Whaling Barque Vermont

The above image is an image of a “barque” or sometimes “bark” that is a type of ship with complex sails and tall masts that were popular with those hunting whales around the world.

Poughkeepsie as a Whaling Port

The Dutchess County Historical Society recently acquired a 36-page ship log covering the dates of February 10, 1839 to March 7, 1840. The dates covered reflect only a portion of the Barque (a type of ship) Vermont’s journey as a whaling ship, out of Poughkeepsie.

Poughkeepsie vied to be a successful whaling port just as the 1837 financial crisis hit the country and affected all businesses. The barque Vermont had been owned by the Poughkeepsie Whaling Company, but was sold to the Dutchess Whaling Company just prior to the 1839 voyage. The economy could not sustain two whaling companies.

Many are surprised that inland Poughkeepsie (not to mention the city of Hudson, further north) could be whaling ports. But voyages could take up to three years. It was because of the vast timeframe and arc of these voyages that an inland port could be as easily used as one directly on shore, like New Bedford. The confluence of the availability of fresh water, navigation access, and most importantly, capital investors willing to risk significant dollars, drove where these ports emerged. The whaling business was part of at least a dozen significant investments formally sought out by the self-named Improvement Party which had local investors like Matthew Vassar and New York City investors like John Delafield.

In the 13 months that are documented in the ship log we find the ship had just left Poughkeepsie, and in the last pages was just leaving New Zealand.

Although the author always signed his name on each page, on Sunday, January 19, 1840 he mentioned his hometown which has allowed us to confirm exactly who he is. He signed off, “James Harrison St. John of Ridgefield (CT), Barque Vermont, Indian Ocean.”

James St. John was a blacksmith. Ship log entries show that he put that trade to good use in helping damaged ships they encountered, or for trading with “natives” for food and water. He records creating iron “spikes” and iron tools.

A good deal of the record is about the weather, and actions taken with the many sails. What follows are some excerpts with brief comments that relate to the more dramatic parts of the adventure which give us an insight into the risk and massive scale of the undertaking.

Of the handful of persons he mentions by name, we have not yet been able to identify any as coming from Poughkeepsie. The key to knowing the Vermont sailed from Poughkeepsie (in addition to its clearly documented ownership) is an entry of Wednesday, the 4th of September, “…killed a hog, the last one that we had brought from Poughkeepsie.”