Boat Racks and Work on Walkway Over the Hudson, 2008, Lucey Bowen
April 18, 1938
Spent some hours, very long hours, with James Reynolds whom I had hoped would have some interesting stories about sporting events etc on the Hudson. But he is tough. Seemed to want me to copy down dates and names of ships that passed by Poughkeepsie. He read at length from old dairy of his Grandfather who kept a record of the big news events of the day most of which he got from the New York Commercial Advertiser. The only amusing passage I could see was one about "A pair of porpoises passed up the river today going as far as Red Hook. It was said that they were on an excursion etc. etc." If you want it I made arrangements to go back and copy it and a couple of other things.
Reynolds is a typical sportsman. He seems without any imagination but he did bring the Intercollegiate Regatta to Poughkeepsie.[1] He was a single skull oarsman who won many cups. He gave the old boathouse but rowing has since died out. It was his idea to bring the Intercollegiates here. He went to New York and the officers of the association there said it would be too rough. He brought them here and entertained them at the Nelson House. Then took them out on a tug. They were convinced.
[1] The Intercollegiate Regatta was held at Poughkeepsie from 1895 until 1949, and made Poughkeepsie the rowing capital of the United States. The course was 4 miles long, timing determined by the tides, and drew thousands of spectators to Poughkeepsie. Rowing at Poughkeepsie has experienced a revival at both the high school and collegiate levels.
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