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hsmichigan.org | $6.95 | September/October 2021 Excavating ph Fort St. JoSocietyse A Historic Trading Post Comes Alive 2021 © HistoricalMichigan of Focus on michigan

eat Gr La kes & rwa age Snakes of the Lakes Wate ys Herit

The History of Eels in Michigan Sponsored by:

By Le Roy G. Barnett

he original range of the A second pathway for eels to was by non-mariners transplanting American eel (Anguilla enter the western Great Lakes the species. In 1870, records show rostrata) extended appeared in 1848, when the Illinois that the squirmy creatures were from Greenland south and Michigan Canal opened a being raised by unidentified parties to Venezuela. As link between Chicago and the around St. Joseph County, Michigan, Tadults, those snakelike characters Mississippi River via the Illinois and in 1873, some individuals inhabited the rivers and streams that River. That water connection was in Eaton Rapids “imported a connected—directly or indirectly— later replaced by the Chicago number of eels and put them in the with the North Atlantic Ocean. The Sanitary and Ship Canal in 1900. stream at that place.” That same slimy wigglers were able to occupy Had those human-made channels year, the United States Commission the St. Lawrence River and Lake not been built, the lamprey look- on Fish and Fisheries introduced Ontario, but the barrier of Niagara alike would still have made it into 8,000 eels from the Hudson River to Falls prevented any of the population the Great Lakes that are contiguous streams in Appleton and Waukegan, from moving farther upstream to the to our state. Early vessels onSociety North Wisconsin, and Calumet, Illinois. other Great Lakes. America’s inland seas “Commonly Those efforts did practically When the Welland Canal— carried a tub of eels for food. nothing in the way of stocking connecting Lakes Ontario and These eels were frequently thrown Michigan’s aquatic environment Erie—was opened in 1829, eels overboard when the crew[s] either with eels. Therefore, by 1875, letters could theoretically bypass Niagara tired of [eating] them or procured requesting more transplants of Falls and gain access to the upper better fishes” as their boats that nature were being received Great Lakes. In fact, the serpent- proceeded on their journeys. by the Michigan Superintendent resembling fish was first found in Another way eels got into waters of State Fisheries. In fact, of the Lake Erie in 1844. 2021embraced by the “Old Northwest” dozen or so fish the agency offered © HistoricalMichigan of

The American eel, Anguilla rostrata. (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons/ Ellen Edmonson and Hugh Chrisp.) An American eel being weighed and measured. (Photo courtesy of Flickr/usfwsnortheast.)

14 Michigan History • Sep/Oct 2021 to other residents. The owners of water-powered mills found the recent guests to be a nuisance because they often managed to slip through the slats in millraces that guarded the machinery from floating sticks and debris. When those defenses were penetrated, the eels got caught in the workings and the waterwheel stopped turning. Sometimes, those interruptions happened multiple times a day, and each incident required the turbine to be freed. In a few cases, eels even got into, and thereby partially plugged, water pipes—almost choking the flow until the offender could be Gristmills, such as this one, had problems with eels stopping the waterwheels from turning. removed. Many of those problems (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Fourpenguins.) were eventually solved by protecting vulnerable sites with screens that for introduction in the waters of being acquired—usually at night— kept out the unwanted visitors. Michigan’s two peninsulas, only by hook, spear, or net. The largest The troublesome culprits did not brook trout exceeded eels in terms eel caught in Michigan was in pose a problem for long. When eels of public demand. Leoni—a 10.75-pound giant that mature after one or two decades, In 1877, to meet the call for measured 5 feet 8 inches in length they return to the Atlantic Ocean eels by its citizens who savored and 5.75 inches in girth. Most to mate. After spawning, the adults the fish as a delicacy, Michigan specimens, however, tippedSociety the die and are eventually replaced by started sending teams to Troy, New scales at around 3 pounds. their young. Unlike reproducing York, to capture the young of the While bons vivants welcomed the salmon, which return to their place species on their swim back to fresh planting of what in essence were of birth, the offspring of eels go to waters from their birthplace in the tubular-shaped fish in Michigan, any freshwater environment they Atlantic’s Sargasso Sea. The trapped the newcomers proved to be a pest find. Thus the chances of a newly migrating juveniles were put in minted eel making it all the way to large cans for transport back to the western Great Lakes were slim. Michigan and, upon arrival in the Over time, the population of Lower Peninsula, were deposited2021 eels within Michigan’s boundaries in numerous ponds, lakes, streams, slowly declined. A small number and rivers across the “mitten” were sighted off Pictured Rocks portion of the state.© The various National Lakeshore in 1957, and a railroads of Michigan carried the few others were detected in more eels to their respective destinations Michigansouthern waters as recently as at no charge as a service inHistorical the 1983. Today, the species is deemed public interest. rare or nonexistent throughout the The number of eels imported upper Great Lakes. However, one from New York State over the yearsof can never be sure of their presence were as follows: in 1877, there were or absence in our state’s liquid 265,000; in 1878, there were 405,000; habitats. Eels are, afterA all, some in 1883, there were 236,000; and in slippery characters. 1891, there were 273,000. Le Roy G. Barnett has been a The presence and subsequent Michigan historian for 47 years. growth of those fishy immigrants The numbers above represent, in thousands, the amount of eels introduced pleased the palate of many local in Michigan’s counties from 1877 to 1891. gourmets, with the main course (Map by Dorothy Potter Barnett.)

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