USA > Pennsylvania > Erie County > Popular history of Erie county, Pennsylvania > Part 10
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Canal Projects were vigorously discussed early in the century and after Fulton's steamboat Clermont commenced making regular trips between New York and Albany in 1806, the New York Legislature began to take action regarding a
96
ERIE COUNTY HISTORY.
TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION.
In the early history of America travel, the two important adjuncts were sub- stantial stage-coaches and convenient inns. Along the border of the lakes, ba- teaux and sail-boats were in use. Presque Isle harbor was a port of refuge for the early French and English soldiers and adventurers, but there was no public house in which to entertain strangers, until Col. Seth Reed built the one-story stone and log cabin, near the mouth of Mill creek, in July 1795. The next year Col. Reed and his son Rufus S. erected a two-story log building on the southwest corner of Parade and Second streets, which was kept as a public house for many years. Geo. Buehler erected " tavern in 1800 and subsequently built a larger hotel at the corner of Third and French streets. This afterwards became known as the Me- Conkey House. and was occupied as Ferry's headquarters in 1813. Lieut. Martin, who had been in military command at Ft LeBœuf, erected a house of entertain- mert in 1795, to accommodate the early pioneers. Richard Swan erected an inn at Manchester, in 1805. and Henry Burgett at North East, the following year. John Ryan built a public house near the eastern limits of Erie, in 1809; Geo. W. Reed at Waterford, in 1810. and Phillips Brothers at Phillipsville the same year. Before the advent of railroads, the important stage routes through the County had a tavern every few miles and the landlords were usually men of considerable force of character. With the advent of railroads, these, excepting at the villages and towns, were abandoned as public houses. Further on we shall have some- thing to say of the modern hotels in this County.
The Salt Trade-Early in the century an important business was transacted in the transfer of salt, which was manufactured at Salina, N. Y., brought by sailing craft to the mouth of Mill creek, taken thence by wagon to Waterford. where it was loaded on flat-boats and floated to Pittsburg. In 1806, the Erie eus- tom house showed the transfer of 6,000 barrels, and this continued to largely in- crease with each year, until the discovery of salt on the Kanawha and Kiskiminita; when it became so cheap at Pittsburg as to put an end to its distant transportd- tion. The standard price for salt at Salina was 60e. per bushel and at Waterford, it brought from $12 per barrel in its early history, to $5 in 1818. The price for hauling from Erie to Waterford was at first $1.50 per barrel, which was reduced by competition, to one-third that amount, in the latter part of its history. Salt was a medium of exchange and it is related that Hamlin Russel sold a good yoke of oxen for eight barrels. On another occasion Rufus S. Reed purchased a colored boy, (who according to the laws of the State was to be in servitude until 28 years of age, ) from Gen. Kelso. for 100 barrels of salt: at that time worth $5 per barrel.
" The idea of carriages propelled by steam, bad entered the American inven- tive mind, and Gazette 1826 says: "Steam stages and Wagons will be among the products of the near future.". . . Four lines of steamboats were reported fn oper. ation between New York and Philadelphia and 14 boats were employed on the North River at New York. You could leave Philadelphia one morning and 24 hours later breakfast at Albany. This was announced as the great achievement of that age. In comparing the improvements in travel the Gazette says, "In 181. it required from five to seven days for a trip from Buffalo to Detroit npon the lakes, going with fair winds and load. Now the distance is covered in 48 hours.
Canal Projects were vigorously discussed early in the century and after Fulton's steamboat Clermont commenced making regular trips, between New York and Albany, in 1806, the New York Legislature began to take action regarding a
97
PENNSYLVANIA CANALS
waterway from Buffalo to Albany. This however encountered opposition and de- lay, but was finally completed Oct. 24, 1825 a distance of 280 miles, and was. except- ing a canal in China, the longest artificial waterway then in the world This cost $7,602,000 for its original construction and contrary to the policy of the Erie and Pittsburg Canal Co., the New York Legislature provided for an enlargement of "their canal, which was completed in 1866, at a cost of $30,000,000. This canal has not outlived its usefulness yet, as statistics for 1890, disclose the fact that more than one third of all the flour and grain from the west, that reaches the great 'commercial metropolis of New York, comes by way of the Erie Canal.
As early as 1781, a company was formed to construct a canal from the Schuyl- kill to the Susquehanna, and another in 1792, to extend this to Philadelphia. "These corporations were consolidated in 1811, as the Union Canal Co. and author- ized to extend the waterway to Lake Erie if deemed expedient. The canal along the Schuylkill was opened in 1818 to Reading, and nine years later connected with the Susquehanna at Middletown, by the Union canal. In 1823, the Legislature 'appointed canal commissioners among whom was Thomas Forster of Erie. Giles Sanford of this city was a delegate to the convention at Harrisburg in August, 1825. A year later the State embarked in the enterprise and Oct. 1834, the canal was completed to Pittsburg. The main line extended from Columbia up the Sus- quehanna and Juniata to the Allegheny mountains. These were surmounted by aid of stationary engines, and incline railway planes, over which sectional canal boats were moved and on reaching the summit were run down the Conemaugh, Kiskiminitas and Allegheny rivers to Pittsburg.
The Harrisburg convention of 1825 had resolved, "in favor of a canal from Sus- quehanna to the Allegheny and from the Allegheny to Lake Erie" and the Erie Ga- zette of 1826 to further the interest at this terminal point speaks of the wondrous growth of this region for its first thirty years of development in the following happy strain: "Then the sight of the village was a wilderness, and the In- dian path the only guide for the daring traveler. Now it has upwards of a thou- sand inhabitants and roads leading to Buffalo, Cleveland and Pittsburg, three great points of intercourse equal to any in the western part of the Union. From these places we have 27 arrivals of stages every week, all of which remain over night. From Buffalo there are 14 arrivals, from Cleveland ten and from Pittsburg, three. In 1823 we had but three arrivals: one a week from Cleveland, in a one-horse wagon; each week from Buffalo in a two-horse wagon; and once from Pittsburg in a hack. Now there is not a vehicle, enters our village, for the covenience of travelers, but post-coaches, with teams equal if not superior, to any in Pennsylvania.
"In additional to this, three steamboats for the convenience of passengers, enter and leave our harbor every week, and in a few days there will be five. There are also from iwo to ten schooners which enter and clear our harbor cach week. What an important point this would be to Pennsylvania, if she would do her duty! This unexampled increase of travel and business, owes its existence entirely, to the New York (Erie) Canal. * * * Pennsylvania is waiting for ex- perience. She will soon have more of it than she wants in contra-ting Philadel- phia with New York."
From contentions regarding the route, and terminal point for the Erie end of the Pennsylvania canal, much delay was caused. Ground was finally broken with great ceremony at Erie, on July 4th, 1838, for this enterprise. From difficulty in securing the necessary State appropriation the work progressed irregularly and slowly and in 1842 the State refused further aid. The principal difficulty encoun-
100
ERIE COUNTY HISTORY.
tered was to secure sufficient water at the highest point on the route, the summit, of the Lake Ridge, and for this purpose Conneaut lake was utilized as a reservoir, raised several feet by damming its outlet, and a feeder constructed from Bemus mills, on French creek, three miles above Meadville, to the lake.
Capitalists were anxious to complete the enterprise, and the Erie Canal Co. was organized in 1843. The State had expended more than 4,000,000 and it was estimated that about $200,000 more would complete the work. Rufus S. Reed was made president and C. M. Reed treasurer of the canal company, and by Dec. 5, 1844 the waterway was opened. Canal boats loaded with coal and passengers were welcomed with great demonstrations at Erie. The canal entered the city limits near the Car Works, following the ravine diagonally across the squares, until it reached the bay near the foot of Sassafras street, There were 15 locks between the Alms-house and the bay with an average lift of seven feet each. This waterway was small compared with the Erie (N. Y.) Canal, the boats averaging about 65 tons each. Had it been duly enlarged and made into a "ship canal" of proper size, it would have saved to Pennsylvania the great bulk of the iron, coal and oil trade, which has since been diverted to other places.
The coal shipments, via canal, increased from 15,000 tons in 1845, to 141.184 in 1855 after which it decreased somewhat, 1860 showing 129,807 tons; the aggregate for first 25 years having been 1,415,367 tons. The tolls for 1860 were $104,336 and $975 for water rent; while the total expenditures, including $17,039, for aqueduct over Walnut creek, aggregated but $70,379.
Until the completion of connecting lines of railway, the canal was largely favored, with inland passenger travel, but was then discarded as too slow; still a good trade was held in handling coal, iron and heavy merchandise, until its aban- donment. In its palmiest days. the trans-shipment docks, near the foot of State street, presented a busy scene, in the loading and unloading from canal boats to schooners and steamers. After the completion of the Erie & Pittsburg RR., 1864, as a rival, it was thought expedient to enlarge the canal and use bigger hoats. A company with this object in view, is reputed to have offered Gen. Reed, a hand- some sum for the old canal and its franchise, but about this time it was secured by its railroad rival and operated in an indifferent manner, until the fall of the aqueduct across Elk creek, in 1871, gave an excuse for its entire adandonment. Many boatmen were ruined because their occupation was gone and small mer- chants along the line, as well as real estate and trade in general, in the vicinity of the canal suffered greatly from its discontinuance.
Within a few years past a revival of interest in canals has sprung up in many sections of the world and Pennsylvania believing that a ship canal from Lake Erie to the Ohio, would greatly enhance the commercial intercourse of the interior, appointed in 1888 a Canal Commission to make investigations. A route has been surveyed from Erie to Pittsburg and estimates made showing that a canal of suffi- cient magnitude, to facilitate the transfer of cargoes, from the lake to the Ohio without breaking bulk, could be made for about 25 million dollars. With the im- mense amount of iron, coal and other merchandise which could be thereby han- dled cheaply, and the tolls received, it is believed that this great waterway would be of immense value to the commercial world.
Steamboats-The first steamboat for Lake Erie was the Walk-in-the-water, 310 tons, launched at Black Rock, May 28, 1818. The engine could not force the boat up the rapids and it was aided by ten yoke of oxen. She made the trip from Buffalo to Detroit in 44 hours running time. The vessel was visited as a curiosity
101
STEAMBOAT DISASTER
by thousands of people at each of the principal ports. The Indians of the west were greatly surprised to see the boat, glide toward the winds, without visible means of propulsion. Nov. 1, 1821, this steamer was stranded on the beach at Buffalo. A new boat, the Superior was built, and the engine of the Walk-in-the- water was used in the Superior. The Wm. Penn, 200 tons, was launched at Erie, May 18, 1826, by the Erie and Chautauqua Steamboat Co. R. S. Reed, P. S. V. Hamot, Daniel Dobbins, Walther Smith, E. L. Tinker, Chas. Townsend, Josiah Kellogg and Peter Christie were managers of the above company.
Gen. C. M. Reed launched the Pennsylvania near foot of Sassafrass street in 1832. She was towed to Black Rock where the machinery was put in. Two years later he built the Thomas Jefferson, and the James Madison was launched at Erie in 1837. The latter carried over 1,000 passenger from Buffalo to this port, on an early trip, in addition to a heavy cargo of freight. She was 700 tons burthen and cleared her expense of building the first season. The ill fated steamboat "Erie" was erected here in 1837 by the Erie Steamboat Co .- Thos. G. Colt and S. I. Jack- son-principal owners. The Missouri was built in 1840 by Gen. Reed and the Erie purchased by him atout the same time.
Great Disaster-August 9, 1841, the Steamer Erie, Capt. Titus, bearing & party of emigrants up the lake, was discovered to be on fire when off Silver Creek. Having been newly painted and the wind high, the flames spread with amazing rapidity and about 250 persons were lost of whom 26 were residents of Erie. Aug- ust Fuller of Harborcreek and James Lafferty were wheelsmen and were ordered by Capt. Titus to head the boat for the nearest land. Mr. Fuller stood at the wheel until completely surrounded by the flames and burned at his post. Laffer- ty after discovering that the ropes were burned off, and a wheelsman could be of no further assistance, dashed through the flames to the stern and jumped astride the rudder. Soon a top-mast burned off, and falling into the sea floated near by when he clambered upon it and was one among the score of passengers who were picked up after the fire, by a boat that was sent to their assistance.
"CAPT. JIM LAFFERTY," as he is familiarly known, was born on the day of Perry's Victory-Sept. 10, 1813-and continued to sail upon the lakes until ad- vanced age. He was at one time possessed of a competency; but an appetite for strong drink has despoiled the brave Captain and he is now an inmate of the County alms-house. His mentality is bright when not be-fuddled with alcohol and from him, perhaps the only survivor of this memorable holocaust the historian has secured some of the foregoing facts.
Among disasters to lake vessels in past history, we note that May, 14, 1834, eleven men left the wharf at Erie in a small boat, to board the steamer New York lying at the outer pier. The boat capsized and nine were drowned. The steamer Washington was burned off Silver Creek, in 1838, and 60 lives lost. The Chesa- peake and John Porter collided on the lake, Jun. 10, 1847. The Porter sunk with several on board. The G. P. Griffith, burned near Chagrin, O. with a loss of about 250 souls. The Atlantic collided with another vessel and sunk off Long Point in 1852, about 200 persons were drowned.
Above fifty persons met their death in 1856 by the burning of the Northern Indiana. The Morning Star was sunk in 1868 by a collision with the Cortland and thirty-two persons lost. We might take up much space with these notable disas- ters, but suffice it to say that on the chain of lakes from 200 to 600 persons annual- ly perish from lake catastrophes, the larger share being crews of small and un- seaworthy vessels with an occasional loss among passenger travel.
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ERIE COUNTY HISTORY.
Chicago was first visited by steamboats in 1832. There were no villages on lake Michigan at that time, and, but a few unimportant trading posts on Huron, Superior and Michigan. Four steamers-the Henry Clay, William Penn, Sheldon Thompson and Superior-were chartered by the Government, to carry troops and supplies to Ft. Dearborn, during the Black Hawk war. The cholera broke out on board and two of the boats laid up at Ft. Gra iot. On the Thompson 88 deaths occurred from the pestilence, having been about one-fourth of those on board. Capt. A. Walker had command of the boat and Gen. Winfield Scott was on board, in command of the troops.
Lake Commerce-The increase of tonage, upon the lakes was very marked until about the time of the late war, since which, in consequence of the multipli- city of railroads, and the lack of a ship canal, from Buffalo or Erie, it has some- what decreased. In 1800, the entire lake commerce above Niagara, would not have aggregated 200 tons burthen. In 1810 there were some ten vessels, of aver- age capacity about 60 tons each; this had grown in 1820. to 30 vessels and one steamboat a total of 1,600 tons capacity. In 1830 there were ten steamers, averag- ing 225 tons each, and 100 sailing vessels of about 70 tons each making a total of nearly 10.000 tons capacity. The era of progress had now fairly set in and 1850, showed 80 steamers, averaging 200 tons each, and nearly 500 sailing craft. The marine register for 1860, including lake Ontario, shows the following:
Style of vessel No.
Steamers.
138
Tonnage. 69,160
Value. $2,720.200
Propellers
197
61,450
2,478,300
Barks
58
23,417
544,200
Brigs
90
25,047
423,200
Schooners and Sloops.
974
198,661
4,489,300
Total 1,457
377,825
$10,655,200
By lake disasters in 1860, 578 lives were lost and over a million dollars worth of property abandoned to the waves.
Owned at the port of Presque Isle, for 1860, there was a total for sail vessels, licensed and enrolled. of 5,656 tons and of steamboats 2,362 tons making an aggre- gate of 8,018 tons capacity at Erie alone. In 1893, there were in commission from the port of Erie, 40 steamboats; 10 iron-clad steamers; 3 sail-vessels and one yacht registering a total of 31,204 net tons. One small sail was built here in '93 and one lost. The coastwise entrances were 718 and clearances 746. Foreign entrances 120, clearances 92.
In connection with lake commerce we should not forget the importance of French Creek to the development of this County before the advent of canals and railroads. The Gazette of March 1830, reported that 100 flatboats were load- ing between Waterford and Meadville. These carried an average of 25 to 30 tons each and were loaded with potatoes, hay, staves, shingles, cherry and walnut lumber, and various other products. The usual value of a boat and its load was about $500. The season's trade between Waterford and Meadville would average $100,000 or more, thereby adding largely to the prosperity of the inland section.
The fur trade of the west largely came eastward by way of the Great Lakes until about 1840, when it diverged to the Upper Mississippi, Ohio and other rivers. In July 1842, five boats, with buffalo robes, beaver skins and other furs, arrived at St. Louis having been 45 days enroute from Ft. Pierre, Dak. the Sioux agency.
Government Vessels-Erie has been a station for revenue cutters since it became a custom port. Subsequent to the 1812 war, the revenue cutter Dallas
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LIFE SAVING SERVICE
was in commission here, for some time. The Benjamin Rush of 35 tons was launched at this port, in 1828, and was soon afterwards taken to the upper lakes. March, 1833, a revenue cutter of 62 tons was launched and given the name, of the then Secretary of the Treasury. Lewis McLane; but the modest secretary declined the honor and ordered the name to be changed to Erie. Six revenue cutters were built in 1857, one for each of the lakes. The Jeremiah Black was retained on Lake Erie, and for many years was under command of Capt. Douglas Ottinger.
Capt. Ottinger designed the Commodore Perry, which was built on the Nia- gara river in 1864, and which made the brilliant record of 19 miles an hour. She was succeeded by the cutter Perry which was removed from Lake Erie, to the Atlantic coast in 1893, with the design of proceeding to the Pacific coast in 1894, for protection against opium smuggling.
Life Savings Service-Capt. Ottinger invented the Life Car and practical- ly had first charge of organizing the service, which has saved so many lives from watery graves. He was succeeded in the command at this station by Capt. D. P. Dobbins who invented the self-bailing boat and many other life-saving appliances. Mr. Dobbins was a son of the well known Capt. Daniel Dobbins, who died in Erie in 1856, aged 85. His wife died here Jan. 22, 1879, aged 99 years. The son was born here in 1820, and spent a long and useful life mostly in perfect- ing life-saving apparatus and superintending the service. The original Life sav- ing station, was built on the outer shore of the Peninsula, three miles from the bay entrance, 1876. This proved to be inconvenient, and, February 1878, Capt. Dobbins had it removed on rollers, to its present site, near the channel. Capt. Dobbins died at his home in Buffalo, Aug. 20, 1892. He was succeeded in the Super- indendancy of the life-saving service by Capt. Chapman of Buffalo. Capt. Wm .. Clark who took charge of the station in 1877, was faithful to his post and did gal- lant service in the work of rescue on numerous occasions.
In the snow storms of Nov. 20-21, 1881, three vessels were driven on shore, three miles east of the bay entrance. Two of them were stranded so near to land, that the crews escaped, but the third was 200 yards from shore and the crew was com- pelled to take refuge in the rigging. On account of the exceeding fury of the waves, the life-saving crew crossed the bay to the docks, where their mortar and boat was loaded upon a transfer wagon and taken by Lake road to the scene of ac- cident. A line was shot over the spars, the breeches buoy arranged, and, by which four men and one woman were safely brought to land. They had been in imminent peril for twelve hours and had almost perished by spray and cold.
While attempting to rescue passengers from the Badger State, which was be- fogged and swamped a half-mile east of the flash light station, June 4, 1891. the life-boat capsized, the air chambers which had been left unplugged filled, and the boat failed to right herself. Capt. Clark was swallowed up in the angry waves and a week later was buried with due Masonic ceremonies.
Andrew P. Jonson who took charge of the station, after Capt. Clark's death, is a native of Sweden and came to America in 1880. Four years later he joined the life-saving's crew. Isolated from the main part of the city, this is a lonesome place and Capt. Jonson married that year Johanna Phil, to whom was born Dec. 3. 1892, a son, who was christened Andrew Josef. Capt. Jonson has 8 men under his charge and in three years past, assistance has been given to about 125 people in distress; the average of accidents within reach of this station, being about ten per year. A new life-boat of English pattern, 26 feet in length was put in, in the spring of 1894, and the service here is in first-class order.
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ERIE COUNTY HISTORY.
The U. S. S. Michigan-The Gazette of 1843 has frequent mention of the Iron Steam Frigate, the wood work of which was being built here and the iron covering shipped in sections from Pittsburg. At that time it was thought to be a formidable war vessel. She was finally completed ready for her machinery and launched on Thursday, p. m. * Dec. 5, 1843.
The new boat was christened the Michigan and before receiving her ordnance and machinery drew 3 ft. 10 in. She was towed to Buffalo, where her machinery and ordnance was put in, when the steamer drew over 8 ft. water. The Michi- gan was finished and accepted by the Government, Aug. 15, 1844, having now been in commision for a half century. The boat is 538 tons burthen and has a com- plete armor of iron. The keel is 156 feet and the boat over all measures 176} ft. The beam is 27 ft. and with the original equipment of paddle-wheels the breadth was 46 ft. These have since been replaced by a serew of the propeller style. The weight of iron in the hull is 236 tons. The steamer was pierced for 12 thirty-two pound cannon, and two sixty-eight pound Paixham guns were mounted on pivots. Her first commander was Wm. Inman, who had been with Com. Chauncey in the war of 1812. J. P. Mckinstry served as first Lieutnant and a son of Lieut. Holdup, (+Steyens, ) as sailing master. In 1860 the machinery was thoroughly overhanled and repaired. Two new vertical tubular boilers, of Martin make, superceded the old ones, and these were again replaced by new ones in 1892.
A thorough examination upon the dry docks at Buffalo, showed the iron hull to be in a good state of preservation. April 1893, the steamer proceeded to Chica- go, where it remained during the World's Fair. She returned to Erie, Nov. 22, and was received here with much enthusiasm. The weather was rough, but the committee of reception, boarded the boat, and Benj. Whitman as chairman, in be- half of the citizens of Erie, extended a cordial welcome to Capt. Berry and his crew. Erie has always been considered as the home of the Michigan and since its advent here in 1843, some 20 of its officers have married Erie girls.
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