The Light on the Hudson

by Dana Ferry

published by Ithaca Press

Edward Rowe Snow

Edward Rowe Snow’s ancestors were sea captains who may have inspired his curiosity in all nautical subjects. Pirates, ghosts and coastal incidents were a sampling of his favorite topics. Snow’s own mother Alice, spent a large portion of her youth at sea traveling on ships with her father as ship’s master. Snow’s accomplishments included lecturing, teaching and storytelling. Edward R. Snow’s passion for ships and the sea motivated him to author many fascinating books which contributed to the appreciation of maritime history.

Snow was born in 1902 in Winthrop, Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard University and attended Boston University where he received a master’s degree. He taught high school history then went on to write a daily column for the Patriot Ledger in Quincy, Massachusetts. Throughout this period, Snow immersed himself in the publishing of book after book about maritime history on the northeast coast.

Snow was especially drawn to the history of the local lighthouses in the Boston area. He associated himself with the keepers and began to write stories about their lives. These writings were significant in spawning an interest in lighthouses and their preservation.

In 1936, Edward Snow was introduced to Captain William Wincapaw, the father of one of his students. Known as the Flying Santa, he was a generous pilot who had been delivering gifts to lighthouses and Coast Guard stations on Christmas Eves since 1929. Snow joined Captain Wincapaw and his son that Christmas for the Flying Santa flight. The plain paper-wrapped packages contained chewing gum, pen and pencil sets, coffee and magazines. In December 1940, Captain Wincapaw and his son were based in South America. Snow made the flight in their place accompanied by his wife Anna Myrle. The Snows remained in this position for many years, bringing their daughter Dolly along as well. Ironically, Snow was not a pilot. Each year he took the responsibility of hiring a pilot and plane to complete these flights.

Often Snow would give a copy of his latest book as a gift and periodically he would land at the lighthouses to visit with the families. Seamond Ponsart was a 5-year-old girl whose family occupied the lighthouse on Cuttyhunk Island in Massachusetts. In 1945 on his usual Yuletide flight, Snow dropped gifts over the Cuttyhunk Island Lighthouse, one of which was a doll for the little girl. The package landed on a rock and the doll was broken from the fall. Upon learning of this misfortune, the following year, to be sure Seamond received her gift, Snow chartered a helicopter to make a special delivery. The Ponsart family no longer lived at Cuttyhunk Island and were now stationed on Martha’s Vineyard. Snow arranged to meet the family at the Gayhead Life Saving Station so that he could put the doll directly into Seamond’s arms. The devotion to the Flying Santa trips took Snow as far as Sable Island in Nova Scotia.

Edward Snow’s intrigue with the sea, lighthouses and the northeast coast, led him on many enchanting paths during his lifetime. His books are still read today and furnish readers with lore of the days of pirates, ghosts and shipwrecks. Snow’s friendship with Captain Wincapaw presented him with an opportunity to engage in an active role in the lives of lighthouse keepers and their families. Alice Snow’s effect on her son must have been profound. Were Snow not a descendant of a maritime family, we may not have the rich, valuable history and stories of the northeast coast that are treasured today.

For more information about Edward Rowe Snow, visit www.DanaFerry.com.