This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Sailor recalls Great Lakes era and inland shipping
Cape Vincent resident Wayne B. Brewster, 91, recalls post Civil War Lake Ontario trade era aboard two masted schooners, oversize loads, and the canal’s impact on cargo. He sailed to Chicago via Kingston and Oswego, recounting storms, a syrup spill on deck, and a lightning strike that knocked him from the mast. He later became a carpenter and cherishes a childhood photo.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Cape Vincent
Lake Ontario
Chicago
Wayne B. Brewster
Welland Canal
Mr. Brewster
Brewster
Polly Ann Rogers
L.S. Hammond
Sackets Harbor
EJ. Burnham
Watertown
Rome
Burnham
Oswego
Joe Saunders
Sackett
S.S. Hammond
Cape Vincent Bank
Dick Saunders
Joe
Cleveland
Rogers
Buffalo
Kingston
Montreal
Carpenter
Point Peninsula
William Brewster
Massachusetts
Mary Brewster Cough