Thomas Wood was one of the many feline tenants of 290 Washington Street, a large, six-story brick factory building on the northwest corner of Washington and Chamber streets. Originally the pet cat of a dye maker at the factory, he made his home on the third floor, which was occupied by the American Wood Decorating Machine Company.
Archive for the ‘Cat Mascots’ Category
1899: Tom the Terror, the Brooklyn-Born Ship Cat of the United States Navy
Posted: 25th April 2021 by The Hatching Cat in Cat Mascots, Seafaring CatsTags: Brooklyn Navy Yard, Cats of Old New York, Seafaring cats, Ship cats, USS Anapolis, USS Monongahela, USS Terror
Tom the Terror was reportedly a noted figure in the United States Navy. He came from a long line of naval cats, having been born on the Cob Deck at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1896. All of his siblings and cousins had also honorably served the United States Navy as rat killers and mascots.
1899: Tonias Cervera, the Seafaring Cat Who Survived the Wreck of the Cristóbal Colón
Posted: 26th March 2021 by The Hatching Cat in Cat Mascots, Seafaring CatsTags: Battle of Santiago de Cuba, Cats of Old New York, Cristobal Colon, Gerald L. Holsinger, Maria Teresa, Ship cats
I once wrote about Tom, the famous cat that survived the explosion and sinking of the USS Maine during the Spanish-American War. The following tale is about several other seafaring cats who similarly survived naval events during the same war: these were the ship cats of the Cristóbal Colón, a Spanish cruiser that ran aground during the Battle of Santiago de Cuba.
1940s: Bosun and the Missionary Cats of the Seamen’s Church Institute of NYC
Posted: 18th March 2021 by The Hatching Cat in Cat Mascots, Cat MenTags: 50 Broadway, Cats of Old New York, Christine A. Hartmann, Floating Church, Seafaring cats, Seamen's Church Institute, Ship cats
According to the Seamen’s Church Institute of New York (one of the city’s oldest maritime establishments), cats and dogs were the most popular mascots on ships in the good old days. Seamen were especially fond of cats, as they brought good luck to a maiden voyage. The Institute also seemed to favor cats, and in fact had numerous feline mascots at its New York City headquarters on South Street during the 1900s.
1894: Dan, the Miraculous Shrinking Cat of FDNY Engine Company 40
Posted: 7th February 2021 by The Hatching Cat in Cat Mascots, Cat Men, FDNY Horses/MascotsTags: Cats of Old New York, Engine Company No. 40, FDNY history, FDNY mascots, Fort Washington Engine Company, Francis Casey, New York City History
“This is a tale of a cat. Of a cat with a tail fourteen inches long. It is a true tale. It is vouched for by a fireman, a policeman and the appearance of the cat. A woman, a basket, a hole in a ceiling, a doctor and some medicine also figure into the tale.”—The New York World, January 5, 1894
