Sketch of Thomas Downing by George Downing

“A Sketch of the Life and Tmes of Thomas Downing”

When Thomas Downing left his boyhood home he had no trade; he had a slight knowledge of raising garden produce, but it was limited and of a primitive character; he had more experience in catching oysters and terrapin. He connected this face with Mr. Head’s success, and concluded that the preparing and serving of food was likely to be at least a lasting business. He had heard much of New York City; he concluded to go thither, where he arrived in 1819. He was a stranger to the city and to all in it, but had with him a letter of introduction to Mr. Wm. Hudson, a colored gentleman, who was much respected in his day. This gentleman interested himself in the young man’s welfare. He gave him in charge of his nephew, Mr. Philip A. Bell, now editor of The Elevator, a paper published in San Francisco. Mr. Bell very kindly sought opportunities for the stranger; he was soon found in the employ of Mr. William Bunker, the keeper for a number of years of “Bunker House,” on Broadway, not far from Morris Street. He went there with business in view. Mr. Bunker became much attached to him. Shortly afterwards he started business for himself at 5 Broad Street. The locality was at that day not only the section of the city where the New York merchants had their counting-rooms, where banks and brokers’ offices centered, but the New York merchants at that time resided there in their then stately homes.

The young man had the good fortune or tact to attach to him all with whom he come in contact. He gained their confidence and esteem; he was extremely active, and knew not tire; his business increased; he leased the premises on both sides of his original place of business. Here he lived forty-six years. For a long time he used to leave his bed at two o’clock in the morning and take a skiff, row himself across the North River to the Jersey Flats, which in those days were loaded with superior native oysters. There he would tong as many as time admitted, and row himself back across the river and offer his delicious fresh bivalves to a continually increasing number of customers. His fame spread in all directions. It was fashionable for ladies and gentlemen—the most respected of the city—to go to his house evenings, and enjoy a repast which would cause their sons and daughters of this day to long for frequent repetitions. There were roasted big fat oysters, natives, on a large gridiron over oak shavings. Ladies and gentlemen with towel in hand, and an English oyster knife made for the purpose, would open their own oysters, drop the burning hot concaved shell a lump of sweet butter and other seasonings, and partake of a treat. Yes; there was a taste imparted by the saline and lime substances in which the juice of the oyster reached boiling heat that made it a delicate morceau. Truly, one worthy to be borne to the lips that sipped from the shell the nectareous mite. . . .

It became generally known that Downing would pay the highest price for the best oysters. With an increasing demand competition became great. Choice piles of oysters were frequently put up to the highest bidder. The young oysterman had to resort to various devices. He has gone at midnight with his dark lantern to a dock and waited the arrival of an oyster boat. With lantern and knife in hand he would leap into the hold of a vessel, open, taste, and bargain for the most choice of the cargo, when other parties were sleeping in their beds. Sometimes, when it was expected a tide would bring a vessel with certain choice oysters, there were parties who would wait hours for the arrival. On pressing occasions he had taken a boat, which he knew well how to manage, and, unknown to his competitors, sailed to the coming vessel, boarded her, and by giving a good price, had transferred from the vessel to his boat the choicest of the cargo; then moored his freighted boat at a point and returned to the wharf and contended for a share of the oysters he had left on the boat, and thus assisted the captain in disposing more readily of his less fine oysters. It should be known that oysters vary very much in quality, even those taken in close proximity to each other in the same river. He was a favorite with the captains who sailed oyster boats; he was liberal in his payments and treated them in a generous manner when they came to his house. He would frequently bargain for an entire cargo and have his competitors entreat him for favors. . . .

The name Downing spread far and wide even across the Atlantic, over which he shipped even at that day to Europe large numbers of raw, pickled and fresh oysters, as he did also fried and pickled oysters to the West Indies. It will be remembered how great was the sensation Col. Harmon Thorne created in Paris at the time of his residence abroad, when all that money could produce was obtained to have his receptions stand out in regal splendor beyond the best. These were supplied with American oysters, fried at 3 Broad Street, New York, and which tastes in Paris as though prepared there for the occasion. The colored American presented to Queen Victoria some very choice American oysters, which fact the Queen recognized by presenting him with a gold chronometer watch, which Capt. Joseph Comstock brought to America and delivered to the happy recipient. The present is highly valued by the family. . . .
His place of business was the favorite resort of distinguished parties from all parts of our land and from abroad. Southerners were very much attached to him, though he was outspoken as to his sentiments. Dickens used his house when in America, as did Lord Morpeth and other distinguished foreigners. He was good at repartee; he told a good joke; he took pains to make himself familiar with men and events. He was related through his business with the prominent events of the day; he was associated with the early establishment of the express business, then very limited, now, so extensive; he had to do with the launching of ships and steamboats; with the introduction of steam in trans-atlantic navigation. . . .

Mr. Downing was credited in the newspapers of the day with having saved a million and more of property from the devouring elements of fire on the occasion of the great conflagration in 1835. It was a bitterly cold night in frosty December. Water congealed into ice as soon as it came in contact with the atmosphere; merciless flames threatened destruction in a northwest direction from where they were dancing, gloating, and otherwise reveling in unrestrained fury. He discovered some hogsheads of vinegar which were sheltered, and taking advantage of a shed on the westerly side of a church then on Garden Street, between Broad and William Street (St. Matthew’s Church, on what is known as Exchange Place), he judiciously used the vinegar in extinguishing the fire from igniting parts. He stood that piercing, cold night at his self-selected post til danger in the direction was averted. . . .

He died April 10th, 1866, highly honored. His remains were buried from the church to which he was much attached when living; they were followed by a cortege of his felloe-citizens from all classes; the occasion spoke of the universal esteem in which he was held. There were present in the throng not only the cultivated, the religious and moral of society, but those who were less respected—the inhabitants of vile abodes; the inebriate who was sober for the occasion; all were there with humility upon their countenances, to pay respect to the generosity, virtue and general goodness that was true of him whose death they mourned, for he had a kind heart for all. Sorrow could be seen even upon those who bore hard visages. The Board of Commerce of the City of New York adjourned to attend the funeral. The humble person who dies thus respected started to plough through life’s rough sea with a bark freighted only with a good name, an iron constitution and with indomitable perseverance. He left home a youth, with his pack on his back. Two sons survive the departed; one was educated in France; the other at home.

“A Sketch of the Life and Tmes of Thomas Downing,” by George Downing. A.M. E. Church Review, April 1887