Proposal to the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Sanctuary Program 2017 Wreck of the St. Peter (1874) – National Register of Historic Places 0 Section I – Basics Nomination Title: The Great Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary Nominator Names(s) & Affiliations(s): Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York; Kevin Gardner, Chairman of the Oswego County Legislature; Scott Gray, Chairman of the Jefferson County Legislature; Keith Batman, Chairman of the Cayuga County Legislature; Steve LeRoy, Chairman of the Wayne County Board of Supervisors; and William Barlow, Mayor of the City of Oswego. Point of Contact: Philip Church, Oswego County Administrator, Chairman of Great Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary Nomination Task Force; 46 East Bridge Street, Oswego 13126; phone 315-349-8235, fax 315-349-8237, e-mail
[email protected] Section II – Introduction Narrative Description: The proposed Great Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary includes unique and significant submerged cultural resources within a corridor that is one of the most historically significant regions in the Great Lakes and the North American continent. Located in the southeastern and eastern quadrant of Lake Ontario, this area and its tributaries provided food and transportation trade routes for indigenous peoples and early European explorers, such as Samuel de Champlain. During the colonial period, it was a strategic theater of conflict among European powers and the young American republic. Military actions involving naval and land forces occurred at Sodus, Oswego, Big Sandy Creek, and Sackets Harbor during the French and Indian War, Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. These actions involved historic figures such as the Marquis de Montcalm, Sir William Johnson, Commodore Isaac Chauncey and Sir James Yeo.