Hudson River Day Line Collection (1963.01)

Biographical/Historical note

Robert Fulton’s steamer, North River Steam Boat (later referred to as the Clermont), first plied the waters of the Hudson River in 1807. With Robert Livingston, Fulton had secured a monopoly on steamboat travel along the Hudson. This monopoly ended with a decision of the Supreme Court in 1824, opening up the trade to others along the line. By the 1840s, a peak number of steamers were running the route under the direction of several companies. Abraham Van Santvoord was the New York agent for one of these - the Steam Navigation Company. In 1845 he helped to organize a steam towing operation, Hudson River Steam Boat Company, and was its first president.

Abraham’s son, Alfred, followed him into the trade, becoming the Albany agent for the Hudson River Steam Boat Company. Alfred acquired his own ship, the Alida, in 1855 and began running her in 1856. He continued to acquire boats and by the early 1860s was operating day line services with his partner John McB. Davidson. Their stationary read, “Office of the Day Line of Steamers on the Hudson” - the first iteration of what later became known as the Hudson River Day Line. Steamers making round trips between Albany and New York included the Chauncey Vibbard, Daniel Drew, Armenia and the Mary Powell. In 1879, Van Santvoord and Davidson formally incorporated the “Hudson River Line.” The Line acquired three ships from the two men and several others, including Alfred’s son, Charles Townsend Van Santvoord, and Clarence R van Bethuysen became shareholders.

After the death of Davidson in 1887, the Van Santvoords acquired his shares and took control of the Day Line. It continued to carry over 100,000 passengers each year and became known for its fine appointments, excellent food and scenic views as ships travelled up the Hudson. In 1895, Charles T. Van Santvoord died at 41, and Alfred appointed his son-in-law, Eben Erskine Olcott (E.E. Olcott). In 1899, Olcott spearheaded the renaming of the company to at last be the Hudson River Day Line. He also presided over the commissioning of two new ships, the Hendrick Hudson (1906) and Robert Fulton (1909). Passenger service continued to grow, with hundreds of thousands of passengers carried each season. In 1925, the Day Line reached its peak with almost 2 million passengers using the service. Many travelers were destined for the Day Line’s recreational park, Indian Point. The park, south of Peekskill, was a 300-acre former farm that was turned into an amusement park featuring a beer hall, rides, baseball diamonds, picnic tables and miniature golf. Church and company groups would take charter trips departing New York at dawn, spending the day at Indian Point and returning late in the evening.

A short 5 years later, in 1930, the company was feeling the effects of the Great Depression and passenger travel dropped significantly, with only a million passengers carried in 1938. There was a brief resurgence of passenger travel in the early 1940s as World War II gas rationing brought travelers back. By 1948 it was apparent that the Day Line could no longer take the losses. The Robert Fulton and Alexander Hamilton made their last sailings in the fall of 1948.

The Day Line sold four steamers to George Sanders and his associates and the Day Line shareholders retained rights to the real estate holdings, incorporating under the name “Indian Point Corporation.” The Sanders group filed for and began using the name “Hudson River Day Line, Inc.” This new company modified the steamers to include more casual dining rooms and refreshment stands as well as liquor and beer bars. Sightseeing and special trip service was run for nearly ten years until the company and remaining assets were purchased by the New York City-based Circle Line.