Harlem and Spuyten Duyvil Navigation Co. - 1861-74 dated Shipping Stock Certificate

The last appearance was in the directory of 1881-2. The boats ran from Harlem to Pier 24, East River, foot of Peck's Slip, and from an advertisement in the New York Tribune of July 4, 1860, it is apparent that the Harlem and New York Navigation Company co-operated with the Harlem and Spuyten Duyvil Navigation Company which also docked at the foot of East 130th Street and ran smaller boats to places beyond Harlem. The advertisement reads:

"Fourth of July on the Harlem River.

The Steamers, Emily, Tiger and Trumpeter, will leave their wharf, at Harlem for High Bridge every half hour during the day, and for the Century House, 215th Street, near King's Bridge hourly, touching at Macomb's Dam, Tomlinson's Woods, Morris's Dock and Fordham Landing, and 'connecting with the steamers Sylvan Shore and Sylvan Grove, which leave Peck Slip and Harlem every hour throughout the day".

One would naturally ask why two boat lines were needed for the Harlem River service, and why the Sylvan line of boats did not run beyond the Harlem Bridge. The reason being that at that time no boat drawing over two feet of water could navigate the shallow Harlem. An interesting account of the Harlem and Spuyten Duyvil Navigation Company is given in the first report to the stockholders by L. G. Morris, the President of the Company, dated November 14, 1860:

"As the Harlem River never had been looked upon as a navigable stream by the public until the time of our commencing to navigate it under this incorporation, there had been no landings established by law or otherwise excepting Morris' private dock and Berrian's landing at Fordham. This involved immediate outlay in building temporary structures at 3rd Avenue, Macomb's Dam, High Bridge, Tomlinson's Woods and 215th Street and we had to apply to Police, Harbor Masters, etc., to establish the right to protect and maintain private landings over private property, which was successful... It was deemed expedient that the Company should own, equip and fully man three boats, to enable them to run week day boats and three boats on Sundays, not that we supposed the route would in itself pay for such an outfit, but thought it expedient to accommodate and carry the public on all emergencies, and we determined to try and get extra excursions for the third boat on week days to help pay expenses. We did something in the excursion line but not with sufficient success to make it profitable, which confines our receipts to the legitimate business between Third Avenue and 215th Street. Read more at https://books.google.com/books?id=p0xJkv01eSYC&pg=PA65&lpg=PA60&ots=81VHRUs5CL&focus=viewport&dq=%22Harlem+and+Spuyten+Duyvil+Navigation%22&output=text#c_top