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〃Boys； look around and see what you can find。〃 We all left the line； some going to the east； some going to the west； and all of us returned with specimens of iron ore。〃
But it was not enough that this Aladdin's Land in the Northwest should revolutionize the copper and steel industry of the world； for as soon as the soil took to its bosom an enterprising race of agriculturists it bade fair to play as equally important a part in the grain industry。 Copper and iron no less came out of the blue of this cold northern region than did the mighty crops of Minnesota wheat； corn； and oats。 In the decade preceding the Civil War the export of wheat from Lake Superior rose from fourteen hundred bushels to three and a quarter millions of bushels； while in 1859 nearly seven million bushels of corn and oats were sent out to the world。
The commerce of Lake Superior could not await the building of a canal around the foaming rapids of the St。 Mary's River； its one outlet to the lower lakes。 In the decade following the discovery of copper and iron more than a dozen ships； one even of as much as five hundred tons； were hauled bodily across the portage between Lake Huron and Lake Superior。 The last link of navigation in the Great Lake system； however； was made possible in 1852 by a grant by Congress of 750；000 acres of Michigan land。 Although only a mile in length； the work proved to be of unusual difficulty since the pathway for the canal had to be blasted throughout practically its whole length out of solid rock。 It was completed in 1855； and the princely empire 〃in the moon〃 was in a position to make its terms with the coal fields of Pennsylvania and to usher in the iron age of transportation and construction。
It is only in the light of this awakening of the lands around the Great Lakes that one can see plainly the task which fell to the lot of the successors of the frail Walk…in…the…Water and sturdier Superior of the early twenties。 For the first fifteen years the steamboat found its mission in carrying the thousands of emigrants pouring into the Northwest； a heterogeneous multitude which made the Lake Erie boats seem； to one traveler at least； filled with 〃men； women and children； beds； cradles； kettles； and frying pans。〃 These craft were built after the pattern of the Walk…in…the…Waterside…wheelers with a steering wheel at the stern。 No cabins or staterooms on deck were provided； and amid such freight as the thriving young towns provided were to be found the twenty or thirty cords of wood which the engines required as fuel。
The second period of steamboating began with the opening of the Ohio Canal and the Welland Canal about 1834 and extended another fifteen years to the middle of the century； when it underwent a transformation owing to the great development of Chicago； the completion of the Illinois and Michigan and St。 Mary's canals； and the new railways。 This second period was marked by the building of such steamers as the Michigan； the Great Western； and the Illinois。 These were the first boats with an upper cabin and were looked upon with marked suspicion by those best acquainted with the severe storms upon the Great Lakes。 The Michigan； of 475 tons； built by Oliver Newberry at Detroit in 1833； is said to have been the first ship of this type。 These boats proved their seaworthiness and caused a revolution in the construction of lake craft。 Later in this period freight transportation saw an equally radical advance with the building of the first propellers。 The sloop…rigged Vandalia； built by Sylvester Doolittle at Oswego on Lake Ontario in 1842； was the first of the propeller type and was soon followed by the Hercules； the Samson； and the Detroit。
One very great handicap in lake commerce up to this time had been the lack of harbors。 Detroit alone of the lake ports was distinctly favored in this respect。 The harbors of Buffalo； Cleveland； Milwaukee； and Chicago were improved slowly； but it was not until the great Chicago convention of 1846 that the nation's attention was focused on the needs of Western rivers and harbors； and there dawned a new era of lighthouses and buoys； breakwaters and piers； and dredged channels。 Another handicap to the volume of business which the lake boats handled in the period just previous to the Civil War was the inadequacy of the feeders； the roads； riverways； and canals。 The Erie Canal was declared too small almost before the cries of its virulent opponents had died away； and the enlargement of its locks was soon undertaken。 The same thing proved true of the Ohio and Illinois canals。 The failure of the Welland Canal was similarly a very serious handicap。 Although its locks were enlarged in 1841； it was found by 1850 that despite the improvements it could not admit more than about one…third of the grain…carrying boats； while only one in four of the new propellers could enter its locks。
As late as the middle forties men did not in the least grasp the commercial situation which now confronted the Northwest nor could they foresee that the land behind the Great Lakes was about to deluge the country with an output of produce and manufactures of which the roads； canals； ships； wharfs； or warehouses in existence could handle not a tenth part。 They did not yet understand thatthis trade was to become national。 It was well on in the forties before the Galena lead mines； for instance； were given up as the terminal of the Illinois Central Railroad and the main line was directed to Chicago。 The middle of the century was reached before the Lake Shore was considered at Cleveland or Chicago as important commercially as the neighboring portage paths which by the Ordinance of 1787 had been created 〃common highways forever free。〃 The idea of joining Buffalo； Cleveland； and Chicago with the interioran idea as old as the Indian trails thitherstill dominated men's minds even in the early part of the railroad epoch。 Chicago desired to be connected with Cairo； the ice…free port on the Mississippi； and Cleveland was eager to be joined to Columbus and Cincinnati。 The enthusiastic railway promoters of Ohio； Indiana； and Illinois drew splendid plans for uniting all parts of those States by railway lines； but the strategic position of the cities on the continental alignment from New York to the Pacific by way of South Pass never came within their horizon。 The ten million dollar Illinois scheme did not even contemplate a railway running eastward from Chicago。 But the future of the commerce of the Great Lakes depended absolutely upon this development。 There was no hope of any canals being able to handle the traffic of the mighty empire which was now awake and fully conscious of its power。 The solution lay in joining the cities to each other and to the Atlantic world markets by iron rails running east and west。
This railroad expansion is what makes the last decade before the Civil War such a remarkable series of years in the West。 In the half decade； 1850…55； the Baltimore and Ohio and Pennsylvania railways reached the Ohio River； the links of the present Lake Shore system between Buffalo and Chicago by way of Cleveland and Toledo were constructed； and the Pennsylvania line was put through from Pittsburgh to Chicago。 The pla