OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Know your Ohio:  The First Steamer on Lake Erie  
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by
Darlene E. Kelley 
http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374
May 30,1999
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Historical Collections of Ohio
The Kelley Family collections
Newspaper article, Plains Dealer compiled by S. J. Kelley   1925
And Then They Went West 
By Darlene E. Kelley  1998
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     On Tuesday, Aug. 23, 1818 at l l in the morning there appeared at
the Cuyahoga's mouth the first steamer on Lake Erie.  The
Walk-in-the-Water, anglicized from Indian words, was built at Black
Rock, N.Y., near the head of Squaw Island, a few miles from the mouth of
Buffalo Creek, down the Niagara River.  There was little harbor at
Buffalo for craft of that size, and, under a full head of steam, 14 yoke
of oxen were required to tow her against the river current to the lake.
     Leaving Buffalo Aug. 23. at 1:30 p.m., at 6:35 in the eveing she
passed Dunkirk, and the following morning reached Erie, where she took
on wood off Cunningham Island.  At Cleveland she was greeted by salvos
of artillery from the high bank where the old lighthouse stood at the
foot of present W. 9th Street.  The Cuyahoga's entrance was too shallow
for vessels and at times closed by sand bars.  As the steamer passed the
Lake's public wharf and that of J.S. Roby, she was roundly cheered by
most of the village and  anchored off the river mouth.  Commanded by
Capt. Job Fish, her trip from Buffalo had taken 45 hours and 30 minutes.
She carried 29 passengers and her highest speed was 10 miles per hour.
     All Cleveland swarmed aboard to visit the new craft.  Many pictures
have appeared of the Walk-in-the-Water, some of them absurd, depicting a
steamer half-canoe, half batteau in her hull's shape with high mounting
engine frame, indescibable cabin and rakish sails giving her the
appearance of a viking ship with a tall mast-like stack and a couple of
unseaworthy paddle-wheels.  This first steamboat was strongly built
along lines similar to a modern vessel, with neat bows and two suitable
and well placed masts.  Her paddle wheels were boxed.  Her frame was
outside the wheels to protect them, similar to steamers of many after
years.  Aft of the paddle-wheels, the hull extended to a rounding stern
where the enclosed deck was covered by an upper deck or awning giving
passengers a fine view.  From the stern floated the United States flag
on a short slanting staff.  Altogether, the Walk-in-the-Water, barring a
high slender stack and a vertical engine frame of moderate height, had
the general appearance of a large wooden lake yacht of later times. 
     The vessel was 125 feet long, 32 feet in width and 8 feet 6 inches
in depth.  Her license issued Aug. 22, 1818 records 338 burthen tonnage.
Her trim masts carried mainsails and a fore-topmast staysail, forward
were foresails with a short bowsprit.  Her cabins for 100 passengers,
began well forward and were fitted in neat, convenient style.  Below
were accommodations for a large number in the steerage.
      At 6:20 the day of her arrival, she left for Detoit and arriving
at Sandusky Bay at 1 o'clock Wednesday morning lay at anchor during the
night, then proceeded to Venice for wood.  Leaving there at 3 p.m. she
stopped at th mouth of Detroit River and anchored for the night.
Nothing could exceed the red man's surprise next morning when the
Walk-in-the-Water moved majestically and rapidly up the river against
wind and current without sails or oars.  Above Maiden they lined the
shores shouting " Taiyoh niches "--an exclaimation of astonishment.
Rumor raced around Detroit that a " big canoe " was coming from the "
noisy waters"          (Niagara) by order of the " great father of Chemo
Komods," (Long Knives or Yankees), drawn through the lakes and rivers by
a sturgeon.  The steamer satisfied them of the report.
     On Sunday, Aug 30, she again appeared off the Cuyahoga on her way
to Buffalo.  Here she took aboard a number of passengers  among them Dr.
David Long, Dr. J.L. Beach, Mr. S.S. Dudley and Miss L. Morgan.  On her
second trip to Detroit she arrived there on Sept.7th, with 31 passengers
including the Earl of Selkirk and suite bound for the far northwest.  
     It took about 10 days for a trip from Buffalo to Detroit, at an
average speed of about seven and a half miles per hour.  The entire fare
was $18.  The rest of the  season, residents along the shore at Euclid
would see the lone steamer coming from the east, from her tall stack
rolled a cloud of smoke trailing far in the rear of the mysterious,
swift gliding craft.  Watching its western course until it turned its
prow toward Cleveland, they would return to their farming.
( This is the First of Two Articles.)
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