One Century Ago: Hundreds Walk Across Hudson, Car Drives on Lake

Welcome back to One Century Ago, a collaboration between Patch and the .

Each week we're bringing you the front page of a local newspaper that covered the news in Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow (North Tarrytown) one hundred years ago. This front page comes from the Tarrytown Press-Record. The Press-Record was published as a weekly from 1893 to 1946 and has been preserved by the Historical Society on microfilm.

Hundreds Cross River

On Sunday 21st of January, 1912, anyone looking out upon the Hudson River would have been surprised to see that the usually peaceful expanse of water resembled a crowded city street, swarming with hordes of people.

Throughout the afternoon steady streams of people could be seen wending their way across the frozen river on foot or skates, not just at Tarrytown, but also at Irvington, Dobbs Ferry, Hastings and Yonkers. About 300 to 400 people made the hour long trip across the ice between Tarrytown and Nyack, chiefly for the honor of saying that they “had walked across the Hudson in 1912.”

Perhaps surprisingly, there was only one minor accident, when James Chicachee fell through the ice into the frigid water up to his knees near the Tarrytown station. He was able to pull himself out, and “broke all records getting up Main Street to his house.”

A couple of days later some high-powered tugs went up the river, opening up a channel through the thick ice. It was heavy going, and they were forced to proceed very slowly. By the time the Press-Record went to press, this channel was already freezing over once again.

Driving on Thin Ice

The Tuesday following the great expedition across the frozen Hudson, the Maxwell automobile company testers were ordered to drive their vehicles out onto the icy river in order to get some picturesque photos of the cars. One of the testers, Emmett Taxter, was driving out with the others when the ice cracked around him and the rear end of the car slipped backwards into the water. Luckily he was near the shore and his colleagues were able to draw the car out with ropes, allowing Taxter to escape unharmed.

Paul M. Pierson had better luck when he took his car out onto the Tarrytown Lake. He drove around for almost half an hour, watched by a large crowd, only skidding occasionally on turns. Pierson, from Ossining, was the first person to ever drive a car across the Tarrytown Lake.

Unusual Suggestion for Reducing Trolley Accidents

A great deal of disruption was caused when the 1:40 trolley from Tarrytown went off the tracks at Orchard street. It took around an hour to get the trolley back on course to White Plains, and according to the Press-Record, it was extremely lucky that nobody was hurt.

Charles J. Paulson, of the Hotel Tarry, stood watching the men trying to maneuvre the car back onto the tracks. He commented reflectively to another bystander that “There’s one way of doing away with all these accidents and mishaps.” The other man enquired how that would be possible and Paulson replied, very solemnly, “Use square wheels.”

Fourth Round of Fire Company Tournament

For the first time since the card and mixed game competition began, Company took the lead over . Of the 121 games played in this round, Hope won 62 and Conqueror won 59. Overall, that put Hope Hose Company in a 3 point lead, with only one round remaining to play.