History of Steam Navigation on Lake OntarioNote: The following article was originally printed in the Oswego Commercial Times and reprinted in the Buffalo Morning Express, dated September 16, 1847. The line drawings were taken from Early American Steamers by Erik Heyl. The article has been slightly edited for the web. |
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| The rapid increase and general improvement in the commercial marines of the Lakes, impart a high degree of interest to every thing relating to the early history and progress of our steam navigation. We have therefore collected facts and compiled the following table showing the names, tonnage, and Captains of all the American steamers which have navigated Lake Ontario since the first introduction of steam here in 1816. In that year the first steamboat, the Ontario, was built at Sackett's Harbor, and commenced running in the spring of 1817. She was the first steamer built on the Western Lakes, and run from Ogdensburg to Lewiston, making the trip in 10 days, charging $15 for cabin passage, and continued to run until the year 1831. Her engine was made by Mr. J.P. Altaire, of the city of New York. Gen. Jacob Brown, Com. M.T. Woolsey, Hooker & Crane, Charles Smyth, Eric Lusher, and Elisha Camp, were the proprietors of the Ontario. Her construction, as the first vessel propelled by steam built west of the Hudson, and the first sea vessel of the kind we believe ever built in this country, was considered an experiment and an enterprise at that time of the first magnitude. She left Sackett's Harbor early in the spring of 1817 on her first trip, and reached Oswego the same day, and she was received by the people with such extravagant demonstrations -- such as the firing of cannon and the most enthusiastic greetings. Many of the people of Oswego continued their rejoicing all night and till the boat left the next day. It was a wonderful occasion, and one that commanded the admiration and engrossed the attention of the people. | On the morning
of the second day of her trip the Ontario left Oswego and
reached Genesse River in the evening, where she remained till the
next day, when she proceeded on her way up the Lake. Soon after leaving
the river, she encountered a North east blow which raised a considerable
sea. Like all steamers built, her shaft on which the wheels revolved
was confined to the boxes in which it run by its own weight only.
The actions of the sea upon her wheels soon lifted the shaft from
its bed, so that the wheel houses were instantly torn to pieces, utterly
demolished by the wheels with a tremendous crash, doing considerable
damage to the wheels. Upon this disaster the steamer put about, and
with the aid of canvass returned to Sackett's Harbor to repair damages
and secure her shaft.
The next steamer on Lake Ontario was built by the Canadians in 1817, and was called the Frontinac. She was a vessel of 700 tons, and had her engine imported from England. The Sophia, of 75 tons, was built at Sackett's Harbor in 1818 to run between that place and Kingston. In the same year, the first steamer on Lake Erie -- the Walk-in-the-Water -- was built in 1823. The Martha Ogden was built at Sackett's Harbor under the direction and control of the late Albert Crane, Esq., of Oswego, which in connection with the Ontario, formed the line of American steamers for many years, down to 1830, to which time the lake steamers were considered an experiment. They had no regular day for leaving port, but made their trips conform to the appearance of the weather. The boat building at French Creek, for the Ontario Company, nearly ready to launch, will be much superior in dimensions and style of fitting up, to any boat on the lake.
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Wisconsin
Marine Historical Society
814
West Wisconsin Avenue
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53233-2385
phone 414.286.3074
email info@wmhs.org
