In 1775, only fifteen years had elapsed since the expulsion of the New France from Canada following the French and Indian War (1754-1763). The concentration of French power in the valley of the St. Lawrence had impressed upon the minds of colonial leaders the importance of Lake Champlain, of its tributary Lake George, and of the Hudson River, as forming a consecutive, if not continuous, water line of communications from the St. Lawrence River to the city of New York. [Read more…] about The Naval Campaign on Lake Champlain in 1775-1776
Schooners
Royal Savage: Neglected Champlain Warship Finally ‘On View’
Veteran journalist and newspaper editor Anthony Hall of the Lake George Mirror alerted us to this story. Subscribe (or just make a gift) to the Mirror to support the important work of local journalists.
In the murky depths of Lake Champlain, the skeletal remains of the Continental Navy schooner Royal Savage rested for over 150 years, a silent witness to the birth of the American Navy.
However, after recovery in 1934 through turbulent years of improper storage, possibly being sold off to the highest bidder, and the government’s rescue of artifacts, countless hours of preservation, 3D-scans of original timbers and 1:12 scale models, visitors to the National Museum of the U.S. Navy in Washington, DC, can finally see history re-imagined. [Read more…] about Royal Savage: Neglected Champlain Warship Finally ‘On View’
1848 Great Albany Fire Kills 10, Burns Fleet of Schooners & Canal Boats
The following text is from an article printed in the New York Daily Herald of August 19, 1848.
The Albany papers are filled with accounts of the disastrous conflagration which took place in that city on the 17th inst. We are indebted to Capt. Gorham of the steamboat Hendrik Hudson, for Albany papers, delivered at an early hour on Friday afternoon. [Read more…] about 1848 Great Albany Fire Kills 10, Burns Fleet of Schooners & Canal Boats
Canal Boat Replica Lois McClure Moved to Port Byron
The Canal Society of New York State completed a multi‑year effort to move the full‑scale replica 1860s‑era canal boat Lois McClure to a land berth at Erie Canal Heritage Park in Port Byron in Cayuga County, NY, on December 23, 2025.
Launched in 2004 by the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, the Lois McClure spent nearly twenty years traveling the NYS Canal System as an educational “time machine” helping people better understand the state’s maritime history and culture. [Read more…] about Canal Boat Replica Lois McClure Moved to Port Byron
Staten Island Shipyards: Some History
The scarcity of timber following the American Revolution somewhat diminished the Staten Island shipbuilding trade. After the war, the U.S. shipbuilding industry thrived because of low-cost construction made possible by cheap timber.
The growth of the fishing and oystering industries following the War of 1812, and later the expansion of recreational boating industries, brought a revival in wooden boat/ship construction and repair. [Read more…] about Staten Island Shipyards: Some History
Maritime History of the New York Harbor Area
Unlike early colonial enterprises founded on political or religious principles, New York’s development was prompted by trade. Early maritime commerce in the New York Harbor area began in the early 1600s, centering around the trade and barter for furs.
After the area was discovered by the Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1524, the Dutch began initial colonization of Manhattan Island, with the Dutch West India Company establishing a trading post of eight men in 1625 to help develop the fur trade. By 1650, New Amsterdam featured peoples speaking some 18 languages. [Read more…] about Maritime History of the New York Harbor Area
New York Harbor History: Furs, Flour, Slaves, Sugar and Shipwrecks
Europe’s first exposure to the New York Bay was during the voyages of Giovanni da Verrazzano (1485–1528). An Italian from Florence sailing for Francois I, the king of France, he left European waters in January 1524 to find a route to China. [Read more…] about New York Harbor History: Furs, Flour, Slaves, Sugar and Shipwrecks
New York’s Historic Vessels Highlight Preservation Failures
One of America’s most historic ships, which spent most of its career traveling between New York City and Southampton, England, will serve as a kind of metaphor for our times when it’s hauled to Florida, loaded with explosives and purposely sunk.
It’s just one of several historic vessels with ties to New York State that have recently been abandoned for lack of funding. [Read more…] about New York’s Historic Vessels Highlight Preservation Failures