The Hudson River was not always called the Hudson river. It has had many many names that were given by the occupants of its shores. The landscapes changed, nations rose and fell, and the waters of the Hudson kept flowing through all the mayhem of the centuries. The first recorded name of this river in history was Ca-ho-ha-ta-te-a translated as the River. It was given by the North East native Americans who had a powerful historical background. These people were called the Iroquois by the French during the era of colonialism.
Geographical Map of the Hudson River
The eastern native American tribe known as Mohican Tribe were the inhabitants of the upper tidal Hudson river valley, including the area where the river was joined by the Mohawk River. They called the river Hodson of today “Muh-he-kun-ne-tuk” which is translated as the river that flows two ways or to be more poetic "the waters that are never still, or great waters continuously in motion". The name comes from the river’s long tidal range. The Mohican tribe spoke Algonquian and was related to Lenape who occupied the territory up to the Atlantic coast. So the Lenape have also laid claim on the Hudson River, professing it as part of their ancestral territory and they called it Muhheakantuck. Esteban Gómez, a Portuguese explorer who sailed in the employ of Spain landed on the mid-Atlantic coast in 1525. He was the man who gave the river Hudson its first European name and called the river Rio San Antonio. As the Dutch came, they gave river Hudson many names, an early name was Rio de Montaigne. Later the name Noortrivier translated as the “North River” was generally used and this term was used in the New York Metropolitan areas up until the early 1900s and has been used also on old maps of the Hudson River. The term is still used these days especially in radio communication among the shipping traffic. The river acquired its current name the Hudson after the Englishman Henry Hudson who explored it in 1609. It is believed that the first use of the name Hudson River in a map was by the cartographer John Carwitham in 1740 Origin: No river can return to its source, yet all rivers have a beginning (Native American proverb) All rivers have a starting point, an origin from where the waters start flowing. This point source is called headwater. The headwater of river Hudson is the beautiful historical “lake tear of the clouds” nestled between Mount Gray, Skylight, and Marcy, respectively the 7th, 4th, and highest peaks in the Adirondacks. Verplanck Colvin, a lawyer, author, illustrator and a topographical engineer described the lake in 1872 in his survey, his captivating words have lived on since then. He wrote: “Far above the chilly waters of Lake Avalanche at an elevation of 4,293 feet lies summit water, a minute, unpretending, tear of the clouds — as it were — a lovely pool shivering in the breezes of the mountains and sending its limpid surplus through Feldspar Brook to the Opalescent River, the well-spring of the Hudson.” The water flowing out of the lake tear of the clouds continues into the stream Feldspar brook, downstream it is joined by the opalescent river, and continues as an opalescent river until it reaches calamity brook. From here onwards it is known as the Hudson River. The river Hudson follows its course for the first 108 miles flowing in the South-East direction to Corinth, then it turns North-East towards the Hudson falls. From Hudson falls the river flows towards the south for about 200 miles to Battery, at the Upper New York Bay. The lower course of the river about 150 miles goes through a drowned valley. You can follow it on the Hudson River map above. From there it extends towards the sea for about 200 miles as the deep submarine canyon. The tides in the river are felt as far north as Troy. The widest part of the river is 3 miles- at Haverstraw bay. The river then narrows again to 0.75 miles at its mouth. River Hudson forms one of the nation’s most important waterways.
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Geology
The river Hudson is unique in geological terms as it’s not a typical river. After the end of the most recent ice age, the sea levels rose and drowned the coastal plain. The old river bed which now lies beyond the shoreline is called the Hudson Canyon and is an exceptionally good area for fishing. Most of the Hudson river especially the lower half is actually a tidal estuary. It is the place where the ocean’s saltwater mixes with the fresh water coming from the mountain tributaries of the North. This ‘brackish’ or mixing water continues for up to 153 miles. The tidal estuary occupies Hudson fjord, and the probable time of its formation is estimated to have been between 26.000 to 13,000 years. The special thing about being a tidal estuary is that it supports a biologically rich environment. Estuaries are one of the most productive of the earth’s ecosystems. The ebb and flow of the ocean tide make it an important and critical habitat for a multitude of aquatic species. It also serves as a specific breeding ground for many species. The river Hudson is also described as fjord by geologists and on maps. At its deepest, it is 216 feet deep in the gorge called World’s End. It was named so by the captains of the ships navigated through the treacherous and dangerous waters of this highland part of the river. Frances Dunwell writes in her book ‘The Hudson River Highlands’ : "The whirlwinds, changing currents, and unpredictable weather so treacherous for sailors then and now stem from the tidal action and natural features of the land as the Hudson forces its way through the gorge,"
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History
During the Ice ages, more than 10,000 years ago glaciers occupied the land, most of the earth’s water was locked up frozen in the form of glaciers. These were the times when New york’s coastline reached far out to the sea. The natives lived in the wilderness, a fight of survival of the fittest, in a war against the mighty nature. They hunted small animals and dressed in furs. Thousands of years passed and as the glaciers melted into the river people continued their lives on its shores. They made their livelihood with the river, and the river provided in abundance. The Lenape tribe spent the time of year from spring to fall along the estuary. They hunted along the shores of the New York, harpooning whale and porpoises. The river kept them provided with food. As the civilization developed, they wove nets and made canoes out of tulip trees. Soon they were making pottery with elaborate designs. They learned agriculture and had annual festivals where trade took place. Lenape religion declared that every form of life had a spirit. For thousands of years the natives lived in harmony with the river, they learned to cope with its natural cycles and were thankful for its bounty. Until the time the invaders arrived. Some Solitary explorers had visited the bountiful land and waters of America. Among them John Cabot was the first man whose name is bound with the discovery of North America in 1497, However, the era of colonization along the Hudson river started with the man the mighty river is named after. Henry Hudson, travelling with Dutch East India Company, had sailed in the waters of Hudson river, he passed the northwestern passage and landed on the western shore. Here he claimed the land in the name of Netherland and placed it on all maps. And hence the Dutch colonization of the area started with Henry Hudson. The Dutch founded the New Amsterdam at the mouth of the river Hudson. In 1664, roughly after 20 or so years, Dutch surrendered their colonies to the British. New Amsterdam was named New York after the Duke of York. Under the rule of British, the Hudson valley fed by the river Hudson became an agricultural hub. The Hudson River played a key role in the American Revolution. During the war in the 1700s, the significance of the river arose as a source of transport for the supplies and armies for the patriots. This was realized by the colonists and in order to prevent the British from using the river for their own goals, they created a great chain in 1778. This great chain consisted of two feet long iron links which stretched across the length of the river between the west point and constitution island. ---- As the age of Industrialization dawned and the human population started growing explosively, the river Hudson also started to face the ill effects. Its natural resources were expended and abused. The sewage and commercial discharges into the river led to grand-scale harm to aquatic life. The splendid scenic vistas were destroyed by quarrying. The toxic chemicals in the water contaminated the food webs and millions of fish were killed by the polluted waters. Thus a struggle began to preserve the River Hudson and its natural resources. In the late 19th century an interstate movement was started by the residents of New York and New Jersey for the preservation of the palisades cliffs. A battle ensued in the 1960s to save the Storm King Mountains and gave rise to today’s national environmental movement. Sewage clean up act and federal clean water act were enacted in the coming years. These measures lead to significant improvement. Today a number of govt agencies and non-govt groups are working in restoring and protecting one of the nation’s fourteen heritage rivers for the future generations.
