Upper Lakes of North America — Summer 1998
~
The Great Lakes… 84% of the continent’s fresh water… a different story in every drop.
Author: Richard Palmer
Back in the days before auto clubs and travel agencies, the American traveler had to resort to guidebooks to plan vacation trips.
Earlier these guidebooks were also indispensable to the pioneers traveling west. As time passed, the country became settled. Travel habits changed. These guidebooks were of no further practical use. Since that time, however, they have become valuable historical documents.
A guidebook titled 𝘜𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘓𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢 was published by J. Disturnell in New York in 1857. Its pretentious sub-title is impressive: “Being a Guide From Niagara Falls and Toronto to Mackinac, Chicago, Sault Ste. Marie, Etc., Passing Through Lakes Michigan and Superior, Returning Through Lakes Huron and St. Clair, to Detroit and Buffalo.” Nothing like being explicit!
Disturnell’s work has often been cited in Inland Seas® articles over the years, but some of its most valuable contents are in themselves historical documents worth preserving.
Since the book is rare and not easily accessible, we felt that two articles especially were worth publishing. The first is a document tracing the history of early navigation on the Great Lakes.
NAVIGATION OF THE LAKES
From the Buffalo Commercial Advertiser — 1846
“I have noticed several communications in your paper recently, in relation to the early Navigation of the Lakes by American vessels, and as you solicit further communication on the subject, I give
you such facts as I am acquainted with, and will add, that in regard to many of them I have vouchers to establish their correctness.
“I first visited Lake Erie and the Niagara River in August, 1795: and from an early period, until within the past twenty years, have been more or less interested in the navigation of the lakes.
“It is well known that the military posts of Oswego, Niagara, Detroit and Mackinac were not surrendered to the United States until the fore part of the year 1796, under Jay’s treaty. Boats had not been permitted to pass Oswego into Lake Ontario, and as no [European]settlements of importance had been made previous to that time on the American shores of the lakes (excepting the old French settlements in the neighborhood of these ports, and they were under the jurisdiction and influence of the British government), no vessels were required, and, of course, none had been built.
“In August 1795, I left Canandaigua on a journey to Presque Isle — now Erie, Pennsylvania. The country west of Genesee River, excepting a tract twelve miles in width extending from opposite Avon along the river to its mouth, had not been purchased of the Native Americans, and no roads opened. We, of course, followed the Native American trail to Buffalo.
“At the time the only residents at that place, as far as I recollect, were William Johnson, the British Native American interpreter, whose house stood on the site of the present Mansion House, a Native American trader named Winnee, a [Black] man named Joe, also a trader, both of whom resided on the flats near the mouth of Little Buffalo, and a Dutchman by the name of Middough, with a family, who resided some forty or fifty rods east of Johnson’s. A large portion of the ground now occupied by your beautiful city was then an unbroken wilderness.
“At that time I am not aware that a single vessel was owned on the United States side of the lakes, and remember that Capt. Lee, who would have known, informed me that there were none.
“In 1796 I was employed by the Connecticut Land Company to survey the Western Reserve, and I prepared to go on early in the season, with several other surveyors, and a party of men to perform the work. At Schenectady we fitted out three bateaux, manned by four hands each, with the necessary articles for the expedition, such as tents, blankets, cooking utensils, groceries, etc., with a quantity of dry goods, designed as presents to the Native Americans.
“These boats were put under the care of Mr. Joshua Stow, uncle of Judge Stow, of Buffalo. Understanding that the military posts at Oswego and Niagara were to be given up to the United States early this spring, under a stipulation in Jay’s treaty, Mr. Stow took the route by Oswego and Niagara to Queenston. On his arrival at Oswego, that port had not been surrendered, and the boats were not permitted to pass. Determined not to be delayed, Mr. Stow took the boats a mile or two up the river, and the night following ran them past the fort into the lake and pursued his voyage, and before arriving at Niagara that fort had passed into the possession of our troops. He landed at Queenston, had his boats and loading taken to Chippewa, where he took in provisions to complete his cargoes, which had been purchased at Canandaigua, and forwarded by way of Irondequoit and the lake in open boats, and arrived a day or two before.
“At Buffalo he was met by others of the party, who had come on by land, among these, Gen. Moses Cleveland, one of the directors of the Connecticut Land Company (from whom the city of Cleveland took its name), who, by way of securing the good-will of the Native Americans of the expedition, held a council and distributed presents among them. The expedition went on from here, a part by the boats, a part by the land with pack-horses, and arrived at the mouth of the Conneaut Creek on the 4th of July 1796, and celebrated the day. The party then consisted of fifty-two persons.
“At this time, as we ascertained, there was not a white person residing in the Reserve, excepting a French family just within the mouth of Sandusky Bay.
“One of our boats was employed during the season in bringing up supplies of provisions from Chippewa, and in October, on her up trip, was wrecked in a gale of the mouth of Chautauqua Creek, and Tinker, the master, drowned.
“No American vessels had yet been built, and some of the baggage and stores for the troops at Detroit had been transported from Western Pennsylvania by the contractor, Gen. O’Hara, up the valley of the Big Beaver, and through the wilderness to Detroit, on pack-horses.
“Between the years of 1796 and 1800 (I am unable to particularize the year), the schooner 𝘎𝘦𝘯. 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘺 was built at Detroit, and in August 1808, purchased by Porter, Barton & Co. and thoroughly repaired, and on her second or third trip was wrecked on the Fort Erie reef in 1809.
“The brig 𝘈𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘴, a government vessel, was built about the same time as the 𝘎𝘦𝘯. 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘺, and was sailed by Capt. Brevoort for a number of years. She was built at Detroit.
A painted illustration of the brig 𝘈𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘴 in Lake Erie, Ontario, in 1812 after being captured by the British. It is a two-masted wooden boat with several sails. The Union Jack is shown flying above the American flag.
“A small vessel called the 𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 was built at Presque Isle by Capt. Wm. Lee, and I believe was partly, and perhaps wholly, owned by Rufus S. Reed. She, I think, was built about 1800, and wrecked near Point Abino in 1805.
“In 1802 the schooner 𝘎𝘦𝘯. 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘯, of 70 tons, was built at Detroit, and in 1811 thoroughly repaired, and her name was changed to 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘢. She was sold to the United States during the war.
“In the winter of 1802 and ‘3 the sloop 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳, of 64 tons, was built at Black Rock by the company having the government contract for the supply of the military posts, under the superintendence of Captain William Lee, by whom she was sailed until 1809, and afterward by Capt. James Beard. In 1803 or ‘4 a small sloop called the 𝘕𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘢, of 30 tons, was built at Cayuga Creek, on the Niagara River, by the U.S. government, but not put in commission. She was purchased by Porter, Barton & Co. in 1806 and her name changed to the 𝘕𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘺, and sailed by Captain Richard O’Neil.
“In 1806 the schooner 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘺, of 105 tons, was built at Erie by Thomas Wilson, and purchased the one-half by James Rough and George Bueshler, and the other half by Porter, Barton & Co. in 1808, and sailed by Captain Rough until the war, and then sold to the United States.
“In 1808 Porter, Barton & Co. purchased the schooner 𝘙𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 of George Wilber, then several years old — she was repaired and sailed by Capt. Hathaway. In 1810 the sloop Erie was built at Black Rock by Porter, Barton & Co., and sold to the United States in time of the war. The schooner 𝘚𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘢, sailed by Capt. Dobbins, and the schooner 𝘌𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘳, and probably others that I do not recollect, were built and sailed before the war, but I am unable to say where and when they were built, or by whom owned.
“On Lake Ontario I find that previous to 1809, and during that year, the following vessels had been built, and were engaged in the commerce of the lake: Schooner 𝘍𝘢𝘪𝘳 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯, owned by Matthew McNair of Oswego, Theophilis Pease, master; also schooners 𝘓𝘢𝘳𝘬, 𝘐𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘗𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵, 𝘌𝘢𝘨𝘭𝘦, 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘺, 𝘍𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳, 𝘛𝘸𝘰 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘵.”
Some time previous to the war the United States brig 𝘖𝘯𝘦𝘪𝘥𝘢 was built, and commanded by Captain Woolsey.
“In 1809 the schooner 𝘖𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘰, of 70 tons, was built by Porter, Barton & Co. at Lewiston, and sold to the United States during the war.
“In 1809 the schooner 𝘊𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘢 was built on an island at the lower end of Lake Ontario, and brought in an unfinished state to Lewiston, where she was fitted out by Porter, Barton & Co., and her name changed to 𝘕𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘢.
“In addition to the foregoing vessels, the following were in commission in 1810: Schooner 𝘋𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘢, sloop 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘯, schooners 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘴 and 𝘈𝘯𝘯, 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘏𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 and 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘗𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵.
“A number of vessels on both sides, owned and armed during the war by the United States, were afterward sold and employed in the commerce of the lakes.
“The foregoing is a very imperfect history of the American vessels owned and employed on the lakes previous to the war, and it is not probably that any individual can furnish a complete one. As far as it goes, I believe it to be tolerably correct.
“AUG’S PORTER”
Read More of Inland Seas Online
