LAKE ERIE

STEAMBOAT MICHIGAN was the first steamer with state-rooms or cabins on deck. It was built by Oliver Newberry, at Detroit, in 1833. After our pioneers had reached Buffalo, they were about to start another water journey on Lake Erie. Sometimes the navigation here was more dangerous than the sea crossing had been. Fares in the early 1830s were $5.00 to board one of the steamers. Before 1829, there were eight steamboats for freight and passengers on Lake Erie. None of these had cabins on deck. They usually carried twenty to thirty cords of wood for fuel. All but one sailed from Buffalo, stopping at every port, until they reached Detroit.

The first steamboat that navigated the lakes was Walk-in-the-water. She was built at Black Rock in 1818 and arrived at Detroit on her first trip, on 27th August, 1818. Her speed was about eight miles an hour in fair weather. On a dark night, with a terrible gale of wind, the boat anchored, twelve miles from Buffalo. There was a heavy swell, the rudder struck a rock and the captain ordered all steam up and made headway for the shore before they would sink. This wonder of the lakes was successfully beached; a sailor took a line ashore and tied it to a tree. No lives were lost and that was the last trip made by Walk-in-the-water

The second steamer on the lakes was the Superior, launched at Buffalo, in the year 1822. In 1823 the Chippeway was built, but proved to be unfit for rough weather. The Niagara and Henry Clay were built at Black Rock, 1826-27. Others were: the Enterprise, built at Cleveland; the Pioneer, built at Buffalo; the William Penn, built at Erie; the William Penn, built at Barcelona in 1828. They were all side-wheel steamers. This means steering was done with a wheel at the stern of the boat.

The first propeller vessel to arrive at Detroit was the Vandalia in the year 1843. The first ship on the lakes was the Julia Palmer built at Buffalo in 1836.

The thousands of people pouring into Detroit with gold and silver to purchase land before 1837 were considered true pioneers. President Andrew Jackson had decreed in July 1836 only gold and silver could be used to buy acreage at $1.25 an acre. After making this transaction our pioneers were then ready to hit the trails, most of them in wagons.

Return to Sherlock

1