Races, Boat Clubs & Associations Before 1860

 

A Preliminary Survey of Boat Clubs and Associations Formed and
Recorded Rowing Races and Regattas Held
in the United States and Canada (except for Quidi Vidi) Through 1860

© 2008 by Thomas E. Weil
Last revised and updated 10/07/2008

Rowing is the first modern sport.  One of the principal pillars of this assertion is the scope of competitive boat-racing that was taking place before the rise of other team sports (other than cricket, which is a special case).  The following database was compiled in order to provide a central reference source for early North American rowing contests (a parallel effort covers British boat-racing).

Sources for this matrix include random finds in contemporary daily and weekly newspapers and magazines, a fairly close review of contemporary and subsequent histories (Peverelly’s 1866 American Pastimes was particularly valuable, and much material has been obtained therefrom, much of it substantially verbatim), and random data derived from race programs, trophies, memorabilia and correspondence.  I am not aware of any comprehensive compilation of rowing records from any contemporary news sources.  Each of the New York Times and Frank Leslie’s and Harper’s weeklies would be good sources to start with on any such undertaking; unfortunately, since each began publishing in the 1850’s, none provide coverage of the very early days of rowing.  Further complicating any such research is the difficulty of finding old newspapers in useable form, and then in finding rowing articles within the newspaper; newspapers of the era did not segregate “sports” into  one section, so one must search column after column of often fascinating but almost always completely irrelevant material to find the occasional article relating to boat-racing.

This database is intended, first and foremost, to note recorded rowing contests in the United States prior to 1861, and, secondarily, to note the formation dates of boat clubs and rowing associations.  In the early days of boat-racing, the “institutional” backbone of a “club” was often not a charter and a legal entity, but a boat; the existence of such “clubs” is not explicitly recognized or tracked, in this matrix, but should be the subject of further research and analysis.  Emblematic of the importance given to boats is the custom during this era of giving race results by the name of the boat instead of the crew, even for singles races!  Thus, while the success of a particular hull (as well as its maker, length, structure and number of oars) may be well recorded, there is often no record of the oarsmen in the boat, or, particularly (but not exclusively) for the professionals, there may be a reference to one member of the crew deemed to be the leader which presumably would have been understood by readers of the time to suggest an associated group of oarsmen who may be unknown to us today (professional team racing was often done by family members, or by combinations of professionals who tended to row together for a period, but could often be found racing one another, especially in singles or pairs competition).

It is also worth noting for this period that there was an extraordinary range of potential events, any number or combination of which might be represented at any given regatta.  Distinctions might include not only amateurs and professionals, and singles, doubles, pairs, fours, sixes and eights, but, frequently, working boats, lapstreaks and shells.  Interestingly, while allowances were usually given for the difference in the number of oars in races which included boats with differing numbers of oars, I am not aware of any allowance being made for coxed boats racing against uncoxed boats, which was frequently the case; not surprisingly, in most instances, the uncoxed boat would win.

As indicated above, this database is by no means complete (in fact, it is probably substantially lacking in coverage of races outside metropolitan areas with widely distributed newspapers and magazines).  It will be updated as further research is done, and it will eventually be advanced to some date between 1865 and 1876, during much of which period rowing could claim to be not only the first modern sport, but the most widely reported and illustrated team sport, and the team sport which attracted the largest numbers of spectators anywhere in the world.

The data contained herein was compiled with much effort (as well as pleasure), and some of the most valuable sources are relatively inaccessible; it may not be reproduced without acknowledgment (please cite as Weil, Recorded Rowing Races, rowinghistory.net), and may not be used for commercial purposes without prior written permission.

Several notes on dates: the database is ordered chronologically, using the convention of day/month/year, so July 4, 1860 is noted as 04/07/1860; if the only date available for a listed event is a year, or a month and year, the entry therefor is placed at the beginning of the applicable year, or month and year (for example, an event for which only the year 1858 is known would be listed as xx/xx/1858 and placed at the head of the listings for 1858).  When a date is given for a newspaper, only the day and month is shown if the article appeared in the same year as the event reported upon.

 Commonly referenced sources:

Ba Ballou’s Pictorial [US] NYT New York Times [US]
BW Waters, Balch, Catalogue and Oarsman’s Manual  Troy, NY (1871) Port Portland Transcript [US]
Ch Champions Handbook Rowing and Swimming New York (1882) Poul Poulson’s American Daily Advertiser [Phila]
CP Charles Peverelly, American Pastimes New York (1866) PS Porter’s Spirit of the Times [New York]
DG The Daily Graphic [New York] RJ Robert Johnson, History of Rowing in America  Milwaukee (1871)
ES Evening Star [New York] RK Robert Kelley, American Rowing  New York (1932)
FL Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Weekly [US] State Statesman [US]
HW Harper’s Weekly [US] TCI The Times and Commercial Intelligencer [New York]
LH Louis Heiland, The Schuylkill Navy  Philadelphia (1938) WST Wilkes’ Spirit of the Times [New York]
NGLR National Gazette and Literary Register [US/Phila] YLM Yale Literary Magazine [New Haven]
NYDT New-York Daily Tribune [US]  

 

Pre-1825

Date Data Source(s)
xx/04/1756 (New York) Saturday race for $20.00 between a New York City pettiauger and one of 16 six-oar whaleboats in transit from Cape Cod to Albany to work as bateaux transports, won by the whaleboat. [Gaines New York Mercury26/04] RK16
xx/xx/1807 (New York) Race from Whitehall Stairs around Blackwell’s Island (East River) and return. RK16
xx/07/1811 (New York) New York’s John Baptist-built 4-oar barge Knickerbocker (William Cracker, John Burt, Thomas Dixon, Thomas Palmerston, cox John Palmerston) def. Long Island’s John and William Chambers-built 4-oar barge Invincible (John Chambers, James Rush, Peter Snider, John Swinburn, cox William Chambers) in race on Hudson from Harsimus, NJ to the Battery Flagstaff; NY boat in Scudder’s Museum, then Barnum’s Museum, until burned in fire in 1865. CP243, RJ48, RK16
xx/xx/1818 (New York) Chambers-built 4-oar American Star (W. McLaughlin, John Chambers, Peter Snider, John Swinburn, cox Cornelius Cole) def. John Baptist-built 4-oar New York (Cornelius Cammeyer, Jacob van Pelt, Ortey Simonson, Abraham Braisted, cox John Palmerton) in race from Williamsburg, Long Island to boat off Castle William, Governors Island. CP243-244, RK17
c.1815-1830 Slave racing was practiced in many Southern states. RK17
xx/xx/1823 (New York) New York’s W. & E. De La Montagne-built 4-oar Whitehall (Cornelius Cammeyer, Charles Beaty, Richard Robbins, Alfred Cammeyer, cox John Magnus) def. Staten Island’s John Baptist-built  4-oar Richmond (Abraham Braisted, Jacob van Pelt, Ortey Simonson, Jacob Braisted, cox John Palmerton) by 2 lengths in close race from Robbins Reef Light to Castle Garden. CP244, RK18
09/12/1824 or

summer 1825

 (New York harbor) National boat-race: Whitehall’s John and William Chambers-built 4-oar American Star (Cornelius Cammeyer, Alfred Cammeyer, Richard Robbins, Charles Beaty, cox John Palmerton), stroking 44-46 strokes per minute, def. London-built 4-oar gig Certain Death of British frigate Hussar  with crew of London watermen (cox Captain Harris), stroking at 39, by 400 yards over 4 miles (time: just over 22 minutes) from the start by the Hussar at Bedloe’s Island, around a stake-boat moored off Hoboken Point (near Sybil’s Cave), and finish at Battery Flagstaff, for $1,000; Harris presented each oarsman with a half-eagle.  Crowd of spectators estimated at 50,000. AS/VII p124, CP244-245, RJ47, RK19
19/04/1825 Baltimore harbour race 24/05 NGLR p1
20/05/1825 Whitehallers v. Staten Islanders 24/05 NGLR p1
02/07/1825+ Race to be rowed at Castle Garden relating to the farewell visit to New York of the Marquis de Lafayette in celebration of the “50th anniversary” [sic] of American independence; the boats Washington, La Fayette, American, Decatur, Lydia and Friendship were entered. 02/07 State p3
02/07/1825+ Race to be rowed. 02/07 State p3

 

1826-1850

-26/04/1832 (Bermuda) Race between four white Army officers (Groves (Rifle Brigade), Impett and Renny (71st Light Infantry) and Franklin (37th Regiment)) in the 37th Regiment’s Dame Blanche (23 ft keel, 25 ft overall, 3’ 5” beam) and four blacks from the whaleboats (in a 18 ft keel, 20 ft overall, 4’ 6” beam boat) over 16 nautical miles from the Ferry at Georges round the man-of-war Rose anchored near Inland Island and return; the officers won by 25 mins, after rowing out in 1 hr 10 mins and back in 1 hr 15 mins.  Betting was between 5 and 10 to 1 against the officers. 08/05 Poul p1
xx/xx/1833 (Philadelphia)  Two racing boats, Imp and Blue Devil, were brought from New York to Philadelphia and used for 3-mile race from Belmont to Fairmont in the fall. RK20,56
xx/11/1833 (Schuylkill River, Philadelphia)  Regatta for seven 8-oars and four 6-oars. RK56
xx/xx/1834 (New York) Jersey City’s Seamans-built and rowed double scull Jersey Blue / Hookemsnivey def. 2-oar Whitehall. CP245-246
Summer 1834 (New York)  Castle Garden Amateur Boat Club Association was formed by and from exclusive New York families, with boathouses at Castle Garden, and a regatta course from Castle Garden to Bedloe’s Island and return.  Wave was the premier club, commissioning a new boat every year from Clarkson Crolius, with Gull considered the next most desirable (Gull boats were always blue; one was rowed from Philadelphia to New York).  The Association effectively disbanded after its July 4th 1842 regatta.  Member clubs included Wave, Gull, Gazelle, Cleopatra, Pearl, Halcyon, Ariel, Minerva and Gondola.
Roughly contemporaneously, the less exclusive Independent Boat Club Association was formed, with a 4-mile regatta course on the Hudson (North River) starting at West 42nd Street.  Many member clubs had boathouses along the North River stretch; among the club boats were Brooklyn, Disowned, Duane, Eagle, Edwin Forrest, Erie, Fairy, Lafitte, Massaniello, Metamora, Spark, Sylph, Thomas Jefferson, Triton, Vivid, Washington and Wizard Skiff.		 CP249, RK21
19/06/1837 (New York – Buffalo?) An Erie Boat Club 6-oar crew (Garritt W. Fountain, George E Hoyt, Richard Morris, Alex,’r McDougal, Jo,’s W. Long, Allen McDougal, Jr., Cockswain Charles McDougal) won a silver pitcher trophy in a 5-mile race. Trophy (TEW Coll)
27/06/1837 (Newburgh NY)  6-oars for three sets of colors: (1st) New York’s Wave, (2nd) New York’s Gull, (3rd) Newburgh’s Corsair, (4th) Newburgh’s Highland Wave, (5th) New York’s Halcyon, (6th) New York’s Minerva, (7th) New York’s Pearl and (8th) New York’s Gazelle; Poughkeepsie’s Washington, though not entered, raced, finishing first, but without turning the stake boat; the Gull Club then rowed 65 miles back to New York boathouse by 11 pm.  CP251-252, RJ49,50
-27/07/1837 (New Jersey) Regatta at Fort Lee; a 4.5 mile turn-at-the-stake race [ie 2.25 mile course, which would be visible from the Fort Lee heights] between “first class boats” over 30 feet long (Gondola, Sylph, Wizard Skiff, Red Rover), Gondola winning by 3 lengths in 28 minutes, and between “second class boats” under 30 feet long, Echo beating Brooklyn and Avenger in 30 minutes, but all beaten by Fairy (Brooklyn), who raced without entering. 27/07 NYT p2
xx/08/1837 (Poughkeepsie NY) 6-oars for $200: Poughkeepsie’s Washington def. Brooklyn’s Robert Bache, New York’s Gondola, New York’s Sylph, Fishkill Landing’s Bachelor and New York’s Erie, winning by 200 yards. CP256, RJ52, RK20-21
xx/xx/1837 (New York) match singles races: both in 17-ft. working boats, Sidney Dorlon def. defending champion Stephen Roberts over a course from a stake-boat off Castle Garden to a stake boat off Bedloe’s Island and return for $100 a side; then Roberts def. Dorlon on same terms. CP248, RJ50
xx/xx/1838 (New York) match singles races: both in cut down working boats, Stephen Roberts def. Sidney Dorlon over a course on the Hudson from off the Elysian Fields, Hoboken for $200 a side; then, in a race for $200 a side over the Castle Garden – Bedloe’s Island course, Dorlon was fouled by spectator boats while in the lead, and the stakes returned to the contenders. CP248
xx/xx/1838 (Narragansett RI)  Narragansett Boat Club formed.
xx/xx/1838 (New York) Whitehall’s Benjamin Shamburgh (Robert Martin, T. McDonald, John Hardestein, John Jennings, cox John Palmerton) def. Newark’s Independence (Thomas Youngs, W. Fox, John Earle, John Youngs) by 4-5 lengths over 5 miles for $1000 from Robbins Reef to Castle Garden. CP246, RJ48
xx/xx/1838? (New York?) New York’s Disowned (two Seaman brothers + 4 “pullers”: Isaac Seaman, William Seaman, Walter Dickson, Cornelius Britton, David Webb, John Jennings) in 6-oar Washington def. Poughkeepsie’s 6-oar Washington (on Washington’s challenge) over 5 miles for $1000 starting at the South Ferry, Brooklyn. CP246, RJ48
xx/xx/1838? (New York?) 6-oar Spark (John Ludlow, Anthony Ludlow, Abraham Ludlow, John Jennings, David Webb, Henry Barger, cox Samuel Ludlow) def. crew in Disowned (Abraham Post, Leonard Johnson, Cornelius Britton, Edward De Hart, M. Simmons, Joseph Lewis) over 5 miles for $1000. CP246, RJ48
xx/xx/1838? (New York harbor) 4-oar Fairy (John Jennings and 3 of the “Communipaw boys”) def. 4-oar Brooklyn (four Roberts brothers) off the Battery. CP246, RJ48
Summer 1838 (New York) Independent Boat Club Association regatta from Brookhall Mansion House for 4 miles on the North River:
6-oars: Gondola def. Erie by 10 ft., followed closely by Sylph and Triton;
4-oars: Red Rover and Whitehall finished a boat’s length apart.		 CP252
-08/09/1838 (New York harbor)  Grand Regatta at Castle Garden; 4 four-oars over six miles with a turn, won by the Brooklyn of Brooklyn, the Experiment of Staten Island second, followed by the Gipsey (New York) and the Samuel J. Willis (New York).
03/11/1838 The Brunswick, (Geo.) Aquatic Club has accepted a challenge from a New York Club to row two matches, one with boats of 35, and the other of 25 feet.- Wager $5,000. 03/11 Port p239
xx/xx/1839 (Detroit MI)  Detroit Boat Club founded. RK22
c.1839 (Harlem River, NY) 6-oar Washington (Poughkeepsie) def. three New York boats over 4.5 miles with a turn in 27:15. RJ52, RK21
08/07/1839 (New York) The Fultonians of Fulton Fish Market in Shakspeare defeated the Whitehallers in Shamburg by 1 length over 5 miles from Castle Garden to Robins Reef and back in 22:35. 09/07 ES p2
10/07/1839 (Newburgh NY) Newburgh regatta: entries were Ariel, Gazelle and Wave (Castle Garden Association, New York); Daniel D. Tompkins, Edwin Forrest and Spark, of New York (Independent Boat Club Association, New York); Washington (Poughkeepsie); Lafitte (Cold Spring); Corsair, Gallatea and Scylla (Newburgh) [and Essex, Kosciusko and Osceola?]; first race – 6-oars over 5 miles for $250 silver vase cup and $75 silver cup: second race – ten 4-oar entries for a $150 silver vase cup; third race – ten double-sculls entries for a $75 silver cup. Umpires: Capt. Charles Ludlow (New Windsor), Capt. James Rogers (New York), Capt. Christopher Reeve (Newburgh) and William A. Denning, Esq. (Fishkill). 09/07 ES p2, CP252-253, RJ51
xx/08/1839 (New York?) 4-oar Duane (Leonard Johnson, Edward De Hart, Michael Simmons, Cornelius Britton) def. 4-oar Samuel J. Willis (John Ludlow, Abraham Ludlow, Henry Barger, John Jennings) over 5 miles from off Washington Market on the Hudson for 2.5 miles down bay and return for $500 a side. CP247, RJ50
xx/08/1839 (New York harbor) Shamburg-built 4-oar Shakespeare (John Ludlow, Anthony Ludlow, Henry Barger, John Jennings, cox Frank Palmerton) def. Whitehall’s Shamburg-built 4-oar Benjamin Shamburgh (Robert Martin, Thomas McLaughlin, John Hardestein, Robert Sylvie, cox John Palmerton) by 1 length over 5 miles from Robbins reef light to stake-boat off Castle Garden for $500 a side. CP247, RJ49
xx/09/1839 (New York – Harlem River)  6-oars for 4.5 miles around stake boats at Morrisania Point and Macomb’s Dam: Poughkeepsie’s Washington (27:15) def. New York’s Victoria (awarded second on fouling by the Forrest), New York’s Edwin Forrest and New York’s Daniel D. Tompkins by a margin of over 200 yards. CP256
01/10/1839 (New York) Fifth annual Castle Garden Amateur Boat Club Association regatta over course from the Garden around Bedloe’s Island and return:
first race – 4-oars for 2 prizes: won by Water Witch over Hope and Sleepy Davey [and 2 others?];
second race – Association 6-oars race for 3 prizes: won by Gazelle in 30:00 over Gondola over Cleopatra, Halcyon having stopped racing [and five others?];
third race – open 6-oars (three started of five entered): Peekskill’s Anne (26:54) def. New York’s Wave by four lengths, and Kosciusko, with Poughkeepsie’s Washington and Alciope not coming to the start.		 CP250, RJ50
xx/11/1839 (New York)  New York’s 6-oar Gulick def. Peekskill’s 6-oar Ann by 200 yards over a course from the Battery around Bedloe’s Island and back. CP247
Late 1839 or early 1840 (Poughkeepsie NY)
6-oars over 5 miles for a $300 boat: New York’s Daniel D. Tompkins def. Poughkeepsie’s Washington by .25 of a mile (Jersey City’s New Jersey raced without entering, finishing a few lengths aft of the winner);
4-oars for a $225 boat: New York’s Duane def. the Moselle, the Lafayette, the S.J. Willis and the Shakespeare by several lengths.		 CP257, RJ53
xx/xx/1840 N.B.: No Newburgh regatta this year. CP253
xx/xx/1840 (New York) Brooklyn Heights Colonnade Garden regatta:
6-oars: the Edwin Forrest def. the Eagle by 250 yards, followed by the Lafitte;
4-oars: won by the John C. Stephens.		 CP247-248
xx/xx/1841 (Newburgh NY) Newburgh regatta:
6-oar barges for $125, $85, $55 and $35: Hyde Park’s Dutchess was 1st and New York’s Spark 2nd over Anne (Peekskill), Eagle (New York), Galatea (Newburgh), New Jersey (Jersey City), Scylla (Newburgh), Washington (Poughkeepsie) over 4 miles with a turn in the first heat – the first two boats raced again, Dutchess (16:11) again prevailing over Spark (17:23); in 16.11, and the 3rd and 4th place boats raced for those prizes, Galatea defeating Scylla;
4-oar barges: New York’s Thomas Jefferson was 1st of ten entries, and New York’s Duane 2nd, followed [not in order] by Anne(Peekskill), Atlantic (New York) Gondola (Newburgh), Ione (Newburgh), John C. Stephens (New York), Tempest (New York), Virago(New Paltz), Water Witch (New York), with the Thomas Jefferson again defeating the Duane in the final heat, and the Ione and Water Witch and Stevens and Gondola also raced again.		 CP253, RJ51
xx/xx/1842 (Boston MA)  Regatta in Boston RK22
04/07/1842 (New York)  Eighth [and last] annual Castle Garden Amateur Boat Club Association regatta:
first race – single sculls for a silver goblet:  Baker in Fox def. John Roach in Killdeer and Roberts in Wash for a $28 silver goblet;
second race – 4-oar gigs for a $52 silver goblet and salver: Baker’s Atlantic def. Martin’s Experiment by a few yards;
third race – 6-oars for a $150 silver pitcher: Capt. Robinson’s Galatea (Newburgh) in 19:00 def. P. Healy’s Eagle (second) and Dunderdell’s Gazelle, who fouled each other at the start.		 CP251, RJ51, RK21
02/08/1842 or

03/08/1842

 (Boston MA) First Chelsea Regatta in East Boston over Chelsea course:
8-oars: first heat – the Red Michael (13:37) def. [in order] the Star, the Washington and the Bunker Hill; second heat – same results, the Red Michael winning in 13:55 for a large silver goblet; the 6-oar Star (15:25) def. the 6-oar Washington for the silver goblet 2nd prize;
pulling for time, the 4-oar Exchange finished in 17:21, the 2-oars cross handed Dart in 14:30 and a skiff cross handed in 25:00.		 CP302-303, RK22
31/08/1842 (Newburgh NY) Newburgh Amateur Association Regatta over a 3.25 mile course around 4 stake-boats arranged in a diamond in Newburgh Bay:
first race series: 6-oars for $135, $80 and $30: the Seaman-built New Jersey (J. Seaman, M. Simmons, C. Britton, A. Post, L. Johnson, George Anderson, cox A. Seaman) was 1st in 20:35 and Newburgh’s Benjamin Shamburgh-built Galatea (John Baird, Martin Lyon, Archibald Darling, Abraham Bowen, William Doherty, William Hawkins, cox F. Girard) was 2nd in 20:44 in the first heat, followed by Hyde Park’s Crolius-built Dutchess (James H. Elting, A. Bloomer, C. Polhamus, R. Perkin, N. Woolsey, William Polhamus, cox William Wedell) in 21:10 and New York’s Benjamin Shamburgh-built Eagle (John Varick, John Platt, James Even, H. Scott, F. Dobb, cox T. Jones) in 22:00 – in the first final heat, the New Jersey (21:58) def. Galatea (22:08) by 3 lengths; and the Eagle (22:00) def. the Dutchess ($22:15); each of the Eagle and the Dutchess having defeated each other once, they were asked to race again, but the Dutchess refused, forfeiting the $30 3rd prize to the Eagle;
second race series: citizen’s regatta (village purse) for 4-oars for $100, $60 and $25: first heat – New York’s John Letts-built George Washington (John Ludlow, James Ludlow, Anthony Ludlow, Henry Taylor, cox Samuel Palmerton) was 1st in 23:19, Jersey City’s Seamans-built Duane (C. Britton, M. Simmons, S. Anderson, S. Johnson, cox A. Seaman) 2nd in 23:32, Newburgh’s Henry Robinson(James Mozier, John Mozier, John Ward, Charles F. June, cox George June) 3rd in 23:38, Newburgh’s Chambers-built Morgan S. Farnham (R.S. Hunt, John Stewart, William McTurk, N.H. Hawkins, cox J.R. Sayres) 4th in 24:00 and the J.G. Clinton 5th in 25:00, the Fashion, the Ione, and the Passaic having not finished; in the second heats, the Washington (27:27) def. the Duane (29:51), the Farnham (24:42) def. the Robinson (26:16) when a Robinson oarsman gave out, and the Farnham took 3rd when the Robinson declined to race in the third heat;
third race series: the New Windsor race for double sculls for $35 and $15: New York’s Crolius-built Crolius (T. and J. Teneyke) in 28:42 def. New Jersey’s Seaman-built Hookemsnivey (J. Seaman, William Post) in 29:13, and repeated the win in the first finals heat; Newburgh’s Josephine, and Fishkill’s Modern Maid and Dew Drop were entered, but did not start.		 CP253-255, RJ52
xx/10/1842 (New York)  Castle Garden’s American Institute Fair:  4-oars: the Ingersoll-built G.W. Chapman (Roberts brothers) def. the favored John Letts-built George Washington. CP257
17/08/1843 (Boston MA)  Second Chelsea Regatta in East Boston over Chelsea course: for 8-oars, 6-oars and 4-oars;
first race – 8-oars over 2 miles: first heat – 1st the Spark (J.T. Thompson, N. Barry, H. Philips, D.R. Vinson, Z. Koen, W. Williams, J. Glossinger, cox T. Cass) in 14:00 over the Red Michael, the Bunker Hill, the Alert, the New York’s Curtis Peck and the Washington; second heat – the Red Michael (12:30) def. the Spark; third heat – the Spark (15:30) def. the Red Michael;
second race – 6-oars: 1st New York’s Curtis Peck (C. Britten, J. Suydam, I. Suydam, A. Suydam, J. Bevens, R. Mucum, J. Oners, J. Newcomb, cox Manning) in 13:30 over the Pedestrian and the Alert;
third race – 4-oars: 1st New York’s Wave (manned by four of the victorious Curtis Peck crew) in 16:00 over “the new iron boat”.		 CP303, RK22-23
xx/xx/1844 (New Haven CT) Yale 42-ft. 24” beam 8-oar dugout canoe club-boat Centiped def. Nautilus (by fastening a rock to her keel)
1844-1845 (Charles River, Boston MA) Harvard’s Oneida Club def. the Class of 1845 in the Red Michael (aka the “Iris”) by 5 lengths over 2 miles from the Winchester House to Brighton Bridge. CP118
22/09/1845+ (New Jersey)  The Great Boat Race will come off at the Elysian Fields, Hoboken, on Monday afternoon, Sept. 22d; details of eight entries for 4 oar race over 2.5 miles. 22/09 NYDT p3
02/10/1846 (New York)  amateur 4-oars match race from a stake-boat off Bull’s Ferry, New Jersey, down the Hudson to Day’s Point and return for a Tiffany silver goblet: the John Letts-built Thomas Jefferson (bow Charles A. Peverelly, William E. Pine, Oliver Collins, stroke James Rapp, cox H. Wheeler) def. the Seamans-built Duane (bow E. Webber, Isaac Lent, H. Lane, stroke M.F. Lane, cox W. Mills) by 3 lengths. CP257
c1846-1848 (Charles River, Boston MA) Harvard’s Class of 1848, in the 40-ft 8-oar Huron, def. a Boston crew in the Wave. CP120, RJ85
xx/xx/1847 (Charles River, Boston MA) Harvard’s Class of 1849 in the Oneida def. the Class of 1848 in the Undine after the latter caught a crab. CP120, RJ86
xx/xx/1848 (New York)  cut-down 19-ft. working boats: Stephen Roberts (1:22:00) def. Robert Martin over 10 miles from the Thatched Cottage, Jersey City to around Robbins Reef and return. CP247
05/05/1848 (New York)  Atalanta Boat Club organized CP150, RK49
xx/05/1850 (New York)  17-ft. single sculls from Robbins Reef Light to the Battery: the Battery’s Old Commodore def. Whitehall’s Bevins. CP258, RJ54
xx/05/1850 (New York) 17-ft. working boats from the Battery around Ellis’s Island and return for $200: James Lee def. M. Conkling by 200 yards. CP258, 327, RJ54
xx/xx/1850 (New York harbor) 19-ft. skeleton singles (the first such race in New York) over 10 miles from the Thatched Cottage, Jersey City around Robbin’s Reef Light and return for $100 a side:  James Lee def. Edward Cody by a half mile. CP327, RK31
xx/xx/1850 (New York harbor) Sweepstakes 17-ft. singles over 3.5 miles from the Thatched Cottage, Jersey City around Bedloe’s Island: James Lee (27:00) def. Charles Thomas (the defending champion) by a length, followed by [in no order] Edward Cody and Hugh Curran. CP327-328
xx/09/1850 (Castle Garden, New York) 30 ft 4-oar race boat General Worth (built by Darling for Castle Garden Club of New York) won American Institute Fair race against 3 other boats; in the single sculls, 10,000 spectators watched James Lee def. Charles Thomas by 2 lengths, followed in order by W.H. Decker, Hugh Burns and John Mazanna [and Hugh Curran?]. CP136,328
13/08/1850 or

xx/10/1850

 (New York) Match coxed 4-oars over Elysian Fields course for $200: New York’s Thomas Jefferson (L. Austin, S. McKay, W. Oakford, O. Rankin, cox J. Sherrot) def. Poughkeepsie’s George Washington (E. Wheaton, M. Logue, J.J. Eckerson, C. Palmer, cox J. Green) by 100 yards. [RJ54: Oct 1850] CP258, RJ54
xx/10/1850 (New York harbor) Castle Garden course around two stakeboats (the first off Jersey City, and the second off Governor’s Island) and return:
30-ft. 4-oars from: 1st the Zachary Taylor (Charles Thomas, Edward Cody, Frank Bigelow, cox O. Maloney [where’s the 4th oarsman?]) by one length over 2nd the Adeline (John Mazanna and three Fulton Market oarsmen) by a half length over 3rd the George Washington(James Lee, Hugh Curran, Hugh Burns, Matthew Collins) CP: “one of the closest four-oared races ever rowed”;
22-ft. two pairs of sculls: 1st the C.J. Thoms-built Michael Murray (James Lee, Hugh Curran) by 2 lengths over 2nd, in the boats first loss, the John Letts-built Battery Pet (Charles Thomas, William H. Decker) – the ships carpenters-built Unknown (two East River oarsmen) withdrawing.		 CP328-329
05/10/1850 (New York) Castle Garden single scull regatta: James Lee def. Burns, Decker and Thomas. CP258,328, RJ54
Fall 1850 (New York harbor) 20-ft. singles match from Castle Garden around Robbins Reef Light and return for $100 a side, $25 as side as forfeit: Charles Thomas (defending champion) forfeited to James Lee. CP329

 

1851-1860

xx/xx/1851 (Savannah GA) Zachary Taylor (ex-General Worth) of Castle Garden Club of New York) won a race. CP136
xx/xx/1851 (New York harbor) 17-ft. singles match over 3 miles from Castle Garden around Ellis’s or Gibbet Island and return for $100 a side: James Lee in the James M. Torboss (21:30) def. Charles Thomas in the Lady Suffolk by half a length (Thomas’s first defeat in a match race). CP329
26/05/1851 (Boston MA)  Union Boat Club formed. CP225, RK53
Summer 1851 (New York – East River)  Singles from 35th Street to stakeboat at the south end of Blackwell’s Island to buoy off 10th Street and return: 1st William H. Decker, 2nd by 30 yards, James Lee, 3rd W.H. Dexter, 4th Charles Thomas, followed by Hugh Burns and two others. CP329-330
xx/07/1851 (New York harbor)  Match 20-ft. singles from Castle Garden around Bedloe’s Island and return for $900 (Lee putting up $500 to Decker’s $400): William H. Decker, in a John Letts-built boat, finished in 35:00, 300 yards ahead of James Lee, in a C.J. Thoms-built boat, but the contest was declared a draw owing to a dispute over the interpretation of the match terms; the two had taken different routes around the Island, and Lee claimed that his route was the only permissible one.  Several lawsuits resulted. CP330
xx/08/1851 (New York harbor) Match singles from the Thatched Cottage, Jersey City around a stakeboat moored west of Robbins Reef Light [and return?] for $100 a side: James Lee def. Price by ¼ mile in heavy seas and fog, both boats quite full of water. CP332
xx/09/1851 (New York harbor) American Institute Fair Regatta off Castle Garden: 17-ft. boats (13 entered, 11 started): 1st Price, 2nd William H. Decker, 3rd Hugh Burns, 4th W.H. Dexter, 5th Charles Thomas – James Lee was leading at the second stakeboat off Bedloe’s Island when he lost an outrigger, and had to be towed in. CP330
xx/09/1851 (New York harbor) Match 17-ft. singles from Castle Garden around Ellis’s Island and return for $100 a side: Price abandoned the race due to heavy seas, leaving Thomas to claim the prize; Price challenged Thomas to a re-match. CP331
xx/09/1851

(week later)

 (New York harbor) Repeat match 17-ft. singles from Castle Garden around Ellis’s Island and return for $100 a side: Price, despite a collision with Decker (there to lend support) led most of the race before being overhauled by Charles Thomas before thousands of spectators. CP331-332
xx/10/1851 (New York harbor) Match 17-ft. singles from Castle Garden around Bedloe’s Island and return for $100 a side: Charles Thomas in the Lady Suffolk (32:30) def. James Lee in the William H. Torboss by one half length (CP: “one of the best races ever rowed”). CP330-331
xx/xx/1851 (New York harbor) Repeat match 17-ft. singles from Castle Garden around Bedloe’s Island and return for $100 a side: Charles Thomas in the Lady Suffolk (32:00) def. James Lee in the William H. Torboss by one half length, after Lee, who was in the lead, grounded on the Island (CP: “the fastest time ever made over that course”). CP331
17/11/1851 (Charleston SC) [3] day regatta arranged between New York Regatta Club and Charleston representatives:
first race over ¾ mile for $500, $300 and $200: 1st Darien Georgia’s 43-ft. 8-oar Becky Sharpe (entered by R. Spalding) in 6:00, by 4 lengths over NC’s 45-ft. 6-oar North State (entered by Capt. Ross C. Davis), 3rd New York’s C.J. Thoms-built 40-ft. 4-oar New York, 4th St. Andrews SC’s 44-ft. 16-oar Unknown (entered by E.M. Clarke), 5th Wadmalaw Island SC’s 40-ft. 14-oar Wrecker’s Daughter(entered by Charles J. Baily), 6th New York’s 36-ft. 6-oar W.W. Woodworth;
second race for $125: 1st New York’s C.J. Thoms-built 28-ft. triple (“three-pair”) scull Julia (James Lee, Charles Thomas, P. Lynch) by 1.5 lengths over 2nd New York’s 36-ft. 4-oar J.C. Booth, 3rd Edisto Island SC’s 28-ft. 8-oar Confidence, 4th Beaufort SC’s 28-ft. 8-oar Dart, 5th Darien Georgia’s 28-ft. 6-oar Shark; third race for $200: 1st the Violet by ¾ length over 2nd the Marion (whose crew had just won the previous race in the Julia), 3rd the Wild Goose, followed [in no order] by the R.T. Gibson, the Phantom, the J.J. Dufour, New York’s John Letts-built 4-oar George Washington and the Lightning.		 CP304-305, RK23
18/11/1851 (Charleston SC) Second day of regatta:
first race: 1st Edisto Island SC’s 40-ft. 14-oar Tariff (entered by A.J. Clarke) by ½ length over 2nd Darien Georgia’s 40-ft. 6-oar Kate Kenan (entered by Randolph Spalding), 3rd Charleston’s 35-ft. 6-oar Violet (entered by S.M. Bailey), 4th Savannah Georgia’s 38-ft. 6-oar Floyd (entered by Dr. James P. Screven), 5th Edisto Island SC’s 36-ft. 11-oar Wild Goose (entered by H.M. Seabrook), 6thWadmalaw SC’s 40-ft. 14-oar Wrecker’s Daughter (entered by Charles J. Bailey), 7th the steamship Marion’s 30-ft. 4-oar Marion(entered by Capt. M. Berry) [New York’s 35-ft. Southerner (W.H. Decker et al.)?];
second race for $100: 1st New York’s 26-ft. J.W. Booth (Capt. Dickinson) in 7:37 by 100 yards over 2nd the Wadmalaw SC’s 26-ft. Sylph (Osma Bailey), followed by [in no order] Charleston’s 22-ft. Pilot (Lee and Gladden), John’s Island SC’s 22-ft. Coquette (J. Walpole), New York’s 20-ft. American Boy (W.H. Decker), Charleston’s 24-ft. Charleston (Thomas Daniels);
third race for $150: 1st New York’s 30-ft. George Washington (Capt. Dickinson) in 6:25 over 2nd New York’s 28-ft. Julia (Capt. M. Berry), followed by [in no order] Beaufort’s 28-ft. Yellow Jacket (J.J. Chisholm) and New York’s 35-ft. Southerner (W.H. Decker)		 CP305-306
03/08/1852 (Centre Harbor, Lake Winnipisiogee NH) Harvard-Yale Boat Race: 1st Harvard’s 8-oar Oneida (Bow Charles A. Miles ‘53 (Roxbury MA), (2) Charles Fred Livermore ‘53 (Cambridge MA), (3) William H. Cunningham ‘53 (Boston MA), (4) Jonathan (John) Dwight ‘52 (Springfield MA), (5) Charles J. Paine ‘53 (Boston MA), (6) Sidney (Sid) Willard ‘52 (Boston MA), (7) Charles H. Hurd ‘53 (Charleston MA), Stroke Thomas J. Curtis ‘52 (Boston MA), Cox Joseph M. Brown ‘53 (Captain)(Boston MA)) def. Yale’s 8-oar Shawmut (Bow Albert E. Kent ‘53 (Suffield CT), (2) Joseph S. French ‘53 (Bridgeport CT), (3) William C. Brewster ‘53 (McConnellsville OH), (4) Edward Harland ‘53 (Norwich CT), (5) Joseph Warren ‘53 (Columbia NY), (6) Arthur E. Skelding ‘53 (Greenwich CT), (7) William L. Hinman ‘53 (New Haven CT), Stroke James Hamilton ‘53 (Captain) (Columbus GA), Cox Richard Waite ‘53 (Toledo OH)) (second) and Yale’s 8-oar Undine  (crew of Bow James M. Whiton Jr. ’53 (the race initiator), (2) Theodore Weston ‘53, (3) Benjamin F. Baer ‘53, (4) Benjamin (Ben) K. Phelps ‘53, (5) William F.V. Bartlett ‘53, (6) William M. Hudson ‘53, (7) George W. Smalley ‘53, Stroke Edward Walden ‘53, Cox Julius Catlin Jr. ‘53 named from the shore on the day of the race) over 2 miles. RJ54, 1867 YLM p256
xx/xx/1852 (Charleston SC) slave-racing NYT 29/11/53
04/07/1853 (Philadelphia PA)  Bachelors Barge Club formed. CP201, RK57
xx/xx/1853 (New Haven CT)  Yale Navy formed.
26/07/1853 (New Haven CT)  First Annual Yale Commencement Regatta: 1854’s 30 ft 6-oar barge Thulia, built by James of Brooklyn (15:32 for a silver cup and salver worth $20) def. 1854’s Halcyon (16:00 for blue and white silk jack and ensign worth $10), the Scientifics Ariel(16:45) and 1855’s Nepenthe (18:15) over 2 and ½ miles. CP136,139, 1867 YLM p256, RJ92
xx/xx/1853 (Boston MA)  Union Boat Club purchases two lapstreak racing fours, a Wave boat and the Ripple. RK53
13/09/1853 (Boston MA) The Union Boat Club’s Ripple (W.D.W. Allan, R.J. Bulger, Alfred Whitman, H.C. Ahlborn), the first straight lapstreak racing four to be used in Boston, won a race and a silver pitcher in Hull., and the club’s Wave took 2nd. CP226
20/11/1853 (Charleston SC)  slave-racing – first day –
first race: 1st Chris Thoms-built 50-ft. plank 12-oar C.A.L. Lamar (owner and cox R. Spalding of Darien GA), by 1/3 length over 43-ft. plank 10-oar North State and 43’-11” canoe 8-oar Comet;
second race – 3rd class boats: 1st 40-ft. canoe 6-oar Kate Kennan, by a length over 35-ft. canoe 6-oar Colleton, which finished a ½ length ahead of 40-ft. plank 8-oar South State (cox R. Spalding).		 NYT 29/11 (per 21/11 Charleston Courier)
21/11/1853 (Charleston SC)  slave-racing – second day –
xx/05/1854 (Philadelphia PA)  University Barge Club formed by U Penn freshmen. CP204, RK58
04/07/1854 (Boston MA – Charles River) First City of Boston Regatta (inaugurated with the support of the Union Boat Club):
single sculls over 2 miles for a $75 silver cup and a $25 silk standard: 1st was Union’s W.D.W. Allan in the dory Topsey (30.55), 2nd A. Buffington in the dory Pirate (31:00), and 3rd Swampscott’s John Brown in a dory (32:00) (Union Boat Club introduced the first wherry event in Boston);
6-oars and 8-oars over 6 miles for a $100 silver goblet and a $50 silver cup, with an allowance of 15 secs. an oar (all entries were Boston boats): 1st was the 8-oar T.F. Meagher (42:05), 2nd 6-oar Stranger (46:45), followed by the 8-oar General Sarsfield (46:30) and the 4-oar Star (49:55).  [The Union Boat Club’s Ripple (W.D.W. Allan, R.J. Bulger, Alfred Whitman, H.C. Ahlborn) won the 4-oar event. ?]		 CP226,259, RJ54, RK53
22/07/1854 (New Haven CT)  Second Annual Yale Commencement Regatta: .1857’s 40 ft 6-oar race boat Nautilus won a black walnut back-board (the prize for 40-ft. boats), and the 1855’s Atalanta won a pair of black walnut sculls (the prize for 30-ft boats) over 3 miles, followed by 1857’s Rowena; the Engineers Transit won a black walnut boat-hook as a drill prize. CP139, 1867 YLM p257, RJ92
xx/xx/1855 (Milwaukee WI)  Two boat clubs are founded (see below for Wenona). RK23
xx/xx/1855 (Pittsburgh PA) double scull Swallow (John Hamill, James Hamill) def. Bonnet o’ Blue (Thomas Sloan, John Esplin) for $50 by 1.5 mins. CP312, RK26
xx/xx/1855 (Pittsburgh PA) the Nonpareil, with John Hamill as stroke and James Hamill as cox, def. the Peytonia. CP312
01/07/1855 (Milwaukee WI)  Wenona Boat Club formed. CP236
04/07/1855 (Connecticut River, Springfield MA)  Third Annual Yale Commencement Regatta: 1858’s 40 ft 6-oar race boat Nereid (22:58) def. the Engineer’s Transit (25:27), 1858’s Halcyon (under the name Atalanta) (26:17), 1856’s Thulia (27:02) and 1858’s Rowena (30:42) over 3 miles with a turn. CP138,139, RJ93
04/07/1855 (Boston MA)  The Harvard, built by Coyle at St. John, took second. RJ87-88
04/07/1855 (Boston MA – Charles River) Second City of Boston Regatta: first race –
2-oars single sculls [Ch: under 18 years] over 3 miles: 1st New York’s James Whessel in Battery Pet (32:03) for a silver cup, 2nd New York’s J. Covell in American Boy (35:37.5);
second race – professional single dories over 3 miles: 1st New York’s W. Decker in G.D. Westervelt (31:05) [Ch: 31:03], then New York’s W. Quigley in Margaret Emma (31:05 ruled out), so 2nd Tom Daily in Bella (31:39), 3rd Swampscott’s John Brown (33:06);
third race – 4-oars over 6 miles: New York’s J.D.R. Putman (P. Lynch, H. Lawson et al.) in 51:09 def. New York’s Joseph Delmonico(51:58), St. John’s Neptune not starting;
fourth race  – amateurs over 6 miles: 1st Boston’s 8-oar Maid of Erin (R. McCarthy et al.) in 46:34.5, 2nd 6-oar Ariel (J. McCormick et al.) in 47:57, 3rd 6-oar Stranger  (G. Buckley et al.) in 50:32, 4th 6-oar Flying Cloud (P. Driscoll et al.) in 50:57, 5th 8-oar General Sarsfield (J. Talland et al.) in 51:35, 6th 4-oar Star (J.H. Wells et al.) in 54:45.		 CP259, RJ55, Ch50,51,53
05/07/1855 (Boston MA – Charles River) professional 4-oars over 6 miles for $300 a side: Saint John, New Brunswick’s Neptune (E. Welsh, John Morris, E. Macauley, John Lambert) def. New York’s J.D.R. Putman (P. Lynch, S. Roberts, J. Mathieson, H. Larson, cox George C. Newman), 47:35 to 51:50 (note: a straight four vs. a coxed four). CP259-260, RJ55, Ch44
18/07/1855 (Boston MA – Charles River) Match over 9 miles for $1000: Boston’s 8-oar Maid of Erin (1:10) def. Boston’s 8-oar Thomas F. Meagher. NYT 19/07, CP260
21/07/1855 (Connecticut River, Springfield MA) Harvard coxed 8-oar Iris (Bow Joseph N. Willard ‘57 (130), (2) William G. Goldsmith ‘57 (136), (3) Channing Clapp ‘55 (141), (4) Charles F. Walcott ‘57 (158), (5) Benjamin W. Crowninshield ‘58 (150), (6) William H. Elliott ‘57 (141), (7) John Homans ‘58 (139), Stroke Samuel B. Parkman ‘57 (Captain) (145), Cox James M. Brown ‘53) 22:00 def. Harvard straight 4-oar Y.Y (Bow Alexander Agassiz ‘55 (139), (2) Stephen G. Perkins ‘56 (173), (3) Langdon Erving ‘55 (171), Stroke John Erving, L.S. (Captain) (175)) time as adjusted for 11 seconds per oar 22:56, Yale coxed 6-oar Nereid Bow Adrian Terry ‘54S, (2) Charles F. Johnson ‘55, (3) Henry W. Painter, M.S., (4) Theodore W.E. Belden ‘57, (5) Storrs O. Seymour ‘57, Stroke Joseph W. Wilson, L.S. (Captain), Cox Nathaniel W. Bumstead ‘55 [‘53] (President)) and Yale coxed 6-oar Nautilus (Bow Jeptha Garrard ‘58, (2) Edward Curtis ‘59S, (3) George Lampson ‘55, (4) Granville T. Pierce ‘55, (5) George M. Dorrance ‘56, Stroke Samuel Scoville ‘57 (Captain), Cox George Tucker ’57) over 3 miles with a turn. 1867 YLM p257
xx/07/1855? 4-oars for $100 and $75: 1st New York’s Torbos, 2nd Suatzel;
double sculls won by Ferguson and Deneke (Peekskill);
singles won by a Newburgh sculler.		 RJ55
11/08/1855? (New York) 20-ft. boats over 8 miles for $100: New York’s Daw def. New York’s Burns in 54 mins. RJ56
19/08/1855 (New York) 19-ft. working boats over 5 miles off Ft. Hamilton: 1st Burns, 2nd Decker, 3rd Daw, followed [in no order] by Hayes and Collins. CP260
13/09/1855 (Boston MA – Charles River) Match race between St. John, N.B. and Boston over 12 miles for $2000: St. John’s uncoxed 8-oar Superior (Edward Welch, John Morris, Dennis Morris, John Mulhearn, Patrick Cashley, John Coyle, James Lilley, John Lambert) in 1:34:34 def. Boston’s Maid of Erin (John McCarty, Andrew Murray, James Murray, John Murray, Richard Barry, Michael Driscoll, Eugene O’Neil, cox Richard McCarty), which withdrew after 9 miles, having trailed by 1:00 at 3 miles, by 2:30 at 6 miles, and by 4:30 at 9 miles (note: a coxed eight vs. a straight eight). CP260
13/10/1855 (Boston MA – Charles River) First Charles River Amateur Association Regatta:
6-oars and 4-oars over 3 miles for a gold medal and a silver goblet, with an allowance of 15 secs. an oar: 1st the 6-oar Volant (H. Tappan et al.) in 22:56.5, 2nd Triton Club’s 4-oar Triton in 26:52, 3rd Young America Club’s 4-oar Young America in 27:01, 4th Union Club’s 4-oar Union in 28:10;
dory race over 3 miles: R.M. Pratt in Bonita (31:55) def. A. Whitman Jr. in Spray (33:01) and J.S. Braman in Bella (34:50).		 CP260-261
17/10/1855 (New York – Harlem River) First annual Empire City Regatta Club regatta:
first race – 4-oars over 5 miles for $100 and silk flag, $40 and $10: 1st the Lady Putman (P. Lynch, J. Mathieson, William Wood, Stephen Roberts) in 36:30, by less than 1 length over 2nd the Olie (H. Larson, Oliver Oatson, H. Christian, P. Thompson, cox W. Kinney), 3rd the Americus (W.H. Dexter, D. Smith, G. Braisted, R. Webb), 4th the Whitehall (D. Holland, J.J. Murphy, M. McLaughlin, James Cody, cox Frank Palmerton), 5th the Susan Boyd (T. Daw, T. Osborne, J. Lannigan, J. Donnelly, cox H. Hervey);
second race – smooth work boats double sculls: 1st prize $20; 2nd prize $10; 3rd prize $2: 1st the James Whessels, 2nd the Lockwood, 3rd the Lucky Jack;
19-ft. Whitehall working boats single sculls for prize $150/$130 medal by Ball, Black & Co. and $100, $30 and $20 [and $10?]: 1stThomas Burns (42:15), 2nd W.H. Decker (42:35), 3rd A.J. Scott, 4th Andrew Fay.		 CP288-289
22/10/1855 (Boston MA – Charles River)  Second Charles River Amateur Association Regatta:
6-oars and 4-oars over 3 miles for a $90 silver pitcher and a $60 silver pitcher: 1st Volant Club’s 6-oar Volant (25:03), 2nd Union BC’s 6-oar Union (G.W. Smalley, A. Whitman, F.G. Richards, H.P. Livermore) won a silver goblet [?] in 26:46, 3rd Young America Club’s 4-oar Young America (28:55);
single sculls for a silver pitcher: won by A. Whitman [?]		 CP226,261
10/11/1855 (Milwaukee WI)  Milwaukee Boat Club formed. CP237
26/11/1855 (New York – Harlem River) Fay def. Roberts over 5 miles for $100 a side. CP261
18/12/1855 (New York – Harlem River) Fay (44:20) def. Roberts over 5 miles for $100. CP261
xx/xx/1856 (Pittsburgh PA) for $100 a side, the William Jackson, without a coxswain, def. James Hamill et al., with a coxswain CP312
xx/xx/1856 (Pittsburgh PA – Alleghany River) the Woodward (James Hamill, John Hamill, James Barclay, George Deary) def. the William H. Darling and the Gullet easily for a silver cup CP312
xx/xx/1856 (Pittsburgh PA) the Peerless (James Hamill, John Hamill, Henry Tatnell, George Deary) def. the Petrel over 3 miles for $50 a side. CP313
Late 1856 (Pittsburgh PA) the 100 lb. uncoxed Hornet (Robert Jackson, Fred Wolfe) def. the 125 lb. Dick Fulton (James Hamill, John Hamill) with a 150/125 lb. cox for $25.00 a side, when, despite having a cox, the Hamills managed to foul the other crew and lose the race. CP313, RK27
xx/xx/1856 (Schuylkill River, Philadelphia PA)  Barge Iris won in first Bachelors Barge Club regatta. RK57
04/06/1856 (Williamsburgh NY)  James McKay-built 37-ft. 32” width 12” deep iron-outrigged Experiment, the “first regular shell ever built in the U.S.,”  was launched.  First crew: Charles Wetherell, the Sellars brothers, William Hinton. CP249
09/05/1856 (Philadelphia PA)  Undine Barge Club formed. CP205, RK58
03/06/1856 (New York harbor)  Thomas Daw (34:43) def. P. Collins off the Battery for $100. CP261
23/06/1856 (Boston MA – Charles River)  Third Charles River Amateur Association Regatta:
club boats over 3 miles for a champion medal and a silver goblet, with an allowance of 15 secs. an oar: Volant Club’s 6-oar Volant in 22:33 def. Union BC’s 4-oar Ariadne (H.P. Livermore, H.C. Ahlborn, A. Whitman, Daniel W. Rogers, R.J. Bulger, G. Higginson Jr.) in 23:21 and Olympia Club’s 6-oar Olympia in 25:27;
wherries over 2 miles for a silver cup: A. Whitman Jr in Fancy (17:03) def. R.F. Clark in S. Roberts (17:11), P.H. Colbert in J.D. Baldwin (19:06) and A. Webster in Topsey (21:00).		 CP261
23/06/1856 (New York – Harlem River) Second annual Empire City Regatta Club regatta:
first race – 4-oars for $150 and $50: 1st the Chris J. Thoms-built William H. Torboss (P. Lynch, H. Mathieson, William Wood, Hugh Burns) in 34:54, 2nd the James McKay-built Experiment (Charles Whetherell, W Sellers, T. Selers, William Hinton, cox James McKay) in 35:16, 3rd the Flora Temple (35:47), 4th the Americus (36:15), followed by [in no order] the Brooklyn Belle and Philadelphia’s Falcon;
second race – 17-ft. double scull working boats: 1st the Limekiln Man (43:15), 2nd the William Piggott (44:10), 3rd the Isaac P. Wilkens(45:02);
third race – 20-ft. shell single sculls: 1st Stephen Roberts (46:15), 2nd Peter Fay (48:10) – T. Daw (43:10) and Rappahannock (43:05) finished earlier, but turned the lower stakeboat on the wrong side.		 CP289
04/07/1856 (Boston MA – Charles River) City of Boston Fourth of July Regatta:
single wherries over 2 miles for a $50 silver goblet and a $25 silk standard: 1st New York’s Thomas Daw in Brooklyn Boy (14:57), 2ndT. Daly in S. Roberts (15:06), 3rd S. Roberts in Charles River (15:58), 4th Stone in Fancy (16:05), 5th W. Patchell in J.D. Baldwin(16:10), 6th E. Perkins in Merrimac (16:12), 7th M. Short in Snowdrop (19:00), 8th McArdie in Experiment (19:12);
4-oars over 3 miles for a $125 silver trumpet and a $50 goblet: 1st Boston’s [Ch: Brooklyn’s] Triton (21:51), 2nd Boston’s Newsboy(22:02); 6-oars and 4-oars over 3 miles for a $100 silver pitcher and a $50 goblet, with an allowance of 20 secs. an oar: 1st the 6-oar Robert Emmett (H. Monaghan, J. Collins et al.) in 21:33 [Ch: 21:13], 2nd Harvard’s 51-ft. St. John’s Coyle-built 8-oar Harvard(Parkman et al., racing four days after she was delivered to Harvard) in 21:08, 3rd the 8-oar Washington in 21:38, 4th the 6-oar Undaunted in 23:28 and 5th the Olympia Club’s 6-oar Olympia in 25:06.		 CP123,261-262, Ch50,51,52
04/07/1856 (Hartford CT) Regatta: the 4-oar shell Virginia (New York pilots) def. the Yale Engineers Transit and the Undine (Hartford) over 3 miles with a turn for $100. CP140, 1867 YLM p256
04/07/1856 (Newburgh NY)
first race – 4-oars for $100, $75 and $25: New York’s W.H. Torboss (P. Lynch, J. Mathieson, W. Wood, H. Burns) def. Swatzel and Whitehall;
second race – double sculls: Peekskill’s Denicke and Ferguson def. New York’s Decker and Collins;
third race – single sculls: won by Newburgh’s Gale.		 CP262
11/08/1856 (New York harbor) 20-ft. single shells over 8 miles from Red Hook Point to Robbins Reef Light and return for $200: Thomas Daw def. Hugh Burns by 1.5 lengths in 54:00. CP262
21/08/1856 (Boston MA – Charles River) match race over 6 miles for $300 a side: the Robert Emmett (63:30) def. the 6-oar Unknown by 50 ft. [note: time seems too slow to be accurate]. CP262
23/08/1856 (Detroit MI)  Detroit Boat Club was resurrected from an earlier incarnation. An old Crolius Wave boat which had served the prior group was restored and named the E.A. Brush.  [RK: formed 23/04/1856] CP233, RK54
20/09/1856 (Boston MA – Charles River) Match race over 6 miles for $2000: St. John, New Brunswick’s 35-ft. lapstreak uncoxed 4-oar Neptune(Edward Welch, J. Morris, D. Morris, J. Lambert) in 42:14 [Ch: 42:04] def. New York’s James McKay-built 42-ft. coxed 4-oar shell James McKay (Steve Roberts, C. Wetherell, W. Sellers, Thomas Daw, cox Joseph Elliott Jr.) in 42:46 [note: straight lapstreak four vs. coxed shell four]. CP262, RJ56, Ch44
xx/10/1856 (Milwaukee WI?) Championship regatta: the Wenona Boat Club’s 6-oar barge-built outrigger Wenona took 1st in 17:10 over 2 miles, over the Lady Putnam of Chicago and others. CP236
25/10/1856 (New Haven CT) Fourth Annual Yale College Regatta, under 3 miles with a turn around a stake boat, for “a splendid boat-lantern and glory”: (1st) coxless 6-oar Transit (Engineering: Wm. D. Lyon, D.B. Martin, Geo. Bulkley, Wm. Abernethy, D.M. Russell, Ed. Curtis) 21:12; (2nd) coxed 6-oar Nereid (class of ’58: T.A. Perkins (cox), Wm. P. Bacon, A.L. Clarke, G.E. Dunham, W.A. Magill, E.F. Blake, Wm. D. Morgan) 22:04 (one oarsman stopped rowing “for want of wind”); (3rd) coxed 6-oar Nautilus (class of ’57: Geo. Tucker (cox, T.W. Belden, I.O. Green, S.O. Seymour, H. Foules, Alfred Hand, John Griswold)) 22:55 and (4th) the 8-oar Wa-wa (class of ’58: J. Gerrard (cox), Robert M. Galloway, R.G. Sims, Chas. Pumpelly, G.B. McLellan, Fred. Hewitt, H. Royer, B.D. Sleight, W.S. Pitkin) 26:30 (broke an oarlock and lost an oar). 01/11 PS p149, CP140, RJ93
xx/xx/1857 (Chicago IL)  Regatta over 4 miles for 4-oars and 6-oars. RK23
xx/xx/1857 (Portland ME)  The North Star Boat Club was formed. CP231
xx/xx/1857 (Worcester MA)  Quinsigamond Boat Club formed. CP227
xx/03/1857 (Albany NY)  Pioneer Boat Club formed. CP195, RK53
Spring 1857 (Providence RI)  University Boat Club formed at Brown University. RK78
Spring 1857 (Pittsburgh PA) Alleghany County Association Regatta: the Highland Maid (James Hamill, John Hamill) def. the Leander (Fred. Wolfe, Mark Campbell) by a couple of lengths for $50. CP313
3 weeks later (Pittsburgh PA) in a re-match for $50, the Leander (Fred. Wolfe, Mark Campbell) easily def. the Highland Maid (James Hamill, John Hamill) for $50 due to a strong wind which affected the Maid more than the Leander. CP313
16/05/1857 (Boston MA – Charles River) 6-oars over 3 miles: Boston’s Volant Boat Club’s Volant in 21:00 def. Harvard’s Huron in 21:38. CP123-124, 262, RJ56,88
13/06/1857 (Boston MA – Charles River) 1st Beacon Cup Regatta over 3 miles with an allowance of 16 secs. an oar: 1st Union Boat Club’s 6-oar Union (A. Webster Jr, A. Whitman, A.S. Baxter Jr, G.W. Smalley, N.H. Bryant, S.S. Whitman) in 21:21, 2nd Harvard’s 8-oar Harvardin 20:20.5, 3rd Urania Club’s 6-oar Urania (22:00), 4th Students’ 6-oar Camilla (23:17), 5th Students’ 6-oar Sabrina (23:24). CP124,226, 262-263, RJ56, RK71,255
04/07/1857 (Charles River, Cambridge MA)  Union Boat Club’s H. Whitman won the amateur singles. CP227
04/07/1857 (Newburgh NY) Newburgh Regatta:
first race – 4-oars for $100: 1st New York’s Experiment, 2nd Newburgh’s Frank S. Wood, followed by [in no order] New York’s Alida, Newburgh’s B.B. Odell and Haverstraw’s Ripple;
second race – double-sculls over 4 miles: 1st New York’s D. Brophy  (Josh Ward, Henry Ward) in 33:30, 2nd Newburgh’s J.C. Gazlay;
third race – single sculls: 1st New York’s Thomas Daw, 2nd Newburgh’s Gale;
fourth race – double scull Newburgh boats over 4 miles: won by the Fanny Fern (Joshua Ward, Henry Ward) in 33:30.		 CP263, RJ56
04/07/1857 (New Bedford MA)  New Bedford Regatta: Union Boat Club’s 4-oar Ariadne (G.W. Smalley, A. Whitman, G.W. Hankins, A. Webster Jr) won a silver pitcher for 1st. CP
27/07/1857 (New Haven CT) Fifth Annual Yale Commencement Regatta:  1858’s 40 ft 6-oar race boat Nereid (22:51) def. 1860’s 6-oar Wenona(22:52) and the Scientifics 8-oar Olympia (23:16 after adding 11 second per oar allowance) over more than 3 miles. CP138,140, RJ93
16/09/1857 (Staten Island NY) Staten Island Regatta:
first race – 19-ft. double scull working boats: the Henry Carr (James Lee, Fay) def. Activity (J. Burke, P. Collins) and Ida Burns (J. Martin, L. Jennings);
second race – 17-ft. double scull working boats: won by the Captain Brophy (Richard Sevells, David Dillon);
third race – 19-ft. single scull working boats: won by H. Burns in the Ida Burns.		 CP263, RJ57
19/09/1857 (Pittsburgh PA) 4-oar outriggers:  the Putman (21:35) def. the James Barclay (22:00). CP263
13/10/1857 (New York – Harlem River)  Third annual Empire City Regatta Club regatta:
first race – 4-oars for $150, $40 and $10: 1st the Robert H. Allaire (C. Sprague, W. Boggs, P. O’Brien, H.L. Sprague) in 35:02, 2nd the Experiment (W. Hinton, F. Sellers, C. Wetherell, W. Sellers), 3rd the James Conchie (P. Lynch, J. Mathieson, W. Wood, T. Daw), 4th the Charles B. Elliott (H. Osborn, J. Silleck, M. Jones, W. Thompson);
second race – 17-ft. working boats double sculls boy’s race: 1st the Captain Brophy (46:08), 2nd the Charles Harvey;
third race – champion sculls: 1st Andy Fay (42:10), 2nd H. Osborn, 3rd H. Burns.		 CP289-290
27/10/1857 (Chicago IL) race over 4 miles for $200 and the championship flag, with an allowance of 20 secs. an oar: the 4-oar Lady Putman(30:07) def. the 6-oar Phantom. CP263
28/10/1857 (Philadelphia PA – Delaware River) singles over 5 miles for $500 a side: New York’s Thomas Daw (43:06) def. Philadelphia’s William Glenn. CP263, RJ57
29/10/1857 (New York – Harlem River) professional 4-oars over 5 miles for $200 a side: the Allair finishing a half length ahead of the Experimentin 35:15, but the race was declared a draw because the Allaire took the wrong side of the judges boat. CP263, RJ57
xx/xx/1858 (Milwauke WI?)  The Wenona Boat Club’s Wenona def. the Milwaukee Club’s Jessie over 3 miles. CP236
Fall 1858 (Newburgh NY – Newburgh Bay)  Walter Brown and Edmonston in a lapstreak double scull def. 7 other crews over 2 miles in 16:00. CP326, RK30
xx/xx/1858 (Brunswick ME)  Bowdoin Class of 1860 formed a boat club with a 50 ft. 8-oar; Class of 1861 formed the Quobonick Club with a 6-oar. RK75
xx/xx/1858 (Middletown CT)  Two boat clubs were formed at Wesleyan College. RK77
xx/xx/1858 (Schenectady NY) Union College.fraternity Kappa Alpha formed a boat club. RK79
14/04/1858 (Portland ME)  Alpha Boat Club formed. CP230
19/06/1858 (Boston MA – Charles River) 2nd Beacon Cup Regatta:
wherries over 2 miles for $25: 1st R.F. Clark in Black Bird (14:54), 2nd T. Doyle in D.E. Poland (15:17), 3rd J. Stevens in Boston(16:33), 4th E. Harrington in Eastern (16:38);
6-oars over 3 miles for $75:  1st Harvard’s new St. John’s McKay-built 130 lb. 6-oar Harvard (A.E. Agassiz et al.) in 19:22, 2nd the 6-oar Fort Hill Boy (J. Murray et al.) in 21:20, 3rd the 6-oar Robert Emmett (H. Monaghan et al.) in 21:21, 4th the 6-oar Shamrock (J. Wood et al.) in 21:50, 5th the 6-oar Stirling (H. Sullivan et al.) in 22:06, 6th the 6-oar Bunker Hill (Saverty et al.) in 23:00.		 JP140, CP124,264,  RJ57,88
xx/xx/1858 (Connecticut River, Springfield MA)  Harvard-Yale Boat Race: cancelled due to drowning death of Yale crew member George Dunham RK71
08/06/1858 (Hoboken NJ)  Atlantic Boat Club formed. CP173
xx/07/1858 (Albany NY?) The Pioneer’s Phantom (Annesley, Young, McKnight, Strain, De Witt, stroke Headlam, cox Gregory), finishing in 23:25, def. the Knickerbocker’s Minnehaha over 3 miles. CP196
xx/07/1858 (New Haven CT)  Sixth Annual Yale College Race: 1860’s 45-ft. coxless 6-oar shell Varuna def. the Scientifics 46-ft. 8-oar Olympia(rowed by only 6 men), 1861’s 40-ft. 6-oar lapstrake Nereid (which took first in its class), and the coxless Scientifics 4-oar shellOmicron. CP144, RJ93
xx/07/1858 (Pittsburgh PA) 4-oar outriggers: the Pike in 21:50 def. the David Holmes (formerly the James McKay of New York) in 22:18 CP264
xx/07/1858 (Pittsburgh PA) 4-oar outriggers over 3 miles: the race between the M.F. Cassidy (21:56) and the David Holmes was declared drawn on a claimed foul. CP264
04/07/1858 or

05/07/1858

 (Newburgh NY) Newburgh Regatta over 5.25 miles:
first race – fishing skiffs: Newburgh’s Factory Belle (Sarvis brothers) def. 3 other crews;
second race – 4-oars for $100 and $25: 1st the Frank G. Wood, by 47 secs, 2nd the  Dan Bryant, 3rd the Experiment;
third race – double sculls for $100 and $25: won by Newburgh’s J.C. Gazlay [NYT: Gazeby], with the Rappahannock breaking in half “and came near drowning her men”;
fourth race – single sculls for $50 and $25: 1st John Hancon in James Underhill by 48 secs, 2nd New York’s David Dillon, followed by 5 others.		 NYT 9/7, CP264, RJ58
05/07/1858 (Boston MA – Charles River) Young Men’s Democratic Club Regatta:
first race – wherries over 2 miles for $25 and $15:  1st Thomas F. Doyle in Eastern (15:29), 2nd P.H. Colbert in Conchshell (15:45);
second race – 4-oars over 3 miles for $50 and $25: 1st Red Michael (H. Monaghan et al.) in 22:09, 2nd Pride of Boston (E. O’Brien et al.) in 23:00;
third race – 6-oars and 8-oars over 6 miles for $100 and $50, with allowance of 30 secs. an oar: 1st Harvard’s 6-oar Harvard(Crowninshield et al.) 40:25, 2nd 6-oar Fort Hill Boy (Murrays et al.) 41:44, 3rd 6-oar Lexington (O’Hearns et al.) 42:30, 4th 6-oar Stirling (J. Martin et al.) 43:04.		 CP124,264, RJ57, Ch50,52
06/07/1858 (New London CT) Regatta: Yale Scientifics 8-oar club boat Olympia (ex-Sand Cove of St. John’s and Maid of Erin of Boston) won 1stprize of a silver goblet and the Yale Scientifics 4-oar shell boat Olympia  took 2nd in nine boat contest CP138,141, 1867 YLM p256
15/07/1858 (New York – Hudson River) singles over 5 miles off Fort Washington for $100: Thomas Daw (33:30) def. Lynch (34:40). CP265
23/07/1858 (Connecticut River, Springfield MA) The first planned intercollegiate regatta, between Brown, Harvard, Trinity and Yale was cancelled when George E. Dunham, a member of the Yale crew, drowned the day before the race.
xx/08/1858 (Pittsburgh PA) 4-oars over 3 miles: the Peerless (22:12) def. the Petrel (23:12). CP265
05/08/1858 (New York) singles from Hoboken over 5 miles for $100: David Dillon def. Henry Osborne. CP265
07/08/1858 (Pittsburgh PA) amateur 4-oar outriggers over 3 miles: the W.H. Darling (22:45) def. the Putman (23:04). CP265
09/08/1858 (Staten Island NY) Richmond County Regatta Club regatta:
first race – double sculls for $75: 1st Newburgh’s John C. Gazlay [Gazzlay] (Joshua Ward, Shaw), 2nd the Extra;
second race – single sculls: 1st Fay, 2nd John Hancon, 3rd Thomas Daw, 4th Burns;
third race – 4-oars for $150 and $25: 1st the Dan Bryant, 2nd the George J Brown, followed by [in no order] the Experiment and Newburgh’s Frank J. Wood.		 CP265,322, RJ58
27/08/1858 (Springfield MA – Connecticut River) Springfield Regatta:
first race – 4-oars over 3 miles for $100 and $50: 1st Newburgh’s F.G. Wood (22:00), 2nd New York’s Dan Bryant (23:30), 3rd New London’s Bonita (24:00), 4th Boston’s Pride of Boston (24:10);
second race – 6-oars over 3 miles for $100 and $50: 1st Boston’s Fort Hill Boy (21:00), 2nd New London’s Bonita (21:45), 3rdHartford’s Una (22:05);
third race – wherries over 2 miles for $50 and $25: 1st New York’s Andrew Fay in T.H. Seymour (16:10), 2nd New York’s H. Burns in Rappahannock (16:45), 3rd T.H. Dailey in Chittabob (16:47), 4th E. Harrington in Eastern (17:30);
fourth race – sweepstakes over 3 miles for $150: 1st New York’s 4-oar Experiment (21:30), 2nd Springfield’s 6-oar Winona (22:50), 3rdNew York’s 4-oar Hornet (24:25)		 CP265, RJ59
16/09/1858 (New York – Harlem River)  Fourth annual Empire City Regatta Club regatta:
first race – 4-oars for $100, $25 and $10: 1st the George J. Brown (Henry Osborn, William Boggs, Peter O’Brien, W.H. Dexter) in 34:42.5, 2nd the Dan Bryant (William Woods, P. Lynch, C. Sprague, Oscar Teed), 3rd the Experiment (David Dillon, M. Vallay, Henry Conklin, John Leary) – Boston’s James Riley (James Murray, John Murray, Andrew Murray, J. Driscoll) quit after a mile;
second race – 17-ft. pair-oar? working boats: 1st the Lewis C. Meeks (William Windham, Andrew Latham) in 45:50, followed closely by the Ned (George Sopers, James Culross), 3rd the Empire City (A. Gilson, C. Finch), followed [in no order] by the Ed. Clyne (Neville brothers) and the Gwynegan (James Sellers, T. Sellers);
third race – champion sculls: 1st Hugh Burns in the Cyrus W. Field, 2nd [not given], 3rd Andrew Fay in the W.D. Logan, followed [in no order] by John Musgrave in the Vickey, and J.W. Guider in the Jane – Thomas Daw in the Olivia Roberts withdrew after half the race;
fourth race – sweepstakes over 5 miles for a silver pitcher: 1st the George J. Brown in 34:23, 2nd the Experiment, 3rd the Robert H.Allaire (Dan Bryant crew), each within a length or so of the preceding boat – Boston’s James Riley entered but did not start.		 CP290-291
xx/10/1858 (Albany NY?) The Pioneer’s Phantom (Collier, Scovel, McKnight, Strain, De Witt, stroke Headlam, cox Gregory) in 22:20 again def. the Knickerbocker’s Minnehaha. CP196
05/10/1858 (Philadelphia PA)  Schuylkill Navy founded by the America, Camilla, Chebucto, Falcon, Independent, Keystone, Neptune and University Barge Clubs; later members no longer in existence included the Amateur, Atlantic, Excelsior, Iona, Nautilus, Union and Washington clubs. RK22, 55
15/10/1858 (Newburgh NY) single sculls over 2 miles: in his first singles race, Newburgh’s Josh Ward (16:07) def. John Hancon by 2 lengths. CP265, RJ59
15/10/1858 (Chicago IL) 4-oars over 5 miles for $1000: Toronto’s Shakespeare Rowing Club’s As You Like It (42:00) def. Chicago’s Metropolitan Rowing Club’s Perhaps “by an incalculable distance.” CP266, RJ59, Ch44
20/10/1858 (Philadelphia PA)  Quaker City Barge Club formed (from Camilla Boat Club). CP208, RK59
25/10/1858 (Pittsburgh PA) 4-oar outriggers over 3 miles: the Isaac Gullett (20:54) def. the M.F. Cassiday (21:09). CP266
08/11/1858 (Pittsburgh PA) 4-oar outriggers over 3 miles: the Josephine (21:09) def. the Putman (21:17). CP266
11/11/1858 (Hudson River NY)  The 4-oar Our Jessie (Atlantic Boat Club: T.M. Tuthill, Wm Gibson, Chas. E. Tuthill, Walter Gibson, cox S.B. Tuthill) def. the Eagle (Eagle Boat Club: R. Terhun, Jullien Crevier, Daniel Probst, Wm Coope, Felix Geheart) over a 5 mile course from a stake boat moored off Atlantic Garden for 2 miles up the North River to a stake boat at King’s Point, then across to New York, then back to the starting point, in 42:30. CP176
xx/xx/1859 (Poughkeepsie NY) In 2-day regatta, Dennis Leary won single scull race over 5 miles in 48:26. RK26
xx/xx/1859 (New York)  New York Regatta Club founded to promote July 4th regatta in New York harbor.
xx/xx/1859 (Pittsburgh PA)  In his first singles race, James Hamill def. Frederick Wolfe in 26:30 over 3 miles in a 2-oar craft sawed down to 95 lbs. (Wolfe’s boat weighed 45 lbs.) CP313, RK27
xx/xx/1859 (Boston MA – Charles River) Beacon Cup Regatta:
single sculls over 2 miles for $50: won by R.F. Clark in Esperance (13:52);
double sculls over 2 miles for $50: won by Brackett and Carpenter in Novice (14:31);
6-oars over 3 miles for $100 (in which 4-oars could compete with an advantage of 11 seconds per “lost” oar): won by Harvard (19:11.5)		 RJ59
xx/xx/1859 (Detroit MI)  Detroit Boat Club acquires 8-oar barge Camilla, built by C.J. Thomas. RK54
xx/xx/1859 (Philadelphia PA – Schuylkill River)  University Barge Club’s 4-oar Hesperus lost while trying to rescue a sailing boat caught on the dam. RK58
xx/xx/1859 4-oars: Isaac G. Wood Jr (bow William Edmonston, J.H. Strackan, Walter Brown, stroke W.H. Garrison) def. Undercliff over 4.5 miles in 31:18. CP326
08/05/1859 Singles match race over 4 miles for $50: Walter Brown def. William Edmonston in 34:11. CP326
11/05/1859 (Brooklyn NY)  Alcyone Boat Club formed. CP178
08/06/1859 (New Haven CT)  1860’s Varuna defended its Yale title against the challenge of the Scientifics Olympia. CP144
09/06/1859 (New York)  Gulick Boat Club formed. CP168, RK52
16/05/1859-

18/05/1859

 Bachelor’s Boat Club coxed 6-oar barge Linda (J.M. Collingwood, Arthur Wells, William Brown, J.M. Longacre, J.D. McKee, John A. McAllister, James W. Alger) set out from Philadelphia to New York, making 48 miles to Trenton the first day, 57 miles to Perth Amboy the second day, and 30 miles to New York by noon of the third day (total rowing time – 28 hours) RK57
27/05/1859 (Newburgh NY) Singles match race over 4 miles: Walter Brown def. Theodore Grovier in 33:00. CP326
13/06/1859-

15/06/1859

 Atlantic Boat Club’s 6-oar barge Our Jessie left Hoboken for Philadelphia, making 63 miles to Millstone the first day, Florence the second day, and the Walnut Street wharf by 9 a.m. the third day (total rowing time – 23 hrs 6 mins.) CP174-175
15/06/1859 (Philadelphia PA) Pacific Barge Club formed. CP217
17/06/1859 (Charlestown MA) First Regatta of the Bunker Hill Association:
first race – single wherries over 2 miles for $20 and $10: 1st R.F. Clark in L’Esperance (17:20), 2nd Thomas Doyle in Horace Jenkins(17:23);
second race – 4-oars over 2 miles for $30 and $20: 1st the James Riley (N.K. Mahoney et al.) in 15:58, 2nd the Quickstep (J. Henly et al.) in 16:22, 3rd the Mystic (D.G. Quirk et al.) in 17:05, 4th the Eunomia (H.L. Dunn et al.) in 17:05.5;
third race – 6-oars over 2 miles for $50 and $30: 1st the Grace Darling (T. Vallely et al.) in 15:11, 2nd Harvard’s Juniata in 15:19.		 CP266
22/06/1859 (Boston MA – Charles River) Third Beacon Regatta:
first race – single sculls over 2 miles for $50: 1st R.F. Clark in L’Esperance (13:52), 2nd Thomas Doyle in Horace Jenkins (14:42.5), 3rd E. Harrington in Lottie (15:50);
second race – double sculls over 2 miles for $50: 1st Union Boat Club’s Novice (W.H. Carpenter, H.H. Brackett) in 14:31, 2nd the Aurora (Daley, Colbert) in 14:40;
third race – 4-oars and 6-oars over 3 miles for $100, with allowance of 11 secs. an oar: the Students’ 6-oar Harvard (19:11.5) def. New York’s 4-oar Leader (20:34.5).		 CP227,266
22/06/1859 (New York)  Waverley Boat Club formed. CP165, RK52
25/06/1859 (Philadelphia PA – Schuylkill River) Schuylkill Navy Regatta (first):
6-oar outrigger gigs:  Keystone Barge Club’s Atalanta  (Bow Joseph Levick, 2 George Thompson, 3 William Ivins, 4 Alexander Milne, 5 John Waddell, Stroke J. Eastman, Cox A.K. Benners) (19:30) def. University Barge Club’s Lucifer (19:45/20:00) [the Luciferhad been delivered the day before, and the crew raced without having been able to train in her] and Excelsior Barge Club’s Intrepid(20:05/20:30) in a race over 3 miles with a turn;
smooth-gunwale  barges over 3 miles with a turn and a 30 second allowance to 4-oars: Bachelors Barge Club’s 6-oar Iris (Bow Joseph D. McKee, 2 William Henry Reese, 3 William Brown, 4 Joseph M. Collingwood, 5 James M. Longacre, Stroke Arthur Wells, Cox Charles J. Eastwick) in 22:02 def. Quaker City Barge Club’s 6-oar Cygnet (ex-Camilla) (22:45/23:03) and Independent Barge Club’s 4-oar Whisper (24:00/25:03).		 CP199, LH125, RK56-58
xx/07/1859 (Albany NY?) Racing for the championship, the Pioneer’s Phantom (Collier, Headlam, Strain, McKnight, Scovel, stroke De Witt, cox Gregory) broke an oar at the turn, and withdrew.
04/07/1859 (Boston MA) Boston City Regatta:
first race – single scull shells and lapstreak singles over 2 miles for $50 and $20 in each class: 1st shell R.F. Clark in L’Esperance(14:53), 2nd shell T. Doyle in Horace Jenkins (15:04), and 1st lapstreak R.M. Platt in Olivia (15:29), 2nd T. Daley in Zouave (16:11.5), 3rd M.F. Wells in Autocrat (16:23);
second race – double scull lapstreaks over 2 miles for $50 and $20: 1st the E.K.G. (T. Daley [Ch: Dailey], P.H. Colbert) in 14:49, 2ndthe Novice (Brackett, Carpenter) in 14:59, 3rd the Spark (Stevens, Fox) in 15:30.5, 4th the Dash (Gifford, Foster) in 17:28.5;
third race – 4-oars over 3 miles for $75 and $40: 1st the Tiger (J. Monaghan, H. McKenna et al.) in 20:53.5, 2nd the Quickstep (J. Scott et al.) in 21:01;
fourth race – 6-oar race over 3 miles for $75 and $40: 1st the Fort Hill Boy (J. Murray, Jas. Murray et al.) in 20:56.5, 2nd Medford’s Mill Boy in 22:04.5, 3rd the Shamrock (Murphy et al.) in 22:11.5.		 CP267, RJ60, Ch52
04/07/1859 (Newburgh NY) Newburgh Regatta:
first race – 4-oars over 5 miles for $125 and $50: 1st Newburgh’s Frank G. Wood (39:00), 2nd New York’s Dan Bryant (with Joshua Ward aboard), 3rd New York’s George G. Brown (Newburgh’s John D. Kelly withdrew);
second race – double scull fishing boats: won by Poughkeepsie’s Dreadnaught;
third race – single sculls: won by John Hancon in the Thomas Grover.		 CP266-267, RJ60
04/07/1859 (New London CT) Regatta: Yale 1860’s Varuna competed without success. CP144, 1867 YLM p256
04/07/1859 (Middletown CT)  Yale 1861’s Atalanta won 1st ($60) and Yale’s Olympia took 2nd for $30 over the Aliotus of Hartford (Connecticut River fishermen).and the Atalanta of Hartford. CP144-145
04/07/1859 (New York harbor) First annual New York Regatta Club Fourth of July Regatta over a 3-mile course from the judge’s boat, moored just south of the Garden/Battery to a stakeboat moored between Ellis Island and Jersey City, to a stakeboat paced west of Governor’s Island, and return:
first race – coxed and uncoxed 4-oars for $100 and $20: 1st the 40-ft. Jeremiah Donnelly (Andrew Fay, Peter Fay, John Carroll, John McNeil) in 27:30, 2nd the 37’6” Experiment (Thomas Farrell, Michael Vallorey, John Leary, John Musgrove) in 29:00 (after the Experiment, leading by a good margin, was partially filled by a huge wave, Musgrove and Leary leapt out to keep it from swamping, and Farrell and Vallorey rowed it in), 3rd the 35-ft. Whitehall (James Walsh, Hugh Riley, William Weekley, Joseph Burke) – the 40-ft. James Hughes (William Boyd, Michael McGee, T. Bresnahan, John Walsh) broke an oar and withdrew;
second race – 17-ft. double sculls working boats for $40 and $10: 1st the George W. Winship (H. Conklin, Patrick Neill), 2nd the Unknown (Michael Vallory, John Leary), 3rd the Emily (T. Maloney, J. Henessey), 4th the Elizabeth Smith (T. Douglass, M. Neagle), followed by [in no order] the Clines (D. Probst, F. Heard) and the Pussy Cat (John Davis, P. Johnson);
third race – single scull shells for $20 and $10: 1st Henry Osborn in the Bonnie Eloise (23:30), the only craft to complete the course – Andrew Fay in the Thomas Jefferson claimed to have been fouled by Thomas Daw in the Eleanor, who did not turn all of the stakeboats, and Joseph White in the Fernando Wood did not complete the race.		 CP297-299, RK23

Anthony’s stereoviews
05/07/1859 (New Haven harbor CT)  Yale championship regatta:
first class boats:,Varuna ($30) def. Olympia ($15) and Atalanta;
second class boats: 1860’s 6-oar Wenona  ($30) def. 1862’s 4-oar Naiad ($15), and Law’s 4-oar Eolus, , 1861’s 6-oar Cymothoe, 1861’s 6-oar Lorelei, 1862’s 6-oar Nautilus, 1862’s 6-oar barge Atalanta and 1862’s 6-oar Thulia.		 CP145
26/07/1859 (Worcester MA – Lake Quinsigamond) College Union Regatta: in a race for 6-oars in which Trinity promised a to enter a boat and Yale expected to enter a second boat, the Volante, neither of which appeared, the order and times of finish over 3 miles with a turn were Harvard (40-ft 150 lb. pine straight six shell) (Bow Joseph H. Ellison ‘59 (Captain) (136.5), (2) Joseph H. Wales ‘61 (133.5), (3) Henry S. Russell ‘60 (133), (4) Edward G. Abbott ‘60 (137), (5) William H. Forbes ‘61 (156.5), Stroke Casper Crowninshield ‘60 (156)) 19:18 def. Yale (45 ft Spanish cedar coxed six shell) 20:18, Harvard’s second entry, Avon (lapstrake) 21:13, and Brown’s entry Atalanta (lapstrake) 24:40. CP124-125,267, RJ60, 1867 YLM p257
27/07/1859 (Worcester MA – Lake Quinsigamond) Worcester City Regatta / Citizen’s Regatta:
first race – single sculls over 2 miles for $50 and $25: 1st John Hancon in T. Grover (16:20), 2nd T. Doyle in Friendship (16:28), 3rd C. McCay in T. Jefferson (17:23), 4th J. Wells in Horace Jenkins (18:14);
second race – 4-oar shells and lapstreaks over 3 miles for $75 and $50: 1st New York’s shell Leader (21:01), 2nd New York’s shell Experiment (21:09), 3rd Boston’s lapstreak Quickstep (21:34);
third race 6-oar shells over 3 miles for $100 and $75: 1st Yale (19:14) def. Harvard (19:16) (a Yale oarsman describes seeing “the famous red turbans tossed overboard”).		 CP125-127, 267-268, 1867 YLM p257
27/07/1859 (Pittsburgh PA) 8-oar pleasure barges over 3.5 miles: the Boisel (24:22) def. the Undine (25:57). CP268
03/08/1859 (Pittsburgh PA) 8-oar pleasure barges over 2.5 miles: the Undine (17:17) def. the Boisel (17:26) and the Robinson (18:00). CP268
08/08/1859 (Pittsburgh PA) 4-oar outriggers over 2.5 miles: the Woodward (17:23) def. the Isaac Gullett (17:26) and the W.C. Darling (18:35) CP268
15/08/1859 (Staten Island NY) Third Annual Richmond County Regatta Club Regatta from off T.C. Burns’s Nautilus Hall:
first race – single scull shells for $75 and $25: 1st John Hancon, 2nd A. Fay, 3rd H. Burns;
second race – double sculls for $50 and $20: 1st the Winship (B. Neville, H. Conklin), 2nd the Lewis C. Meeks (Biglin, Leary);
third race –  4-oars for $50 and $20: 1st the Dan Bryant (with Joshua Ward aboard), 2nd Geo. J Brown, 3rd the Charles McCay, 4th the J. Donnelly, the Leader and Newburgh’s William Lisle withdrawing.		 CP268,323, RJ61
26/08/1859 (New York – Harlem River)  Fifth annual Empire City Regatta Club regatta over 5 miles:
first race – fishing boats: 1st James Sheridan in the David Blackburn in 54:28, 2nd James H. Biglin in the Gotham, 3rd W. Finch in the J. Brown, 4th James Culross in the Misty Maid – J.J. Biglin in the Ebbets did not finish;
second race – two pair sculls: 1st the Maggie (James Culross, John J. Eckerson) in 46:12, 2nd the Bane (William Windover, Andrew Latham), 3rd the Young Frolic (William Singleton, James Riley) – the Sylvie (Martin Bowe, John Bowe) withdrew;
third race – 4-oars: 1st the George J. Brown (Dennis Leary, William Boggs, Peter O’Brien, William H. Dexter) in 35:15, 2nd the Leader (Charles Wetherell, James Sellers, William Sellers, Thomas Sellers) in 36:06, 3rd the Thomas Foulks (P. Lynch, H. Lawson, William Walsh, John Mathieson), 4th the Charles McCay (John Leary, Michael Vallery, John Musgrave, Thomas Farrell) – the Dan Bryant (William H. Ward, Oscar Teed, Joshua Ward, George W. Shaw) withdrew after 2.5 miles;
fourth race – champion sculls: 1st Andrew Fay in the Thomas Jefferson, 2nd Thomas Daw in the Eleanor Smith, 3rd Henry Osborn in the Harriet Lane, 4th William Hays in the Old Top – Newburgh’s John Hancon in the Flora Temple withdrew after a collision with a 4-oar;		 CP291-292
27/08/1859 (Pittsburgh PA) 4-oar outriggers over 3 miles: the Bill Jackson (21:27) def. the Woodward (22:15). CP268
12/09/1859 (New York – Harlem River) 4-oars match race for $500 a side: the Dan Bryant finished in 34:40 and the George J. Brown in 34:46, but the contest was declared a draw due to fouling. CP268, RK61
20/09/1859 (Newburgh Bay NY) single sculls race over 4.5 miles for $100: 1st Josh Ward, 2nd John Hancon, followed [in no order] by Brown and Grover. CP268,323, RJ61, RK29
29/09/1859 (Staten Island NY) singles over 5 miles for $500 a side: Fay, finishing in 39:00, def. Daw. CP269, RJ62
29/09/1859 (Albany NY) Albany Regatta:
first race – double sculls over 3 miles: won by Ward and Shaw in 23:20;
second race – single sculls: 1st John Hancon (26:17), 2nd Boston’s Doyle;
third race – 4-oars for $100: 1st the Stranger (20:11), 2nd the Dan Bryant (20:21), 3rd the George J. Brown (20:26);
fourth race – amateur [4-oars?]: won by the Hiawatha Boat Club’s Stephen Roberts.		 CP269, RJ62
29/09/1859 (Milwaukee WI?)  State Agricultural Society regatta for 6-oars over 3 miles for 6 silver cups: the Mechanic’s Club’s 6-oar Mechanic(19:13) def. the Milwaukee Boat Club’s 45-ft. James-built 6-oar outrigger shell Kinnickinnick (Bow Henry Sands, T.L. Baker, C.T. Bradley, W.H. Wright, J.R. Brigham, stroke C.T. Isley), who finished in 20:00, and the Wenona Boat Club’s 41-ft. Nathan Brooks-built 6-oar outrigger barge Wacoma (20:25) for a $75 silver cup over 2.5 miles. CHECK CONFLICTING CP238 CP236,238
11/10/1859 (Staten Island NY) singles over 5 miles for $100 and the champion’s belt: 1st Joshua Ward in T. Donohue-built 25-ft. Mayor Morton(35:10), 2nd Fay, 3rd Daw, 4th John Hancon (this U.S. record remained unbroken in 1871). CP269,323, RJ62, Ch44, RK29-30
24/10/1859 (Boston MA – Charles River) Scullers Championship in single scull shells over 3 miles for $200 and 2 silk flags, $100 and $50: 1stJoshua Ward in the Major Norton (23:16), 2nd T. Doyle in the Friendship (23:26), 3rd Thomas Daw in the Brooklyn Boy (24:11), 4thJohn Hancon in an unnamed shell (24:14), 5th A. Whitman Jr. in the Mignonne (24:48), 5th M.F. Wells in the J. Reed (25:21). CP269,323, RJ62
08/11/1859 (Pittsburgh PA) 4-oars over 3 miles: the Stephen Roberts (20:30) def. the Josephine (20:45). CP269
xx/xx/1860 (New York)  Empire City Regatta : George J. Brown (Dennis Leary, John Biglin, James Biglin, Bernard Biglin) covered 5 miles in record 30:44.75. RK26
xx/xx/1860 (Newburgh NY)  Walter Brown def. John Hancon. RK30
xx/01/1860 (Philadelphia PA)  Malta Barge Club formed. CP213, RK59
11/05/1860 (Boston MA)  Union Boat Club’s J.D. Parker Jr won 1st for a silver goblet. CP227
30/05/1860 (New Haven CT) Yale championship regatta: each of the challengers Thulia (19:15) and Nereid (19:35) def. the defending champion Atalanta (20:00) CP146
17/06/1860 or 18/06/1860 (Charlestown MA)  Second Regatta of the Bunker Hill Association:
first race – single scull shell wherries over 2 miles for $40 and $20: 1st Union Boat Club’s M.S. Smith in the Mignonne (16:42), 2nd M.F. Wells in the J. Reed (18:01);
second race – single scull shell lapstreaks: 1st  A.H. Clark in the Olivia (17:20), 2nd L. Kinsley in the Artless 2nd (for $20);
third race – double scull lapstreaks over 2 miles for $50 and $25: 1st the E.K.G. (Wells, Daley) in 16:28, 2nd the Novice (Colbert, Doyle) in 16:40;
fourth race – 4-oar and 6-oar lapstreaks over 2 miles for $75 and $30: 1st the 6-oar Haidee (Harvard sophomores) in 14:23, 2nd the 6-oar Thetis (Harvard sophomores), 3rd Union Boat Club’s 6-oar Union in 14:39, 4th Charlestown’s 4-oar Mystic in 14:57.		 CP227,269-270, RJ62-63
20/06/1860 or

21/06/1860 or

26/06/1860

 (Schuylkill River, Philadelphia PA) second Schuylkill Navy Regatta:
6-oar outrigged gigs over 3 miles with a turn: University Barge Club’s Lucifer (Bow John Markoe, 2 William D. Winsor, 3 J. Hamilton Kuhn, 4 Charles Richards, 5 William White, Stroke Rudolph Ellis, Cox Samuel W. Groome) (19:10/19:45/20:00) def. Excelsior Boat Club’s Intrepid (Bow T.R. Duncan, 2 B. Gaskill, 3 Robert Boyes, 4 H. Earle, 5 Charles Kneass, Stroke __, Cox H.A. Steel) in 19:40;
6-oar smooth-gunwale barges over 3 miles from Turtle Rock with a turn around a stake boat moored above Columbia Bridge: Excelsior Boat Club’s Falcon (Bow T. Duncan, 2 G.R. Hallowell, 3 R. Boyes, 4 George Wood, 5 George Gilpin, Stroke Henry Earle, Cox H.A. Steel) in 21:50/22:00 def. Quaker City Barge Club’s Cygnet in 22:00/22:10 and Neptune Barge Club’s Irene (Bow R.H. Griffith, 2 J.B. Keyser, 3 D.H. Lane, 4 I.G. Paul, 5 W.H. Cameron, Stroke J.G. Frost, Cox H.M. Snyder) in 22:30/23:00.		 CP199-200,209, LH126, RK57
23/06/1860 (Charles River, Boston MA) Fourth Beacon Cup Regatta:
first race – single sculls lapstreak shells over 2 miles for $50: 1st Union Boat Club’s M.S. Smith in the Mignonne (14:31), 2nd T. Doyle in the Friendship (14:40);
second race – double scull lapstreaks for $50: 1st Jamaica Pond’s L’Hirondelle (14:24), 2nd the Imogene (Doyle, Colbert) in 14:35, 3rdthe E.K.G. (Daley, Wells) in 14:49, 4th La Voyageur (Blaikie, Bodge) in 15:02, 5th the Mist (Buckley et al.) in 16:38;
third race – 4-oars and 6-oar lapstreaks (without allowance) over 3 miles for $100: 1st Harvard’s 6-oar lapstreak Thetis (19:37), 2ndthe 6-oar lapstreak Shamrock (Woods et al.) in 20:20, 3rd Brown’s 6-oar shell Brunonia in 20:50, 4th the 4-oar shell T.H. Daley (Fogg et al.) in 22:47.		 CP127,227,270, RJ63
25/06/1860 (Boston MA) South Boston Regatta:
first race – single scull lapstreaks over 2 miles for $40: 1st A.H. Clark in the Olivia (15:35), 2nd M.F. Wells in the Spider (15:55), 3rdT.B. Wells in the Shark (16:33);
second race – 4-oar and 6-oar boats over 2 miles for $75 or a silver vase: 1st Harvard’s 6-oar shell Harvard (12:38), 2nd the 6-oar lapstreak Shamrock (Woods et al.) in 13.43, 3rd Boston’s 4-oar Quickstep (Scott et al.) in 14:08, 4th Brown’s 6-oar shell Brunonia in 14:29.		 CP127,270, RJ63
04/07/1860 (Boston MA – Charles River) Boston City Regatta:
first race – single scull shells and lapstreaks over 2 miles, each for $60 and $25: shell singles 1st Union Boat Club’s M.S. Smith in the Mignonne (14:02.5), 2nd L. Kinsley in the J. Reed (14:21); lapstreak singles 1st H.A. Clark in the Olivia (14:27), 2nd M.F. Wells in the Spark (15:14);
second race – double scull lapstreaks for $75 and $30: 1st the Shawmut (T.F. Doyle, Colbert [Ch: Gilbert]) in 13:45, 2nd the E.K.G.(Daley, Wells) in 13:48;
third race – 4-oar and 6-oar lapstrakes over 3 miles for $100 and $50: 1st the 6-oar lapstreak Sophomore (Harvard sophomores) in 19:21, 2nd the 6-oar lapstreak Thetis (Harvard freshmen) [Ch: sophomores in 19:21] in 19:37, 3rd the 6-oar lapstreak Shamrock(Shenesey et al.) in 20:17, 4th the 4-oar lapstreak Empress Josephine (Fitzgerald et al.) in 21:12, 5th the 4-oar lapstreak Eva (McManus et al.) in 21:55.5;
fourth race – 4-oar and 6-oar shells over 3 miles for $175 and $75, with an allowance of 33 secs to the 4-oars: 1st the 6-oar Harvard(Bow J.H. Wales, 2 H. Ropes, 3 W.H. Kerr, 4 E. Abbott, 5 C.W. Woodward, Stroke C. Crowninshield) in 18:53.5, 2nd the 4-oar James Riley (Murrays et al.) in 21:10.5, 3rd the 4-oar Quickstep (Scott et al.) in 21:16.5 (Union Boat Club’s 4-oar Union withdrew because disabled).		 CP127,227,270-271, RJ64, Ch51,53
04/07/1860 (Portland ME) Portland regatta:  The North Star Club’s 6-oar lapstreak Union (purchased from the Union Boat Club of Boston) took 3rd; the Alpha Boat Club entry withdrew from the race after breaking an oarlock. CP230,232
04/07/1860  (New York harbor) Second annual New York Regatta Club Fourth of July Regatta over a 3-mile course from the judge’s boat, moored just south of the Garden/Battery to a stakeboat moored between Ellis Island and Jersey City, to a stakeboat paced west of Governor’s Island, and return:
first race – 19-ft. working boats under sail for $20 and $15 was postponed until July 9th for lack of wind;
second race – amateur clinker-built coxed or uncoxed 6-oars: 1st the 45-ft. What Is It? (30:10) 2nd the 45-ft. Aurora (30:20), the 40-ft.Waverley having been disqualified as having a non-amateur crew, the 40-ft. Eagle breaking an oar, and the 40–ft. Niantic dropping out;
third race – unrestricted 4-oars for $200, $75 and $25: 1st the C.B. Elliott-built 40-ft. Unexpected (P. Lynch, William Wood, William Welsh, John Ackerman), followed [in no order] by the Donnelly-built 38-ft. Great Eastern (Thomas Burns, James Halpin, Robert Clarkson, Michael McGowan), Poughkeepsie’s Shaw-built 40-ft. Stranger (William Stevens, Homer Wooden, D. Le Roy, Ezekiel Beneway), the T. Leatham-built 38-ft. Charles McCay (John Woods, Thomas Farrell, W. Verden, Peter Fay), Brooklyn’s J. McKay-built 37’6” Judge Voorhies (Thomas Sellers, William Sellers, James Sellers, John Musgrove, cox S. French) –  Newburgh’s T. Donough-built 38-ft. F.G. Wood (Timothy Donough [aka Donoghue], David Caton, David Walter Brown, William Tuttle) swamped son after the start;
fourth race – unrestricted champion sculls for $100, $50 and $25: 1st Newburgh’s Joshua Ward in the 26-ft. Oscar Teed (37:10), 2ndNew York’s Andrew Fay in the 26-ft. Thomas Jefferson (37:30), 3rd Newburgh’s John Hancon in the Theodore Gravier (38:00), followed [in no order] by John Carroll in the 26-ft. Joseph A. Gardiner, Thomas Daw in the 25-ft. Star of the West, John Brady in the Picayune, James Sheridan in the Anne and John McCarthy in the Jappanne;
fifth race – 17-ft. two pairs sculls working boats for $75, $40 and $20: 1st the Jack McDonald (B.M. Biglin, J.A. Biglin) in 32:30, 2ndthe G.W. Winship (John Leary, Nicholas Velroy) in 32:33, followed by [in no order] the H.W. Genet (D. Leary, James H. Biglin), the Alfred (James Maloy, William Flock), the Fanny (William Wendover, Andrew Latham), the Maggie (James Welsh, William Kenny) and the Thomas Powell (James Culross, John Brady).		 CP299-302, 323,326, RK23
04/07/1860 (Providence RI) After Brown’s 6-oar Brunonia broke an outrigger at the start, Yale’s 6-oar Yale (21:28 for $150) def. Yale’s 6-oat Thulia (22:25 for $90), with Hartford’s 6-oar Una “in sight”, and Providence’s 5-oar whaleboat Rough and Ready “not in sight”. CP146-147, 1867 YLM p256
07/07/1860 (Pittsburgh PA) First Alleghany Association regatta:
4-oar outriggers over 3 miles: 1st the Calvin Adams (22:33), 2nd the Maid of Erin (22:45), 3rd the Princess (23:19), 4th the Xanthe (25:23);
2-oar boats over 3 miles: 1st the Highland Maid (27:10), 2nd the Leader (27:20);
scull-boats over 3 miles: 1st the Presque Isle (29:55), 2nd the Wasp (30:24).		 CP271, RJ64
14/07/1860 (Pittsburgh PA)
8-oar pleasure barges over 3 miles: 1st the Undine (22:47), 2nd the Volante (23:00);
4-oar outriggers over 3 miles: 1st the Princess (27:20), 2nd the Maid of Erin (21:38).		 CP271
19/07/1860 (Staten Island NY)  4-oars over 3 miles for $300: 1st Poughkeepsie’s Stranger (19:26), 2nd the Charles McCay (19:42) and the Judge Vorhees. CP271, RJ64-65
24/07/1860 (Worcester MA – Lake Quinsigamond) Second College Union Regatta:
First race Freshman over 3 miles: Harvard 1863 in straight six lapstreak Thetis 19:40.5 def. Yale 1863 in coxed six Glyuna 20:20;
second race Sophomore: Harvard 1862 in straight six Sophomore 20:17 def. Yale 1862 in coxed six Thulia (Yale leading until an oarsman collapsed);
third race University: Harvard’s straight six shell (Bow Joseph H. Wales ‘61 (140), (2) Henry Ropes ‘62 (146), (3) William H. Ker ‘62 (149), (4) Edward G. Abbott ‘60 (149), (5) Calvin M. Woodward ‘60 (150), Stroke Casper Crowninshield ‘60 (Captain) (156)) 18:53 def. Yale’s coxed six (Bow H. Brayton Ives ‘61, (2) Eugene L. Richards ‘60, (3) Edward P. McKinney ‘61, (4) William E. Bradley ‘60, (5) Charles T. Stanton ‘61, Stroke Henry L. Johnson ‘60 (Captain), Cox Charles G. Merrill ‘61 (19:05.5)) 19:05.25 and Brown 21:15		 CP127-128, 271-272, RJ61, 1867 YLM p257, RK256
25/07/1860 (Worcester MA – Lake Quinsigamond) Citizen’s Regatta:
first race – single scull wherries over 2 miles for $50 and $20: 1st Josh Ward in the Oscar Teed (15:17.5), 2nd Thomas Doyle in the Friendship (15:33), 3rd L. Kinsley in an unnamed shell (16:08), 4th T.C. Wells;
second race – double sculls over 2 miles for $50 and $20: 1st the Noddle (Walter Brown, C.J. June) in 16:10 [CP326: 15:40], 2nd the shell Le Voyageur (Doyle, Colbert) in 16:18, 3rd the lapstreak E.K.G. (Daley, Wells) in 16:46;
4-oar and 6-oar lapstrakes over 3 miles for $75 and $35, with an allowance of 30 secs to 4-oars: 1st the 6-oar lapstreak Thetis(Harvard freshmen) in 20:13, 2nd the 6-oar lapstreak Sophomore (Harvard sophomores) in 19:44.5 (the Thulia (Yale sophomores) and the Sophomore fouled on the way to the stake and the Thulia withdrew; the Sophomore continued, but was disqualified and the second prize rescinded);
4-oar and 6-oar shells over 3 miles for $100 and $50, with an allowance of 30 secs to 4-oars: 1st Newburgh’s 6-oar shell Gersh Banker(Peter Hunt, C. Sarvis, W. Tuttle, R. Marvel, George W. Shaw, stroke Josh Ward) in 18:37 (the best 3-mile time in the U.S. thru at least 1867), 2nd Yale’s 6-oar shell Yale (19:10), 3rd Union Boat Club’s 4-oar shell Union (19:41), 4th the 4-oar Quickstep (Scott et al.) in 21:26.		 CP127-128, 147,272,323-324, RJ65,94
28/07/1860 (Pittsburgh PA) 4-oar outriggers over 3 miles: 1st the David Holmes (23:58), 2nd the Woodward (24:10) CP272
04/08/1860 (Pittsburgh PA) Scull-boats over 3 miles: 1st the Wasp (26:57), 2nd the Hornett (27:54) [CP Hamill def. Wolfe] CP272,313
07/08/1860 (Boston MA – Charles River) 4-oar lapstreaks match race over 3 miles for $100 a side: 1st Boston’s Empress Josephine (Fitzgerald et al.) in 21:16, 2nd Charlestown MA’s Mystic (Welsh et al.) in 22:16. CP272, RJ65
08/08/1860 (Boston MA – Charles River)  single scull amateur minors over 2 miles for $20 and $10: 1st T.K. Blaikie in the Fannie (15:40), 2nd S.L. Fogg in the Intruder (16:43), 3rd E.C. Stanfield in L’Ecrevisse (16:50). CP272-273, RJ66
18/08/1860 (Pittsburgh PA) Scull-boats over 3 miles: 1st James Hamill in the Wasp (26:15) def. William Jackson in the Hornet (26:19) [CP Hamill def. Wolfe] CP273,313
23/08/1860 (Newburgh NY) Singles match race: John Hancon def. Walter Brown in 33:00. CP326
01/09/1860 (Pittsburgh PA) 2-oars over 3 miles: 1st the Leader (24:15), 2nd the Highland Maid (25:30). CP273
05/09/1860 (Boston MA – Charles River)  Regatta House Regatta:
single sculls over 2 miles for a hunting case watch: 1st L. Kinsley in the Fannie (17:15), 2nd M.F. Wells in the W.H. Darling (17:55);
double sculls over 2 miles for a $30 prize silver ice pitcher: 1st the James Devine (Doyle, Dailey) in 17:34, 2nd the Twinkling Star(Reed, McGee) in 1814, 3rd the B.B.B. (Colbert, Ulman) in 18:44;
4-oars over 3 miles for a $50 prize silver tea set: 1st the Undine (Colbert et al.) in 24:53, 2nd the Mystic (Welsh et al.) in 25:23.		 CP273, RJ66
05/09/1860 (Poughkeepsie NY)  Poughkeepsie Regatta (first day):
single sculls over 5 miles: 1st Dennis Leary (48:26);
double-sculls over 5 miles: Newburgh’s Timothy Donahue/Donoghue and David Walter Brown (38:26) def. Ward and Hancon;
6-oar shells: 1st Poughkeepsie’s James McKay (32:40), 2nd Newburgh’s Gersh Banker (stroke Josh Ward) in 32:55.		 CP273, RJ66
06/09/1860 (Poughkeepsie NY) Poughkeepsie Regatta (second day):
double scull working boats: 1st New York’s Maggie (44:27), followed by [in no order] New York’s Genet and the Yonker’s Cataract;
single scull: 1st A. Fay in 39:15 (Josh Ward withdrew);
4-oar shells: 1st Poughkeepsie’s 40-ft. George W. Shaw [aka the Stranger] (William Stevens, Homer Wooden, John Best, Ezekiel Beneway) in 32:55 [CP: 32:10] by 5 secs over 2nd New York’s 36-ft. George J. Brown (Dennis Leary, John Biglin, James Biglin, Bernard Biglin), 3rd Brooklyn’s 38-ft. Judge Voorhies (Charles Wetherell, William Sellars, Thomas Sellars, James Sellars).		 CP273,306-307, RJ66
10/09/1860 (New York – Harlem River) Sixth annual Empire City Regatta Club regatta over 5 miles around two stake-boats and return:
first race – 17-ft. two pair scull working boats: 1st the Alpha (William Windover, Andrew Latham) in 48:03, 2nd  the Maggie (James Riley, John J. Eckerson) in 48:20, 3rd the Henry Fish (William Coogan, M. Rogers) in 48:35 – the Robert Foster (William Alexander, John Biglin) withdrew before the first turn;
second race – amateur lapstreak 6-oars: 1st New York’s Gulick club’s lapstreak Gulick (Bow William H. Spear, J.Y/G.? White, John T. Lawrence, R. Halliday, James Ward, stroke William H. Matthews, cox George L. Devoe) in 37:07, 2nd Hoboken’s What Is It? (F.H. Armstrong, T. Redmond, D. Probst, J. Kennedy, T.H. Hall, J. McIlhargy, cox D. Wood), 3rd New York’s Eagle (J. Huntley, J. Downie, T. Procklin, H. Conner, M. Conner, H. Mabin, cox R. Henry);
third race – 15-ft. single scull fishing boats: 1st C. Finch in the Joseph Brown (48:38.5), 2nd John McGrady in the Benicia Boy (48:53), followed [in no order] by James Sheridan in the David Blackburn and John Alvin in the Mary Jane;
fourth race – 4-oar shells: 1st New York’s 37’3” George J. Brown (Dennis Leary, John Biglin, James Biglin, Bernard Biglin) in 30:44.75, an American record, by 3 lengths over 2nd Poughkeepsie’s 40-ft. George W. Shaw (William Stevens, H. Wooden, D. Le Roy, E. Beneway) in 30:53 [CP: by 15 secs], 3rd Greenpoint Long Island’s 37’5” Hop Up (Oscar Teed, Henry Osborn, William Boggs Jr, W.H. Hayes);
fifth race – single scull shells for $50: 1st P. Lynch in the Mary Belle Roberts (40:12.75), 2nd Thomas Burns in the Young Stranger, Thomas Hart in the Thomas Jefferson “out of the race.”		 CP168-169, 292-295, 307
22/09/1860 (Pittsburgh PA) Scull-boats over 3 miles: 1st the Moonlight (22:43), 2nd the Sylph (23:04). CP273
29/09/1860 (New York)  Hudson Navy Regatta (only time held): 3 classes of boats: 1st class – skeleton lapstreaks and shells (allowed 18 seconds per mile to 2nd class boats with same number of oars, and 5 seconds per mile per oar in favor of boats with fewer oars); 2nd class –  outrigger barges (allowed 10 seconds per mile to 3rd class boats and 5 seconds per mile per oar in favor of boats with fewer oars); and 3rd class – barges (allowed 5 seconds per mile per oar in favor of boats with fewer oars);
championship handicap and 6-oar 3 mile race over Elysian Fields course (from opposite New York Yacht Club House upriver 1.5 miles and return): Atalanta’s 1st class 40-ft Elliott-built 4-oar Excelsior, finishing in 21:00 actual, tied for the open championship with Atlantic’s 2nd class Thoms-built 43-ft 6-oar Lightfoot (Bow W.T. Frink, M.B. Arnold, H.S. Lefman, Wm W. Gibson, T.M. Tuthill, stroke Walter Gibson Jr., cox S.B. Tuthill) finishing in 21:24 actual, based upon the net allowance in favor of the 6-oar (Lightfoot’s class handicap outweighed Excelsior’s oar handicap), the Lightfoot won the 6-oar title outright by 6 seconds.  The two were followed by 3rd place Niantic’s 2nd class 40-ft Cooper-built 6-oar Niantic in 21:45, 4th place Aurora’s 2nd class 45-ft Ingersoll-built 6-oar shell Aurora in 22:05, 5th place Neptune’s 2nd class 45-ft James-built 6-oar What Is It?, and Waverley’s 3rd class 38-ft. Crolius built 6-oar Waverley last;
second race – 4-oars: won by Atalanta’s 2nd class 35.5-ft. Thoms-built Volante in 28:03 over What Is It? in 28:58 and Waverley’s 2ndclass 36.5-ft. Thomas built Ivanhoe;
third race – barges: Atalanta’s 42-ft. 8-oar Atalanta (22:33) def. the Atlantic’s 6-oar Our Jessie (same crew as above for Lightfoot) (23:58) by 55 seconds.  William Wood refereed the regatta.		 CP152-153,176-177,192-194, RK52
29/09/1860 (Pittsburgh PA)  Alleghany Association Second Annual Regatta:
single sculls over 3 miles: 1st the Moonlight (23:54), 2nd the [Unknown] (23:57); another heat: 1st the Dan Bernard (27:00), 2nd the H. Lloyd (27:30);
4-oar outriggers over 3 miles: 1st the Calvin Adams (20:13), 2nd the Princess (20:15);
8-oar barges over 3 miles for the championship flag: 1st the Volante (21:15), 2nd the Imperial (21:38), 3rd the Undine (22:02), 4th the Albatross (22:06).		 CP273-274, RJ66
11/10/1860 (Albany NY)  Albany Regatta (first day):
6-oars over 3 miles: 1st the Bryant (24:00), 2nd the Irving (26:00), 3rd the Gersh Banker (No. 5 oar Walter Brown);
4-oars:  won by the George W. Shaw in 21:24;
double sculls: won by the Carter (Joseph Young, Piepenbrink).		 CP274, RJ67
12/10/1860 (Albany NY)  Albany Regatta (second day):
6-oar shells over 3 miles: won by Poughkeepsie’s James McKay (18:45) [over the Gersh Banker (No. 5 oar Walter Brown)?];
6-oar barges: won by Albany’s Zephyr;
single sculls – all comers over 3 miles: 1st Josh Ward (24:52), 2nd John Hancon;
single sculls – championship of Albany: won by George F. Baker [RJ: Barker].		 CP274,324, 326,  RJ67
05/11/1860 (Poughkeepsie NY – Hudson River) single sculls over 10 miles for $500: Joshua Ward (83:00) def. W. Burger. RJ67
22/11/1860 (Jersey City NJ)  Match of single scull shell-boats over 4 miles for $250 a side [RJ: $400]: 1st Andrew Fay (25:30), 2nd William H. Decker (25:34) before 2,000-3,000 spectators. NYT 23/11, CP274, RJ67

 

 

Proudly powered by WordPress