Captain Isaiah Rynders: From Dial City to Tammany Hall

The latest lecture in our 2017-2018 Winter Lecture Series was held at the Waterford Historical Museum and Cultural Center in our main exhibit space. We're not exactly known for wide open spaces, but we made it work and there was a nice turnout to pack the room!

Thanks so much for everyone who made their way over to join us and to take a look at the exhibit for the current ongoing art show displaying the work of artist, Dana Hatchett.

It'll still be on the walls for you to check out anytime during our new, extended winter hours: Wednesdays - Fridays from 10am to 3pm until April 13th. It's included in the price of admission to the museum: $6 adults, $5 children/seniors (65+) and free for children under 6 and for our museum members.

We're trying something new this year to make the museum more accessible beyond our usual open season from the first weekend in May to the end of October. Tell us what you think!

Russ VanDervoort presented another of his great lectures, taking a look at the life of Captain Isaiah Rynders, a Waterford native that become a famous (or infamous, depends on how you look at things) figure in New York and national history.




He had a variety of occupations, from a sloop ship captain that he earned from his teenage years at home in Waterford - a title he kept with him after moving onto other fields of interest - to a riverboat gambler, to a founder of NYC's "Empire Club", to a Tammany Hall boss, and even a U.S. Marshall thrown into the mix to keep things interesting for himself. He had some friends in high places too, like Martin Van Buren, James Polk, and James Buchanan. You probably didn't know that although not mentioned by name, a character from Gangs of New York is based on the captain from Waterford.

After gaining some notoriety as a "sporting man" (aka, a gambler) in newspapers around the country thanks to an incident in 1823 at Natchez, Miss where he was the victor in a fatal duel. Yes, Hamilton-style except with bowie knives apparently instead of guns. Fleeing from the area, Rynders moved to New York City and opened up a public house on Park Row in the Spring of 1844. This building would become the meeting place for the "Empire Club".

But Captain Rynders' era of influence was mostly from 1840 - 1860, during which time he used Tammany Hall to...persuade...voters and newspapers in favor of the Democratic Party over their opposition, the Whig Party (the party which the museum building's original owner, Hugh White, was a member of during that time when he started his three-term career as an Assemblyman).


Riots became a popular tactic of persuasion, with Rynders' name usually enough to earn the results he was looking for in elections. This was true for both city politics and local politics, with the 1844 Waterford election a good example.

 

Rynders also was mentioned in newspapers, something that he tried to keep tabs on in case anyone required a personal meeting to amend any previous comments or reports that didn't sit well with the captain, for good qualities too.

In addition to being praised for his oratory skills, there was also a report of how Rynders' group of Tammany Hall men had their heroic moments too.



But, his tide of influence was receding by around 1857, when he pulled away from Tammany Hall and joined the Native American, or the Know Nothing political party. His affiliation with Butcher Bill Poole and his "Butcher Boys" gang lost some of the respect that he might have had.

An example of that loss of favor is his failure to end the Policeman's Riot when he was called to speak with both sides. Instead, he had to run for cover as he was pelted with rocks rather than the praises his impromptu speeches had previously received.

But he was back into the sea of politics soon enough, appointed U.S. Marshall by President Buchanan. By 1862, he is backing NYC Mayor Fernando Wood in Wood's attempt to withdraw New York City from the Union and make it it's own sovereign nation.........

Now, coming from upstate New York there are times it might seem like the city is a foreign country but you can probably imagine that the concept never actually was considered by anyone else. With reports in some newspapers that don't paint Rynders as a typical citizen of New York, such as one that claimed that the captain was heard to make the statement that if he fought at all, "it would be on the side of the south", it's not hard to imagine that he would be getting into more riots despite his age (he was born in 1804 but clearly kept himself active).

After publicly opposing in 1863 the Federal Government's right to draft men to fight in the Civil War, Rynders influenced the Civil War Riots of the same year. According to reports, over 1000 rioters were killed in the violence, many of which had been gang members that were once aligned with Rynders when he was the de-facto boss of the Five Points area.

After the war, it seems like Rynders remained as involved as ever in his favorite endeavors: being a "sporting man" and political events. His final boxing match was at the young age of 63, he then returned to focusing on rejuvenating the Empire Club and was elected President of this organization. The captain passed away in 1885 and is buried in Waterford Rural Cemetery beside other Rynders family members.

Captain Isaiah Rynders left behind a lasting legacy - which also includes a drink named in his honor:

Don't miss out on our next lecture on February 13th at 7 pm at the Van Schaick Island Country Club (201 Continental Ave, Cohoes). Presented by Saratoga National Park Ranger, Bill Valosin, we'll learn more about the interesting history of our county with The Battle of Saratoga.

Admission: $6 not-yet members  $5 museum members