which have foot pedals use a tiller for steering. Tillers on outboard motors often employ an additional control mechanism where twisting of the shaft is used to vary speed.[1]

Watercraft

Rudder control

In watercraft, the tiller may be attached to a rudder post (American terminology) or rudder stock (English terminology) that provides leverage in the form of torque to turn the rudder. In steering a boat, the tiller is always moved in the direction opposite of which the bow of the boat is to move. If the tiller is moved to port side (left), the bow will turn to starboard (right). If the tiller is moved to starboard (right), the bow will turn port (left). Sailing students often learn the alliterative phrase "Tiller Towards Trouble" to remind them of how to steer.[2] Rapid or excessive movement of the tiller results in an increase in drag and will result in braking or slowing the boat. In the early 1500s the tiller was also referred to as the steering stick.[citation needed]

Engine control

Some outboard motors may instead have the tiller directly attached and offer controls for engine throttle and prop rotation for forward and reverse.[3]

Tiller orders

F.1 - With a tiller steering, the helmsman pushes it from port tack to starboard. F.2 - With a steering wheel, the helmsman turns the wheel in the direction where he wants to turn.

Until the current international standards for giving steering orders were applied around 1933,[4] it was common for steering orders on ships to be given as "Tiller Orders", which dictated to which side of the vessel the tiller was to be moved. Since the tiller is forward of the rudder's pivot point, and the rudder aft of it, the tiller's movement is reversed at the rudder, giving the impression that orders were given "the wrong way round". For example, to turn a ship to port (its left side), the helmsman would be given the order "starboard helm" or "x degrees starboard". The ship's tiller was then moved to starboard, turning the rudder to the vessel's port side, producing a turn to port. The opposite convention applied in France (where tribord—starboard—meant turn to starboard), but Austria and Italy kept to the English system. There was no standardisation in vessels from Scandinavian countries, where the practice varied from ship to ship. Most French vessels with steering wheels had their steering chains reversed and when under the command of a British pilot this could result in confusion.[5]

When large steamships appeared in the late 19th century with telemotors hydraulically connecting the wheel on the bridge to the steering gear at the stern, the practice continued.[6][7] However, the helmsman was now no longer directly controlling the tiller, and the ship's wheel was simply turned in the desired direction (turn the wheel to port and the ship will go to port). Tiller Orders remained however; although many maritime nations had abandoned the convention by the end of the 19th century, Britain retained it until 1933[8] and the U.S. merchant marine until 1935.[6] One of the reasons for this system continuing, apart from it being a long-established maritime tradition, was that it provided consistency—regardless of whether a vessel was steered directly by the tiller or remotely by a wheel, every vessel had a tiller of some sort and so a tiller order remained true for any vessel. During the transition period the wording of the order was changed, to specify "Wheel to starboard" or "Wheel to port".[9]

A well-known and often-depicted example occurred on the RMS Titanic in 1912 just before she collided with an iceberg. When the iceberg appeared directly in front of the ship, her officer-of-the-watch, First Officer William Murdoch, decided to attempt to clear the iceberg by swinging the ship to its port side. He ordered "Hard-a-Starboard", which was a Tiller Order directing the helmsman to turn the wheel to port (anti-clockwise) as far as it would go. The Titanic's steering gear then pushed the tiller toward the starboard side of the ship, swinging the rudder over to port and causing the vessel to turn to port. These actions are faithfully portrayed in the 1997 film of the disaster. Although frequently described as an error, the order was given and executed correctly— the vessel struck the iceberg anyway.[10][11] However, according to the granddaughter of the highest-ranking officer to survive the sinking, Second Officer Charles Lightoller, the order was not correctly executed. Quartermaster Hitchins, who had been trained under Rudder Orders, mistakenly turned the wheel to starboard. It took two minutes to recognise and correct the error, by which time it was too late to avoid collision with the iceberg. Louise Patten makes the statement in an endnote to her fictional story, Good as Gold.[12][13]

Although this system seems confusing and contradictory today, to generations of sailors trained on sailing vessels with tiller steering it seemed perfectly logical and was understood by all seafarers. Only when new generations of sailors trained on ships with wheel-and-tiller steering came into the industry was the system replaced.

Other vehicles

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Tiller steering of 1904 Cyklonette.

Landcraft

[icon]

This section needs expansion with: Needs more about early use in automobiles and how it works with wheeled vehicles, compared to water vessels. You can help by adding to it. (June 2018)

1971 Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) with (joy)stick steering controls.

The first automobiles were steered with a tiller, which angled the wheels to steer the vehicle. A steering wheel was first used in Europe in 1894 and became standard on French Panhard cars in 1898. Arthur Constantin Krebs replaced the tiller with an inclined steering wheel for the Panhard & Levassor car he designed for the Paris-Amsterdam race which ran from 7–13 July 1898. In the US, Packard introduced a steering wheel on the second car they built, in 1899. By early in the next century, the steering wheel had nearly replaced the tiller in automobiles. However, some automobiles still used tillers into the teens, such as Rauch & Lang Carriage Co., a manufacturer of electric automobiles in Cleveland, Ohio. Lanchester in England also offered tiller steering later than many car manufacturers.

Today, tractor-drawn semi-trailers for ladder trucks are called tiller truck and use a "tiller" (rear steering axle) driver to control the trailer where the aerial ladder is located. Some recumbent bicycles employ tiller steering. The tiller of the electric threewheeler TWIKE - called Joystick - includes buttons for acceleration and electric braking. Mobility scooters are usually fitted with a tiller.

Aircraft

Most large, transport category airplanes use a device known as a tiller to steer the airplane while taxiing. This usually takes the form of a small steering wheel or lever in the cockpit, often one for the pilot and one for the co-pilot. However, they differ from the tiller on a ship. Rather than move the rudder, the tiller on an airplane steers by turning the nose wheel, and the tiller is moved in the direction of the turn, rather than opposite the turn as on a ship.

See also

Ship's wheel

Steering engine

Hudson is a city in Columbia County, New York, United States.[2] At the 2020 census, it had a population of 5,894.[3] On the east side of the Hudson River, 120 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, it was named after the river's explorer Henry Hudson.

History

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The native Mahican people had occupied this territory for hundreds of years before Dutch colonists began to settle here in the 17th century,[4] calling it "Claverack Landing". In 1662, some of the Dutch bought this area of land from the Mahican. It was originally part of the Town of Claverack.

In 1783, the area was settled largely by Quaker New England whalers and merchants hailing primarily from the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, and Providence, Rhode Island, led by Thomas and Seth Jenkins. They capitalized on Hudson being at the head of navigation on the Hudson River and developed it as a busy port. Hudson was chartered as a city in 1785. The self-described "Proprietors" laid out a city grid. By 1786, the city had several fine wharves, warehouses, a spermaceti-works and fifteen hundred residents.[5]

In 1794, John Alsop of the New York City shipping and commission agents, Alsop & Hicks relocated to Hudson for a brief time. He continued to maintain a part interest in the firm and brought in customers from the Hudson area, including: Thomas Jenkins & Sons, Seth Jenkins, and the Paddock family, among others. After Alsop's death in November 1794, his partner, Isaac Hicks, began to focus more of his efforts towards increasing his sale of whale products-especially oil and spermaceti candles.[6] Hudson grew rapidly as an active port and came within one vote of being named by the state legislature as the capital of New York state, losing to Albany, an historic center of trade from the 17th century.[7]

Hudson grew rapidly, and by 1790 was the 24th-largest city in the United States.[8] In 1820, it had a population of 5,310 and ranked as the fourth-largest city in New York, after New York City, Albany and Brooklyn.[9] Construction of the Erie Canal in 1824 drew development west in the state, stimulating development of cities related to Great Lakes trade, such as Rochester and Buffalo, although the Hudson River continued to be important to commerce.

The renowned case of People v. Croswell began in Hudson when Harry Croswell published on September 9, 1802, an attack on Thomas Jefferson in the Federalist paper The Wasp. The state's Democratic-Republican attorney General Ambrose Spencer indicted Croswell for a seditious libel. The case eventually wound up with Alexander Hamilton defending Crosswell before the New York Supreme court in Albany in 1804. Crosswell lost, apparently due the influence of anti-Federalist Justice Morgan Lewis. However, enough state assemblymen had observed the trial that in 1805 they changed the state law on libel.[10]

During the 19th century, considerable industry was developed in Hudson, and the city became known as a factory town. It attracted new waves of immigrants and migrants to industrial jobs. Wealthy factory owners and merchants built fine houses in the Victorian period. Hudson obtained a new charter in 1895. It reached its peak of population in 1930, with 12,337 residents.

The Hudson sesquicentennial commemorative half dollar was issued in 1935. It had one of the smallest mintages for a type issued by the US Mint.

In 1935, to celebrate the sesquicentennial of the city, the United States Mint issued the Hudson Half Dollar. The coin is one of the rarest ever minted by the United States Government, with only 10,008 coins struck. On the front of the coin is an image of Henry Hudson's ship the Half Moon, and on the reverse is the seal of the city. Local legend has it that coin was minted on the direct order of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to thank the Hudson City Democratic Committee for being the first to endorse him for state senator and governor.

In the late 19th and first half of the 20th century, Hudson became notorious as a center of vice, especially gambling and prostitution.[11] The former Diamond Street is today Columbia Street. At the peak of the vice industry, Hudson boasted more than 50 bars. These rackets were mostly broken up in 1951, after surprise raids of Hudson brothels by New York state troopers under orders from Governor Thomas E. Dewey netted several local policemen, among other customers.[11]

In 2020, HudsonUP,[12] a Universal basic income pilot was launched in Hudson by The Spark of Hudson[13] community center together with Humanity Forward Foundation.[14]

Land use controversy

From late 1998 until spring 2005, a land-use conflict took place when St. Lawrence Cement (SLC), a subsidiary of Swiss multinational Holderbank (since renamed Holcim), then one of the world's largest cement companies, proposed to build a cement-manufacturing plant. The massive coal-fired plant project would have occupied more than 1,800 acres (7.3 km2) in the city of Hudson and the town of Greenport. Supporters cited the project for jobs and stimulating other growth. Sustained grassroots opposition to the project was led by business owner Peter Jung[15] and journalist Sam Pratt,[16][17] co-founders of Friends of Hudson (FOH).[18] Opponents argued the proposed project violated state environmental regulations and would adversely affect the river, shoreline, and related habitats.

The controversy gained national attention from news outlets such as CNN and The New York Times, as well as media outlets in Canada and Switzerland. The project was withdrawn after New York Secretary of State Randy Daniels determined that the company's plans were inconsistent with New York State's 24 coastal policies.[19] Opponents of the cement project described the ruling as "a colossal relief", and supporters, including the Business Council of New York State, denounced it as "flawed in its logic".[20] Nearly 14,000 public comments were received by the State's Division of Coastal Resources (87% of them opposed to the project), a record for that agency.[21]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.3 square miles (6.0 km2), of which 2.2 square miles (5.6 km2) is land and 0.15 square miles (0.4 km2), or 7.38%, is water.[3]

Hudson is located 120 miles from New York Harbor, at the head of navigation on the Hudson River, on what originally was a spit of land jutting into the Hudson River between the South Bay and North Bay. Both bays have been largely filled in. Across the Hudson River lies the town of Athens in Greene County; a ferry connected the two municipalities during much of the 19th century. Between them lies Middle Ground Flats, a former sandbar that grew due to both natural silting and also from dumping the spoils of dredging; today it is inhabited by deer and a few occupants of quasi-legal summer shanties. The Town of Greenport borders the other three sides of the city.

Demographics

Historical population

Census Pop. Note %±

1790 2,584 —

1800 3,664 41.8%

1810 4,048 10.5%

1820 5,310 31.2%

1830 5,392 1.5%

1840 5,672 5.2%

1850 6,286 10.8%

1860 7,187 14.3%

1870 8,615 19.9%

1880 8,670 0.6%

1890 9,970 15.0%

1900 9,528 −4.4%

1910 11,417 19.8%

1920 11,745 2.9%

1930 12,337 5.0%

1940 11,517 −6.6%

1950 11,629 1.0%

1960 11,075 −4.8%

1970 8,940 −19.3%

1980 7,986 −10.7%

1990 8,034 0.6%

2000 7,524 −6.3%

2010 6,713 −10.8%

2020 5,894 −12.2%

U.S. Decennial Census[22]

Fire station in Hudson

As of the census[23] of 2010, there were 6,713 people, 2,766 households, and 1,368 families residing in the city. The population was estimated at 6,648 Hudson (city) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau in 2013. These numbers include the approximately 360 residents of the local Hudson Correctional Facility.

Population declines since the late 20th century may be attributable[according to whom?] to demographic trends in which retirees, young couples, childless couples, singles, and weekenders have been gradually replacing larger families in the city. They have converted apartment buildings to single-family homes, and the number of unoccupied homes and rate of tax delinquency have declined.[original research?]

The population density was 3,110.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,201.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 59.0% (55.5% Non-Hispanic) White, 25.0% African American, 0.4% Native American, 7.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, and 5.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.2% of the population.

There were 2,766 households, out of which 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 24.6% were married couples living together, 19.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.5% were non-families. 40.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.5% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,117, and the median income for a family was $37,400. Males had a median income of $26,274 versus $22,598 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,353. About 23.0% of families and 23.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.8% of those under age 18 and 19.1% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Hudson City Hall

Hudson Area Library

The city has a mayor-council form of elected government. Since the 1990s, nine mayors have served: William Allen, Dolly Allen, Richard Scalera, Kenneth Cranna, Richard Tracy, William Hallenbeck, Tiffany Martin Hamilton, Rick Rector, and Kamal Johnson. This period has been marked by unusual levels of friction between elected officials and residents, as the demographics and economics of the city have shifted. The Common Council consists of ten members elected from five districts, and a Council President elected citywide, as is the Treasurer.[24]

LGBTQ community

In the early 21st century, Hudson has become a destination for LGBTQ people. In 2010, Hudson High School openly gay seniors, Timothy Howard and Charlie Ferrusi, made national history when they won prom king and queen.[25] During the same year, Hudson hosted its first LGBTQ pride parade,[26] attended by several hundred people. Lil' Deb's Oasis is a restaurant in the city that hosts queer events and is an LGBTQ gathering space.[27]

Economy

After a steep economic decline in the 1960s and '70s, following the loss of jobs due to restructuring in the manufacturing sector, the city has undergone a significant revival. The economy has shifted to one based on tourism, services and related retail.

Attracted by its quality architecture, a group of antiques dealers opened shops on the city's main thoroughfare, Warren Street, in the mid-1980s. Among these were the Hudson Antiques Center, founded by Alain Pioton, and the English Antiques Center. In the early 21st century, the city has nearly seventy shops now, represented by the Hudson Antiques Dealers Association (HADA). The business revival stimulated tourism and attracted residents, some taking second homes in the city. It has become known for its active arts scene, restaurants, art galleries and nightlife, in addition to the antique shops.[28]

Transportation

Amtrak's Hudson station

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Hudson via the Hudson station.

Columbia County Public Transportation provides local service and commuter service to Albany.[29]

Local news sources

The Register Star

Modern Farmer

Attractions

Warren Street in downtown Hudson

Hudson is home to the Firemen's Association of the State of New York (FASNY) Museum of Firefighting, one of the largest fire service-centered museums in the world. It is on the grounds of the FASNY Firemen's home, the first nursing home for firemen in the country.[30]

The Hudson Music Festival was an annual event established in 2011 and was New York's largest free music festival. The fourth annual Hudson Music Festival took place August 8, 9 & 10, 2014 and showcased 100 acts.[31][32][33]

Hudson Hall, an arts venue and organization, is located on Warren Street in the center of the city. It is New York's oldest operating theater.[34]

Time & Space Limited, a not-for-profit arts organization serves the City of Hudson and the Hudson River Valley Region. It shows a wide selection of independent movies.[35]

A farmers market takes place on Saturdays, offering a variety of fresh organic products from the Hudson Valley area. The market is conducted outdoors in the warm season and indoor in the wintertime.

Olde York Farm is a woman-owned and family-operated distillery sourcing Hudson Valley foraged and farmed ingredients to make seasonal batch spirits.[36] The farm consists of land growing apples for apple based spirits, land for growing grain, and a black walnut tree grove on site at the distillery. The property is part of the historic Jacob Rutsen van Rensselaer House and Mill complex. Rensselaer also had his own distillery and cooperage circa 1805. Today the distillery and cooperage reside in Rensselaer's former carriage house. Barrels are handmade on site to age bourbon, whiskey, and brandy. On weekends, the tasting room is open serving cocktails, local beer, wine, cider, cheese plates, and gourmet grilled cheese.[37]

Many local restaurants use fresh meat, eggs, herbs, and produce from local farms and agrarian groups.[38]

National Register of Historic Properties listings

With hundreds of properties listed or eligible to be listed in the State and National registers of historic places, Hudson has been called the "finest dictionary of American architecture in New York State".[39][page needed] The vast majority of properties listed within the Hudson Historic District are considered to be contributing, attesting to their quality.[39]

These properties include the Dr. Oliver Bronson House and Estate and Dr. Oliver Bronson House and Stables (both for Dr. Oliver Bronson), Henry A. and Evanlina Dubois House, Cornelius H. Evans House, Front Street-Parade Hill-Lower Warren Street Historic District, Houses at 37–47 North Fifth Street, Hudson Almshouse, Hudson Historic District, Hudson/Athens Lighthouse, Rossman-Prospect Avenue Historic District, United States Post Office, William Henry Ludlow House, Elisha Williams House, Oliver Wiswall House, and Van Salsbergen House.[40]

Artist's rendering of fishermen on the Athens side of the Hudson, with view of City of Hudson waterfront (date unknown)

Artist's rendering of fishermen on the Athens side of the Hudson, with view of City of Hudson waterfront (date unknown)

 

Engraved view of the city (date, artist unknown)

Engraved view of the city (date, artist unknown)

 

South Western View of Hudson City N.Y. from Academy Hill, or Prospect Hill (1837) by W.H. Bartlett

South Western View of Hudson City N.Y. from Academy Hill, or Prospect Hill (1837) by W.H. Bartlett

 

The 1786 William Henry Ludlow house

The 1786 William Henry Ludlow house

Notable people

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Marina Abramović, performance artist

Robert Adams, American sailor and explorer

John Ashbery, New York State poet laureate[41]

Melissa Auf der Maur, musician (The Smashing Pumpkins, Hole) and owner of Basilica Hudson, an arts and performance venue[42][43]

Rashad Barksdale, New York Giants cornerback

Jonah Bokaer, choreographer, media artist[44]

J. D. Cannon, actor[45]

Nicolas Carone, artist[46]

Dave Cole, Sculptor[47]

Rich Conaty (1954-2016), radio disc jockey

John Corapi, born and grew up in Hudson, accountant who turned to religion and became a Catholic priest, whistleblower in false claims suit in California, spoke about Catholicism on radio and TV; suspended from ministry by his order, he resigned

Lynn Davis, photographer[48]

Tom Davis, comedian[49]

Alice Mary Dowd (1855–1943), educator, author

Sarah Stoddard Eddy (1831-1904), reformer and clubwoman

George C. Ewing, politician, and founder of Holyoke, Massachusetts[50]

Joel Flaum, Judge on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals

Nancy Fuller, host of Food Network's Farmhouse Rules[51]

Kevin Geary (born 1952), English portrait and abstract artist[52]

Sanford Robinson Gifford, was born here in 1823 and grew up here; an artist, he became a member of the second generation of the Hudson River School landscape painters. Following his death on August 29, 1880, he was buried in Hudson's Cedar Park Cemetery.

Kirsten Gillibrand, politician, lawyer, and member of the United States Senate[53]

Malcolm Gladwell - author, essayist, journalist, storyteller, podcast host

Bibbe Hansen - performance artist, actress, musician[54]

Gaby Hofmann - actress[55]

Hezekiah Lord Hosmer - first chief justice of the Montana Territory Supreme Court

Joshua Lee, US congressman

Tyler Lydon, basketball player, first-round selection in 2017 NBA draft

Sam J. Miller, science fiction author

Alex MacKinnon, darts player

Meshell Ndegeocello, musician[56]

Benjamin Moore Norman, author and book dealer

Elvis Perkins, musician

Dawn Langley Simmons, author and famous hermaphrodite (Simmons lived quietly in Hudson during the 1980s while writing her biography of Margaret Rutherford)

Tommy Stinson, musician[57]

Bob Trowbridge, former Major League Baseball pitcher

Chris Urbanowicz, musician

Martin Van Buren, US president, set up his first law office in Hudson.

William Jenkins Worth, was born on Union Street in Hudson and grew up here. He entered the military and served as a general during the Mexican–American War. Worth Avenue in Hudson is named after him, as is Fort Worth, Texas.

Rupert Wyatt (film maker)

In popular culture

Several movies and television shows have been filmed in Hudson:

Odds Against Tomorrow (1959), starring Harry Belafonte and Robert Ryan

Ironweed, starring Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep

Nobody's Fool (1994 film), starring Paul Newman.

A Bread Factory (2018), directed by Patrick Wang

The PBS documentary Two Square Miles, directed by Barbara Ettinger, is about Hudson.[58]

Our Town: Hudson, WHMT Aired: 2011[59]

Hudson is referenced throughout the series Gossip Girl as the home of Alison Humphrey and later Jenny Humphrey

Hudson is the town in which author Lionel Shriver set her 2020 novel The Motion of the Body Through Space.

Hudson is the town in which author Jen Beagin set her 2023 novel Big Swiss.