The era of heavy commerce on the original Erie Canal began before 1825 and continued onward through the 20th century and the Barge Canal conversion. While many boats from the Barge Canal era, (tugboats, tenders and barges) still exist, there is not a single Clinton’s Ditch-era boat that remains intact today.

That is, until a few months ago, and it can now be correctly restated that there is indeed at least one surviving specimen from that era. In December, a pair of Rochester men announced discovery of an Erie Canal line boat partially buried in mud at the bottom of the Oswego River, south of Fulton.

Using sonar imagery, the shipwreck enthusiasts have estimated the boat was used from 1830-50, based upon its apparent size, 13 1/2 feet wide by 75 1/2 feet long, which would have made it compatible with the limited dimensions of the original Erie Canal locks.

Line boats were designed for shallow draft, drawing only 3 1/2 feet of water. About 6 to 8 inches of the top of the deck of the shipwreck is visible in about 30 feet of water, and the rest of the vessel was detected using high-resolution underwater sonar equipment built by the Swedish company, Deep-Vision.

Erie Canal line boats were the real work-horses of their era and represented about 50 percent of all of the boats traveling the canal. They were built to carry freight, but were also known to carry livestock and even passengers.

Booking travel on a line boat was far cheaper than on packet boats, which carried only passengers and their luggage. Packet boats were built for speed, often traveling at top speeds up to 15 mph. The heavier, more cumbersome line boats would only travel about 60 miles in a day, and usually did not run at night.  

Line boats were built to carry freight, which was placed below their deck. The cargo was usually lumber, gravel or agricultural products going east, and manufactured products — stoves, nails, cloth, etc., going west. Line boats also helped many people to emigrate to Ohio and other parts of the Midwest by carrying families and their belongings, transferring them to schooners at Buffalo. In many cases, the boats were the permanent home for a family, as the father would captain the boat, the mother would be the cook, and the children would play or help out as needed. Passengers were allowed to put a tent on top of the deck and could even bring their own freight and livestock.

The shipwreck discovery team of Jim Kennard and Roger Pawlowski found the early 19th century vessel while performing a study funded by the Oswego Maritime Foundation. Kennard and Pawlowski have a combined 45-year experience exploring underwater wreckage in the Great Lakes, Lake Champlain and Finger Lakes, as well as the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. In 2008, Kennard, who has located more than 200 sunken vessels, found the oldest Great Lakes’ shipwreck discovered to date, the British warship HMS Ontario. Pawlowski, a retired Air Force pilot, was flying a practice mission over Lake Ontario in 1980 when he witnessed a small aircraft crash land into the lake. Pawlowski later teamed up with Kennard and Pawlowski’s observations helped locate the aircraft several miles from shore in over 100 feet of water.

Kennard and Pawlowski admit that several Erie Canal boats have been previously observed in similar underwater discoveries, but note that all of the others are larger; indicating they were used in the expanded Erie Canal and as such, date to the late 19th century. The discovery of an early 19th century canal boat is the first of its kind, and it is hoped that exploration of the vessel will significantly add to our understanding of Erie Canal shipping.

The men noted that in addition to the sonar outline of the ship, the boat’s tiller and even a wood stove are distinguishable in their images. Discussions are currently under way at the state level to determine if the vessel could or should be raised and preserved. Historic shipwrecks embedded in underwater lands belong to the People of the State of New York and are protected by state and federal laws. While most agreed that the boat could be retrieved from the river bottom, it is felt that the cost would be prohibitive. It is hoped by all that more photographs could be taken and research begun to create an exhibit about this important maritime find.

Doug Farley is the director of the Erie Canal Discovery Center and his column runs every Saturday. The Discovery Center is closed for the season and will reopen May 1.