FootNote
The new kid on the block, FootNote is known for digitizing historical
documents... many of which are genealogical gems. With naturalizations,
city directories, war records, newspapers, town records, etc... this new
kid is quickly being recognized as an alternative to Ancestry.
Hendrick
Hudson and Robert Fulton are closely
associated in the history of our river, and
more particularly at this time, as the dates
of their achievements unite the centennial
of the first successful steamer in 1807,
with the tri-centennial of the discovery of
the river in 1609. In fact, these three
centuries of navigation, with rapidly
increasing development in later years, might
be graphically condensed—
"Half Moon," 1609; "Clermont," 1807;
"Hendrick Hudson," 1906.
Singularly enough the discovery of Hendrick
Hudson, and the invention of Robert Fulton
are also similar in having many adverse
claimants who forget the difference between
attempt and accomplishment.
Everyone knows that Verrazano entered the
Narrows and harbor of our river in 1524, and
sailed far enough to see the outline of the
Palisades; that Gomez visited its mouth in
1525; Cabot still earlier in 1498; and
various Norsemen, named and nameless, for
several centuries before them, coasted along
the shore and indenture of the "River of the
Manhattoes," but failed to acquire or
transmit any knowledge of the river's real
course or character, and it was left for
Hendrick Hudson to be its first voyager and
thereby to have and to hold against all
comers the glory of discovery. Read more...
