Community Connected Together Through Whaling
by Katelyn Castler
Shore whaling was an important part of the Long Island community in the 1700’s. The whole community would come together to help capture these magnificent creatures. They brought great profit and materials to the community which is why it is such a big effort. Whales could be used for candles, oils, soups, and even lubricants. The whaling process starts out with children. The children, especially in the fall season, would wait along the coastal banks of Long Island. They were looking for sightings of whales. Once a whale is spotted, they would shout out to the town and anyone that could hear that they found a whale. Seamen would come running down to the shore with their boats and row out and find the whale.
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| Figure 1: (Harpoons) These are the evolution of Harpoons used during the whaling period. Seamen would use these Harpoons to stab the whale. However, these were not designed for killing the whale. They were designed to attach the boat to the whale. The whale would then drag the boat until it got tired and slowed. The seamen would then proceed to attack the whale, aiming for the lungs and heart. Once they thought the whale was dead, they would stab it in the eye for good measures. |
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| Figure 2: Once the whale was dead, they would drag the whale back on shore. The men would proceed to cut back the skin to get to the blubber. They would often sharpen tools, as well, as they worked. Men would do this job since there was a lot of physical strength involved. However, they would pass the blubber off to the woman and children for the processing step. |
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| Figure 3: The processing step would involve these giant pots, called the try pots. These pots were used by the woman and children to turn the blubber into oil. Once into oil, they could process it into all the various materials they needed to. These pots, in the photograph, were used on sailing boars in the 19th century. The actual shore pots are rounded and slightly larger. |
Sag Harbor: The Historic and Current Cosmopolitan Capital of the Hamptons
by Charlotte Brennan
Throughout our trip to Sag Harbor, we continually learned that this village was historically, and is still, more “cosmopolitan” than surrounding neighborhoods. This was due to the success that Sag Harbor had as a whaling town because of its deep-sea port. This wealth led to the community having greater luxuries than most would have at the time. One example of this was that Sag Harbor was among the first villages to have milk delivered which was a great sign of wealth because it showed that a family didn’t have to farm and could buy goods with actual money. Today, this cosmopolitan status survives through Sag Harbor’s nightlife that lasts all year.
Another consequence of Sag Harbor being prosperous and cosmopolitan was that there were less racial tensions than would usually be found around this time. This can be seen in this photograph from 1902 where a rich man is posing for a picture with two African American girls and touching one of their shoulders which was very unusual for the time. However, there were definitely still racial tensions and racism present unfortunately.
Here is an interesting diorama from the whaling museum that depicts shore whaling around 1675. I found this particular piece fun because it shows many different tools and processes that would be used to prepare the whale all at once. Also, it shows how Native Americans and women would be involved in the process. The description the museum provided said that it was “somewhat fanciful in detail” and I wasn’t sure if that meant that it was very detailed or exaggerated because the women all the way in the back wearing red and green are dressed up almost like what I imagine royalty would look like from that time period.
Lastly, this picture shows the exterior of the custom house where the clapboards and shingles meet. Back during the time the house was built, it was common for one side of the house to have clapboards, which were more expensive because they’re long, continuous pieces of wood. This one side was usually facing the front or where the public would see it the most. However, other sides of the house were made of shingles which were cheaper because they were smaller pieces of wood. At the customs house, the side with clapboards was the entrance to the post office which makes sense because people would go in and out of there all the time.
Sag Harbor
by Mateo Rivera
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Shore whaling was the beginning of an era where native tribes such as the Shinnecock tribe and others were working together with colonists. This image depicts what the fresh catch of a whale would look like, with the tribe assisting to the right of the whale. Their involvement was crucial so that colonists could learn the skill of whaling. Eventually people would take their knowledge out on the high seas in search for bigger prize.
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| Although there was a misinterpretation of the meaning of the Wampum Beads, the Native American tribes displayed kind gestures in this manner in the between themselves. It eventually turned into a currency that the colonists exploited for more land by the Natives. These beads and the variety of color associated with them could mean things like health if worn with pearls/whites, and war if gifted to another tribe with red color. |
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| The interactions that were happening between the early Long Islanders and the natives were centered around wampum as currency which lead to conflict between neighboring tribes, the Pequot tribe. The paint pot that is displayed in the picture would have been utilized for ceremonial purposes or even war paint. |
Whaling History of New England – Why there was no tax on whaling?
by Joanna Zhu
It was surprising to know that the first colonists were unfamiliar with whaling due to their nonmarine backgrounds. They saw how Native Americans whaled, and realized that whaling could bring in tons of profits; so they learned whaling from the natives. Just like what they thought, the oils from whale blubbers were sold for great amounts in England. Even the crown had an eye on the profit, he wanted 50% of it. Of course, the colonists were not all happy about this. Out of them, one man named Samuel Mulford stood out.
Samuel Mulford was a-hot headed man who decided to protest the whaling tax by talking to the king himself. He took a ship to London and attempted to meet the king on the day when the crown is open to hear favors from the people. It was a once per month chance, however he did not get to see the king and he discovered that he was being pickpocketed. He came up with an idea of sewing a fish hook to his pockets for the next month’s visit and as he planned, he successfully captured a thief who attempted to steal his wallet again. This story became so popular that everyone in London heard of it, and people of Long Island heard that he also succeeded in talking the king out of posting a whaling tax on the colonies.
Today, we do not know whether Samuel Mulford’s story is true or not but interestingly there was no record of any whaling tax on the colonies. If the tax was applied, then it would be difficult for New England to gain the wealth needed to further increase its power. So, one man’s action ultimately changed the fate of New England and contributed to the forming of the America we lived in today.
Deep Sea Whaling Off of Long Island
by Meaghan Sullivan
Whaling is an important part of the history of Long Island. This is why the Coastal Cultural Experience class visited the Sag Harbor Whaling Museum on September 20, 2019. One of the topics that we discussed while in the museum was the transition from onshore whaling to offshore or deep sea whaling. Deep sea whaling occurred on Long Island from the 1820s to the 1860s. It was a very dangerous and grueling way of making a living. Most men were out to sea for months to years at a time. With a ship of about 30 men, they were not allowed to go home until the cargo was completely full, which could take anywhere from 20-50 whales and almost every voyage had at least one casualty. The living conditions were also unsafe and cramped, causing disease and tension to occur.
The actual act of deep sea whaling is also extremely dangerous and exhausting. After a whale is sighted and sailor screams “There she blows!”, about 6 to 8 sailors jump in a smaller boat aboard the vessel and row out to the whale, in order to try and harpoon it. This can be very dangerous because it was very common for the men to lose limbs when the whale accelerated off causing the boat to while around and the men getting caught in the ropes. The rope also had to always remain wet to prevent fires due to the friction. It was possible for the whale to drag the boat many miles away from the original location over hours to days. The bleeding and tired whale also caused an attraction of other predators, like sharks. After a while, the whale would be tired therefore the boat would get closer and try to kill it. This was very difficult because of the thickness of the blubber that the whale had. They knew it was dead by either seeing blood come out of their blowhole or by stabbing the eye and seeing no reaction.
They might have caught the whale, but their exhaustion was not over. Now that they had the whale, they had to drag that very heavy dead animal miles back to where the main vessel was. Once back to the ship, the crew had to help lift the whale up in order to process it. They were interested in the teeth, bone and blubber, which could be processed into oil using trypots. Whale oil was a popular commodity that they could get good money for. The teeth were also used to make tools like pie crimpers, jewelry, or for artistry known as scrimshaw.
These men risked their lives for adventure and a way to support themselves and their families. It was random, dangerous, and uncomfortable, but they still did it. Today we question ourselves why many of these men would sign up for such uncertainty and horrible working conditions, but it’s important to remember that many did not have a choice if they wanted to support their families or they just wanted an escape from whatever was waiting for them at home. This museum showed myself and much of the rest of the group a side of Long Island’s history that none of us knew existed and I’m excited to explore this topic more in future classes and trips.
The Historical Kitchen of Henry Dering
by Ana Noel
When learning about Henry Dering and seeing his house, the kitchen gave an insight on the utensils and technology we have today in modern day kitchens. For example, there was a chair that resembles a highchair used for children today. At the time, it was called a child tender because when the children were in the chair, they could not get out. This was used to protect them from running into the fire while the food was being cooked. There were many devices used to make food over the fire. One item that was used was a waffle press. This is similar to the waffle press seen today except that it was not electric. It is a handheld device that was put over the fire in order to make waffles. Another item was a popcorn maker where seeds were placed into a small container and popped. A frame of a toaster was also used in order to make toast. They had a cabbage chopper used to make coleslaw and a fruit press that was an early version of a juicer. Something that was also interesting was the use of the brick oven. Instead of cooking pizzas like we think of today, it was used to cook pies and bread. These goods were then stored in a pie safe. The use of a refrigerator was not used. In order to keep things cool, ice would be collected and wrapped in straw in order to prevent the ice from melting.
Another aspect of the kitchen that was interesting was how the space was utilized. There would have been three tables stored in the kitchen, not giving a lot of space to move around. There is a separate dining room that was used specifically for special occasions or guests. The family would eat in the cramped kitchen for most of their meals. There was also a pantry used to store food items, such as fermented peaches from 1840.
This is the dining area used for special occasions and guests. There is a cloth below the table to prevent spills from getting onto the carpet.
Many kitchen utensils that we use today are shown here. Some that are displayed include a ladle, rolling pin, cookie cutter, strainer, and a mandolin. The ladle was made from a hollowed-out coconut from Hawaii and decorated with animal drawings. The rolling pin is unique because of the ivory handles.
This is a reflector oven and was where they would cook their meals over a fire. They had many pots and pans that could be placed on hooks in order so that they wouldn’t have to hold them. There is also a brick oven (left) to bake the bread and pies.
This is a pie safe used to store the pies and bread once they were done baking. This was a good place to keep them warm as well as keep out any animals such as mice.
Silent Storytellers
by Kristi Flannigan
When you go looking for the story of a place, where do you look? To written words, to people who might remember? Have you looked right past the architecture, the window (pun intended) to how people wanted their lives represented to the outside world? A lot of the story is right there in what people choose to express their lives. In our visit to the Sag Harbor Whaling Museum and Custom House, we saw exactly what this can mean.
Figure 1A & B. The Sag Harbor Museum house once belonged to a prosperous whaling family. Take a look at the details. Shapes invoke imagery of waves and whaling tools. Nautical designs like these were a show of wealth, but also a show of pride in how the family contributed to the community. Not only did they have the money to detail their house at all, they had the money because of their whaling success.
Figure 2A & B. Nautical detailing continues inside the whaling museum. There’s lots of allusions to waves here, a stylistic choice which can also be seen in the sitting room of the Custom House. Worth noting is why these details continue to the inside of this building and the custom house. Not only does the outer mage matter, but the inside image matters too. Both rooms (the museum gallery, shown here, and the Custom House sitting room, not pictured) would have been very public spaces, so having these details inside your home was a reminder to your guests of your success and importance.
Figure 3. The Custom House has different siding on one of its four sides. Ever heard the saying of putting your best face or foot forward? It comes from colonial times, when the British Crown owned all the trees tall enough to make the longer wooden boards. So, if you wanted that style siding, you needed to be rich enough to make a bribe. Then you could flaunt your wealth by having the front of your home sided with the longer wooden boards, instead of wooden shingles – which could be made from smaller pieces of wood – all the way around. It’s just a small way the building itself tells a story: the people that lived here (and yes, the Custom House was equal parts tax office and home) had wealth.
