Old Father Hudson

Pete Seeger
1974

In the mid-1960’s folk giant Pete Seeger came up with the idea of building a boat to save the Hudson River.  Since the first humans stumbled upon its banks the river has been pivotal, from being a pathway for trade to a source of food, but industry and urbanization took a major toll on the river’s health.  The result of Seeger’s dream was Clearwater, a replica of 19th century trading sloops. It was built with funds raised at concerts played by Seeger and his friends. To this day, the sailboat and the non-profit organization of the same name work diligently in the Hudson’s water to raise environmental awareness, provide education, and connect people to the river.  The organization has a tradition of opening meetings by singing Seeger’s Clearwater version of the traditional shanty, Seaman’s Hymn.