This essay was originally published in the 1945 OCHS Yearbook. Please note that this essay was published over 80 years ago. While still useful for general education, language may be outdated and at times offensive. The Oswego County Historical Society does not stand by the language used in this essay. All photos were added in 2026 when this article was uploaded to the web. To view the original document, please visit NYHeritage.org
Paper Read Before Regional Meeting of New York State Historical Association at Oswego October 20, 1945 by Dr. Harold D. Aiford, Director of Education of Oswego State Teachers’ College
The trunk of a tree hollowed out by fire or by such primitive tools as are fashioned and used with singular patience and dexterity by savage races, represents man’s first effort to obtain flotation which depended on something other than mere buoyancy of material. Whether or not the observation of shells or split reeds floating on the water first suggested the idea of hollowing out the trunk of a tree, the practice may be traced to a very remote period in the history of man. The hollowed trunk itself may have suggested the use of the bark as a means of flotation. Whatever may have been the origin of the bark canoe, its construction was a step onward in the art of shipbuilding.
That strand of silver flowing into Ontario’s blue waters at Oswego provided the highway for the first Americans. Iroquois war parties frequently passed over it on their way to almost certain victory; possibly a French bateau occasionally landed on its shore, or a French scout glided over its surface, listening every moment for signs of the vigilant Iroquois. Missionaries passed through here on the way to the missions maintained at Onondaga and elsewhere among the Iroquois. Dutch and English traders made their way up the Mohawk and down the Oswego to Lake Ontario.
Some Of The Shipbuilders
Certain canoe routes came to be commonly used, first by the Algonkians, then by the Iroquois, and finally by the white men who were guided by the Indians. The best known of these routes of war and trade was probably that from the Mohawk River to Oswego. If yesterday the Oswego brought a cargo of romance to blue Ontario, we must assume, therefore, that on its timbered banks of green were those who were interested in providing the means for this cargo—the boat builders.
The story of ship building in Oswego is a distant subject. Its history was neglected by those who lived during the era. There must have been interesting facts and rich details which were not recorded. From its beginning as a fur market in an untenanted wilderness, Oswego has been a pivot for water borne commerce. Oswego was a thorn in the side of France, the peephole through which the British spied upon the French fur traders, explorers and men of arms on their way to and from the western parts. It was the first, and for many years the only, British port on the Great Lakes. Oswego has a wealth of historic and human associations.
The Early Period
The canoe, the bateau, and the Durham were the first boats built in Oswego. The North American Indians brought the canoe to its highest state of perfection. The craft was so light that it could be carried by one man, and yet so strong and buoyant that it could carry a considerable load. A framework of light but tough wood was covered with strips of birch, spruce, or elm bark. This was sewed together and the seams were waterproofed with resinous gums from balsam and fir. It was a wonderful boat, created from the raw materials at hand, and capable of bearing the traveler thousands of miles.
The bateau was a light, flat bottomed river boat introduced to this country by the French. The Durham was a boat decked over a short distance from either end, with running boards along each side, on which were nailed cleats to give a man a foothold while he propelled the boat with a long pole pressed against the bottom of the stream.
In 1739 there were over 150 traders at Oswego. Boat after boat loaded with furs came up the river. On the banks of the lake the Oswego traders waved bottles of rum to attract the attention and invite the patronage of the Indian paddlers who had passed other bottles of rum waved by the French traders at Fort Niagara or elsewhere along the route.*
*John B a r t r a m Pennsylvania naturalist and traveler, who was a guest of the Ft. Oswego commandant in 1743 in his “Observations” records that the commandant was then exercising great care to see that traders gathered at Oswego had no opportunity to supply liquor to the Indians and then swindle them while they were in an intoxicated state.
The British Period
The year 1755 marked the beginning of the second period of ship building in Oswego. This was the British period. At last England had decided to challenge the long standing French control of Lake Ontario.
The armchair strategists of the day could see that Oswego represented the might of England in the forest. One columnist of 1757 stated that Oswego not only commanded the passage to the Great Lakes, but all of the inland navigation of North America. He further contended that if England were firmly possessed of this one place she would be free from the French, and all their encroachments and devastations.
William Shirley, governor of Massachusetts, was the father of British shipbuilding in Oswego. He had a violent dislike for anything French, since Massachusetts had been one of the greatest sufferers from the atrocities of guerrilla warfare by the French Indians.
Sloop “Oswego” Launched
On June 28, 1755, the British symbol of might and purpose was exemplified by the launching of the 43 foot sloop “Oswego”, the first English vessel built on the Great Lakes. This warship was designed by Sir G. Acworth, surveyor of the Navy, and it was built at the Oswego dockyard under the direction of Captain Housman Broadley, R. N. The shipyard was located on the west side of the river near the present location of Van Buren street. The “Oswego” was built wholly of green timbers under conditions of extreme danger, yet she performed well.
A romantic description of the little warship has been recorded by Harlan Hatcher. He wrote: “The ‘Oswego’ was a warship, armed with twelve cannon, five guns, and a swivel on each side. She was a trim figure against the late summer blue of Ontario’s surface and sky. She wore a wide, orange yellow girdle around her middle and a black band above and below it to the water edge, where it met the line of the white tallowed bottom. Her spiring single mast, filled with billowing canvas sails, was fifty three feet tall, and her graceful main boom was fifty five feet long. She was fifteen feet in the beam amid ships. Her draft was only seven feet when loaded, because Oswego’s harbor was but eight feet deep. She was swift and quick on the turn. Under her quarter deck were the staterooms for the officers, and in her forecastle were a cooking stove and cramped bunks for her crew—’the beef on the rope’—twenty six men in all. The magazines were amidships.
“As this ship went down the ways she was cheered by traders, soldiers, builders and the onlookers—including many Indians who had watched with doubt the building of so large a ‘wooden canoe’.”
In a few days after the launching of the Oswego, a sister ship, the “Ontario,” was ready for service. These were followed by the “George,” “Lively,” “Vigilant,” “London,” “Halifax” and “Mohawk,” all built at Oswego in 1755 or 1756.
By late September (1755) preparations were completed for the British expedition to Niagara. Provisions and troops were placed on board the “Oswego”, but Shirley was destined to disappointment. The weather became exceedingly stormy, adverse winds and severe storms kept the boat in port thirteen days. Many of the men became sick and discouraged. The few Indians whom he had induced to accompany him deserted, declaring that it was too late to make the trip. The weather and other conditions over which he had no control were responsible for his failure to take either Forts Niagara or Frontenac; the loss of his two sons*; and his retirement as commander in chief of the British forces. Shirley was an unfortunate man.
*While Shirley’s force was moving to Oswego with his two young sons, members of his command, the party were attacked by French and Indians at a point up the Oswego River above Fulton, the Indians firing on Shirley’s boats from ambush as Shirley’s boats rounded a bend in the river. Shirley’s sons were among members of the party who were slain during this attack.
First Great Lakes Naval Battle
The “Oswego” was privileged to have only one short run with the enemy. This was to prove the first battle between war ships on the Great Lakes. On the morning of June 27, 1756, Captain Broadley while on patrol sighted two French ships. He tacked sharply into the wind and sailed for them. The French opened fire at about 1,000 yards. For some reason, Broadley decided not to slug it out with the enemy. While the French shots were yet falling short of their mark, he turned and made a run for Oswego which he reached in safety.
On July 3, 1756, the “London” was launched. She was a brig, implying that her tonnage was about two hundred gross. The sloop “Oswego” was about one hundred tons. The “London” was built on the usual model of contemporary vessels in His Majesty’s service but with the underhull rather small for a square rigger to accommodate the shallow draft at Oswego. Because of this, she was a vessel that was liable to make leeway, which it seems she did.
Her dimensions were: length between perpendiculars, sixty feet; boom, twenty one feet; and depth of hold, seven feet. She used only seven gun ports a side, carrying in all fourteen six pounders and four pounders. She was built for a crew of 36 officers and men.
On July 29, Captain Broadley transferred most of the guns and crew of the “Oswego” to the “London” and made her his flagship. On July 30, a bad wind carried away the “London’s” gaff and she was forced to return to Oswego port for repairs. She could not sail again until August 2 because of high winds. She then cruised the lake until August 6 and then had to return to Oswego, as the wet, green, lumber of the magazine had damaged her powder and cartridges. While she was entering Oswego harbor, a high wind caught the “London” before her foresail could be shortened, and she ran ashore. Later she was towed in and it was found that her upperworks had not been sufficiently caulked in the haste to complete her construction before Montcalm, whose purpose was known to the English, should arrive at Oswego. The ship was repaired, but this was destined to be her last voyage as she was captured and burned by the French a few days later. Montcalm having taken advantage of the fact that, she was held fast on the shore approached by water much closer than would otherwise have been possible to Fort Ontario with his heavy cannon, some of them captured the year before from Braddock, which he would use to reduce the Oswego forts.
The Halifax
The Halifax was a snow. This type of ship had three masts, square rigged on the fore and main masts. No official descriptions could be found for building this type of ship, except that it was larger than a schooner or a brig. The snow provided a type of ship with a sail area, and manoeuvering ability that permitted greater dimensions and tonnage than a brig. The Halifax had the following dimensions: length over all on upper deck, eighty feet; keel, sixty six feet; beam, twenty two feet; and depth of hold, ten feet.
This ship was only partly armed when it became necessary to send her to reconnoiter the enemy. Hardly had she left the harbor of Oswego and turned eastward when she was fired upon from a rocky point just east of Fort Ontario where subsequent events proved Montcalm’s advance guard had already landed in Baldwin’s Bay. She returned to Oswego and later was hauled athwart the harbor and used as a temporary fort. Soon Oswego was filled with Montcalm’s yelling mob of Indians and Canadians who made for the liquor supplies and food. Broadley and his officers were sent as captives to France along with the members of the military garrison, the forts and shipyards of Oswego were razed, and the warships that had been built at Oswego with so much expenditure of effort in the past year, were destroyed. On August 15, 1756, Oswego was given over once more to the wolves, bears, and foxes. This ended for a time English naval power on Lake Ontario.
Great Activity In 1760
By 1760, however, Oswego was again the scene of great activity. England and her colonies rallied their forces to strike the final blow at French dominion in Can ada. General Jeffrey Amherst, commander in chief of the British armies in North America, arrived in Oswego during the latter part of July. Johnson in his history of Oswego county says:
“Four thousand regulars, resplendent in the gaudy uniform of England, moved with martial port about the frontier fortress, Six thousand provincials, mostly sturdy New York Dutchmen, whose uniforms, if not so brilliant, were generally new, and who had seen too much woods service to be despised as soldiers, proudly marched and counter marched to martial strains.”
Amherst was joined at Oswego by about 1,300 Indians, now anxious to be on the winning side, under Sir William Johnson. Oswego must have been a scene of great color and activity during these days, with the scarlet uniforms of the British, the more sombre dress of the colonials troops and the war vestments of the Iroquois and the resounding of axes and hammers of hundreds of carpenters who built the boats to take them to war. This was one of the great boat building times in Oswego.
The boats built during this period were 35 feet long and drew about a foot and a half of water. Each boat carried approximately 30 men, with eight at the oars and a big sail for favorable winds in open water. Howitzers were installed in the bows, with shields to protect the gunners.
Shipbuilders Worked In Danger
Frontier ship building was a dangerous and laborious undertaking. It was not always easy to persuade boat builders to travel through a savage wilderness to a small village menaced by unfriendly Indians and the French. In 1755 Indians attacked a party of ship carpenters at work only 300 yards from Fort Oswego, killing nine and capturing three. There were other similar incidents and timber cutters and ship carpenters worked constantly in danger from covert attack by the Indians in the pay of France.
The work of ship building was arduous. Trees had to be marked, cut, trimmed and hauled to the site chosen for the construction of the ships. The green oak logs were reduced to thin planks and timbers, by one man standing on top a platform and another in a pit directly beneath, each pulling one end of a heavy saw. The planks had to be steamed or placed in boiling water in order to make it possible to bend them into shape around the hull. Then there were such jobs as caulking the seams, hewing the mast and seeing that it was rigged and made fast.
The proportions of ships were limited by the nature of the structural materials, while the type of structure had been evolved by long experience and was incapable of any radical modification. Speed depended much on circumstances independent of the design of the vessel, such as the state of the wind and the lake. The speed actually obtainable was slow even under favorable conditions when judged by present standards. Stability depended principally on the amount of ballast carried, and this was determined experimentally after the completion of the vessel. Under these conditions there was little room for striking originality of design. One ship was patterned so closely on the lines of another, that the qualities of the new vessel could be determined for all practical purposes by the performance of an almost identical boat in the past. The theoretical science of shipbuilding, the object of which is to establish quantitative relations between the behavior and performance of the ship and the variations in design causing them, was generally neglected.
The weather was not always ideal for shipbuilding. Mrs. Grant, who lived in Oswego in the winter of 1760-1761, stated that when winter set in, Oswego became a “perfect Siberia”. This reputation after 185 years has not been wholly lost. She says that the “vigorous winters brace the frame and call forth the powers of mind and body to prepare for its approach.”
The British period of ship building in Oswego ended in 1796 when old Fort Ontario at Oswego unfurled its third flag, the stars and stripes.
The Later Period
When the British departed from Oswego in 1796 they left behind few signs of peaceful civilization. There remained only two white traders named John Love and Ziba Phillips. The land on the west side of the Oswego River was covered by trees, largely second growth, the original forest having been cut away many years earlier by the garrisons in the fort. A large clearing had been made on the east side after the construction of Fort Ontario. This was now overgrown by second growth woods except near the fort, where gardens and grassland had been maintained by the British garrison.
The first fifteen years following the departure of the British constituted an important period in the growth of Oswego. This period witnessed an increase in the number of settlers, the building of homes, mills, and boats; the founding of schools; and finally a war, which for two years checked advancement.
Paisley Matthew McNair
In 1802 Mr. McNair moved to Oswego. This was an event of importance, for it was he who started lake commerce at Oswego. He bought a sloop named “Jane” and in 1804 built a schooner of 50 tons called the “Linda.” By 1823 McNair had constructed the schooners “Hunter”, “Traveler,” and the “Betsey”. He was prominent in community life, held many local offices and was supervisor of Oswego Town in 1830. He died October 19, 1880.
Eckford & Eagle
In 1807 relations between the United States and Great Britain were becoming critical over the questions of sailors rights and free travel. Captain M. T. Woolsey, later a Commodore of the United States Navy, was sent to Oswego for the purpose of building a warship of 16 guns on Lake Ontario. He was accompanied by Lieut. James Fenimore Cooper. The event of 1808 at Oswego was the building of the brig “Oneida” by Henry Eckford* and Henry Eagle, under the supervision of Woolsey and Cooper. Eagle was a native of Prussia and after the ship was completed continued to make his home in Oswego where he became a well known resident.
Leon N. Brown in a paper read before the Oswego Historical Society, December 16, 1941, states: “Eckford went into the forest which then stretched for miles east of the Oswego River, marked his trees, had them cut, trimmed and hauled to the site chosen for the construction of the ship. The timbers were cut in the forest, moulded and placed in the brigframe within the month. The dimensions of the brig made her one of about 240 tons, carpenter measure, but her draught was not greater than that which would properly belong to a sloop of 80 tons. This was done to enable her to enter the mouths of the rivers on the south shore of Lake Ontario, nearly all of which had sand bars. From conversations with salt traders at Oswego, Woolsey learned that the schooners employed in the salt trade between Oswego and Niagara, which were built of half seasoned * timbers, seldom decayed about the floors. He applied this knowledge and had the brig filled with salt from her plank sheer down. Although it is understood that she was sound for many years, the salting process made the brig sluggish.”
*Henry Eckford became one of the best known American shipbuilders. He built at Sacket’s Harbor during the War of 1812 most of the ships of the United States fleet on Lake Ontario placed under the command of Commodore Chauncey. Eckford required only about six weeks construction time in which to turn out a ship of war.
Ball Followed Launching
In 1809 the “Oneida”, the first United States naval vessel to appear on Lake Ontario was launched. This called for a big celebration. It was decided to have a frontier ball. The only difficulty was a scarcity of ladies. By sending out boats along the river and carts through the woods, a sufficient number of females were finally secured. At the ball a delicate question of etiquette arose in regard to the position of the ladies in the dances. Woolsey solved the problem as follows: “All ladies, provided with shoes and stockings, are to be led to the head of the Virginia Reel; ladies with shoes and without stockings are considered in the second rank; ladies without either shoes or stockings you will lead, gentlemen, to the foot of the country dance.”
When the brig was ready for sea, she was taken out of the harbor and her armament was placed aboard. After this had been done, it was found that the “Oneida” could not return to the harbor over the bar at the river’s mouth. It was never inside the Oswego harbor again. In spite of the fact that the “Oneida” rolled like a fat pig in the Ontario wash,” she was active and had several engagements with British warships.*
Eckford and Eagle built a number of smaller ships at Oswego. The disadvantages at that time of the Oswego harbor, shallow depth and lack of protection from frontal attack, compelled the United States Navy to select * Sacketts Harbor as a base for operations and ship building. Thus Oswego actually became only a store depot and not an extensive shipbuilding yard during the War of 1812.
*After the war the Oneida was reconverted as a merchant ship. As such, she continued in service on Lake Ontario. She was still in this service in 1828.
Townsend, Bronson & Company
About 1810 the firm Townsend, Bronson & Company was formed. The first boat built by them was a schooner, the “Charles and Ann.” This ship was later purchased and armed by the U. S. government for use in the War of 1812. Her name was changed to the “Governor Tompkins.” This company was encouraged to build a number of little schooners around 50 to 150 tons which were all fast sailers. It was the idea of the United States Navy that in case of war these vessels could be taken over and armed as small gun boats. The “Fair American,” another of the small schooners, was noted for her speed.
Captain James Van Cleve gives an interesting account of the launching at Oswego of one of Townsend & Bronson’s ships. He says: “A small vessel, though a large one for those days, had just been built by Messrs. Townsend, Bronson & Company. She was built on the bank of the river at what is now the foot of West Cayuga street, that being for some years for the launch came and with it the population of all the country about, for a launch was a great occasion in those days, only equalled by the Fourth of July.
“William Cooper, a brother of James Fenimore Cooper, was an Oswego merchant then, and he had asked to christen the ship and break the bottle of brandy over the bow. Everything being ready and in waiting and the people excited and impatient, William Cooper stepped up to Mr. Alvin Bronson, one of the owners, and asked her name, which had not been told to any one, and as bland as a May morning, Bronson answered, ‘Judy Fitz Goly-Hog Magol. ‘What?’ said William Cooper. The name was repeated and Judy Fritz Golly Hog Magol glided into the water, a thing of life.
“Such was the launch of one of the first score of American vessels that navigated Lake Ontario. She was sold to the government during the war of 1812. The horrible name by which she was christened was obtained from a then popular parody on one of Scott’s poems. Her name was of course shortened into ‘Judy’, which answered all practical purposes.”
Many of the vessels that had been sold by Oswego owners to the government early in the war, were resold at public auction at the end of the war. Townsend, Bronson and Company purchased a large number of these ships and soon had them employed in reviving the commerce of the port of Oswego.
Van Cleve’s Book
In 1877, Captain James Van Cleve who had commanded some of the best ships on Lake Ontario, presented to the City of Oswego his book written or printed by hand, on the ships of Lake Ontario. Van Cleve was a skilled water color artist as well as a historian, and his book is illustrated by sketches of Lake Ontario harbor entrances, shipyards and of vessels. This book is a thing of rare beauty. The history was dedicated to Alvin Bronson. Its dedication reads:
“To Alvin Bronson. A Pioneer in the Commerce of Lake Ontario, and for more than 50 years an active participator and keen sympathizer of all things pertaining to its advancement and the prosperity of Oswego this volume is respectfully dedicated.”
Alvin Bronson was a ship builder, store keeper, flour miller, manufacturer, commercial forwarder and served as State Senator. His name was connected with practically every worthwhile undertaking during the early days of Oswego. He was the first president of the village in 1828 and a keeper of naval stores during the war of 1812. He was the first president of the Oswego & Syracuse Railroad. He died on April 2, 1881.
George S. Weeks
By 1840, Mr. Weeks had achieved the reputation of a first rate ship builder at Oswego. His shipyard was located on the east side just within the mouth of the Oswego River.*
In 1838 the Steamer St. Lawrence was launched. Her owners were Henry Fitzhugh of Oswego, Gerrit Smith of Peterboro and Oswego, and Van Rensselaer of Ogdensburg. She had a beam of 23 feet and was 180 feet long. The first commander was Captain J. Evans. Mr. Evans was a newcomer to Lake Ontario and was not acquainted with its navigation. On the vessel’s first trip she was run on to a shoal near Alexandria Bay. This accident not only resulted in the loss of time but cost the owners a considerable amount of money. Captain Van Cleve was requested to take command at the most convenient port. Captain Van Cleve continued in command until June, 1847. The St. Lawrence was finally broken up at Washington Island, near Clayton in 1854.
The Oswego “Palladium” in its issue of September 30, 1845, contained the following account of the “Steamboat St. Lawrence”: “This excellent boat has long been a favorite one with the travelling public, and its officers so long enjoyed the confidence of all, as to hardly need any com mendation of ours; yet we can not refrain from expressing our preference. . We have heretofore been partial to the ‘St. Lawrence,’ but a recent opportunity of judging of the merits of the several boats satisfied us that in the matter of convenience and gentlemanly attention to the comfort and interest of the passengers, this boat compares most favorably with any on the lake. It is owned by the St. Lawrence Steamboat Company, the enterprising proprietors of the splendid new steamboat ‘Niagara’, which two boats leave Oswego, one for Lewiston and the other for Ogdensburg, on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday of each week.
“Lake Ontario and the River St. Lawrence form one of the grandest thoroughfares in the country with which all must be impressed who have made a trip upon this noble Lake and magnificent River…. but even this route may be made tedious by the repulsive or distant conduct of the officers of a boat, which we are assured, will not be found to be the case on either of the above.”
*The yard was built on the shore of “the basin,” an inlet which then existed at this point.
“Rochester” Became Ferry
In 1842, Mr. Weeks completed the building of the Steamer “Rochester”. She was a vessel of 350 tons. Mr. Weeks was her first captain. From 1849 to 1854 the “Rochester” was run between Lewiston and Hamilton. In 1855 she was sold to the Rome and Watertown Railroad, and was used as a ferry between Cape Vincent and Kingston.
During the same year, the “Lady of the Lake”, a steamer of 425 tons, was built by Mr. Weeks. This ship was the first steamer on Lake Ontario with an upper cabin. For three years Captain J. H. Hoag was her commander. It has been said that ‘he was as fine a man as ever paced the deck of a vessel.’ Later, Captain Hoag moved to Toledo and became a member of Congress. After five years of service the ‘Lady of the Lake’ received a new dress. A description of her new ensemble appeared in an April issue of the 1847 “Palladium”.
It reads: “This noble steamer, which has long been a favorite with the travelling public, comes out this spring, as the printers say, ‘in an entire new dress’. In her external appearance, she is second to no vessel upon the Lakes. A hurricane deck has been erected forward of her machinery, which adds much to her good looks, as it will to the comfort of those who travel upon her. Her interior has been thoroughly overhauled, and refitted…. new carpets take the place of the old one….and everything about her has an air of neatness and comfort. Her late attentive and gentlemanly clerk, Mr. Hoag, assumes the command. With such a vessel and such officers, it deserves a liberal patronage from the public.”
In 1847, Mr. Weeks launched the “Pathfinder”, the “Mackinaw”, and the “Comely.” The Propeller “St. Lawrence” was built in 1848 and sold to parties in Canada.
The steamer “Northerner,” a ship of 905 tons, was launched in 1849. She came out under the command of Captain R. F. Childs. In 1869 she went down the St. Lawrence River to the sea. She was later used by the United States Government.
Sylvester Doolittle
Sylvester Doolittle was a ship builder of rare skill. His shipyard was located at the East end of West Cayuga street. Churchill in his Landmarks of Oswego County has this to say of Doolittle: “Sylvester Doolittle was born in Whitestown, Oneida County, January 11, 1800. While a young man he went to Sodus Point, where he learned the ship carpenter’s trade. In 1822 he removed to Rochester and built there the first boat that went through the canal to New York Through the influence of Mr. Varick, Mr. Doolittle settled in Oswego in 1836. Here he had a shipyard and built several vessels, advancing the carrying capacity of lake craft. Late in life he erected the Doolittle House*, at an expense of more than $200,000. and also expended a large sum in developing and placing on the market the Deep Rock Spring water. Mr. Doolittle died October 11, 1881.”
*The Doolittle House, long Oswego’s largest and best known hotel, stood on the site now (1945) occupied by the Pontiac Hotel.
“Vandalia” Built In Doolittle Yard
The Vandalia was more than a ship. She was a revolution in movement in water. For some time marine engineers had believed that the screw principle of propulsion would be more effective than paddle wheels. John Ericsson, a Swedish engineer, developed the principle of screw propulsion. His work, however, received little attention in Europe. He came to America and in 1840 placed the screw propeller on exhibition in New York. Through a combination of circumstances, Captain Van Cleve happened to see the propeller and at the same time had its principles explained. He tells of his visit and describes the “Vandalia” in the following words:
“While on visit to New York in December, 1840, I was called upon by Josiah L. Marshall, formerly of the firm of Bronson, Marshall & Company of Oswego, who told me that a friend named Sanderson, in Brockville, Ontario, had asked him to examine Ericsson’s propeller and give his opinion as to its application for propelling boats on the Rideau Canal.
“I don’t know anything about propellers and I am wondering if you will go with me,” suggested Marshall. “We went to the engine works of Hugg and Delemater and looked at a propeller which was hung from a shaft. I looked at it very carefully and told Mr. Marshall that in my opinion its applications would revolutionize steam marine on the Lakes as well as the canals. He then introduced me to Captain Ericsson, the inventor, who had rooms at the Astor House.
“After a conversation with Captain Ericsson, regarding traffic on the Lake the inventor became excited and walking up and down the room made me the following proposition: ‘ ” Van Cleve, if you will put a vessel in operation with my propeller, and do it within the year, I will assign to you one half interest in my patent for all the North American Lakes.’
“I accepted the proposition. The papers were drawn and I left for Oswego. I concluded an arrangement with Sylvester Doolittle fori building the vessel. Doolittle then owned a ship building plant in Oswego. Interested with me were Captain James Brown, Bronson and Crocker, and Captain Rufus Hawkins. The vessel was named the ‘Vandalia’. She was sloop rigged and made her first trip in November, 1841, to the head of Lake Ontario. Her dimensions were ninety feet on deck; twenty feet, two inches in beam; and eight feet, three inches in depth of hold with 138 tons burden.”
George A. Cuthbertson, in his book, “Freshwater, a History Of the Great Lakes,” states that the Vandalia was not only the first commercial propeller driven steamship on the lakes, but in the world*. The boilers and engines were located aft. This made it easy for the vessel to load and to unload certain types of cargo. On the other hand, the placing of the machinery aft made it necessary to devise some means of bracing the wooden hull. This was done by placing longitudinal arch braces the full length of the ship on the upper decks. This vessel was practical and successful. Each year that passed saw more and more ships of the propeller type coming into use.
“This statement attributed to Cuthbertson is erroneous as propellers had been completed both in Europe and the United States before the “Vandalia” was launched at Oswego. The “Vandalia” however was the second propeller to be completed in the United States.
Propeller “Chicago”
The schooner “Chicago” was built by Doolittle at Oswego in 1842. The “Palladium”, in its issue of June 1, 1842, states: “This beautiful and staunch vessel which has just been completed at the shipyard of S. Doolittle and propelled by the Ericsson improvement, leaves this port for Chicago. She was built with particular reference to this route, has handsome and convenient accommodations for sixty cabin passengers, and of sufficient capacity for 150 tons of freight. She is to be commanded by our fellow citizen William S. Malcolm, whose nautical skill, experience and gentlemanly deportment, eminently qualify him for that post.
“We learn that the enterprising proprietors, Messrs. Bronson and Crocker of Oswego, intend to dispatch a steam vessel of the above class for Chicago, on the 1st, 10th, and 20th of each month, touching at the intermediate ports on Lake Erie, Huron and Michigan, thus affording unusual facilities for the conveyance and transportation of passenger and freight. It seems to us, that travellers, particularly families, moving with goods, will find this line of boats admirably adapted to their wants. The price by this line is much less than by any other steam conveyance, which is a consideration in these times.”
Passenger Steamer “Oswego”
In 1843, Sylvester Doolittle completed the building of the Propeller “Oswego”. The “Erie Observer”, in a June issue of 1843, contained an item which gives some information concerning the “Oswego”. The item follows:
“A boat bearing the name ‘Oswego’ and propelled on the Ericsson plan touched here on Wednesday last. She left Oswego a few days before, came through the Welland Canal, and is bound for Chicago.
“In appearance, the ‘Oswego’ partakes equally of the qualities of the schooner, canal boat, and steamer. She was very heavily loaded with freight, and had nearly 300 passengers. Owing to the small amount of the fuel required to supply the engine, and the cheapness of the machinery, passengers are carried at prices far below those charged on the side wheel type of steam boats. The steerage price from Oswego to Chicago, a distance of 1,300 miles, is only six dollars. We understand that there are several large boats building on this plan, and we have no doubt that the enterprise will be successful.”
The “Palladium” of July 12, 1843 carried an account of the return of the “Oswego” from the run described by the “Erie Observer”. The account reads:
“Oswego” Makes Time Record
“The steam schooner ‘Oswego’, under the command of Captain Davis, arrived at the port on Saturday, from Chicago, with 900 barrels of pork consigned to Messrs. Bronson and Crocker. This vessel has performed the trip from this port to Chicago and back discharging and receiving freight at nearly all ports on Lake Michigan and at Cleveland and Detroit, in 23 % days, being the shortest passage ever made. The distance traversed during this time by the ‘Oswego’ is about 3,000 miles—equal to a voyage across the Atlantic.”
The “Maid of the Mill,” the “Vandalia” and many other vessels were built by Sylvester Dolittle. Without exception they were among the best upon the Lakes.
Peter Lamoree Built First Tug
Peter Lamoree was born in New Baltimore, New York, in 1812 and died in Oswego April 6, 1892. A ship carpenter by trade, he came to Oswego in 1827. He built many small vessels. It is interesting to note that he built the first tug in Oswego, the “Howard.”
George Goble
Born in Ireland in 1819, George Goble came to Oswego in 1837. He followed the trade of a ship carpenter for nineteen years before going into business for himself. His shipyard property was located on the lake front almost exactly at the foot of West Second street so that the barge canal terminal is considerably east of the old shipyard property.
In 1859, after the burning of a grain elevator which stood at the foot of West Second street, Mr. Goble constructed a dry dock there. For many years the business was operated under the firm name of Goble & MacFarlane. This business was conducted by Mr. Goble and his sons continuously until the property was taken under condemnation proceedings by the State of New York when the present Barge Canal Terminal was contemplated.
The U. S. Dredge “Frontenac”, built in 1891, was the last boat constructed at the Goble shipyard. For some years thereafter the business was carried on as a repairyard, as this was the only dry dock on the American shore of Lake Ontario capable of servicing schooners.
Goble Built Ships
The following is a list of the vessels built in the Goble shipyard:
Titan 1856-7 William Sanderson 1857 Bermuda 1859-60 W. I. Preston 1861 George Goble 1861-2 T. S. Mott 1862 Senator Blood 1863 James Piatt 1863 Montauk 1863-4 Bahma 1863-4 Knight Templar 1864-5 Tug F. D. Wheeler 1864-5 Henry Fitzhugh 1865-6 G. C. Finney 1866-7 Jamaica 1866-7 Nevada 1866-7 Florida 1868 Guiding Star 1868-9 John T. Mott 1869 West Side 1870-1 Nassau 1872 Daniel Lyons 1872-3 Atlanta 1873 Sam Cook 1873 M. J. Cummings 1873 J. Maria Scott 1874 Leadville 1879 Tug Charley Ferris 1883 Steam Yacht Aida 1885 U. S. Dredge Frontenac 1891
Mr. Goble was one of the best known builders on the Great Lakes. His vessels were considered the staunchest of their class. He died in Oswego on October 15, 1906.
Oswego a Passenger Center
During the 10 years from 1845 to 1855 the population of Oswego increased from approximately 10,000 to almost 16,000, a growth more rapid than that of any other city in the state. Seventy one Oswego owned vessels, including steamers, propellers, and schooners rode in and out of the port.
Thousands of persons were making their way by the “all water route” through Oswego to settle in the West. Capitalists invested large sums of money in the construction and operation of steam propeller passenger ships. In 1847, twenty six vessels slid down the ways of Oswego shipyards into Lake Ontario, each one a symbol of Oswego’s commercial superiority and the craftsmanship of her shipbuilders.
Regular passenger service between Oswego and Chicago became a reality. There were sailings in either direction each day of the week except Sunday. Records show that they were loaded to capacity with passengers and freight. The vessels were advertised as having commodious cabins, handsomely fitted, with special arrangements for the accommodation of families. Emphasis was placed on the improvement of steerage accommodations. The quarters were enlarged so as to furnish at least 75 passengers with good comfortable berths between the decks. Most of the advertisements stressed the fact that steerage passengers would not have to sleep in the hold.
Edwin M. Waterbury, president of the Oswego Historical society, has collected some valuable and interesting data relating to these ships. In regard to the cost of travel, he states:
Passenger And Freight Tariffs
“The fare charged for passengers from Oswego to Detroit was $7.50 per passenger with ‘found’ (food) provided and $5.00 ‘without found’. Steerage fare was $4.00 between Oswego and Chicago. The cabin passage and found was $14; a cabin without found, $10; steerage, $6.
“Freight rates were quoted by the bulk barrel. The barrel bulk was estimated at 7 cubic feet. Four chairs were called one barrel. The charge between Oswego and Chicago was $1 per bulk barrel.’
“Children between two and twelve years of age traveled at half fare; those under two years of age were carried free. One half a barrel bulk of furniture or luggage was allowed each full passenger without cost. A cooking stove ‘not exposed to the weather’ was provided for the use of those who wished to board themselves.”
From 1855 on, there was a gradual but persistent decline in ship building at Oswego.*
*The most recent craft of sizable nature to be built in Oswego were several steel barges built for the United States Government about 1925 in an improvised yard in the west harbor near the Diamond Match Company’s plant.
When Ontario’s Blue Turns To Gray
Old salts might scorn the fresh water of Ontario, but there is no record of any complaint that the gales, blizzards, squalls and thunderstorms over this lake were not sufficiently boisterous to hold the interest or test the seamanship of any sailor. Two conflicting masses of air often meet and fight over the shipping lanes of this body of blue water. Atmospheric pressures run up to 1,045 millibars and then down the scale, temperatures slide up and down with equal abandon, and warm air blows in from the fields over the cold water, where it is reduced to a blanket of fog. In sailing ship days the most competent seamanship was required. Many ships were wrecked, but on the whole the sailors were skilled and resourceful. The lakes were not charted until 1889. There were few lighthouses, no red and black buoys marking the channels, no ship-to shore radios, and no system of harbor lights, although there were, of course, lighthouses at many points.
The captains knew little of air masses or millibars, but they did know that: “If the clouds seem scratched by a hen, Better take your topsails in When the wind shifts against the sun, Watch her, boys, for back she’ll come.”
Disasters made these men weather-wise, and according to reports they had plenty of opportunity to learn.
On November 24, 1846, the “Palladium” stated: “The wind shifted last night from the South to the West, and blew a gale this morning The British ship Grampus, loaded with timber and the schooner Ainsworth, with salt, parted their fastenings, and were driven ashore in the harbor. They have sunk and partially blocked the entrance to the East Harbor at that point. The “Grampus” was not removed for many years. The name “Grampus Bay” was given to this part of the Harbor from this circumstance.
Then again on December 1, 1846, the paper carried this item: “We were visited by another storm of wind and snow on Wednesday and Thursday of last week. The wind blew a perfect hurricane for upwards of 48 hours. A Canadian vessel went ashore in our harbor on Thursday morning. This is the fourth vessel which has been beached here during the late storms. About 40 feet of the East Pier of our harbor was carried away. It is hoped that Congress will try to frame a bill which the President will not veto. An appropriation is necessary at the present time.”
Marine Disasters
In reminiscences of Lake Ontario, published in the Cleveland “Marine Record” in 1884, the writer lists the following disasters :
1798—Schooner “Washington” foundered with eight lives.
1806—Brig “Speedy” foundered and all lost, twenty five lives; Schooner “Waterbury of Kingston” foundered and all lost, eight lives.
1848—Schooner “Ellen” foundered with all hands, eight lives.
1851—Steamer “Comet” exploded in Oswego harbor, eight lives lost; schooner “Christina” capsized and all lost, eleven lives; schooner “William Penn” capsized and three lives lost.
1852—Schooner “Anawan” capsized and five lives lost.
1853—Steamer “Ocean Wave” burned. 23 lives lost.
1854—Schooner “Adelia” foundered and five lives lost.
1855—Schooner “Emblem” sunk by collision, five lives lost.
1856—Propeller “Finto” burned and all lost, eighteen lives; Propeller “J. W. Brooks” foundered and all lost, 22 lives.
1857 — Steamer “Montreal” burned in the St. Lawrence River with 264 lives lost; brig “Iceberg” foundered and all lost, seven lives; propeller “Inkerman” exploded and three persons were lost.
1858—Schooner “Ida May” foundered, two lives lost; tug “J. H. Bloore’ ‘exploded and three lives lost.
1860—Barque “Tornado” foundered and all lost, ten lives.
1862—Propeller “Bay State” foundered and all lost, 22 lives; schooner “Mary” foundered and five lives lost.
1863—Steamer “Clyde” exploded and three lives were lost.
1866—Schooner “M. Billard” foundered, nine lives lost.
1867 — Propeller “Wisconsin” burned, all lost, fifty lives.
1868—Schooner “B. Doran” foundered, six lives lost; propeller “Perseverance”, burned, fourteen lives lost.
1869—Schooner “Mary O’Gorman” foundered and eight lives lost.
1870—Tug “Tornado” exploded and killed three; schooner “Jesse” foundered, all lost, eight lives.
1871—Propeller “Maine” exploded, four lives lost.
1873 — Steamer “Bavarian” burned, 20 lives lost.
1875—Schooner “J. G. Jenkins” foundered, all lost, nine lives.
1876—Schooner “Maggie Hunter” foundered, all lost, seven lives.
1879—Schooner “Pinto” foundered, four lives lost.
1880 — Schooner “Northman” foundered, all lost, eight lives; schooner “Olive Branch” foundered, all lost, nine lives; schooner “Belle Sheridan” foundered, nine lives lost; propeller “Zealand” foundered, all lost, 19 lives; schooner “Norway” foundered, eight lives lost.
1882—Schooner “H. Folger” wrecked, seven lives lost.
1883 — Barge “Milwaukee” foundered, four lives lost.
The foregoing list gives a total of 672 lives lost from causes noted. Numerous other casualties from like causes were set forth in a previous article.
In the early days the custom was to write odes to the ships that met with disasters. We quote two verses of a twenty four verse “Ode on the Wreck of the Schooner Medora”. The Ode was published on February 29, 1836. The first two verses are quoted: “Come, all kind husbands, now be hold , A scene that makes my blood run cold;
All loving wives may now appear: In solemn mourning drop a tear.
“Come let us weep for those who weep For their lost friends plung’d in the deep; And let us now all take some port In grief which breaks the tender heart.”
These were colorful days, the shipbuilding days in Oswego. Much could be written about the ships, personalities of the builders, captains, crews, and adventures with ice, storms, fire and collisions. These days have passed, but Longfellow’s words still sing the spirit of the time: “Build me straight, O worthy Master! Staunch and strong, a goodly vessel, That shall laugh at all disaster, And with wave and whirlwind wrestle.”
This paper is a brief history of shipbuilding in Oswego. It is not within the province of this undertaking to mention all ship builders or all vessels built. The ships and builders chosen indicate primarily the progress attained in this historic city in response to the demands of war and peace. The writer of this paper wishes to thank Mr. Waterbury for the use of his historic files, Miss Kersey and the staff at the City Library, Miss Haggar, librarian at the State Teachers College, and many others who have helped to add to our knowledge of ship building in Oswego.
Bibliography: Beasley, Norman, “Freighters of Fortune,” Harpers, 1930, Canada Steamship Lines “Marine Collections;” Churchill, John C, ‘Landmarks of Oswego County,” 1895; Cuthbertson, George A., “Freshwater,” Macmillan, 1931; Cooper’s “Na val History;” Hatcher, Harlan, “The Great Lakes,” Oxford, 1944; Oswego Historical Society Publications 1940, 1941, and 1942; Pound, Arthur, “Lake Ontario,” Bobbs Merrill, 1945; Oswego Palladium—Old Files; Oswego Palladium Times—0ld Files; Van Cleve, Captain James, Book in the Oswego City Clerk’s Office.
