For years Cleveland has been the principal ship building port on the lakes. Of late the ship building interest here has shared the depression felt by it throughout the Union, but it is still an important interest, and before long will probably resume its activity.

The first vessel reported built in the vicinity of Cleveland was the Zephyr, thirty tons burthen, built by Mr. Carter, in 1808, for the trade of the village. The precise spot of her building is not recorded. She was burned at Conjocketa Creek, near Black Rock. The next was the Ohio, of sixty tons, built by Murray and Bixby, in 1810, and launched from the East bank of the river near the spot now occupied by Pettit & Holland's warehouse. She was sailed by John Austen and afterwards became a gunboat in Perry's fleet, but took no part in the battle of Lake Erie, being absent on special service.

In 1813, Levi Johnson built the Pilot. The story of her construction and launch has already been told in the sketch of Levi Johnson's life. In that sketch also will be found the account of most of the early ship building of Cleveland, he being the principal ship builder of the pioneer days.

In 1821, Philo Taylor built the Prudence, which was launched on the river opposite where the New England block now stands.

In 1826, John Blair built the Macedonian, of sixty tons, and in the same year the Lake Serpent, forty tons, was built by Captain Bartiss and sailed by him.

The first steamboat built in Cleveland was the Enterprise, built by Levi Johnson in 1826, but not floated into the lake until the following year.

The enterprise of ship building pursued a steady course in Cleveland for a number of years, a few vessels being added annually, until about the year 1853, when the business took a sudden start and made rapid progress. For the next few years the ship yards were busy and the ship building interest was one of the most important branches of the business of the city. In 1856, a total of thirty-seven lake crafts, sail and steam, was reported built, having a tonnage of nearly sixteen thousand tons. During the past twenty years, nearly five hundred vessels of all kinds, for lake navigation, have been built in the district of Cuyahoga, and of these all but a small proportion were built in Cleveland. The description of vessels built has greatly altered during that time, the size of the largest class having more than trebled. During the year 1868, there were built in this port four propellers, one steamer and three schooners, with an aggregate of 3,279 tons. This is much less in number and tonnage than in some previous years, but still gives Cleveland the lead in the ship building of the lakes. The absorption of the flats on the lower part of the river for railroad and manufacturing purposes, and for lumber yards, has seriously incommoded the ship building interests by restricting the space available for ship yards.

In the division of the ship building business of the lakes in past years, the construction of large side-wheel steamers was principally carried on at Buffalo, whilst in first class propellers and sailing vessels Cleveland immeasurably distanced all competitors, both in the quantity and quality of the craft turned out. As the demand for side-wheel steamers lessened, the site of their construction was removed from Buffalo to Detroit. Cleveland-built propellers, however, take front rank, and Cleveland-built sail vessels have found their way over every part of the lake chain, sailed down the Atlantic coast from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to South American ports, and crossing the Atlantic, have penetrated nearly every European sea. Everywhere they have done credit to their builders by their speed, sea worthiness, and excellent construction.

Just here it is proper to place, on record the history of an attempt to establish a direct trade with Europe, which gave abundant promise of good results, both to the commercial and ship building interests of the city. It has already been referred to in this work, but it appropriately falls within the scope of this sketch.

In the year 1856, the schooner Dean Richmond, of 379 tons, was built by Quayle & Martin in Cleveland, for C. J. Kershaw, of Chicago. This vessel was loaded with wheat and under the command of Capt. D. C. Pierce, sailed from Chicago to Liverpool. She arrived in good time, having made a quick passage, and astonished the English people by her rig, and from the fact of her having come from the inland lakes of America to Europe. The schooner was sold in Liverpool, and her new owners changed her name to the Belina, and placed her in the trade between Liverpool and Brazil, on which route she made quick and successful trips.

In 1857, the same builders turned out the barque c.J. Kershaw, of 380 tons burthen, having built her for Capt. D. G. Pierce, who was the pioneer captain in the trade. The Kershaw was loaded with staves, cedar posts and black walnut lumber. In the Fall, she started on her return with a load of crockery and iron, but was twice driven back by terrific gales and had to go into dock for repairs. This brought her into St. Lawrence river so late, that she was frozen in the Lachine Canal. Early in 1858, she arrived in Cleveland with her cargo in excellent order and to the perfect satisfaction of the consignees.

About the time that the Kershaw was launched, a small British schooner, the Madeira Pet of 123 tons, came from Liverpool through the rivers and lakes to Chicago, with a cargo of hardware, cutlery, glass, &c., on speculation. The enterprise was not successful, and no more attempts were made to establish a direct trade between Chicago and European ports.

During the Spring and Summer of 1858, several of the leading business men of Cleveland entered with vigor into the trade, and a respectable fleet of vessels was dispatched to European ports. A new barque, the D. C. Pierce, was built for Messrs. Pierce & Barney and sent to Liverpool with a cargo of staves and black walnut lumber. The same parties sent the C. J. Kershaw to London with a similar cargo, and the Chieftain and Black Hawk, with the same kind of freight. Mr. T. P. Handy sent the R. H. Harmon with staves and black walnut lumber to Liverpool, the D. B. Sexton with a similar cargo to London, and the J. F. Warner with a cargo of the same kind to Glasgow. Mr. H. E. Howe sent the new barque H. E. Howe to London with a cargo of staves and lumber. Col. N. M. Standart sent the Correspondent to Liverpool with a load of wheat, and Mr. C. Reis freighted the Harvest to Hamburgh with a cargo of lumber, staves and fancy woods. This made a fleet of ten vessels, owned and freighted by Cleveland merchants, with a total tonnage of about 3,600 tons. Two vessels were sent out from Detroit with similar cargoes, but the enterprise was pre-eminently a Cleveland one.

All of the Cleveland fleet disposed of their cargoes to good advantage. Six of them returned with cargoes of crockery, bar iron, pig iron, and salt. This part of the trip also proved successful. It was the intention of the owners to sell some of the vessels in England, but the shipping interests were so prostrated that it was impossible to dispose of the ships at anything like a fair price. They therefore still remained in the hands of Cleveland owners, but four of them did not return to the Lakes. The D. B. Sexton went up the Mediterranean; the H. E. Howe went on a voyage to South America, the Harvest to the West Indies, and the C. J. Kershaw was employed in the Mediterranean trade. Wherever any of the Cleveland vessels went, they called forth complimentary remarks by their fleetness and steadiness in heavy weather.

In the following year, other vessels were sent out and made successful trips. The remarkable sea-going qualities exhibited by these lake-built crafts, outsailing, as they did, ocean clippers and weathering gales that sent sea-going ships flying helpless before the storm, attracted the attention of Eastern ship-owners, and orders were received for vessels to be built for the Atlantic coasting trade. The outbreak of the war gave a severe check to the direct trade, which passed into the hands of an English firm who still continue to run vessels between Cleveland and Liverpool, and in the depressed condition of the American carrying trade on the ocean there was no longer a demand for new vessels for the coasting trade. With a revival of business in that line, and an enlargement of the canals between Lake Erie and tidewater, so as to allow the passage of larger vessels, there is a probability that a brisk demand for Cleveland vessels for the salt water will yet spring up.

[Illustration: Respectfully, S. W. Johnson]