The Cruising Guide to the Hudson River,Lake Champlain & the St. Lawrence River

Lake Champlain's Sailing Canal Boats

An Illustrated Journey From Burlington Bay to the Hudson River

The Lake Champlain-Hudson River corridor has played host to some of this nation’s most defining historic events. Lake Champlain's Sailing Canal Boats, takes the reader on a fascinating journey through history from before the region's first exploration by Europeans to the present day.

Come along on the journey as these unique vessels are brought back to life from the pages of history. Richly illustrated with both historic and contemporary illustrations and photographs, Lake Champlain's Sailing Canal Boats documents the results of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum’s extensive underwater archeological exploration of Lake Champlain’s extraordinary shipwrecks: Revolutionary War and War of 1812 warships; sloops and schooners that pre-date the opening of the Champlain and Chambly Canals; and the barges and steamships that enabled these connected waterways to become one of this nation's most important early commercial corridors.

The nearly forgotten story of the lake’s sailing canal boats is revealed. Come along on our journey as these unique vessels are brought back to life from the pages of history. Hear the story of the replica canal schooner Lois McClure, from the laying of her keel to the preparation for her memorable journey, retracing the old-time route between Burlington, Vermont and New York City.

Arthur Cohn is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. After a short career in law, he became a professional diver. He is and adjunct professor of nautical archaeology a the University of Vermont and the Institute of Nautical Archaeology at Texas A&M University. He has been the coordinator of the Lake Champlain Underwater Historic Preserve since its inception in 1985. Art has served on a U.S. State Department delegation for the development of a United Nations Treaty for the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage. His first home was in Nyack-on-the Hudson and he now lives in Vermont.

Table of Contents

	Page
Introduction	1
Before the Canals: Native Settlement - 1823	5
The Abenaki in the Champlain Valley	9
The Onion River Land Company and the Settlement of Vermont	10
The Revolutionary War Era	11
Burlington in the New Republic	14
The Dawn of Steam Navigation	17
Embargo, smuggling and the Black Snake Affair	18
The War of 1812	21
The Phoenix Tragedy	22
The Boom Years 1823 - 1900	25
The Opening of the Champlain Canal, 1823	28
The Sailing Canal Boats of Lake Champlain	31
Four Classes of Sailing Canal Boats	36
The Chambly Connection: The Route to Canada, 1843	42
Shipping and Transportation in the Champlain Valley	45
Railroads Arrive, 1849	49
Burlington Harbor in the 1850s	50
The Civil war Era in Burlington	53
After the War	55
Lumber Becomes King	57
Lumber, Ice, Oil- Let the Good Times Roll	63
The Commercial Era Fades- Recreation Rises	64
A Waterfront in Transition: the Twentieth Century	67
Economics Redefine the Waterfront	71
Decline, Transition, and Renaissance of the Burlington Waterfront	72
Evolution of Transportation Technology Continues	77
Steamboats Struggle to Survive	80
World War II	88
The Shelburne Shipyard	90
The Stage is Set for Change	93
After the War-A New Waterfront Perspective	94
Rediscovering History	101
The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum	103
The Maritime Research Institute	108
The Archaeology of the Lake Champlain Sailing Canal Boat	113
The Wreck of Troy of Westport, An 1823-class Canal Schooner	114
The Isle La Motte Shipwreck, An 1841-class Canal Sloop	116
General Butler, An 1862-class Canal Schooner	118
General Butler Today	120
O.J.Walker, An 1862-class Canal Schooner	122
O.J.Walker Today	124
Life on Board a Canal Boat	127
The Burlington Schooner Project-The First Season	137
The Burlington Schooner Project-The Second Season	143
Plans for the Schooner Lois McClure	148
The Launching of Lois McClure	152
A View From the Quarterdeck	153
The Inaugural Tour and the Grand Journey	157
Epilog	169
Glossary	172
Bibliography	175
Index	179

This highly detailed table of contents provides the best indication of the breadth of topics covered in this book. Each topic is richly illustrated with contemporary prints, paintings, sketches, and photographs, many in full color. Many of these illustrations are from private collections not normally available to the public.

By Arthur Cohn
176 pages
0ver 300 photographs
8 1/2" x 11"
Soft cover: $24.95
Hardcover: $36.95