The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1899-01-28
BEFOREST. MARY'S
CANAL WAS BUILT
Interesting Story of Early Day
Navigation on Lake
Superior.
FIRST SCHOONER IN 1922.
First Boats on the Lake Were the
Trading SchOOners of the Big
Fur Companies.
Marquette Mining Journal.

hhrquc''c "ihinB Journal'
No one in all the Lake Superior
country is better able to speak with
authority of the old days here than
the Hon Peter White. His remin-
iscences have made him famous not
only through this region, but also
through this state and even farther
afeld. Ten years ago he wrote an
article for the Mining Journal on
the early history of navigation on
this lake. Since then traffic has
grown wonderfully, and. compari-
son of its present day proportions
with its very small beginnings are
even more interesting than when
Mr.. White wrote his article. For
this reason the Mining Journal has
prepared the article for publication
again. 1t is condensed and some
what changed in form, but the main
facts Of the original story are all re-
tained. The article follows:
Traffice on Lake Superior in the
years prior to the opening of the 500
canal was so infinitisimal that no
one lacking the gift OF second sight
could possibly have foreseen its
growth to its present magnitude.
But backwards look at the craft of
the early days shows it's wonderful
development better than score Of
comparative tables and freight ton
mage. ~
The look backwards from the pres
ent day of marvellous steel steam
ships to the time when the first
schooners began competition with
the Indian S canoe and the voyageur S
batteau is but triae more than
seventy five years ago. The advent
of the first steamer on the lake is a
quarter OF century closer.
The first vessels on this lake Of
which there is any record were the
Invincible, Otter, Mink, Recovery
and Discovery. They were schoon-
ers varying in size from 20 to 100
tons and built on the lake by the
American, Northwest and Hudson
Bay fur companies. The Invincible
was wrecked on Whitefish Point
about 1922. The Discovery went to
pieces in running the Rapids at the
500. The fate of the Otter is uu-
known. The Mink went ashore on
the Canadian side above the rapids.
The Recovery ran the rapids safely
in 1929 and finished her service on
Lake Erie. Bayfield,, while making
his survey OF Lake Superior in 1923,
is supposed to have had the Mink
loaned him by the Hudson Bay COM
pany.
For six years after the loss Of this
feet the canoes and batteaux had
the lake to themselves. The next
vessel was the John Jacob Astor,
built above the 500 ip 1895 by George
w. Jones. She was 113 tons burden.
She was wrecked at Copper Harbor
Sept. 20, 1874. Captain G. G. Stan
nard, her first master, discovered
Stannard rock while sailing up the
lake on her maiden trip.
The schooner William Brewster,
which was named after the agent of
the American uFur company at De-
troit, was built above the rapids in
1888, but after few years service
on Lake Superior she was taken to
the lower lakes.
The hfty-ton Algonquin was the
first boat to be hauled over the por-
tage and made her first trip on the
lake at the opening Of navigation in
the season OF 1910. Mr.. White re-
lates taat in 1849 the Algonquin
took on load of settlers at Sault
st. Marie 70 bring them to Mar
quette. When the vessel had passed
Laughing Whitefish point, though
it was bright clear day in August,
Captain Mckay said he had been in
TO Marquette bay many time, and
that il was no place to be when an