In New York folklore, the Hudson River Monster, popularly known as "Kipsy" or less commonly "Keepsie" or "Libby" (after the Statue of Liberty) is an aquatic serpentine monster reportedly spotted along the Hudson River and New York Harbor since 1886. The name "Kipsy" is believed to derive from Poughkeepsie, a city located along the river. The creature was first reported in a series of newspaper articles published in 1886, in which it is referred to simply as "the sea serpent."
Pre-1886 sightings Though many sources allege that sea serpent was described in Native American legends or was spotted by Henry Hudson's crew as the sailed up the Hudson River on the Halve Maen, none provide any documentation in support of this. There was a long history of sea serpent sightings along the Atlantic coast preceding the Hudson River sighting. The most prominent of these occurred near Gloucester, Massachusetts in 1817, inspiring the Linnaean Society of New England to formally describe the sea serpent under the scientific name Scoliophis atlanticus.
1886 sightings The first published report of a sea-serpent in the Hudson River appears in the New York Times in 1886. The heading of the article ("In the Hudson This Time┃The Sea Serpent Disporting Himself Near Kingston") indicates that this initial sighting was not considered geographically or temporally distinct from prior reports of sea serpents along the Atlantic coast. Reports of the Hudson River sea serpent appeared frequently in newspapers in 1886, sometimes accompanied by attestations of the reporter's credibility or sobriety. Newspapers often reprinted each others accounts; reports initially published in local papers were published in periodicals throughout the United States. The creature was universally described as having a serpentine appearance. Descriptions of its coloration and size varied considerably. August 30, 1886 reported in The New York Times Several boatman and swimmers from Rondout, New York reported seeing part of a creature resembling an anaconda or water boa which measured around 55 feet in length and two feet in diameter. It was described as having a mottled light and dark brown pattern with a dirty white throat and a fin which began six feet behind the eyes and extended the length of the body. An article published in a Los Angeles Newspaper elaborates further, describing the serpent as being slimy, with a large mouth, eyes the size of hen's eggs, and leaving an oily residue in its wake. An uncredited illustration of the serpent was published in multiple periodicals the next month (Figure 1). September 2, 1886 reported in The New York Herald A man in charge of the wreck of the Daniel Drew, a steamboat which had recently sunk, reported seeing a seventy-five foot creature with a head the size of a flower barrel and "devilish" green eyes swimming north. It reportedly stopped to chase two boaters, who successfully escaped to shore. September 2 & 3, 1886, reported in the New York Daily Tribune The next reported sightings of the sea serpent occurred further upriver. A steamer captain reported catching a glimpse of the creature's body which he described as "as thick around as a smokestack" near Beeren Island, eleven miles south of Albany, New York. The captain and a local printer reportedly glimpsed the creature's head emerging from the water further upriver. September 4, 1886 reported in The Hartford Daily Courant Two boatmen report seeing a lead-colored creature around 30-feet long with a large flat head and disproportionately large eyes. They recount that they fired two shots that hit the creature but did not appear to injure it. September 5, 1886 reported in The Meriden Journal A night watchman in New York City reported seeing the head of a serpent emerge from the water. He described it as "greenish-blue" with short hair and red eyes the size of his fists. September 10, 1886 reported in The New York Sun A Lieutenant standing on the 27th Street pier spotted a dirty-gray creature around 100m in length and 18 inches thick at its thickest point. September 11, 1886 reported in The Hartford Daily Courant Multiple observers near Savin Rock, Connecticut reported seeing various portions of a blue sea serpent surface above the water. October 12, 1886, reported in The New York Times Three men sailing near Bridgeport, Connecticut observed a serpent-like monster 100 feet in length with three lumps on its back. October 17, 1886, reported in The New York Times A sloop captain in Bay Shore, Long Island reported passing within 300 feet of a sea serpent, which he described as being four feet in circumference with arms or flippers around four feet long. December 31, 1886, reported in The New York Times A schooner captain in Tivoli, New York reported seeing a terracotta-colored animal with two eyes "nearly as big as saucers" split the ice.
Public reaction The sea serpent was largely an object of curiosity rather than fear. In between collecting witness accounts of the monster and republishing accounts published by other periodicals, newspapers published articles by scientists debating the veracity, identify, and possible origins of the creature. Some suggested that it might be an plesiosaur or other extant prehistoric creature. The sea serpent was frequently referenced in a humorous way, often in connection with current events. One tongue-in-cheek article urged the scientific community to explore whether the serpent could be responsible for a recent earthquake while another expressed hope that it would "show himself at the mouth of Newtown Creek and perhaps frighten that other monster, the Standard Oil Company..."
Other jokes centered around the serpent's perceived value as a tourist attraction. A humorous advertisement published in an October 1886 issue of the Kansas newspaper The Evening Tribune published an alleged offer by the showman P.T. Barnum of a $20,000 reward:"...for the skin of the sea-serpent which, it is claimed, has been cavorting around the Atlantic coast. Perhaps the scalp of the hotel-keeper who started the story would answer as well."Barnum's offer appears to have been genuine as he reached out to a taxidermist for advice on how to preserve the sea serpent should it be captured.
Proposed explanations
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
