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114-464: The Mansion House was the first hotel built at this site on top of the bluff in St. Joseph in 1831. Awed by the panoramic view, August Newell built a rough log cabin lodging house. The moniker "Mansion House" was supposedly intentional sarcasm, as it was not a mansion nor much of a house, but the views were spectacular. The Mansion House became a popular stagecoach stop between Chicago and Detroit . The building

228-426: A 34-man crew, and a salute from her cannon and musketry . They were navigating Le Griffon through uncharted waters that only canoes had previously explored. They made their way around Long Point, Ontario , constantly sounding as they went through the first moonless, fog-laden night to the sound of breaking waves and guided only by La Salle's knowledge of Galinée's crude, 10-year-old chart. They sailed across

342-469: A bitterly fought political contest, St. Joseph was named the seat of Berrien County in 1894, when Berrien Springs relinquished that status. The three largest towns in the county, Benton Harbor , St. Joseph, and Niles , each wanted to be the county seat, but none had a majority vote. Once St. Joseph and Benton Harbor voters combined their votes, St. Joseph had enough to win. On October 11, 1898, Augustus Moore Herring took one of his gliders , fitted with

456-402: A bowsprit dating from a ship hundreds of years old, and others that it was a common pound net stake used for fishing nets in the 19th century. Later radio carbon dating was inconclusive, indicating it could have been fashioned between 1660 and 1950. During excavation of the pole, another nearby area was searched. Sonar showed an object approximately 40 by 18 feet (12.2 by 5.5 m) (similar to

570-492: A city commission with five members, who are elected at large. City elections are held in November of even-numbered years; at each election, three commission seats become open. The two candidates receiving the greatest number of votes receive four-year terms, while the candidate receiving the third-greatest number of votes receives a two-year term. At the first meeting following each election, the commission selects from its own number

684-492: A footnote that became a focus of writers and historians that followed, concerning a letter written by La Salle to the governor of New France in 1683. In the letter "La Salle expresses his belief that his vessel, the ‘Griffin,’ had been destroyed, not by Indians, but by the pilot, who, as he thinks, had been induced to sink her, and then, with some of the crew, attempted to join Du Lhut with their plunder, but were captured by Indians on

798-451: A great storm in the middle of the lake, wanted to continue his voyage without considering that the sheltered location where he was prevented him from knowing the strength of the wind. He was barely a quarter of a league from the shore when the savages saw the barque tossed in a manner so extraordinary that, unable to resist the storm even though all of the sails were lowered, a short time later they lost her from sight, and they believed that she

912-567: A grenade, in the presence of this young Pana who was there at the time. These rogues must have taken the plan, counseled by my enemies, to sink the barque and go by the Mississippi to join du Luth , who was among the Nadouessiou, after having taken the best of the merchandise which were inside to exchange for beaver and to withdraw to the baye du Nord, among the English, if their affairs went badly. This

1026-589: A lighthouse was constructed near the southwest end of Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron, manned by a resident keeper. A shipwreck was on the adjacent shore a mile north of the Mississagi lighthouse on Manitoulin Island. In 1887, four skeletons were discovered in a depression behind a boulder, and two more in another nearby limestone cave. They were wrapped in birchbark, and identified as Natives at that time. By coincidence, six

1140-510: A male householder with no wife present, and 50.6% were non-families. 43.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.97 and the average family size was 2.74. The median age in the city was 41.6 years. 16.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.6% were from 25 to 44; 27.2% were from 45 to 64; and 18.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of

1254-596: A mayor and mayor pro tem for the following two years. The city commission is a part-time body, typically meeting twice each month to act as a legislative body and set general policies. Day-to-day operations are delegated to a contracted city manager . Major city facilities include the City Hall and Police Station at 700 Broad Street; the Department of Public Works at 1160 Broad Street; the Fire Department at 915 Broad Street;

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1368-450: A month of preparations at Fort Frontenac, La Salle dispatched Captain La Motte and Father Louis Hennepin together with 15 men and supplies in a vessel of 10 tons. Their mission was to begin selecting a site for the construction of Le Griffon and to erect necessary structures for shelter, storage, and defense. Because the wind was strong from the north, they sailed close to the north shore of

1482-523: A motor, to Silver Beach in St. Joseph. Herring's machine lifted ever so slightly off the ground and actually flew for seven seconds. Eleven days later, the inventor made another flight of ten seconds. While Herring had a powered heavier-than-air craft, he did not have a way to control it. It was left to the Wright brothers to perfect controlled flight five years later, and give themselves and Kitty Hawk, North Carolina ,

1596-404: A name to this vessel, and it was one of several La Salle used for fur trading below Niagara. Le Griffon is reported to be the " Holy Grail " of Great Lakes shipwreck hunters. A number of sunken old sailing ships have been suggested to be Le Griffon but, except for the ones proven to be other ships, there has been no positive identification. Of 22 claims of finding Le Griffin advanced since

1710-537: A place in history that might have ended up belonging to Herring and St. Joseph. Two major shipping companies operated between St. Joseph and Chicago during the last half of the 19th century, the Goodrich Transportation company and the local firm of Graham and Morton. They dominated the traffic at St. Joseph for more than 100 years, although other smaller companies did operate during this time. Starting in 1874, Henry Graham and J. Stanley Morton began operating

1824-493: A plan to burn the ship before it could be launched, so he launched ahead of schedule and Le Griffon entered the waters in early May 1679. A female Native informant who was of the tribe foiled the plans of hostile Senecas to burn Le Griffon as she grew on her stocks. The unrest of the Seneca and dissatisfied workmen were continually incited by secret agents of merchants and traders who feared La Salle would break their monopoly on

1938-650: A rail line from New Buffalo to St. Joseph. This railroad connected St. Joseph to Grand Rapids , Muskegon , Detroit and Chicago. (Prior to this, the only connection St. Joseph had to these other cities was by water.) The line was reorganized as the Chicago and West Michigan Railway and then was incorporated into the Pere Marquette Railroad . Nowadays it is recognized as the CSX Grand Rapids Subdivision which runs from Chicago, IL to Grand Rapids,MI along

2052-463: A reliable truce lest the natives interfere with their projects. Negotiations with the Senecas were only moderately successful, so when they left the village they still wondered if the natives would permit them to finish their project. They reached Niagara again on 14 January. Meanwhile, La Salle and Henri de Tonti , had departed Fort Frontenac in a second vessel some days after La Motte and Hennepin. This

2166-565: A rupture with us, seized this opportunity to spread distrust of us among the Algonquin nations; that they succeeded, especially with the Ottawas, and that a troop of these last, seeing the Griffin at anchor in a bay, ran up under pretext of seeing a thing so novel to them; that, as no one distrusted them, they were allowed to go aboard, where there were only five men, who were massacred by these savages; that

2280-467: A sailing craft, probably a schooner or schooner-barge, that was built and operated during the last half of the 1800s. Additionally, this particular shipwreck is well-known, can be clearly seen on aerial imagery internet sites, and has been visited by state authorities." The most recent substantive claim to finding Le Griffon was 27 December 2014, when two divers, Kevin Dykstra and Frederick Monroe, announced

2394-569: A single carved log (" dugout " or " pirogue "), most were bark canoes. Bateaux were also common. They were open vessels (no deck) made of wood measuring up to about 35 feet (11 m) long and capable of carrying three or four tons of cargo. While they were at times fitted with mast and sails, their primary propulsion was either oars or poles. The sails were merely supplemental for traveling down wind. Their inefficiency at beating to windward made them impractical as sailing vessels, and they were not very safe in open water. James Mansfield says that in

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2508-426: A single mast with several square sails and 30 to 40 feet (9.1 to 12.2 m) long with a 10-to-15-foot (3.0 to 4.6 m) beam. Hennepin's first account says she was a vessel of about 45 tons; his second says 60 tons. Because his second account has numerous exaggerations and cases where he credits himself for things that La Salle had done, Hennepin's first account is considered more reliable. In any case, Le Griffon

2622-426: A site above Niagara Falls where he could build his new ship. Beckwith's conclusion was that he chose one of his existing vessels, one of about ten tons burden, for sending the first group of men to Niagara. Some of La Salle's associates called this vessel a brigantine; others called it a bark. The accounts agree that this little vessel played a part in the building of Le Griffon . On 18 November 1678, after just over

2736-428: A site for building Le Griffon . The site La Salle had selected for building Le Griffon has conclusively been identified as at or near the mouth of Cayuga Creek, at Cayuga Island . After La Salle and Tonti left, the pilot and the rest of the crew were to follow with the supply vessel. On 8 January 1679, the pilot and crew decided to spend the night ashore where they could light a fire and sleep in some warmth. It

2850-542: A steam line out of St. Joseph. Their collaboration would become the Graham and Morton Transportation Company. Through vigorous competition, they won the war to become the major carrier out of St. Joseph. Goodrich stopped service to the Twin Cities in 1880. The company grew fast and over the fifty plus years of its existence became the second largest line on Lake Michigan behind only Goodrich. In 1924, as graded roads began to line

2964-463: A sunken garden and a 60 tub bathhouse. It opened on May 3, 1928 to much fanfare. Renovated in the early 1970s, the Whitcomb Hotel has now become "The Whitcomb," a four-star senior living community. It is one of Southwestern Michigan's most coveted retirement communities where St. Joe's history continues to shine. The Whitcomb Hotels (both old and new) have hosted a variety of famous people over

3078-460: A total area of 4.80 square miles (12.43 km ), of which 3.22 square miles (8.34 km ) is land and 1.58 square miles (4.09 km ) is water. As of the census of 2010, there were 8,365 people, 3,933 households, and 1,941 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,597.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,003.0/km ). There were 4,795 housing units at an average density of 1,489.1 per square mile (574.9/km ). The racial makeup of

3192-490: Is a few pieces of iron, wood and some lead caulking from the ship. In 2001 near Poverty Island , adjacent to Green Bay on Lake Michigan , a 10.5' pole sticking up out of the lakebed was discovered by private marine company Great Lakes Exploration Group, founded by Steve and Kathie Libert. After years of legal squabbles the Michigan Department of Natural Resources issued a permit, and on 16 June 2013, an underwater pit

3306-525: Is all the more probable as the man named La Rivière, de Tours, who deserted me to follow du Luth, was in the barque, where I had left him after having recaptured him. They could not have taken this route without having passed the house of the Jesuits of the Bay, who have always acted ignorant of it...". Tonti merely says , "As for the boat, it was never heard from again." After these, history becomes legend. Charlevoix,

3420-467: Is given for the letter, the location of Mill's reference to it suggests that it was sent before 1677, perhaps as early as 1675. Francis Parkman says that by 1677, "four vessels of 25 to 40 tons had been built for the lake Ontario and the river St. Lawrence ." H. W. Beckwith says that in September 1678, La Salle "already had three small vessels on Lake Ontario, which he had made use of in a coasting trade with

3534-640: Is home of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers . The mouth of the St. Joseph River at present day St. Joseph was an important point of Amerindian travel and commerce, as it lay along a key water route between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River . Both the Miami and Potawatomi used this route and would use the area as a camp. The St. Joseph River also allowed for connection with

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3648-525: Is no clear consensus as to the fate or current location of Le Griffon . Le Griffon ' s pattern closely followed the prevailing type used by explorers to cross the Atlantic Ocean to the New World . The exact size and construction of Le Griffon is not known. The widely referenced antique woodcutting of Le Griffon shows her with two masts but many researchers believe she was a 45-ton barque with

3762-455: The Sauk Trail , which was the major land trail through Michigan. In 1669, the mouth of the river was seen by European explorers. French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle , built Fort Miami on the bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. In 1678, he waited for the ship Le Griffon , which never returned. Once the ship was deemed lost, La Salle and his men made the first land crossing of

3876-504: The Straits of Mackinac . La Salle seized two of the deserters and sent Tonti with six men to arrest two more at Sault Ste. Marie . The short open-water season of the upper Great Lakes compelled La Salle to depart for Green Bay on 12 September, five days before Tonti's return. They sailed from the Straits of Mackinac to Washington Island located at the entrance of Green Bay. They anchored on

3990-516: The West Indies . La Salle never saw Le Griffon again. There are three accounts from among La Salle's party regarding the fate of Le Griffon: Father Hennepin's, La Salle's own, and that of Henri Tonti. Hennepin said: "They sailed the 18th of September with a Westerly Wind, and fir'd a Gun to take their leave. Tho' the Wind was favorable, it was never known what course they steer'd nor how they perish'd...

4104-406: The pilot was negligent. On noon of 25 August they started out northwest with a favoring northerly wind. When the wind suddenly veered to the southeast they changed course to avoid Presque Isle . However, the ferocity of the gale forced them to retreat windward and lie-to until morning. By 26 August the violence of the gale caused them to "haul down their topmasts , to lash their yards to

4218-486: The "big wood canoe". La Salle dressed in a scarlet cloak bordered with lace and a highly plumed cap, laid aside his arms in charge of a sentinel and attended mass with his crew in the chapel of the Ottawas and then made a visit of ceremony with the chiefs . La Salle found some of the 15 men he sent ahead from Fort Frontenac to trade with the Illinois but they had listened to La Salle's enemies who said he would never reach

4332-535: The 1800s, all but 2 have been definitively dismissed. One candidate was a wreck at the western end of Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron, known since at least 1873, when a lighthouse was constructed at the western end of the island. Another candidate is a debris field adjacent to Poverty Island at the entrance to Green Bay discovered by private maritime company The Great Lakes Exploration Group In 2018. In 2022, Wayne Lusardi, Michigan state marine archaeologist, stated bluntly, "The Griffon has not been found." In 1873,

4446-573: The Blessing of the River, the Lighted Boat Parade, and a Classic Boat Parade. The festival's name was a nod to similarities between St. Joseph and Venice, Italy . In 1987, USS Oliver Hazard Perry came to port, and its commander let festival-goers take a free tour. This initiated a tradition whereby US Navy ships regularly came to the festival. Music also contributed to the festival's success, and

4560-717: The Bluff is held in Lake Bluff Park every year on the weekend after the July 4 weekend. The Concours d'Elegance of Southwest Michigan is held annually on the second Saturday in August. The inaugural show was held in 2005. An invitational fine car show, 75 vintage car owners are asked to show vehicles in St. Joseph's downtown Lake Bluff Park. From 1979 to 2011, St. Joseph was the site of the Venetian Festival, which comprised three traditions:

4674-521: The D&;C named C.D. Whitcomb purchased the St. Charles Hotel. It is unknown whether this was with his own money or with company funds. The hotel was refurbished and renamed the Hotel Whitcomb. In 1905, the Hotel Whitcomb discovered it had more to offer than just great views. There had been Native American legends of foul-smelling gas rising from cracks in the ground near the hotel. Geologists confirmed there

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4788-454: The French. La Salle and company disembarked and on 18 September sent the ship back toward Niagara. On its return trip from the island, it vanished with all six crew members and its load of furs. One consequential result of the effort to build Le Griffin was the discovery of Niagara Falls on the namesake river between lakes Erie and Ontario. While there have been many theories over the years, there

4902-480: The Great Lakes up to that time. La Salle and Father Louis Hennepin set out on Le Griffon ' s maiden voyage on 7 August 1679 with a crew of 32, sailing across Lake Erie , Lake Huron and Lake Michigan through uncharted waters that only canoes had previously explored. The ship landed on an island in northern Lake Michigan adjacent to Green Bay where the local tribes had gathered with animal pelts to trade with

5016-604: The Indians." None of these sources ascribe a name to any of these vessels. While the journals of Tonti, Hennepin, and LeClercq (participants with La Salle) do mention a little vessel of 10 tons, none of them apply a name to it. La Salle's prime focus in 1678 was building Le Griffon . Arriving at Fort Frontenac in late September, he had neither the time for nor the interest in building a vessel at Fort Frontenac to transport building materials, some of which he had recently obtained in France, to

5130-517: The Lake Michigan shoreline, G & M was forced to merge into Goodrich. Like most other ports along Lake Michigan, St. Joseph saw a huge drop in traffic during the early years of the twentieth century and this was exacerbated by the Great Depression. The route between Chicago and St. Joseph did survive until the 1950s. On January 29, 1870, the Chicago and Michigan Lake Shore Railroad extended

5244-450: The Liberts' claim, detailing thus: "Our archeologist's review of recently published media images reveals the remains of a shipwreck that features typical late 19th-century Great Lakes shipbuilding materials and methodologies, and scantlings that are entirely too large to be a French colonial vessel. The keelson structure with mast steps, paired floors and futtocks, and ceiling timbers all suggest

5358-717: The Maud Preston Palenske Public Library at 500 Market Street; the John and Dede Howard Ice Arena at 2414 Willa Drive; the Water Treatment Plant at 1701 Lions Park Drive; and Riverview Cemetery at 2525 Niles Road. The city Water Treatment Plant provides drinking water to the communities of the Lake Michigan Shoreline Water and Sewage Treatment Authority, which serves Lincoln Charter Township , Royalton Township , St. Joseph Charter Township , and

5472-534: The Mississippi.” Hennepin and Parkman are the sources of all accounts of La Salle and Le Griffen from that time forward. There is no conclusive evidence about any of the theories about Le Griffon ' s loss. Le Griffon is considered by some to have been the first ship lost on the Great Lakes. It was another vessel used by La Salle and Tonti, however, that was the first loss on 8 January 1679. It dragged anchor and ran aground near Thirty Mile Point on Lake Ontario, where it broke apart. Most sources do not ascribe

5586-512: The Seneca word Ot-goh , meaning supernatural beings or spirits. The tumultuous sound of Le Griffon's cannons so amazed the Native Americans that the Frenchmen were able to sleep at ease for the first time in months when they anchored off shore. After Le Griffon was launched, she was rigged with sails and provisioned with seven cannon of which two were brass . The French flag flew above

5700-542: The Ship was hardly a league from the Coast, when it was toss'd up by a violent Storm in such a manner, that our Men were never heard of since; and it is suppos'd that the Ship struck upon a Sand, and was there bury'd." La Salle's account was as follows: "The barque having anchored at the north of the Lac des Illinois, the pilot, against the opinion of some savages who assured him that there was

5814-464: The anchors, chain, and most of the materials critical for Le Griffon , but most of the supplies and provisions were lost. They dragged the materials to the mouth of the Niagara, rested and warmed up a few days in an Indian village, then carried the materials single file through the snow to their settlement above the falls. The keel was laid on 26 January 1679. La Salle offered Hennepin the honor of driving

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5928-476: The area raised $ 1 million to build a new hotel. Jane Addams , who vacationed in the area, recommended the Chicago-based Pond Brothers . Modeled after Mediterranean resorts, the neo-Tudor design was an L-shaped seven-story structure with a square tower at the corner, capped by a bell-cast copper cupola. The brick exterior has trim of white stone. The original hotel has 225 rooms, dining space for 800,

6042-405: The average family size was 2.77. In the city, the population was spread out, with 19.0% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.9 males. The median income for a household in the city

6156-566: The cabin placed on top of the main deck that was elevated above the hull . In July 1679, La Salle directed 12 men to tow Le Griffon through the rapids of the Niagara River with long lines stretched from the bank. They moored in quiet water off Squaw Island three miles from Lake Erie waiting for favorable northeast winds. La Salle sent Tonti ahead on 22 July 1679 with a few selected men, canoes, and trading goods to secure furs and supplies. Le Griffon set off on 7 August with unfurled sails,

6270-577: The city was 48.8% male and 51.2% female. As of the census of 2000, there were 8,789 people, 4,117 households, and 2,058 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,561.3 inhabitants per square mile (988.9/km ). There were 4,594 housing units at an average density of 1,338.8 per square mile (516.9/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 90.31% White , 5.11% African American , 0.41% Native American , 2.39% Asian , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 0.46% from other races , and 1.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.29% of

6384-419: The city was 88.1% White , 5.3% African American , 0.3% Native American , 3.4% Asian , 0.9% from other races , and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.8% of the population. There were 3,933 households, of which 20.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.5% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.9% had

6498-484: The construction of a vessel on Ontario to be used as an auxiliary force to Fort Frontenac." He also says that at Fort Frontenac in 1676, La Salle "laid the keels of the vessels which he depended on to frighten the English." J. C. Mills quotes a letter from La Salle to the Minister of Marine that says, "The fort at Cataraqui (Fort Frontenac) with the aid of a vessel now building, will command Lake Ontario ..." While no date

6612-583: The deck, and drift at the mercy of storm. At noon the waves ran so high, and the lake became so rough, as to compel them to stand in for land." Father Hennepin wrote that during the fearful crisis of the storm, La Salle vowed that if God would deliver them, the first chapel erected in Louisiana would be dedicated to the memory of Saint Anthony of Padua , the patron of the sailor. The wind did slightly decrease but they drifted slowly all night, unable to find anchorage or shelter. They were driven northwesterly until

6726-456: The dimensions of Le Griffon ) located under several feet of sediment, but excavation found nothing further. It was later postulated that a shoal of mussels caused a false sonar reading. In 2018, Great Lakes Exploration group, using satellite and aerial images, located a shipwreck and debris field 3.8 miles from the excavated site. In response to a request to excavate the wreck, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in an email, has dismissed

6840-446: The discovery of a wreck that they believed was Le Griffon , based on the bowstem, which to some resembles an ornamental griffin. Their claim was quickly debunked when Michigan authorities dove down on 9 June 2015 after receiving the coordinates to verify its authenticity. Michigan state maritime archaeologist Wayne R. Lusardi presented evidence that the wreck was, in fact, a tugboat due to its 90-foot (27 m) length and presence of

6954-472: The early chronicler of the Jesuits (who was not present at these events), says: "No very authentic tidings were had of it after it left the bay. Some have reported that the Indians no sooner perceived this large vessel sailing over their lakes, than they gave themselves up for lost, unless they could succeed in disgusting the French with this mode of navigating; that the Iroquois in particular, already preparing for

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7068-644: The east bank of the river at about where Lewiston, New York is today. They attempted to sail further upstream, but the current was too strong. Ice flowing down the river threatened to damage their little brigantine and after a cable was broken, they hauled the vessel ashore and into a small ravine for protection. La Salle's men first had to build their lodging and then guard against the Iroquois who were hostile to this invasion of their ancient homeland. La Salle had instructed Hennepin and La Motte to go 75 miles (120 km) into wilderness in knee-deep snow on an embassy to

7182-591: The evening of 27 August when under a light southerly breeze they finally rounded Bois Blanc Island and anchored in the calm waters of the natural harbor at East Moran Bay off the settlement of Mission St. Ignace , where there was a settlement of Hurons , Ottawas , and a few Frenchmen. Upon Le Griffon ' s safe arrival at St. Ignace, the voyagers fired a salute from her deck that the Hurons on shore volleyed three times with their firearms. More than 100 Native American bark canoes gathered around Le Griffon to look at

7296-463: The expedition. After La Salle's departure, Tonti refloated the little brigantine, and attempted to use it for more salvage work at the wreck, but the winter weather prevented success. He then charged La Motte with salvage by use of canoes. Progress on Le Griffon was fraught with problems. Crude tools, green and wet timbers, and the cold winter months caused slow progress in the construction of Le Griffon . Suffering from cold and low on supplies,

7410-497: The fall of 1678, La Salle built a vessel of about 10 tons burden at Fort Frontenac and that this vessel, named Frontenac , was the first real sailing vessel on the Great Lakes; specifically, on Lake Ontario (which some at the time called Lac de Frontenac ). Many authors since Mansfield have followed suit. There is reason, however, to question his assertion. Justin Windsor notes that Count Frontenac by 1 August 1673, "had already ordered

7524-645: The festival generated around $ 1.7 million in revenue to the local economy. Competitions also took place along Silver Beach and the Saint Joseph River during the festival, including volleyball tournaments, a river run & walk, and sand sculpturing. The Lighted Boat Parade and the Classic Boat Display both took place along the St. Joseph River and were a part of the Venetian Festival since 1987. Fireworks and rides were also attractions, bringing people from bigger cities such as Chicago . A blessing of

7638-443: The first spike, but Hennepin deferred to his leader. Having lost needed supplies, La Salle left the building of Le Griffon under Tonti's care, and set out on foot to return to Fort Frontenac. While frozen rivers made traveling easy, finding food was not. He arrived there nearly starved only to find that his detractors had succeeded in stirring up doubt and opposition with his creditors. Addressing his problems long delayed his return to

7752-454: The first to be built on Lake Michigan. Newburyport changed its name to St. Joseph when it was incorporated on March 7, 1834. The city was incorporated June 5, 1891. The first water route across Lake Michigan between St. Joseph and Chicago began as a mail route in 1825, but service was sporadic until 1842 when Samuel and Eber Ward began a permanent service. That lasted eleven years. Before the rise of large ship companies on Lake Michigan, service

7866-554: The former Pere Marquette Railroad. Passenger Rail Service is provided by Amtrak's "Pere Marquette" service running from Chicago, IL to Grand Rapids,MI with stops in St Joeseph, Bangor, Holland, And Grand Rapids. Service is offered with one daily round trip. In 1892, Truscott Boat Manufacturing Co moved to St. Joseph from Grand Rapids. In the early 20th Century, the company was the largest employer in St. Joseph with 700 employees and built 600 wooden boats per year. The company built boats for

7980-457: The fur trade. When the Seneca again threatened to burn the ship, she was launched earlier than planned in Cayuga Creek channel of the upper Niagara River with ceremony and the roar of her cannons. A party from the Iroquois tribe who witnessed the launching were so impressed by the "large floating fort" that they named the French builders Ot-kon , meaning "penetrating minds", which corresponds to

8094-570: The government in World War I, struggled during the Depression, was sold in 1940, revived during World War II to build ships for the Navy and went bankrupt in 1948. In 1911, Louis, Emory, and Frederick Upton began a business that produced household washing machines . The business soon became a boom and has continued to grow to this day. In 1929, Upton Machine Company merged with Nineteen Hundred Corp., taking

8208-472: The great village of the Seneca tribe, bringing gifts and promises in order to obtain their good will to build "the big canoe" but many tribal members did not approve. Beginning on Christmas Day , 1678, La Motte and Hennepin together with four of their men, went by snowshoe to a prominent Seneca chief who resided at Tagarondies a village about 75 miles (120 km) east of Niagara and about 20 miles (32 km) south of Lake Ontario. They wished to secure

8322-414: The head of Lake Michigan. Le Griffon rode out a violent storm for four days and then on 18 September, the pilot Luc and five crew sailed under a favorable wind for the Niagara River with a parting salute from a single gun. She carried a cargo of furs valued at from 50,000 to 60,000 francs ( $ 10,000 – $ 12,000 ) and the rigging and anchors for another vessel that La Salle intended to build to find passage to

8436-452: The lake, putting in for the nights in various bays along the way. Somewhere near present-day Toronto they were frozen in and had to chop their way out of the ice. From there they struck out across the lake toward the mouth of the Niagara River. They arrived late on 5 December, but the weather was rough and they did not want to run the surf and outflow of the river at night, so they stayed a few miles off shore. On 6 December, they landed safely on

8550-614: The lakes and facilitated settlement of the American west. Le Griffon may or may not be considered the first ship on the Great Lakes, depending on what factors one deems necessary to qualify a vessel for that designation. Decking, permanent masts, and bearing a name are a few of the criteria one might use. Before 1673, the most common vessel on the lakes was the canoe . While smaller canoes were used on rivers and streams, lake canoes were more commonly larger vessels measuring up to about 35 feet (11 m) long. While some of these were made from

8664-556: The latter name. The company began marketing a line of appliances known as the "Whirlpool" brand in 1948. Within the next decade, Nineteen Hundred changed its name to Whirlpool. Today, Whirlpool Corporation is the largest manufacturer of major home appliances and maintains a large presence in Benton Harbor and nearby St. Joseph. Whirlpool has its world headquarters in Benton Harbor. In 1891 the Silver Beach Amusement Park

8778-528: The lower peninsula by Europeans. The next permanent white settler in St. Joseph was William Burnett, who around 1780 started a trading post at the mouth of the St. Joseph River. The post traded food, furs and goods with places including Detroit, Mackinac and Chicago. In 1829, Calvin Britain , who had come from Jefferson County, New York , and had taught at the Carey Mission at Niles for two years, came to

8892-469: The men were close to mutiny . While work continued on Le Griffon in the spring of 1679, as soon as the ice began to break up along the shores of Lake Erie, La Salle sent out men from Fort Frontenac in 15 canoes laden with supplies and merchandise to trade with the Illinois for furs at the trading posts of the upper Huron and Michigan Lakes. The uneasy truce with the Indians was tested by threats and attempts of sabotage and murder . Tonti learned of

9006-457: The middle and lower Mississippi River to its mouth on the Gulf of Mexico. His last expedition in 1684 starting from France explored an area on the Gulf coast in eastern Texas where he perished attempting to establish a French colony at the mouth of the Mississippi. After Le Griffin, it would be more than 80 years before another sailing ship plied the Great Lakes and enabled the commercial exploitation of

9120-425: The murderers carried off all the cargo of the vessel, and then set it on fire. But how could all these details be known when we are moreover assured that no Ottawa ever mentioned it." Charlevoix does not say who the reporters could have been. In his biography of La Salle first published in 1869, Parkman, who at that time may have been in possession of unpublished material acquired indirectly via Pierre Margry, wrote in

9234-414: The narrative, via a Native boy, who was given to La Salle as a slave: "He has seen the pilot of the barque that was lost in the lac des Illinois and one of the sailors, which he described to me with details so particular that I cannot doubt it, who were taken with their four comrades in the river Mississippi, while going up toward the Nadouessiou in bark canoes; that the four others were killed and eaten, this

9348-433: The narrow channel of the St. Clair River to its mouth where they were delayed by contrary winds until 24 August. For the second time, they used a dozen men and ropes to tow Le Griffon over the rapids of the St. Clair River into lower Lake Huron. They made their way north and west to Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron where they were becalmed until noon of 25 August. La Salle took personal command at this point due to evidence that

9462-471: The oldest inhabitants; earliest settlers had salvaged iron from the wreck for harrow teeth and used lead from its seams for bullets and fishing weights. Sometime before 1930 a fisherman whose tug was in Mississagi Straits pulling up his anchor found one fluke broken and the other had timbers of a wreck. In the 1930's a Navy commander and a state archeologist saw the hand hewn timbers of the wreck; all that

9576-502: The open water of Lake Erie whose shores were forested and "unbroken by the faintest signs of civilization". They reached the mouth of the Detroit River on 10 August 1679 where they were greeted by three columns of smoke signaling the location of Tonti's camp whom they received on board. They entered Lake St. Clair on 12 August, the feast day of Saint Clare of Assisi , and named the lake after her. They again sounded their way through

9690-485: The pilot avoided by detonating one of the grenades that they had stolen from the barque and making them understand that if life were given to him and his comrade, he would destroy with similar ones the villages of the enemies of those who had captured them. These savages brought, the following spring, the Frenchmen to the village of the Missourites, where they went to treat for peace, and the pilot detonated, at their request,

9804-407: The population. There were 4,117 households, out of which 22.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.6% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.0% were non-families. 44.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.99 and

9918-748: The river was done July 30, and continues as a tradition to this day. Previous year tonnage includes: St. Joseph is served by The Herald-Palladium newspaper, whose offices are in nearby St. Joseph Township , is part of the South Bend/Elkhart television market , and is served by sister radio stations WCSY-FM , WCXT , WIRX , WQYQ , WSJM-FM , and WYTZ as well as some in the South Bend market . 42°05′53″N 86°29′03″W  /  42.09806°N 86.48417°W  / 42.09806; -86.48417 Le Griffon Le Griffon ( French pronunciation: [lə ɡʁifɔ̃] , The Griffin )

10032-501: The site of St. Joseph. Shortly thereafter, he laid out the plat of the village, then known as Newburyport, named after a coastal city in Massachusetts . Britain was influential in attracting other settlers to the area. Lots sold rapidly and the village flourished. The St. Joseph river mouth was straightened through a channel and piers were added later. The first lighthouse in St. Joseph contends with Chicago's original lighthouse as

10146-421: The south shore of the island and found it occupied by friendly Pottawatomies and 15 of the fur traders La Salle sent ahead. The traders had collected 12,000 pounds (5,400 kg) of furs in anticipation of the arrival of Le Griffon . La Salle gave instructions for Le Griffon to off-load merchandise for him at Mackinac that would be picked up on the return trip. La Salle stayed behind with four canoes to explore

10260-534: The villages of Shoreham and Stevensville . Wastewater treatment is provided through the Joint Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is jointly owned by the cities of St. Joseph and Benton Harbor, and which also serves the LMSWSTA communities, Benton Charter Township and portions of Sodus Township . St. Joseph is cohost of the annual Blossomtime Festival with Benton Harbor. The Krasl Art Fair on

10374-415: The wind, set sail, and the wind that was blowing increasing greatly, they noticed that he was obliged to furl all of his sails, with the exception of the two large ones, and that, however, the barque did not do more than traverse towards the islands offshore, bars of large sandbanks which extend more than two leagues offshore." But in another of La Salle's letters, of which only a fragment survives, continues

10488-422: The wreck had no centerboard; keel was an oak timber a foot square-it was fastened to two parallel timbers running fore and aft inside the ship. Fastenings were 36 inch iron bolts. At the turn of the bilge the hewed timbers which formed the bottom grooved for grounding keels. Bolts and spikes were crude workmanship cut from square bars and threads formed by forcing a nut into the bar and then finished by hand. The iron

10602-418: The years. St. Joseph, Michigan St. Joseph , colloquially known as St. Joe , is a city and the county seat of Berrien County, Michigan . It was incorporated as a village in 1834 and as a city in 1891. As of the 2020 census , the city population was 7,856. It lies on the shore of Lake Michigan , at the mouth of the St. Joseph River , about 90 miles (140 km) east-northeast of Chicago. It

10716-458: The years. In the 1880s, steamship traffic on Lake Michigan continued to grow, transporting both cargo and passengers. In 1889, the Detroit & Cleveland Steam Navigation Company (D&C) started to run two round-trips per day between Chicago and St. Joseph. This created new potential for tourism as Chicago residents escaped the city for relaxing views of the lake. An enterprising general agent for

10830-399: Was $ 37,032, and the median income for a family was $ 51,328. Males had a median income of $ 36,250 versus $ 26,395 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 24,949. About 4.3% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over. City government is organized as a council-manager government . There is

10944-481: Was a sailing vessel built by French explorer and fur trader René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle in the Niagara area of New York in 1679. Le Griffon was constructed and launched at or near Cayuga Island on the Niagara River and was armed with seven cannons. The exact size and construction of Le Griffon is not known but many researchers believe she was a 45-ton barque . She was the largest sailing vessel on

11058-510: Was a "great bark" (Hennepin's words) of about 20 tons burden – although Tonti's journal says this was a 40-ton vessel. The vessel carried anchors, chain, guns, cordage, and cable for Le Griffon , as well as supplies and provisions for the anticipated journey. La Salle followed the southern shore of the lake. La Salle decided to visit the Senecas at Tagarondies himself. He put ashore near present-day Rochester, New York , and arrived at Tagarondies very shortly after La Motte and Hennepin had left. He

11172-419: Was a calm night and they believed the vessel was securely moored. When a strong wind suddenly arose, they could not make it back to the ship. The vessel dragged its anchor for about nine miles to the east before grounding and breaking up near present-day Thirty Mile Point. When La Salle heard of the loss (through a messenger or one of the natives), he left Niagara and joined in the salvage effort. They recovered

11286-412: Was a type smelted by wood as fuel in France during the 1600's. Lead caulking was of a type used in French galiots of the period. A couple of lead cups like the end of a plunger for opening drains [tips of rams for loading cannons{?}]. An old indian told lighthouse keeper William Grant that the wreck had been there during the boyhood of his father in 1780s–1790s. The wreck had always been in the memories of

11400-472: Was an "essential link in the scheme". The sailing of Le Griffin from the temporary outpost just south of Niagara Falls on the upper Niagara River to Green Bay was part of La Salle's 2nd of four expeditions which ended at the mouth of the Illinois River on the Mississippi. His first expedition in 1669 had aborted somewhere south of Lake Ontario. His third expedition in 1682 retraced the second, then traversed

11514-443: Was an underground sulfur spring in the area and the Hotel Whitcomb began piping the water into its own mineral baths . This extra amenity attracted even more tourists from around the country. So much so that a "moving staircase" was constructed to take people up the bluff from the ferry landing. It cost a penny to ride it. By 1927, the original 1868 structure had begun to show its age. In just six weeks, several prominent merchants in

11628-744: Was called the Chase Through the Clouds, which was replaced by the Velvet roller coaster (renamed the Comet). Among the most popular attractions were the carousel and the Shadowland Ballroom, built in 1927. During the 1960s and 1970s, the buildings decayed and the crowds decreased. Finally, crime in the park led police to shut it down in 1970. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has

11742-477: Was done primarily by owner-operated boats. With the rise in shipping in Benton Harbor and the rise in tourism in St. Joseph, permanent and larger operations began operating out of the ports. The Coast Guard still maintains a station on this site. In 1876 the United States Lifesaving Service built a Lifesaving Station at St Joseph, appointing Joseph Napier as the first stationkeeper. After

11856-404: Was dug allowing US and French archeologists to examine the object for the first time. They discovered a 15-inch slab of blackened wood that might have been a human-fashioned cultural artifact. On 19 June 2013, teams of archaeologists determined the wood pole whose full length was 19', was not attached to a ship, and retrieved it from the lake. The archaeologists split, some concluding it was likely

11970-428: Was larger than any other vessel on the lakes at the time, and as far as contemporary reports can confirm, the first named vessel. She had the figure of a griffin mounted on her jib-boom and an eagle flying above. Some say Le Griffon was named for Count Frontenac whose coat of arms was ornamented with the mythical griffin. Hennepin said she was named to protect her from the fire that threatened her. Le Griffon

12084-464: Was left was a section of the bottom 15 by 30 feet remained. A 2021 book concludes that Le Griffin was indeed wrecked at Manitoulin Island The skeletons, and most of the artifacts collected from the two caves and the wreck, long stored in the lighthouse, were lost in a series of very unfortunate accidents. The remains of the wreck on the shore were washed away in a storm in 1942. All that is left today

12198-477: Was more successful in securing the Indians' tolerance of his proposed "big canoe" and support buildings. With La Salle back aboard their vessel, the company again sailed west until, about 25 miles (40 km) from Niagara, weather checked their progress. There was some disagreement between La Salle and the ship's pilot, and La Salle and Tonti went ahead on foot to Niagara. When they arrived there La Motte and Hennepin had not yet returned. While there La Salle selected

12312-676: Was offered at three locations: the Bluff , Shadowland Pavilion , and the Main Stage. Many local musicians played at the Bluff and the Pavilion, while the Main Stage hosted such well-known bands as the Beach Boys , Cheap Trick , Gin Blossoms , Little Big Town , and Jason Michael Carroll . In a study done by Michigan State University in 1998, approximately 63,000 people attended the 1997 Venetian Festival and

12426-401: Was opened on land between the lake and mouth of the river in St. Joseph. Logan Drake and Louis Wallace bought the land from the Pere Marquette Railroad and added cottages to lure tourists to the lake front. As the park aged and grew in popularity, the pair added many attractions, including concessions, games, pool, a boardwalk and different rides. The first roller coaster was built in 1904 and

12540-458: Was pushed against the shoals that are near the Isles Huronnes, where she was buried." The above is based on Abbe Bernou's rendition. La Salle's original letter, which survives, says: "The savages, named Pottawatomies, told me that two days after his departure from the island where I had left him, the 18th of September 1679, this blast of wind of which I have told you being raised, the pilot who

12654-532: Was the largest fixed-rig sailing vessel on the Great Lakes up to that time. Historian J. B. Mansfield reported that this "excited the deepest emotions of the Indian tribes, then occupying the shores of these inland waters". La Salle, sought a Northwest Passage to China and Japan to extend France's trade. Creating a fur trade monopoly with the Native Americans would finance his quest and building Le Griffon

12768-428: Was the number of sailors on Le Griffin. Found with the skeletons were a number of metal tokens reportedly with French markings, and a silver watch later dated to the 17th century. The possible remains of Le Griffon were found in 1898 by lighthouse keeper Albert Cullis, on a beach on the western edge of Manitoulin Island in northern Lake Huron. Results of testing some of the artifacts were disputed. According to one report

12882-478: Was torn down in 1866 and replaced by the St. Charles Hotel. Charles Krieger tore down the Mansion House and built the St. Charles Hotel, which opened to the public in 1868. Upon construction, it was deemed "the biggest and most beautiful (hotel) in the area". The St. Charles and other new hotels in the area helped to cement St. Joseph as a tourist destination. The St. Charles Hotel changed hands several times over

12996-456: Was with them moored at the north coast where they were lodged, believing the wind favorable for going to Missilimakinac, as, in effect, it was on the beam, and not feeling the violence of it because of the closeness of the land over which it came, set sail against their advice, they having assured him that there was a great storm out in the lake where the lake appeared completely white; but the pilot ignoring them, replied that his ship had no fear of

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