Hudson: A History of Whaling and Maritime Commerce

In conjunction with the current exhibit, Hudson: A History of Whaling & Maritime Commerce, the Hudson Area Library History Room staff are offering a Teacher Workshop on Saturday, May 17, from 11am – 1pm cosponsored by the Greater Capital Region Teacher Center – with two credits of Continuing Teacher & Leader Education (CTLE). This workshop, taught by co-curators Elaine Eichelberger and Brenda Shufelt, explores Hudson’s whaling past and the application of this fascinating history to Social Studies, Language Arts, and Art curriculum.

For the past two years, historians at the Hudson Area Library History Room, the Hendrick Hudson Chapter of the National Daughters of the American Revolution and the Columbia County Historical Society have been diligently researching, documenting, and archiving Hudson’s whaling past. Newspaper articles, voyage journals, and letters from sailors have been digitally reproduced and are now available to the public at the Hudson Area Library.

Elaine Eichelberger and Brenda Shufelt, both with careers in education, realized as they worked on the whaling exhibit, Hudson: A History of Whaling & Maritime Commerce (now on display in the Hudson Area Library Community Room until June 30, 2025) that many of Hudson’s youth hear about whaling in Hudson, however, they may not have a full appreciation Hudson’s rich whaling history.

The exhibit is filled with new material and historical facts. “There has been much folklore about whaling, for instance, were whales dragged up Warren Street?” says Brenda Shufelt, “but we have the actual facts – and these facts can help contextualize history and motivate classes.”

“This is a teacher’s workshop,” adds Elaine Eichelberger, “There are several overriding themes that can be used by an elementary teacher all the way to a high school teacher. You’re teaching students about their town and how the Hudson River was such a vital source for farming, fishing, and transportation. The themes in Hudson’s history, for instance, the boom and bust economic cycles, are similar to those of our country. And when you take a deep dive into the individual letters and descriptions of whaling voyages, there’s a lot of literary drama!”

“We have a letter from Old Rouse from Acra,” recounts Shufelt, “he writes about being on whale boat as the whale is being harpooned while the whale was trying to destroy, or stove, the whale boat.”

“We start with the indigenous people, who were here for thousands of years.” explains Shufelt, “Their footpaths became Dutch wagonways. When the Proprietors arrived, the Dutch wagonways became the tollroads, which became the truck routes that we still use today. When the kids understand the tie-ins, it becomes more interesting and contextualizes history.”

Richard Bazelow, chief researcher, catalogued over 1,200 mariners from the Hudson Valley, including many black mariners. “Whaling ships were an important part of the underground railroad,” adds Shufelt. “You could go on a ship and easily mix with other seamen of color. It was a dangerous job.”

The workshop outlines five major themes:

1. People settling around water – for bounty and transportation.
2. Societies building upon the civilizations before them.
3. Whaling and maritime trade played a significant role in the independence of the country. (There’s a Freakonomics podcast about whaling as the First Great American Industry).
4. Booms and Busts of Hudson’s local economy mirror the national economy.
5. The whaling stories of marginalized peoples.

The Hudson Area Library is partnering with Greater Capital Region Teacher Center and is offering a one-day, two-hour workshop worth two credits of Continuing Teacher & Leader Education (CTLE).

Registration is required. Register at https://www.mylearningplan.com/WebReg/ActivityProfile.asp?I=5069127&D=13206 Workshop will include digital and physical resource materials on the topic for all participants and light breakfast.

The Hudson Area Library History of Whaling & Maritime Commerce Exhibit, on view during this workshop, traces Hudson’s founding and early history and the commerce that created its wealth and reputation as a whaling town. The exhibit is on view through June 30, 2025. This program was made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Alan Coon, artist, graphic designer, and co-owner of Spotty Dog Books & Ale, has designed the graphics for the exhibition, which can be viewed during the workshop.

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The Hudson Area Library History Room houses a collection that pertains to the history of the City of Hudson, Greenport and Stockport, as well as Columbia County and New York State. The History Room also hosts the Local History Speaker Series at the library, offering free monthly talks on diverse topics related to local history.

The History Room is open Saturdays, 10am-1pm and Wednesdays 6 – 8pm and by appointment. Online research requests for information on local history are available at historyroom.hudsonarealibrary.org/. This is a free service to the public. To inquire about an appointment email brenda.shufelt@hudsonarealibrary.org or call 518-828-1792 x106.

The Hudson Area Library is located at 51 N. 5th St. in Hudson, NY. The mission of the library is to enrich the quality of life by providing free and equal access to programs, services and resources, and by creating opportunities for all members of our community to connect, create, learn and grow.