Alpena in Alpena County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Squeezing The Profit Margin

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 23, 2018

1. Squeezing The Profit Margin Marker

Inscription. Sailing ships first appeared on the Great Lakes when French explorer Rene Robert Cavalier, Sieur de La Salle built the Griffon in 1679. By 1870, over two thousand sailing ships plied the Great Lakes. Most of these sailing ships were schooners, sails rigged fore-and-aft on two or more masts. Why were schooners so popular? The combination of seaworthiness, maneuverability, large cargo capacity, and low labor cost made schooners ideal for Great Lakes service.

Many Great Lakes schooners were designed as "canallers," built to maximize their cargo capacity within the size restrictions imposed by the locks of the Welland and St. Lawrence River Canals. Canallers were characterized by boxy, shallow-bottomed hulls, shortened spars, and hinged bowsprits. By 1900, competition from larger, steam-driven vessels ended the era of the Great Lakes schooners. Within the next two decades, the vessels had disappeared from the lakes.

Erected by Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Trail.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1679.

Location. 45° 3.907′ N, 83° 25.944′ W. Marker is in Alpena, Michigan, in Alpena County. Marker can be reached from West

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Fletcher Street west of Merchant Street, on the left when traveling north. Marker is located along the Alpena Bi-Path, south of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife complex, beside the Thunder Bay River. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 480 West Fletcher Street, Alpena MI 49707, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Tragedy in the Mist: The Schooner E.B. Allen (within shouting distance of this marker); The Fletcher Coal Piers (within shouting distance of this marker); Harbor Tug Ralph (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Fast Steel Flyer: The Bulk Freighter Grecian (about 500 feet away); A Shipbuilding Revolution (about 600 feet away); Bigger, Stronger, Faster (about 600 feet away); Treaty of Saginaw (about 700 feet away); Grecian (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Alpena.

More about this marker. Marker is a large composite plaque, mounted waist-high on a metal supporting rack.

Also see . . .
1. René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle - Explorer (1643–1687). By August 1679, La Salle’s men had constructed a fort on the Niagara River and built the ship Le Griffon for the journey down the Mississippi. The mission had to be suspended due to the loss of Le Griffon, most likely in a storm, and a mutiny by the sailors. René-Robert La Salle's expeditions built a network of forts from Canada,

Marker detail: Artist’s rendition of the schooner <i>Cornelia B. Windiate</i> (1874-1875) image. Click for full size.

2. Marker detail: Artist’s rendition of the schooner Cornelia B. Windiate (1874-1875)

The wreck of this “canaller” rests in 180 feet of water and is one of the most intact shipwrecks in the Great Lakes.

across the Great Lakes and along the Ohio, Illinois and Mississippi rivers. This defensive front line established the French territory in North America and defined its commercial and diplomatic policy for almost a century. (Submitted on August 24, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. History and Development of Great Lakes Water Craft. Hull form was determined by geographical conditions and by the configuration and dimension of navigation locks in places like the Welland Ship Canal. Ships were built with full shapes and flat bottoms to squeeze through the shallow spots and the locks with as much cargo as possible. With straight sides and box-like forms, they resembled canal boats. The distinctive "canallers" were characterized by their shapes and their dimensions, which conformed to those of the locks themselves. The first Welland Canal, completed in 1832, had locks 100 feet long and 16 feet wide. The "Second Welland," opened in 1845, had 150-foot by 26-foot locks. In the early 1860s there were reportedly more than 750 canal schooners on the Lakes. (Submitted on August 24, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

3. Le Griffon. Le Griffon was constructed and launched at or near Cayuga Creek on the Niagara River and was armed with seven cannon. The exact size and construction of Le Griffon is

Marker sidebar photos image. Click for full size.

3. Marker sidebar photos

not known but many researchers believe she was a 45-ton barque. She was the largest sailing vessel on the Great Lakes up to that time. La Salle and Father Louis Hennepin set out on Le Griffon's maiden voyage on 7 August 1679 with a crew of 32, sailing across Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Lake Michigan through uncharted waters that only canoes had previously explored. The ship landed on an island in Lake Michigan where the local tribes had gathered with animal pelts to trade with the French. La Salle disembarked and on 18 September sent the ship back toward Niagara. On its return trip from the island, said to be located in the mouth of the body of water which is now known as Green Bay, it vanished with all six crew members and its load of furs. While there have been many theories over the years, there is no clear consensus as to the fate or current location of Le Griffon. (Submitted on November 21, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Squeezing The Profit Margin Marker (<i>wide view; Thunder Bay River in background</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 23, 2018

4. Squeezing The Profit Margin Marker (wide view; Thunder Bay River in background)

Credits. This page was last revised on December 3, 2018. It was originally submitted on August 20, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 245 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 24, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.