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Dating history in the St. Lawrence.
Geological History, Plate Tectonics, the Age of the Dinosaurs is where we will begin the discussion of the history of the St. Lawrence only to mention that it set the foundation of granite and red sandstone that you will find evident throughout the region. Millions of years of life and ice have since left their marks on the region.
The glacial ice sheet covered this region with ice miles thick, advancing and retreating on numerous occasions. The most recent retreat was only about 10,000 years ago. The ice was so thick and heavy that it depressed the earth’s crust by several hundred feet. The land was below sea level for thousands of years, which created a large inland sea. At first as the ice melted the sea was freshwater, over time SALT water flooded across much of the Great Lakes watershed. This can be evidenced in the marine fossils that you can find both on land and while diving the Thousand Island Region.
The original path to the sea was through Central and Upstate NY. When the great ice sheets receded and the land rebounded, the great lakes were damned with no way to the sea. Eventually an outlet was carved from the granite forming the St. Lawrence River. Much in the same way as water carved the mighty Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Bryce Canyons and other spectacular geologic formations around the world, water carved the Thousand Islands out of the granite.
The beauty of the Thousand Islands that most tourist can see are the islands themselves, which are only the very tops of pinnacles of beauty enjoyed by the privileged few known as scuba divers. One can begin to appreciate the underwater seascapes by watching the depth finder on your way to and from any dive site. You will witness pinnacles rising from hundreds of feet deep to a few feet shy of the surface, only to disappear again into the depths. The Eagle Wing Group, near Clayton is a must see dive for those who wish to dive among the pinnacles.
Shortly after the glaciers receded 10,000 years ago, the prehistoric PalaeoIndians inhabiting the region left stone t ools as evidence of their hunts for mastodons, mammoths, moose-elk, caribou, bison, camels, early native horses, and giant beavers. Later inhabitants, beginning around 1000 BC, created ceramic pottery which is being found from time to time by divers. The changing elevations and topography as well as terrestrial destruction, have left the some of the evidence of these early inhabitants in the sole realm of the scuba diver. There is high interest in any pieces found from this period, so please share information of your finds with archeologists.
The entire area is rich in Indian History, the details of the preceding 9700 years exceed this author’s capabilities to share here.
Written history for the region begins with explorations of Jacques Cartier, a French explorer in 1534 on a mission from the King Francis I of France, who was search for a route to China. On his return in 1535, Jacques Cartier made it as far as Mont Real (Mount Royal), now Montreal.
1603 Samuel de Champlain explored the St. Lawrence river and first wrote of what is now Niagara Falls. Samuel de Champlain continued to explore the St. Lawrence Valley, still in search of a Northwest Passage to China through 1624. The first ship of record to be built in the Great Lakes was the Griffon in 1678. This ushered in a long history of ship building and commerce that continues to this day to provide divers an unparalleled experience into history.
The fur trade and the lumber trade were the early economic engines for the St. Lawrence accompanied by a significant ship building trade of both lake schooners and ocean worthy vessels. A nice balance of building and sinking wooden schooners and barges throughout the region, as well as the waterlogged lumber from the lumber trade, provides plenty of interesting diving for us today.
The War of 1812 represents the first military engagements for the US Navy. Though the largest US Warship of that era, the St. Lawrence, never actually engaged the enemy in battle, she lies near shore in Kingston for divers to visit today.
The St. Lawrence was never the trade route to China that the early explorers had hoped for, however it was the lifeline of trade for the Midwest and Western Ontario (Province). The transportation of goods and people by this mighty waterway was often then only way to get to and from the rest of the world. The advent of the railroad did not slow the commerce on the St. Lawrence. An interesting marriage of land and sea, of rail and schooner, evolved around the ports of Kingston, Oswego, Buffalo, Brockville, Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto. For example the mighty coal fields of Pennsylvania drove the creation of the Ontario and Western Railroad line into the port of Oswego in 1882 to offload railcars of coal into dozens of waiting schooners for distribution throughout the Great Lakes and Europe. So when you find coal on a wreck in the St. Lawrence it’s most likely from Pennsylvania.
As coal and steam technology became more prevalent, so did the coal powered freight steamers, both sidewheelers and propellers. Many were hybrids, equipped with both steam and wind power.
About this time the St. Lawrence was discovered as a playground for the rich. Hotel, Coal, Steel, Industrial Magnates built huge mansions on private islands throughout the region. The quarried stone and other building supplies were dragged across the frozen river in the winter by draft horses and steam tractors, for construction by over 300 masons and tradesman the following summer. Learn more by visiting Boldt Castle and Singer Castle b etween dives.
Privacy, Affluence, Resorts, Time, and Youth set in beautiful surroundings, mix in a little water and fun, and what do you have? PARTY central from the early 20th century to today. Today Party Central on summer weekends is Alexandria Bay and the nearby Lake of the Isles, accessible only by boat. Not even a little thing like Prohibition in the 30’s could slow down the party in international water, with a thousand private islands and secluded coves. Depression era glass, bottles, evidence of rum runners are just a few of the treasures you’ll find beneath the waves. Whether it’s trash or treasure you find, you’ll have memories to last a lifetime.
There are a number of ways to date the history of your finds. Known wrecks are easy; pottery, glassware, clay pipes are readily researched on the web.
Enjoy your dive into history in the 1000 Islands!
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