The Cornell Steamboat Company was founded by Thomas Cornell (1814–1890) in

Rondout, New York Rondout (pronounced "ron doubt"), is situated in Ulster County, New York, on the Hudson River at the mouth of Rondout Creek. Originally a maritime village, the arrival of the Delaware and Hudson Canal helped create a city that dwarfed nearby Kings ...

in the late 1840s, as a major

passenger ship A passenger ship is a merchant ship whose primary function is to carry passengers on the sea. The category does not include cargo vessels which have accommodations for limited numbers of passengers, such as the ubiquitous twelve-passenger freig ...

and cargo company. Thomas Cornell was President of Cornell Steamboat Company from 1865 to 1870.

Buildings

Cornell Shops Building has three sections, each built at different times. The center section of the building, a brick building, was built in about 1875. The main section brick building was built in 1901. The newest addition the, concrete block building was built in 1961. Cornell used the 1875 building for its work shops. Cornell had a complex of buildings on the

Hudson River The Hudson River, historically the North River, is a river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York (state), New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake (New York), Henderson Lake in the ...

riverfront. The Cornell Shops Building and the

boiler A boiler is a closed vessel in which fluid (generally water) is heated. The fluid does not necessarily boil. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications, including water heating, centra ...

shop, now the Steel House Restaurant (100 Rondout Lndg, Kingston) are the only two buildings of the complex remaining.

Activity

Cornell Steamboat Company rebuild entire boats, engines, and boiler in the Cornell complex. Thomas Cornell arrived at Rondout in 1837 and started a shipping company with his sloop. Cornell transported coal on the

Delaware and Hudson Canal The Delaware and Hudson Canal was the first venture of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, which would later build the Delaware and Hudson Railway. Between 1828 and 1899, the canal's barges carried anthracite coal from the mines of northeast ...

. Cornell also transported wood, stone, plaster, tanning bark, animal hides, millstones, glass, charcoal, lead, and stoneware. Cornell Steamboat Company also operated a fleet of river tugboats. By 1900 Cornell was operating 60 tugs and ended his passenger ship service. Cornell also had a ferry service between Rhinecliff and Kingston Point/Rondout, the Kingston-Rhinecliff ferry. He has two ferries in his service the ''Transport'' (1881) and ''Kingston'' (1930). The ferry ended in 1957 after the opening of the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge. ''Transport'' ran on the ferry line from 1881 to 1938. Cornell built and ran railroad lines on both sides of the Hudson River, including the Kingston City trolley system. The Kingston Point station was the largest and busy trolley station. Cornell was a partner is starting two banks (Rondout Savings Bank and a commercial bank) and the large Catskill Mountain hotel. Cornell served two terms in Congress from March 4, 1867, to March 3, 1869, and from March 4, 1881, to March 3, 1883. S.D. Coykendall (1837-1913, Samuel Decker Coykendall), was son-in-law of Thomas Cornell and second president of the Cornell Steamboat Company. Mary Augusta Cornell (1842-1919) was Thomas Cornell Daughter.

Closure

In 1958, Cornell closed and sold its boats to New York Trap Rock Corporation. Some of the tugs operated by Cornell were: ''Knickerbocker'', ''Mohawk'', ''Rockland County'',''Belle'', ''C.W. Morse'', ''J.G. Rose'', ''R.G. Townsend'', and ''Thomas Cornell''. The 1875 work shop building now houses the Fleet Obsolete since 2005. Fleet Obsolete restores rare Torpedo boat,

PT Boat A PT boat (short for patrol torpedo boat) was a motor torpedo boat used by the United States Navy in World War II. It was small, fast, and inexpensive to build, and it was valued for its maneuverability and speed. However, PT boats were hampe ...

s of the U.S. Navy. The

Hudson River Maritime Museum The Hudson River Maritime Museum is a maritime museum dedicated to the Hudson River. It is located at 50 Rondout Landing at the foot of Broadway in Kingston, New York, United States, along Rondout Creek in the city's old waterfront, just eas ...

houses many the Cornell Steamboat Company historical records.

Gallery

HRMM-Boiler_house_Cornell-1890-.jpg, Cornell Steamboat Company boiler house in 1890, later became the Ole Savannah restaurant on the Hudson River riverfront. Tug Knickerbocker.jpg, ''Knickerbocker'', a 1873 Cornell Steamboat Company tug acquired by

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...

for

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

service on 5 May 1917. Thomas C. Cornell - Brady-Handy (3x4a).jpg, Thomas C. Cornell founder of the Cornell Steamboat Company Kingston_City_trolley_system_1906.jpg, Kingston City trolley system in 1906 at Kingston Point Park, owned by Cornell Steamboat Company, run by S.D. Coykendall, son-in-law of founder Thomas Cornell and second president of the Cornell Steamboat Company. Samuel_Decker_Coykendall_1889.jpeg, Samuel Decker Coykendall (1837-1913) in 1889, was son-in-law of Thomas Cornell and second president of the Cornell Steamboat Company and Kingston City trolley system Steamboat_Thomas_Cornel_run_up_on_Danskammer_Point.jpg, Cornell Steamboat Company's Steamboat ''Thomas Cornel'' run up on Danskammer Point on March 27, 1882. Cornell-steamboat-company-tug-john-h-cordts-at-cornell-docks-on-rondout-creek.jpg, Cornell Steamboat Company tug ''John H. Cordts'' at Cornell docks on Rondout Creek and the Hudson River'John H. Cordts''
/ref> A. B. Valentine (1845 towboat) from Ringwald 1972.jpg, Cornell Steamboat Company Santa Claus steamboat Thomas Powell (1846 steamboat) at Broadway Landing, 1865.jpg, Thomas Powell (1846 steamboat) at Broadway Landing

References

{{authority control Hudson River Kingston, New York History of Ulster County, New York Industrial buildings completed in 1901 Buildings and structures in Ulster County, New York

Buildings

Activity

Closure

Gallery

See also

References