TUG AUGUSTA TOWING THE SCHOONER MINNEDOSA This drawing by Rowley Murphy, member from Toronto, shows the steam tug Augusta towing the cut down schooner Minnedosa into Port Dalhousie in late August 1905 > Mr.Murphy being one of the Augusta*s company at the time. Minnedosa, Canada*s largest schooner was built at Kingston, Ontario, in 1890. PUBLISHED BY G r e a t L a k e s M o d e l S hipbuilders ' G u il d J. E. JOHNSTON, M01 , ooa>ard >Yelue R. H DAVISON ----- Editor!---- Detroit 2, Michigan __A § SOO Id t e_Ed 1 1 Or Membership $4.00 Membership $4.00 Supported in part by the Detroit Historical Society EDITORIAL AT THE DETROIT BOAT SHOW. The Museum of Great Lakes History and the Guild colaborated in an exhibit at the Detroit Boat Show, at the Detroit Artillery Armory, February 2, to 10, occupying 1500 feet of floor space in a very good location. This is the first time we have been given ample space and a free hand with planning, setting up, and the operation of an exhibit, and it paid off in every way. Eleven new members were attracted by our display of ship plans, publications, and the line drawings taken from TELESCOFE. Other visitors indicated that they would become members in the near future. Many of them had never been aware of either the Museum or the Guild, so we believe that we have made a lot of new friends for both. Not a little of our success is due to the consistent service rendered by Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Fairbanks and Bill Hoey. They reported for duty on schedule and attended to all the details connected with the project like oldtimers in the show business. The Boat Show was sponsored by the Detroit News and it was a pleasure to work with their staff. Their invitation to take a part in the event is deeply appreciated by both the Museum and the Great Lakes Model Shipbuilders* Guild. Two members of the Guild, Robert H.Davison, and your editor, served as judges in the Detroit News Model Sailboat Contest,an arduous task but a rewarding experience. Since the Boat Show was a complete success we may expect another one next year, so let’s get ready for it with a lot more Guild-built models. THE GUILD Organized in 1952 to locate, acquire, and preserve information and objects related to the history of shipping on the Great Lakes and to make same available to the public through the Museum of Great Lakes History and the columns of Telescope. The construction of authentic scale models of Great Lakes ships is one of the prime objectives of the organization, which has brought into being the largest existing collection of models of these ships. The Museum of Great Lakes History, located at 5401 Woodward Avenue, Detroit 2, Michigan, is official headquarters for the organization and the repository of all of its holdings. The Guild is incorporated as an organization for no profit under the laws of the'State of Michigan. No member receives any compensation for his services. Guild are Deductible for tax income purposes. OFFICERS Robert L.Ruhl.........................President John K.Helgesen.Sr Vice President Joseph E.Johnston. Secy-Treas. DIRECTORS Robert II.Davison..... .Ferndale. Walter Massey.. LaSalle, Ontario. John F.Miller.... Grosse Pointe • Leo M.Flagler...... Windsor .Ontario • Carl G.Amnion....... Detroit. Wm.N. Stevens............... Detroit. 3 EARLY GREAT LAKES STEAMBOATS was changed over to the high pres­ sure type. She was renamed AMERICA, WESTWARD HO! AND PLUSH TIMES and went into service late in the season on the Ogdensburg Lewiston 1831-1837 route, with D. Howe as master. (2). BR0WNVILLE was raised after her by H. A. Musham burning in 1830, rebuilt and ran un­ til I33kf along with CHARLES CARROLL, when she too was lengthened at Sac­ The first event of 1831 of impor­ ketts Harbor, to 131 feet,and fitted tance to the shipping interests of with a low pressure condensing en­ Lake Ontario was the incorporation gine, by Avery of Syracuse. She was of the Ontario and St. Lawrence then renamed WILLIAM AVERY. (3). Steamboat Company by the New York Away to the west, ARGO, 8.07 tons legislature on 28 January. The com­ was launched at Detroit, the first pany had been organized by Joseph steamboat built there. She took the Dennison and associates with a capi­ place of OLIVE BRANCH, the old horse tal of $100,000. Its existence was ferry that ran across the river to limited to 1 May 1850; it was to be Windsor. She was a catamaran, the managed by a board of fifteen direc­ hull being formed of two large white tors; and the stockholders were wood dugouts joined together, decked jointly and severally liable for its over and fitted with a single sharp contracts. Its operations were lim­ bow and a square stern. She was l\.2 ited to the Lakes and the St. Law­ feet long, 9 feet wide with a depth rence, and Oswego was to be the place of hold of 2.5 feet. She was pro­ of business, ONTARIO and MARTHA pelled by sidewheels turned by a OGDEN were taken over, their owners little, high pressure engine that being given an interest equal to the puffed out of all proportion to its appraised values of the vessels. power, and with a peculiar noise Both steamers went into service when that could be heard for miles. She the season opened, and the directors was built by Shadrach Jenkins, and busied themselves with plans for the was owned by John Burtis. She was construction of a fine new large very slow and at the mercy of the boat. current most of the time. Occasion­ On the Canadian side, GREAT BRI­ al trips were made to Black River, TAIN, Captain Joseph Whitney, went at the head of the St. Clair River, into regular service on 1 May,be­ on which it is said that as her fuel tween Kingston and Niagara with capacity was very small, the crew occasional stops at Oswego. She was, wooded up whenever she came to a with the exception of FRONTENAC, the rail fence. In 1832, she was taken largest steamer built on the lakes over by Louis Davenport. (1^)« Another to date. Her large size and fine river boat, GENERAL GRATIOT, 63 tons accommodations elicited admiration was built at Black River, (5) and from both sides, and the Canadians used on the St. Clair River for some were particularly proud of her. (1 ). years, after which she was broken Across the lake, CHARLES CARROLL, up. (6 ). OHIO, 187 tons, a new boat, 100 tons, was built at Sacketts Har­ built at Sandusky and commanded by bor, by Calvin Case for D. Griffith Captain W. Cahoon, replaced WILLIAM & Co., the owners of BR0WNVILLE. She PEACOCK on the Detroit^Buffalo run, was 8 1 .6 7 feet long, 1J+.5 feet wide, and that vessel was put in service and had a depth of hold of 6 .2 5 feet between Buffalo and Erie. and had a low pressure engine built Communication between Lakes On­ by J. Dodd. Captain Case was her tario and Erie by the Welland Canal first master. She ran from Kingston had not proved entirely satisfactory. to Rochester. In the summer of 183^4-# The canal was too small to pass even she was rebuilt at Sacketts Harbor. the smallest steamboats without dis­ She was lengthened, and the engine mantling them. Then also, navigation If on the reaches of the Chippewa and meter with buckets 9 feet wide, and Niagara Rivers was slow because of independently of the other. T h e the difficulty sailing vessels had wheels were enclosed by guards which in beating upstream. The current, ran from bow to stern. She had two swift in reaches, also made it ha­ boilers, one on each guard. She went zardous. To improve the service be­ into service on ij. July 1832, Captain tween the two lakes, PERSERVERANCE, Elias Trowbridge in command, on the 60 tons, Captain Sam Vary, was put Ogdensburg-Lewiston run with stops on the route between Buffalo and at way points. Her speed was from Port Robinson at the upper end of ten to twelve miles per hour. She the canal. (7)* This year the canal carried no sails and burned 130 company decided to eliminate the cords of wood one round trip. (9 ). upper river reaches by extending the Cholera struck the lakes early in canal due south from its upper end, the summer of thirty-two. On 11 across the high level to Gravelly June an immigrant ship arrived at Bay on Lake Erie. The government of Quebec with many of its passengers Upper Canada approved, and, as the stricken with the disease. A large company did not have the necessary number had died on the way over and funds for the project, loaned it 3^ more passed away soon after the $200,000. Work was started without survivors were put on shore. It was delay and completed in 1833. carried up the St. Lawrence and There were two accidents this across Lake Ontario by them and year. In May, WILLIAM PEACOCK was other travellers. It then appeared driven from her dock at Erie by a at New York, spread up the Hudson to storm and went aground. The next Albany, and westward along the Erie month, SHELDON THOMPSON was damaged Canal to Buffalo. At this time, in a collision with the OHIO, near United States troops under the di­ Ashtabula.