SCHS: Talk – ‘Sinking of the Steamboat Lexington on L.I. Sound’, with Bill Bleyer / Jan 11th @ 1 PM

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The Sinking of the Steamboat Lexington on Long Island Sound

with Bill Bleyer

Saturday, January 11, 2025 – 1:00 PM

Book Sale & Signing by Author! 

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Members Free, Non-Members $8. Includes refreshments.

Registration + non-refundable prepayment required. Space is limited!

Call 631-727-2881 X100 to reserve your spot!

Or reserve at Eventbrite for a small surcharge: https://tinyurl.com/LexintgtonTalk 

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Complimenting our “Lexington” exhibit, author and maritime historian Bill Bleyer will detail the story

of the steamboat Lexington — from its unique construction to its harrowing demise —

as well as discuss the artifacts in our Lexington exhibit. 

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Commissioned by “Commodore” Cornelius Vanderbilt as he built his maritime empire in New York, the Lexington was the fastest, most luxurious steamboat on Long Island Sound. On a bitter cold night in January 1840, a fire broke out that quickly spread throughout the wooden vessel. Lifeboats were overfilled and capsized, with rescue boats unable to respond in time. Only 4 of the more than 145 people on board survived after the vessel sank, northwest of Port Jefferson, by clinging to cotton bales, including second mate David Crowley who drifted for more than 40 hours until he came ashore in Riverhead. The disaster intensified the national debate about steamboat safety, and an image of the blaze launched the career of lithographer Nathaniel Currier. After initial salvage attempts, the wreck remained unseen until it was rediscovered by a team of divers in 1983.

A prizewinning staff writer for Newsday for 33 years specializing in history and maritime history, Bill Bleyer retired in 2014 to write books and freelance for the newspaper and magazines. He is co-author, with Harrison Hunt, of Long Island and the Civil War (2015) and the author of four other books: Sagamore Hill: Theodore Roosevelt’s Summer White House (2016), Fire Island Lighthouse: Long Island’s Welcoming Beacon (2017), Long Island and the Sea: A Maritime History (2019), and George Washington’s Long Island Spy Ring: A History and Tour Guide (2021). The Hofstra University graduate has taught economics and journalism there and history at Webb Institute, the naval architecture college in Glen Cove.

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SUFFOLK COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM
300 West Main St.  Riverhead, NY 11901
www.SuffolkCountyHistoricalSociety.org

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AAQ / Resource: Riverhead GMC