The Oystermen of Captains' Row
Tonight's program kicks off with a fun and clever musical round by Bob Wright & Harbortown! Followed by a virtual lecture by historian Patricia Salmon. One stretch of Richmond Terrace, historically known as the Shore Road, was referred to as “Captains’ Row” owing to the many ship captains who purchased or built fine homes along the thoroughfare. This program will analyze their lives and livelihoods, as well as the local oyster industry which provided their income.
Patricia M. Salmon retired as Curator of History at the Staten Island Museum in 2012. A Staten Island resident for almost fifty years, she was a Naturalist/Historian at Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve in that borough for eight years. Ms. Salmon has authored the books Realms of History: The Cemeteries of Staten Island, The Staten Island Ferry: A History, Murder & Mayhem on Staten Island and Staten Island Slayings: Murderers and Mysteries of the Forgotten Borough. A board member of the Tottenville Historical Society, she is a consultant to the Friends of Abandoned Cemeteries of Staten Island and an adjunct professor at Wagner College in Staten Island.