In 1872, Julius J. Chambers, a reporter for the New York Herald embarked on a canoe trip beginning at the headwaters of the Mississippi to its mouth in New Orleans. He traveled to Troy and ordered a paper canoe to do the job.

Paper canoe?

Yes, a paper boat, and the first paper boat business started in Troy in 1867 when Elisha Waters, a paper box manufacturer, and his son George, invented and then patented a method for making boat hulls from paper. The idea took float and only a year later they were advertising themselves as boat builders - no longer paper box makers. By 1875, the New York Daily stated that they had the "largest boat factory in the United States."

Reporter Chambers had his Waters paper boat delivered (by rail) to
St. Paul, Minnesota in May 1872. He began at the White Earth Indian Reservation in central Minnesota, and by June, had made it to Lake Itasca where he explored the various lake tributaries. He whimped out and stopped just short of St. Louis and made the rest of the way to New Orleans by steamboat. During his exploits, he wrote regular pieces of his exploits for the newspaper

Two years later, in 1874, canoe enthusiast Nathaniel Holmes Bishop, fitted with an 18 foot decked wooden canoe began a trip south from Quebec. His canoe was fitted with a sail, two sets of oars, and one assistant - Bishop was aiming for Florida. But then he landed in Troy, and not unexpectedly, in this city of surprises, Bishop became enamored with this Troy paper canoe invention.

Bishop ordered his paper boat, dubbed "The Maria Theresa," dumped his other boat (and assistant), and left on October 21st making it to Cedar Key, Florida on the Gulf coast. He eventually wrote a book about his travels called appropriately, "Voyage of the Paper Canoe."

Waters boats became famous as racing hulls and when they made a win of all events at the Centennial Regatta in 1876, paper boats became the rage for the next 30 years.

Boat clubs became the rage as well and in Troy several popped up in the latter half of the 19th century, such as the Riverside Club, Sans Souchi, and Troy Motor Boat and Canoe Club in the Burg, to the ever popular Laureate Boat Club at the tip of Glen Avenue, that started in 1866.

And that brings us to the rest of the story. You can't keep a good canoe out of the Hudson!

On July 6th (Tuesday), the fourth annual Great Hudson Paddle 2004 will take off from Albany to New York City. The event is held under the auspices of the Hudson River Watertrail Association, Inc., a non-profit corporation that promotes the development of a continuous water trail from New York City to the Erie Canal, and this year's sponsors are the Hudson River Valley Greenway, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the New York State Bridge Authority, and Hudson Valley Outfitters.

GHRP 2004 is celebrating the Hudson River Greenway Water Trail, the improvement of public access to the Hudson River, and the diversity and heritage of the riverside communities of the Hudson River Valley. I mentioned in a prior column that the Greenway's director is our own Trojan, Carmella Mantello, who has made great strides in bringing many Hudson River communities onboard.

The Hudson Paddle allows all levels of canoe enthusiasts to get on the river and for those real daring types paddle all the way down to New York City, almost 150 miles. For those who want to join in the celebration of the Hudson River but don't have a canoe, you can join the fun on shore side during a series of festivals in several communities along the way that will showcase kayaking skills, local cultural demonstrations, information booths, and natural resource programs.

In April 2001, Governor Pataki provided a $1 million grant to the Hudson River Valley Greenway to create and establish the Hudson River Greenway Water Trail. To date there are almost 70 sites designated on the trail.

While the paddle kicks off in Albany, I wouldn't be too surprised if we couldn't see it start in Troy in the future, considering that in all reality it was George and Eliza Waters that started the canoe races on the Hudson. So be sure to go down to the Corning Preserve on July 6th and help kick off this year's paddle. Be sure to wave!