Turk DeGroat
The Hudson River Maritime Museum’s Hudson River Commercial Fishermen’s Oral History Collection
The Hudson River Maritime Museum’s Hudson River Commercial Fishermen’s Oral History Collection consists of interviews with commercial fishermen conducted in the early 1980s and early 1990s. Locations discussed range from New York City to Albany and time periods from the 1920s to the 1990s. The focus of these interviews is primarily on the decline of the commercial fishing industry, including changes in fishing techniques and gear, changes in water quality and pollution, economic and market changes, and changes in fishing populations, including government regulation.
Content note: Some of the terminology used in these interviews reflects the time period and personalities of the people being interviewed and not that of the Hudson River Maritime Museum or New York Heritage.
You can explore this collection and others at: https://nyheritage.org/collections/oral-histories-hudson-river-commercial-fishermen
On April 14, 1984, Christopher Letts interviewed Turk DeGroat at Stony Point for the Hudson River Maritime Museum Oral History Project. DeGroat reflects on his lifelong involvement with shad fishing in the Hudson River, beginning at age 13. He discusses early fishing techniques, including drifting and seine hauling, as well as later transitions to stake nets and T-nets. DeGroat shares insights into the challenges of fishing, such as fluctuating shad populations, environmental changes, and evolving net technology from cotton and linen to modern materials. The interview highlights DeGroat's experiences balancing a career in trucking with seasonal fishing, often using vacations to continue his passion. He recounts fishing during World War II, trading fresh fish with Army personnel for scarce goods. DeGroat also describes following shad migrations upriver, the competition among fishermen, and his observations of the river’s ecological changes over decades.
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The NOAA mission is to understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans, and coasts, to share that knowledge and information with others, and to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources. The Voices Oral History Archives offers public access to a wide range of accounts, including historical materials that are products of their particular times, and may contain offensive language or negative stereotypes.
Voices Oral History Archives does not verify the accuracy of materials submitted to us. The opinions expressed in the interviews are those of the interviewee only. The interviews here have been made available to the public only after the interviewer has confirmed that they have obtained consent.