Grand Regatta, Ball, and Clam-Bake on Davids Island in 1857
Only a few months after purchasing the island, Thaddeus Davids permitted his island to be used for the celebration. The celebration included a grand ball, an "Indian" clam bake, and a hotly-contested regatta held offshore.
A short time before the celebration, Thaddeus Davids permitted the construction of "a very spacious building" on the island to serve as a ballroom for the event. Selection of the island for such a grand party was no accident. At the time, Davids Island was entirely undeveloped. It was covered with wooded valleys and groves of old-growth trees. It had "bold, rocky shores and sandy beaches." Moreover, the view from the highest point on the island was spectacular. According to one report published in 1857, "From its highest point can be seen the shores bordering on Long Island Sound, taking in at a glance City Island, Hunter's Island, Hart Island, Manursing Island, Throgg's Neck, Glen Cove, Orienta, Mamaroneck, Rye, and other suburban villages."
The location of the island also was important. It was only a few hundred feet off the mainland shores of New Rochelle and Pelham Manor. Moreover, it was only a quarter mile from an important steamboat landing at New Rochelle.
On the morning of Thursday, August 13, 1857, people began streaming onto Davids Island. The spacious ballroom building was decorated festively with flags and more. At about 11:00 a.m. Dodworth's Band arrived from New York City to provide music throughout the day and evening. The Dodworth Band of New York City was the premier brass band in the United States from the 1840s to the 1880s. The band was founded by the Dodworth family in 1825 and grew to become one of the famous American bands of the 19th century.
With festive music as a background, a little after 1:00 p.m. the regatta began. The yachts raced over a twenty mile course laid out in Long Island Sound. There were four classes of competitors: first class, second class, third class, and fourth class. The winners of the top three classes each received a substantial $50 prize (about $1,850 in today's dollars). The winner of the fourth class received a $30 cash prize.
The Excelsior, owned by L. D. Huntington of New Rochelle, won the first class race. The Electric Spark, owned by J. E. Ebling of Harlem, won the second class race. The Emma, owned by Thaddeus Davids of New Rochelle, won the third class race. The Dan Smith, of Oyster Bay, won the fifth class race.
The third class race clearly was the most exciting of the day. Two of the yachts in the race were running neck-and-neck as they neared the end of the course at Davids Island. The Emma and the Silence battled to the very end as crowds on shore cheered the two yachts jockeying side-by-side for a "considerable distance" to the very end. The Emma finally edged out the Silence by about two boat lengths as the yachts crossed the finish line.
The third class race was a bitter disappointment for the owner and friends of the Silence who had "bet very freely in her favor." They immediately challenged the Emma to a rematch for a $200 stake which Thaddeus Davids immediately accepted. The rematch was scheduled on the spot for two weeks later on August 27, 1857. Sadly, no record of the result of the rematch has yet been located!
While the regatta was underway, an unusual "Indian style" clam bake was being prepared. One account noted that the Indian style of clam bake was "quite a novelty on this end of the Sound." The preparations were described as follows:
"Long pieces of wood were piled up in cross layers, with large paving stones interspersed, until the pile was about six feet high. It was then set on fire, and when the wood was all burned out, the stones were nicely and evenly placed, and swept clean. Forty bushels of Little Neck hard-shell clams were then dumped upon the hot stones, and the surface of the clams covered with green corn in the husk; and these covered over to the depth of six to eight inches with fresh seaweed. The whole was then covered with a large sail. In five minutes clouds of steam arose from the pile, and in about fifteen minutes more, the great clam-bake was ready; when there were plenty of anxious lookers-on, equally ready to go in for a share. Two large boilers of chowder were also made, and said to be quite equal to that made at Marshfield by the late Daniel Webster."
It did not take two thousand celebrants long to devour forty bushels of Little Neck clams and the two large boilers of chowder. Once the food was gone, the crowd retired to the ballroom and surrounding area for a grand dance with the music of the Dodworth Band of New York City. They danced the night away until 2:00 a.m.
Detail of 1867 Beers Map Showing Davids Island Adjacent to
Locust Island (Known Today as Glen Island). Source: Beers, Ellis
& Soule, Atlas of New York and Vicinity From Actual Surveys By
and Under the Direction of F. W. Beers, Assisted by Geo. E.
Warner & Others, p. 7 (Philadelphia, PA: Beers, Ellis & Soule, 1867)
NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.
Thaddeus Davids in 1879, from the January 21, 1879
Issue of the Graphic. NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.
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I have written before about Davids Island, particularly Pelham's involvement with it during the Civil War. For examples, see:
Wed., Apr. 26, 2017: Thaddeus Davids of Davids Island Off the Shores of Pelham and New Rochelle.
Wed., Oct. 19, 2016: Valor in the Waters Off Pelham During a Monumental Snowstorm in 1871.
Wed., Feb. 03, 2016: Pelham Women Assisted Union Troops and Confederate Prisoners on David's Island During the Civil War.
Wed., Oct. 21, 2015: Ministering to Troops on Hart and Davids Islands During and Shortly After the Civil War.
Tue., Nov. 03, 2009: Pelham Students Help Civil War Soldiers on Davids' Island in 1864.
Fri., Jun. 3, 2005: Davids' Island Off the Coast of Pelham Manor During the Civil War.
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"REGATTA, BALL, AND CLAM-BAKE AT DAVID'S ISLAND. -- Notwithstanding the extreme heat of the weather on Thursday, a vast concourse of persons visited David's Island, Long Island Sound, on that day, for the purpose of witnessing a regatta, and participating in a grand ball, Indian clam-bake, and other festivities. David's Island comprises about one hundred acres of land, and is a quarter of a mile from the steamboat landing at New Rochelle. The island is picturesquely diversified by dell and grove, alternated with bold, rocky shores and sandy beaches. From its highest point can be seen the shores bordering on Long Island Sound, taking in at a glance City Island, Hunter's Island, Hart Island, Manursing Island, Throgg's Neck, Glen Cove, Orienta, Mamaroneck, Rye, and other suburban villages. On reaching the island, we found that a very spacious building, which has recently been erected for a ball-room, was decorated with flags, &c., ready for the festive occasion. About 11 o'clock, Dodworth's Band, from the city, made its appearance on the ground, and discoursed most excellent music at intervals, from that time until about 2 o'clock yesterday morning.
Shortly after 1 o'clock p.m., the regatta took place, over a course about 20 miles in length. The judges decided the Excelsior, owned by L. D. Huntington of New-Rochelle, the winner of the first-class prize of $50; the Electric Spark, owned by J. E. Ebling of Harlem, winner of the second-class prize of $50; the Emma, owned by Thaddeus Davids of New-Rochelle, winner of the third-class prize of $50, and the Dan Smith of Oyster Bay, winner of the fourth-class prize of $30. The race between the Emma and Silence was a most exciting one; running as they did side by side for a considerable distance, the Emma finally coming in by about twice her own length. The owner and friends of the Silence having bet very freely in her favor, appeared sadly disappointed at the result and challenged her against the Emma for $200 a side, which was accepted; the match to come off at the City Island on the 27th inst.
While the yachts were pushing their way through the rippled waters, a clam-bake in the genuine Indian style was made on the island, and proved quite a novelty on this end of the Sound. Long pieces of wood were piled up in cross layers, with large paving stones interspersed, until the pile was about six feet high. It was then set on fire, and when the wood was all burned out, the stones were nicely and evenly placed, and swept clean. Forty bushels of Little Neck hard-shell clams were then dumped upon the hot stones, and the surface of the clams covered with green corn in the husk; and these covered over to the depth of six to eight inches with fresh seaweed. The whole was then covered with a large sail. In five minutes clouds of steam arose from the pile, and in about fifteen minutes more, the great clam-bake was ready; when there were plenty of anxious lookers-on, equally ready to go in for a share. Two large boilers of chowder were also made, and said to be quite equal to that made at Marshfield by the late Daniel Webster. The knife, fork and spoon exercise being terminated, the party now numbering about 2,000 persons, dancing began, and was kept up until about 2 o'clock yesterday morning."
Source: REGATTA, BALL, AND CLAM-BAKE AT DAVID'S ISLAND, New-York Tribune, Aug. 15, 1857, p. 7, col. 3 (Note: Paid subscription required to access via this link).
Archive of the Historic Pelham Web Site.
Labels: 1857, Clam, Clam Bake, Dance, Davids Island, Long Island Sound, Party, Race, Recreation, Regatta
posted by Blake A. Bell @ 5:10 AM
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