Historical Note

The weeklong Hudson-Fulton Celebration of 1909 was held to recognize the 300th year of Henry Hudson's discovery of the Hudson River and the 100th year since Robert Fulton began the first commercial steamboat (the Clermont) service between New York City and Albany, NY.

The festivities included two parades; the Historical Pageant and the Carnival Pageant, with floats designed and built by the Hudson-Fulton Celebration Commission. The parades took place in Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Staten Island, as well as various cities north of New York on the Hudson River. The Historical Pageant and Carnival Pageant parade route in Manhattan began on Central Park West at 110th Street, traveled south to 59th Street, west to Fifth Avenue, and south to Washington Square Park. The parades in Brooklyn took place on Eastern Parkway. The designers of the floats were Mr. Bror A. Wikstrom, Mr. M. K. Nash. Mr. A. Sestac, and Mr. Joseph Damon and were constructed in the Bronx at 149th Street and the Harlem River.

Also included in the celebration were naval parades with vessels from nine countries, including 53 U.S. naval vessels, fireworks, buildings and bridges illuminated with electric light, and a 63-foot replica of Hudson's Half Moon built in Amsterdam and sailed to New York.

Chronology
1909 Sep. 25	Hudson-Fulton Celebration in New York City begins
1909 Sep. 25	Hudson-Fulton Celebration in New York City begins
1909 Sep. 28	Historical Pageant in Manhattan
1909 Sep. 29	Historical Pageant in the Bronx
1909 Oct. 1	Historical Pageant in Brooklyn
1909 Oct. 2	Historical Pageant in Staten Island and Carnival Pageant in Manhattan
1909 Oct. 4	Historical Pageant in Yonkers, NY
1909 Oct. 7	Historical Pageant in Hudson, NY
1909 Oct. 8	Historical Pageant in Peekskill
1909 Oct. 9	Carnival Pageant in Brooklyn and Hudson-Fulton Celebration in New York City ends
1909 Oct. 11	Historical Pageant in Cohoes, NY