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Thursday, March 22, 2018

Jessie B. off the Poughkeepsie waterfront


I love this shot of the Poughkeepsie waterfront - circa 1890. It is a not-so-common photo of an ice yacht with the Poughkeepsie Railroad bridge in the background, along with the Poughkeepsie Waterfront.  The Vassar Brewery is one of the white buildings beyond the steamboat.
This is also one of the only pictures I've found of the Jessie BJessie B. was owned by Charles Lumb  and named after his daughter Jessie.  She sailed in 4 races for the Ice Yacht Challenge Pennant of America, always sailing with the Poughkeepsie Ice Yacht Club: February 1884; Feb. 14 1885;  Feb. 18, 1885 &   Feb. 14, 1887. In that 1887 race Jessie B. was 12th of 12 yachts entered. I find no entries of the boat in any of the club books, and Pennant race summaries do not note who sailed her.

Photo courtesy of the Poughkeepsie Public Library District; from their Main & Market Collection.  



Here is one other picture that captures the RR Bridge in the background. 


                                       Circa 1900?   Courtesy of Rick Lawrence 


Another great photo from the Poughkeepsie Library collection:   


Ice yachts off Roosevelt's Point, Feb. 1881   
Icicle (John A. Roosevelt)     Uncle Jake     Virginia (H.A. Gildersleeve)     Gypsie (James Winslow)     Fairy (E. Harrison Sanford)     Avalanche (No5)  (E. Harrison Sanford)     Viva  (J.C. Barron)


I have had a copy of this which I had printed up at the FDR library about 20 years ago. 
That photo was labeled as above.     The PPL photo had different boat names, but I believe the above is accurate. 


Wednesday, March 21, 2018

The Race of the Ice Yachts - Hurrah for the race! Hurrah!


Photo courtesy of the Poughkeepsie Public Library; from their Main & Market Collection. 


135 years ago this month... 

Ho!  For the Yachts! Hoho!
The ice is smooth,
The breeze is fair,
The day is bright,
Crisp is the air;
Ho for the Yachts! Hoho! 

Hurrah for the race! Hurrah!
Eager they come to win the prize,
Flitting about like butterflies;
Gliding along to try their speed --
Going about (take heed, take heed)
So quickly that each one must need 
A cool head in the willer,
A strong hand on the tiller: 
For perils and dangers
Surround these swift rangers--
Hurrah for the race! Hurrah! 

Read on here for the rest of this cheery poem from March of 1883. 
Who will win?? Scud? Icicle? Aeolus? Jack Frost?.....