That’s a letter I, not a number 1, by the way.
Tugboat Syracuse is still in service, pushing 90 years of service next year, although I believe she did not work this past season. I can’t place the location of this shot (maybe the Oswego Canal or somewhere between Brewerton and Three Rivers come to mind), but there are details to comment on. Note that Syracuse is tied to a tree. She has what appear to be two propane tanks along port side, reflecting more onboard meals. The photo was taken from onboard the barge. Who might the photographer have been? Also, note the barge itself made of wood. And that lantern middle of the photo on the barge . . . that is an old-school kerosene burning light! Clues to the identification of the tug are the livery and the covered tender carried rightside up atop the cabin.
When might be the last time on the Barge Canal a string of SEVEN barges was towed on gatelines behind a tug like this, behind Cherokee? Let’s imagine 6 to 8 crew on the tug, but how many crew would there have been on the seven barges? Also, note the snow on the banks, possibly a late fall run. Location has me stumped again also.
Gramercy was a Blue Line tug. Note that the photo was taken from another tugboat.
Lt. Chas. S. McHugh shows up in George Matteson’s Tugboats of New York, [page 202] which identifies it as a “sixty-two-foot diesel tug, part of the four-boat fleet operated by John J. Mulqueen of 15 North Moore Street.” The photo in Matteson’s book shows great detail. Moore Street (Manhattan) is between Soho and Tribeca inland from Pier 25. I’ll hazard a guess that this is at the top of E-20.
And finally, a fantastic image of Hugh O’Donnell towing a string of five wooden barges. This tug has appeared on this blog once before here, in black/white. I’d love to know if the tugboat was named for the labor leader of the 1890s and involved in the Homestead strike. Here‘s a court case involving an insurance claim that references Hugh O’Donnell.
More to come. I’m not sure who the photographer here was. Thanks to the Canal Society of New York for use of these photos.
tugster: a waterblog 
9 comments
Comments feed for this article
February 5, 2022 at 12:46 pm
Lou Cobb
The barges in the strings appear to have houses on them. What gives?
February 5, 2022 at 2:18 pm
tugster
I don’t know much about the living space on Barge Canal barges during this era, but after transiting the Canal, these barges might continue on with cargo to NYC. Here’s an article (pp. 16 ff) about the role of “barge captain” as it pertains to Hudson River/NY Harbor barges. https://www.livinthehighline.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Lighterage-System.pdf
February 5, 2022 at 4:01 pm
tugchief
From what was past down to me, some of those barges had entire families living on them and they would work the scow and raise their family.
February 5, 2022 at 4:06 pm
tugster
Thx for that, tugchief. To add to that, I’d love to learn how barge crew makeup changed over the years. It’s my impression, which can be wrong, that in–say–1900 many more whole families lived aboard than 30 or 50 years later. Anyone know how that crewing pattern changed?
February 5, 2022 at 4:45 pm
William Lafferty
I doubt it is that Hugh O’Donnell. Vinyard Shipbuilding Company launched it 3 January 1920 as the James M. Brooks for the Howland Towing & Transportation Company of New York. James O’Donnell purchased it in 1925, Dieselized it, and renamed it in honor of Hugh Roe O’Donnell, a thirteenth century Irish king, or so the Brooklyn Daily Eagle said. Most likely it was named for his newly-born son, Hugh Kenneth O’Donnell. James had another tug named for his son Louis. Acclaimed as one of the most powerful tugs on the canal after its repowering, the O’Donnell was broken up in 1962.
You’ve showed us the Gramercy before, Will. Check the comments for 2 February 2022!
February 5, 2022 at 4:56 pm
tugster
“Hugh O’Donnell” has been quite the popular name. And thanks for reminding me that you identified Gramercy in that earlier post and make the connection. I’d intended to point that out, but . . had a lapse, which you remedied.
February 11, 2022 at 5:28 pm
Sarah O’Donnell
Hello~ Just wanted to give a little personal history and background. My great grandfather was James T. O’Donnell, of O’Donnell Transportation. My grandfather was Hugh Francis O’Donnell and my father was Hugh Kenneth O’Donnell. The tug was named for my grandfather, who was in the family business, as was my g-uncle, Louis, who also had a tug bearing his name. There were tugs named after James’s daughters and my g-grandmother as well.
James T. O’Donnell was the first child born in the U.S. to Irish parents, who emigrated from Donegal, Ireland to NYC, in 1846, during the famine. The O’Donnell males were boatmen in Donegal.
James T. studied history as a hobby and was devoted to his Irish history and ancestry. He named my grandfather after Red Hugh O’Donnell (Hugh Roe O’Donnell), who was a sixteenth century Irish nobleman, Chief of Clan O’Donnell and Lord of Tyrconnell. James also named a tug, “Tyrconnell,” which I have seen a photo of.
My dad used to work on the tugs during the summers, when he was home from military boarding school and then college.
He joined O’Donnell Transportation, upon returning from WWII, where he served as a Captain in the U.S. Army. He left the family business in 1958.
I love seeing these pictures of my family’s tugs and barges. Thank you for sharing!
February 11, 2022 at 7:25 pm
tugster
Sarah– Thx so much for writing and telling that history. Might you have photos you’d be willing to share?
February 11, 2022 at 8:12 pm
Sarah O’Donnell
Hi Will, I will try to find the photos. If I can locate any, I will be happy to share them.