Le Griffon
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Le Griffon Built - 1679 40 ft. x 15 ft The Griffin was the first ship built above the falls on the Niagara River. It was a 45-ton barque carrying seven cannon. LaSalle and Father Louis Hennepin set out on Le Griffon’s maiden voyage on August 7, 1679 with a crew of 32, sailing across Lake Erie, up the St. Clair River, Lake Huron and Lake Michigan through uncharted waters that had previously been explored only by canoe.
Images
Artist's sketch of Le Griffon based on written documents
Brass plaque showing Le Griffon data
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
While you are standing next to the plaque for Le Griffon, look back to the starting point by the statue of the Waving Lady to "experience" the length of this historic vessel..
Sources
St. Clair, by Charles Homberg, St. Clair Historical Commission, 2007; St. Clair Historical Museum and Research Center archives; Great Lakes Ships data base, Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library, Alpena, Michigan; Great Lakes Freighters by Rand Shackleton, Thunder Bay Press, 2003.