Walk-in-the-Water was a sidewheel steamboat that played a pioneering role in steamboat navigation on the Great Lakes of North America. It was the first steam-powered vessel to operate on Lake Erie and subsequently on Lake Huron and Lake Michigan.
Construction and Design
Walk-in-the-Water was built at Black Rock, New York (now part of Buffalo), under the supervision of Noah Brown and Harris Fulton. The vessel was launched on May 28, 1818. It measured approximately 132 feet (40 meters) in length and 32 feet across the beam. The boat was powered by a paddlewheel (sidewheel) propulsion system and was equipped with a smokestack about 30 feet high, positioned between two sails that were used when wind conditions were favorable. The engine was built by machinist Robert McQueen.
Service History
The vessel's first captain was Job Fish. Walk-in-the-Water could accommodate approximately 100 cabin passengers as well as a large number of steerage passengers, and included a smoking room, a baggage room, and a dining room.
The maiden voyage from Buffalo began on August 25, 1818, carrying 29 passengers bound for Erie, Grand River, Cleveland, Sandusky, and Detroit. Traveling at approximately 8–10 miles per hour, the steamer completed the journey in about nine days. Fares were $18 for cabin accommodations and $7 for steerage. When it arrived in Cleveland, most of the village's inhabitants reportedly came to greet it.
In 1819, the vessel traveled to Mackinaw and Green Bay, becoming the first steamboat to operate on Lake Michigan. It ran regular service between Buffalo and Detroit, making biweekly round trips and carrying up to 100 passengers.
Name Origin
The origin of the name is not definitively established. According to some accounts, it was named after a Wyandot chief named Walk-in-the-Water. Other sources suggest the name derived from a Native American observer's description of a steam-powered vessel appearing to "walk in the water," possibly referencing Robert Fulton's earlier steamboat, the Clermont, in 1807.
Wreck
On November 1, 1821, Walk-in-the-Water was caught in a gale-force storm near Buffalo and driven ashore on a sand beach. The vessel was wrecked beyond repair, though all 18 passengers and crew members survived. The financial loss was estimated at $10,000–$12,000. The engine was salvaged and subsequently installed in a successor vessel, the Steamer Superior. Some of the ship's wood was reportedly used in the construction of the Lancaster Presbyterian Church in New York.
Legacy
In 1989, the United States Postal Service issued a 25-cent stamp depicting the Walk-in-the-Water. The vessel is widely recognized as a pioneer of steam navigation on the upper Great Lakes, demonstrating the viability of scheduled steam-powered travel in the region.
