Spring/Summer 07 - Lake Champlain Maritime Museum

LAKE CHAMPLAIN MARITIME MUSEUM AT BASIN HARBOR, INC.
LCMMnews
SPRING / SUMMER 2007
Internationally recognized Native American
craftsman Aaron York will construct a
tradtional 1609 style birchbark canoe
at the museum this summer in the
“Lake Champlain’s First Navigators”
project (story, pp. 4-5). York and
one of his canoes are seen
here with an 1841 print of
canoe making on the
Ottawa River.
Photos: Eloise Beil
Open daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. May 26—October 14 lcmm.org (802) 475-2042

DIRECTOR’S LETTER
Photo: Eric Bessette
Director’s Report
2007 is shaping up to be the
most dynamic year in the history
of the Museum. Taking a measure
of the emerging 2007 menu of
new and regular programs, projects,
exhibits and initiatives, it is
fair to say that I can’t remember
when we have had a more
extraordinary set of mission-centered activities. In light of
the growing diversity of programs, the LCMM Board has
chosen to add a valuable new position to the staff and it is
with great pleasure I introduce Jeff Meyers, our new
Associate Director (see pg. 4).
Our Basin Harbor campus will have a host of new and
enhanced exhibits to inspire even the most frequent visitors.
A new orientation film produced with support from the
Barnes Foundation provides an overview of lake history. An
enhanced “Dawn of Steam Navigation” exhibit commemorates
Fulton’s successful operation of a steamboat in 1807.
And in July a month-long very special “First Navigators”
program will be offered with artist-in residence Aaron York
as the prelude to the coming 2009 Quadricentennial of
Samuel de Champlain’s travels to “ a large lake filled with
beautiful islands” (see front cover, and story pp 4-5).
The canal schooner Lois McClure, our traveling nineteenth
century time machine, will embark on a “Grand
Canal Journey” out the Erie Canal system. This outreach
opportunity will extend over 100 days, over 1000 miles
and embrace more than 25 communities. With the campus
alive and the schooner engaging communities throughout
the region, our MRI archaeology team will be implementing
its most robust schedule of field programs ever.
Beginning with a magnetometer survey of Valcour Bay, we
will then spend a month excavating and documenting the
“Shoreham Sloop.” We also plan a return to the Valcour
Bay Research Project and the Hudson River, and these are
just the major field projects already on the schedule.
The Champlain Longboat launch on May 24th, our
Distinguished Speakers series, our full calendar of very
Special Events, the restoration and re-launching of our
1776 replica Philadelphia II, all add to the rich diversity
of 2007 programming. Please look over the descriptions of
this menu of seasonal offerings, make note of the dates,
and join us for what promises to be the Maritime
Museum’s most wonderful season ever.
2007 SEASON
Highlights & Special Events
(at the Museum’s Basin Harbor Campus unless otherwise noted)
Champlain Longboats Launch Day, May 24
SEASON OPENING, Memorial Day Weekend, May 26
Spring Wave regional youth rowing competition
(at Button Bay State Park), June 3
Spring Juried Photo Show: Boats Around the World,
June 2–29
Kids Pirate Festival Father’s Day fun for the whole
family!, June 16-17
Bon Voyage Party for Schooner Lois McClure, June 17
Distinguished Speakers Lecture Series, first Thursday
evening each month, June – Oct.
Annual Museum Benefit Raffle/Auction, July 7
“Lake Champlain’s First Navigators” Birchbark Canoe
Project: construction, July 9-Aug 3, Native American
Encampment and ceremonial launching, Aug. 4-5
Messing About With Boats, (Small Boat Festival)
July 14 & 15
Family Boat Building Week/Wknd July 9-12 /July 13-15;
Kids’ Duct Tape Regatta July 14;
Challenge Race, July 15
Rabble in Arms Living History Weekend, August 25-26,
includes re-launch of 1776 replica gunboat Philadelphia II
Maritime Festival (Burlington waterfront), Aug. 19-20
Lake Champlain Through The Lens Juried Photo Show,
Sept. 1 – Oct. 14
Explore Archaeology Day, Sept. 22
Welcome Home Party for Schooner Lois McClure,
Sept. 24
James Wakefield Rescue Row, regional youth rowing
competition (at Burlington Bay), Oct. 13
Season Closing, Oct. 14
Stay informed about Museum news and
events by visiting our web site at
www.lcmm.org
Contact info@lcmm.org to subscribe to our
email list and receive the Ship’s Log from
Schooner Lois McClure
2 www.lcmm.org 802-475-2022

EDUCATION
Shipwrecks! – LCMM’s newest on-water
educational experience
Shipwrecks!, a new on-water program offered by the
Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, gives people the
opportunity to connect directly to underwater history and
science without getting wet or going underwater! This
innovative program uses a remotely-operated vehicle
(ROV) to bring live digital video footage to a projection
system on board a boat, at the site of an actual shipwreck.
The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum has spent the
last 22 years locating and documenting hundreds of shipwrecks
on the bottom of these waters, but until now,
direct access to these underwater resources was available
to only a small number of SCUBA divers and scientists.
Now families, community groups, and students can join
LCMM educators on an excursion and help “fly” an ROV
to explore lake history on the spot!
LCMM has teamed up with ROV operator Rachael
Miller and the Basin Harbor Club to bring this amazing
and innovative experience to the public and to groups of
students. The excursion begins with a short presentation
on the history and archaeology of the lake, and then we
go aboard Basin Harbor Club’s tour boat EScape or the
six-passenger Penga and head out to the site of a shipwreck.
From there we launch the ROV which is tethered
on an umbilical cord, sending back images onto a projection
screen on board the boat. We tell the story of the
wrecked vessel – and all shipwrecks have a pretty dramatic
tale to tell – as the participants view the footage of
it in real-time. When there are questions about a particular
feature of the boat, we get in closer with the ROV;
when we notice a passing fish, we turn to one side to get
a better view. This experience is as interactive as you can
get – without getting wet!
This project has been extremely well-received by educators
and students alike. Remarks one South Burlington
teacher, “When [LCMM educators] said piloting an ROV
was like playing a video game, suddenly all the kids
Courtesy, Burlington Free Press and LCMM Collection
Rachael Miller launches the ROV to investigate the many shipwrecks
of Lake Champlain.
’beamed’ in! The kids watched the video feeds, fascinated
with what they were seeing. … The educational staff
we worked with from the museum was truly excited and
the kids picked up on that.” But perhaps our most concise
and unequivocal comment came from a sixth-grader,
“It was awesome!”
Many thanks to the Basin Harbor Club for offering their
boat at a discounted rate, and to the Lake Champlain Basin
Program for their generous grant in support of the program.
Shipwrecks! excursions are available by
reservation for families, general visitors,
community groups and students. Take a ride
out from Burlington Harbor or from Basin
Harbor aboard the six-passenger Penga!
In Burlington: Tuesday and Thursday evenings
at 5:30pm and 6:30pm: $30 per person. Custom
trips for groups of 2 to 40 by reservation. Call
to schedule your Shipwrecks! experience today!
All hands On Deck!
For over twenty years, volunteers have been the
heart and soul of the Lake Champlain Maritime
Museum, helping enrich the lives of our visitors, and to
build our museum community. Volunteers contribute
their talents and their time in every area of the
museum: helping at Special Events, creating and
802-475-2022 www.lcmm.org
interpreting our site and exhibits, tending to gardens
and grounds, working on maintenance perojects,
helping our office staff, performing research, working
with computers — you name it. We thank all past
and present volunteers, and invite all those interested
in working with our fun, dedicated team to call
(802) 475-2022 and come on board for a dynamic,
engaging and fulfilling experience.
Look for VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY! markers throughout this newsletter.
VOLUNTEER
OPPORTUNITY!
3

Champlain Quadricentennial
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
Lake Champlain’s First Navigators Project, Prelude to 2009 Anniversary
The Lake Champlain Maritime
Museum (LCMM) is very pleased
to announce that with support from
the Amy Tarrant Foundation, the
Lake Champlain Basin Program, the
Vermont Department of Tourism and
Marketing, the Vermont
Quadricentennial Commission, the
Wôbanakik Heritage Center, and the
farm families that own Cabot
Creamery, LCMM will produce the
“Lake Champlain’s First Navigators”
Project during the summer of 2007.
The “First Navigators” Project
will interpret Native American culture
and demonstrate how the region’s
first mariners built and used birch
bark canoes. LCMM has commissioned
Aaron York, an internationally
recognized Native American artist
from Swanton, Vermont, to construct
an 18-20 foot birch bark canoe.
Based on research, this canoe will be
a replica of the type seen by Samuel
de Champlain during his travels here
in 1609. Professor Frederick M.
Wiseman of Johnson State College
and the Wôbanakik Heritage Center
has worked with LCMM to help
design the project.
The “First Navigators” Project is
an “artist-in-residence” program.
The boat builder and his assistant will
work in a public setting at the museum.
Over a four-week period beginning
this July, the “First Navigators”
Project will interpret Champlain’s
journey to the lake that now bears
his name, and the cultures of the
people that he encountered living in
the region. Members of the Eastern
Woodlands Confederacy and the El
Nu Abenaki will participate in an
encampment and ceremonial launching
of the canoe on the weekend of
August 4-5. The canoe will be evaluated
as a watercraft, and will be used
in future interpretive programs,
events and exhibits.
The “First Navigators” Project is
an important opportunity for the
public to gain perspective on the
upcoming 400th anniversary of
Champlain’s exploration of the lake.
During the Champlain
Quadricentennial in the summer of
2009, communities and institutions
around the lake will focus on the
Champlain Valley’s historic legacy.
continued on page 5
Photo: Eloise Beil
Associate Director Joins Museum Staff
New Haven
resident Jeff
Meyers is “thoroughly
delighted”
to join
LCMM in April
as the Museum’s
Associate
Director.
A graduate of Amherst College,
Northeastern University (M.A.
English), UVM (M.A. Field Ecology),
and the Leeds Design Workshop furniture-making
school, Jeff has
worked as a teacher, renovation carpenter,
woodworker, environmental
organizer, kayak and hiking guide,
and staff scientist for the Lake
Champlain Committee. For the last
ten years Jeff was Executive Director
of the Vermont River Conservancy,
protecting important lands along
Vermont’s waters, creating new state
and municipal parks, conserving public
access and wildlife habitat, and
catalyzing community stewardship.
Jeff has been a fan of the
Maritime Museum since coming to
Vermont in 1991, commenting “Art
Cohn, the Staff, the Board, and all
those involved in the museum over
the years have made a huge, positive
difference in the lives of many, many
people, and I’m grateful to be one of
those who has benefited from
LCMM’s extraordinary research, programs,
exhibits, lectures, classes, and
events.”
“There is so much momentum at
the museum now,” says Jeff, “I
couldn’t be more excited to help the
museum’s staff and volunteers grow
and sustain LCMM’s ability to touch
people’s hearts and broaden their
thinking. Our lives, our connection
to those who came before us, and
the future of Lake Champlain’s
human and natural communities
depend on it.”
Jeff lives in New Haven with his
wife Tammy, son Sasha, and old pal
dog Lew. He plays the concertina and
loves boating, natural history, woodworking,
hiking and gardening.
4 www.lcmm.org 802-475-2022

...Quadricentennial
continued from page 4
The inspiration for building the
birch bark canoe was an event
recorded by Samuel de Champlain in
his account of his explorations of the
region in 1609. In exploring the history
and heritage of the Champlain
Valley, Lake Champlain Maritime
Museum is honored and pleased to
usher in the Quadricentennial with
this tribute to the traditions and skills
of the lake’s “First Navigators.”
LCMM Partnership to
Create a New Contact
Era Curriculum
The 2009 Quadricentennial
Commemoration is quickly
approaching, 400 years after Samuel
de Champlain’s exploration of the
lake that now bears his name. LCMM
is collaborating with many individuals
and organizations, including Fort
Ticonderoga, Vermont State Historic
Sites, Vermont Geographic Alliance,
The Flynn Center for the Performing
Arts, and Frederick Wiseman, PhD,
of Johnson State College, Abenaki
Tribal Museum and Cultural Center,
and the Wôbanakik Heritage Center.
With the help of these partners,
LCMM will be creating a curriculum
to tell the story of the native Abenaki
whom Champlain encountered, and
the ensuing struggles and alliances
that formed the Champlain Valley we
know today. The multi-disciplinary
curriculum will be designed to integrate
both Vermont and New York
State education standards. Interested
in learning more, or getting this curriculum
into your or your child’s classroom
Call the Education
Department at (802) 475-2022.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Building Boats, Changing Lives:
Champlain Longboats in Pictures.
Spectacular color photos tell the
story of this dynamic boatbuilding
and rowing program. The positive
impact this program has on the lives
of the students can be read in both
gestures and words of the participants.
Selections from this exhibit
will be shown at many Chittenden
Bank branches throughout the
summer and fall.
Spring Juried Photo Show: Boats
Around the World, June 2–July 29.
Photographs of boats from anywhere
in the world EXCEPT Lake Champlain,
and the stories that accompany
them, from professional and amateur
photographers. Professional photographers,
editors and curators judge
and comment on the works.
The Vanished World of Canal Boat
Living. For 150 years, canal boats
transformed communities, commerce,
and culture in the northeastern
United States, until they were supplanted
by railroads, trucking, and
airplanes. Maritime archaeology
fieldwork and research, and the construction
and operation of replica
canal schooner Lois McClure have
allowed LCMM to recapture many
details of life in the canal era (ca.
1820-1940). Enjoy a “virtual tour” of
schooner Lois McClure, and the latest
archaeological findings from historic
shipwrecks.
Featured Exhibits
From Sea to Shining Sea: 200 Years
of America’s Coast Survey.
Opens June 21. Two hundred years
ago, Thomas Jefferson created the
Coast and Geodetic Survey to provide
“a complete and accurate chart
of every part of the coasts” of the
United States. To celebrate two centuries
of exploration and documentation,
the Smithsonian has created this
special exhibition. The museum’s
sonar survey of Lake Champlain was
supported in part by a grant from
NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration.
Steamboats Large and Small, May
26 – Oct. 15.
In 1807, Robert Fulton pioneered the
world’s first successful steamboat on
the Hudson River and ushered in the
Age of Steam Navigation. The following
year, the Winans brothers
launched Vermont, the first steamboat
on Lake Champlain, For 150
years, the lake’s 29 large steamboats
and a host of smaller steam-powered
ferries and launches served the lake’s
waterfront communities and captured
the public imagination.
Launching Steamboat Vermont, 1808, by
Earnie Hass
Lake Champlain Through the Lens
Juried Photo Show,
Sept. 1–Oct. 14
The many seasons and moods of
Lake Champlain are beautifully
reflected in this exhibit of outstanding
work by professional and amateur
photographers. Comments from
the panel of judges illuminate the
details. Want to get involved The
Call for Entries goes out in June and
ready-to-hang photographs are
delivered to the museum in August.
Come and cast your vote for the
“People’s Choice Award.”
802-475-2022 www.lcmm.org
5

OUTDOOR EDUCATION
Champlain Longboats: Boatbuilding at LCMM
The museum’s on-water season will officially begin
on Thursday, May 24, at 11:30, with the launching
of a 32-foot pilot gig at the Lake Champlain
Maritime Museum’s Basin Harbor campus. Anyone who is
interested is welcome to attend this joyous occasion. The
boat was built between January and May by fourteen
students and staff from the Champlain Valley Academy
who came to the LCMM boat shop four days a week.
The CVA is a brand new Addison County based school
that is a collaboration between the Counseling Service of
Addison County and the public school districts designed
for middle and high school students in transition. The students
rotate into the classroom to work on academic curriculum
when they are not in the boat shop.
On Launch Day, each of the students who built the
boat say a few words about the experience of creating
the boat, and then the new gig enters the water to lead
a parade of student-built pilot gigs. The gigs in the
museum’s fleet are used for after school youth rowing
and adult Community Rowing programs in the
Champlain Valley, and in regional youth racing competitions
around New England.
LCMM Teams in “Snow Row”Race
Photo: Buzz Kuhns
Members of LCMM’s Champlain Longboats rowing
program traveled to Hull, Massachusetts on
March 10 for the “Snow Row,” a 3.5 mile race
sponsored by the Hull Lifesaving Museum. The race
begins on the beach with bows pointed inwards. When
the starting cannon fires all the crews run and get into
their boats, push off from the beach, turn their boats 180
degrees and commence rowing – a scene of absolute
excitement and chaos. This year, to add to the thrill, the
first 150 feet of water was packed with ice and slush from
a recent cold spell.
An additional highlight this year is a special photographic
exhibit, “Building Boats, Changing Lives,” which
allows museum visitors to witness the construction,
launching, and recent youth rowing competitions of
LCMM’s fleet of youth-built pilot gigs. Many thanks to
the Chittenden Bank, French Foundation, Jane’s Trust,
The Kelsey Trust, Leo Cox Beach Philanthropic
Foundation, and the Turrell Fund for their support of the
Champlain Longboats program.
LCMM brought over 30 students representing four
rowing crews from Champlain Valley Union High School
and Vergennes Middle and High Schools along with one
adult crew and five boats to the event. Champlain Valley
Union High School finished first in its class, as did a motley
asssortment of LCMM staff and volunteers known as
"The Fishcakes."
It was a sight to behold with over twenty large gigs
on the starting line at race time. The weekend was
spectacular in all ways. Whether or not the teams are
victorious, it is an experience they will always remember.
Community Rowing 2007
Community Rowing at LCMM’s Basin Harbor site Thursday
evenings at 5:30 p.m. from June 14 through September.
Meet new people, get some exercise and explore the lake!
Sign up at (802) 475-2022 x 121.
6 www.lcmm.org 802-475-2022
Photo: Buzz Kuhns Photo: Buzz Kuhns

Champlain Discovery
ONE-OF-A-KIND CO-EDUCATIONAL
SUMMER PROGRAM FOR TEENS
Champlain Discovery is a 5 week boat building and
outdoor experiential education program for teens ages
13-16. The first 3 weeks are spent building your own
sea kayak. The following 2 weeks are an exciting
paddling and camping adventure on Lake Champlain.
(Financial aid available)
Ferrisburgh - June 19 to July 23
For more info: 802-475-2022 or
e-mail nickp@lcmm.org
Bay Paul Foundation Challenge Met!
LCMM is delighted to announce that the Champlain
Discovery Endowment has grown to $410,000 thanks to
a generous challenge grant of $100,000 awarded by the
Josephine Bay Paul and C. Michael Paul Foundation.
Over the three year challenge period, contributions from
many foundations, Board members, Friends, and individuals
have helped us to raise a matching amount. Income
from the Champlain Discovery Endowment enables LCMM
to provide scholarship assistance to program participants,
and ensures that the program will continue into the future.
EDUCATION
Courses & Workshops
Summer is a great time to try your hand at something
new. We have an exciting and dynamic array of
opportunities for the 2007 season! Are you interested in
making baskets Building a kayak Looking to try your
hand at blacksmithing We’ve got courses for adults,
children, and families. Call to reserve your spot today!
LCMM Members receive 10% off course fees. Details
online at www.lcmm.org.
May 19-20 Wilderness First Aid
June 5-7 Family Boat Building
June 19-July 23 Champlain Discovery
June 23-24 Basic Blacksmithing 2-day
June 25-26 Blacksmithing for Teens (Basic)
June 25-29 Shipwrecked! (Theater Camp With the
Flynn)
June 30-July 1 Beginning Bronze Casting
July 10-12 Family Boat Building Workshop
July 14 Basic Kayaking
July 14 Intermediate Kayaking
July 9-12 Lake Champlain Rowing Expedition
July 13-15 Family Boat Building Workshop
July 27-29 Basic Blacksmithing 3-day
Aug 4-5 Basic Blacksmithing 2-day
Aug 6-11 Build Your Own Kayak
Aug 6-7 Blacksmithing for Teens (Advanced)
Aug 8 Snorkeling Odyssey
Aug 17-19 Blacksmithing Projects 3-day
Aug 18-19 Photography - Digital
Aug 25-26 Blacksmithing Projects 2-day
Weekly Community Rowing in 24 or 30 ft. pilot gigs
Weekly Shipwrecks! on-water excursions (from Basin
Harbor)
Tues & Thurs Shipwrecks! on-water excursions (from
Burlington)
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY!
On-Water Program Support
• Learn to lead On-Water Ecology programs
• Work with Outdoor Educators to offer youth and
community rowing programs
• Help with boat building and boat maintenance
DONATION WANTED: a 4 wheel drive Chevy Suburban,
pick-up truck or similar vehicle in good condition for
towing the Champlain Longboats rowing gigs.
802-475-2022 www.lcmm.org
Build your kayaking skills in July when instructors from
Umiak offer Basic and Intermediate Kayaking at LCMM
Photo: Eloise Beil
7

Schooner Lois McClure at North
Harbor, May 26 – June 17
Constructed and launched by staff and volunteers of
Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Lois McClure is a
full-scale working replica of an 1862 canal schooner, a
unique example of working vessels that carried goods
throughout northeastern waterways during the 19th
century. In port at the museum’s North Harbor for
boarding daily 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. May 26 through June
17. Bon Voyage Party Sunday, June 17, on the eve
of departure for Grand Canal Journey. The schooner
itinerary is posted on our web site, www.lcmm.org.
To receive the email Ship’s Log, sign up at
info@lcmm.org.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Kids Pirate Festival, June 16-17
Come in costume and join the fun! Enjoy exciting, kid-friendly
pirate-themed activities and crafts, and live performances by
magician Tom Verner, and musicians Mark Sustic with youth performers,
The Fiddleheads, Sweet Transitions, an a-capella vocal
group from Mt. Abraham High School, and LCMM’s Champlain
Troubadour Matthew Witten. Board schooner Lois McClure and
visiting pirate ship Danske Konge. Follow clues around the museum
grounds in search of treasure and join a raid on the gunboat
Philadelphia II.
VOLUNTEER
OPPORTUNITY!
• Be a Pirate for a day (or more)!
• Help create activites and crafts!
• Plan or lead a treasure hunt
around the museum!
Bon Voyage Party for Schooner Lois
McClure and Tugboat C. L. Churchill,
Sunday, June 17
Come bid farewell to the
schooner, tugboat and crew on
the eve of the Grand Canal
Journey. Reception at 5-6:30
p.m. Presentations at 5:30.
Light refreshments.
Shipwrights at Work, May 26–June 10
The Philadelphia II will be undergoing the final phases of a
refit in May and June of 2007. Shipwrights from North Atlantic
Shipbuilding and Repair will be on campus for over a month in
May and early June, replanking the sides of the 16 year old
replica vessel. The work will culminate with the exciting relaunch
on August 25 during our annual Rabble in Arms, Living History
Weekend (see page 10).
Spring Wave Regional Youth Rowing
Competition, June 2
Teams from around Vermont and New England to participate
in this event, hosted by Lake Champlain Maritime
Museum at nearby Button Bay (call for directions to launch site).
Rowing 24- and 32-foot traditional wooden Pilot Gigs, the participants
mix and match, testing speed, skill, communication,
and cooperation.
Festival hours 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. rain or shine, with
plenty of indoor spaces even aboard our schooner!
8 www.lcmm.org 802-475-2022
Photo: Dan Percival

Messing About With Boats
July 14-15
In the first pages of
Wind in the Willows, one
of the best-loved children’s
classics, the Mole
escapes from spring
cleaning, and shortly
afterwards, to his surprise
and rapture, finds himself
actually seated in the
stern of a real boat. “Do
you know, I’ve never been
in a boat in all my life – is
it so nice as all that”
SPECIAL EVENTS
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY!
“Nice” responds the Water Rat, “Nice It’s the only
thing. Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing,
absolutely nothing half so much worth doing as simply
messing about in boats!”
We agree – so whether you are first-time or longtime
boaters, join us for a celebration of paddling, rowing,
and sailing small boats. Fun for a couple of hours,
for a day, or a three-day workshop that will get you out
on the water in a boat of your own making!
q Small Watercraft Exhibit: Saturday and Sunday
July 14-15. Meet the boat makers, and try out the
boats.
q Lake Champlain’s First Navigators: Birch bark
Canoe making with Artist in Residence Aaron York,
work in progress throughout July.
q Family Boat Building Week/Weekend: register in
advance with family or friends and build a boat in three
days, July 10-12 or July 13-15.
q Kids Duct Tape Regatta: Saturday, July 14, 10 am –
1 pm. Design, build and launch a cardboard boat big
enough to ride in!
q Challenge Race: Sunday, July 15. Bring your own
non-motorized boat, kayak or canoe to row or paddle
in this three-mile race. More than 50 participants each
year. For details and registration contact Nick Patch
nickp@lcmm.org or call (802) 475-2022.
Gala Raffle & Auction July 7
The raffle had a makeover!
For over 20 years the Raffle has been a wonderful
fundraiser for the Museum, raising over $40,000 each
year and providing anopportunity for people to get
together at the Museum for the social event of the summer.
This great event will be even better in 2007. With
the help of several volunteers, Board members and staff,
the Raffle underwent its first official makeover this winter!
With exciting new prizes and auction items, amazing
food, and wonderful people, you won’t want to miss it!
Each ticket costs $150, admits two people and makes
you eligible for several amazing raffle items (with a Grand
Prize of $5,000). Tour the museum grounds with Art
Cohn, 4 - 5 pm; social hour begins at4:30; prize drawing
begins at 5 p.m.
Painting by Ernie Haas to be auctioned LIVE at this year’s Gala
Raffle. Ernie Haas has beautifully captured the Battle of Valcour
Island on canvas just for this year’s Raffle and will sign it over to
the winning bidder! Thank you, Ernie, for this amazing donation!
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY!
If you’d like to join the Raffle Committee, we’d love
your help! To reserve your tickets, donate a prize, or get
more information please contact Helena Van Voorst
(helenav@lcmm.org or 802-475-2022 ext 105).
802-475-2022 www.lcmm.org
9

“Lake Champlain’s First Navigators”
Native American Encampment
August 4-5.
Members of the Eastern
Woodlands Confederacy
and El-Nu Abenaki Tribe
join Lake Champlain
Maritime Museum for a
weekend celebration of the
region’s Native American
heritage and ceremonial
launching of the newly
constructed 1609 style
Birchbark Canoe.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Photo: Eloise Beil
Explore Archaeology Day Sept. 22
Come visit our Basin Harbor site and mention Explore
Archaeology Day to receive free admission. Don't miss
the small boat documentation workshop from 1 - 3 p.m.
Help record a boat from the LCMM's small boat collection
with an LCMM archaeologist.
Schooner Welcome Home Sept. 24
Join us to greet schooner Lois McClure, tugboat C. L.
Churchill, and the crew on their return from the adventures
of the Grand Canal Journey. Details to be
announced in our email Ship’s Log.
Maritime Festival Burlington/Antique
& Classic Boat Show Aug. 17-19
Lake Champlain Maritime Museum has partnered
with the Antique and Classic Boat Society (ACBS) to
present the Annual Maritime Festival on the Burlington
Waterfront. Other partners include the Lake Champlain
Community Sailing Center, U. S. Coast Guard Base,
ECHO Center for Lake Champlain, and the Lake
Champlain Transportation Company Ferries. LCMM’s
headquarters at Perkins Pier will feature visiting 18th
century vessel Royalist, 1609 birchbark canoe, Pilot Gig
rowing, and Shipwrecks!
The Lake Champlain Antique and Classic Boat
Society will host their annual Boat Show at the
Burlington Community Boat
House beginning at 10 a.m.
The show ends with a parade
of historic boats. “We expect
over 60 historic, antique and
classic boats for the event,”
said Myndy Woodruff,
Chapter President. Come
and enjoy an unforgettable
weekend on Lake Champlain.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY!
• Roving Ambassador; greet people and direct them to LCMM
areas at Perkins Pier
• Retail Assistant; help people select and purchase LCMM
books, gifts, apparel
VOLUNTEER
OPPORTUNITY!
Rabble in Arms
Vergennes Day
August 25-26
• Help prepare for relaunching
of Philadelphia II
Experience some of
the most colorful chapters
of the Revolutionary War
as archaeologists and reenactors
team up to relaunch
the replica 1776
gunboat Philadelphia II.
On-water excitement!
Presented in conjunction
with Vergennes Day
celebration. Erick
Tichonuk presents “Memoirs of a Revolutionary War
Gungoat Captain” on Sunday, Aug. 26 (see page 12).
Photo: Bob Hardy
10 www.lcmm.org 802-475-2022

Schooner Lois McClure begins the 2007 season at
LCMM’s Basin Harbor campus May 26 – June 17.
Then the schooner and her companion tugboat C. L.
Churchill embark on an exciting Grand Canal Journey.
The schooner will travel over 1000 miles in 100 days,
from Lake Champlain to 25 historic ports-of-call along the
historic and scenic Erie Canal and the New York State
Canal System. The Grand Canal Tour encompasses the
Albany capital district, the Finger Lakes region, Buffalo
and back.
This expedition is made possible by a partnership
between the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Erie
Canalway National Heritage Corridor, and the New York
State Canal Corporation. Major sponsorship support for
the journey is also being provided by longtime partners
the farm families that own Cabot Creamery and
McCadam Cheese, and by Brookfield Power. The museum,
its partners and sponsors have joined together to
provide the public an opportunity to gain perspective on
the historic and present significance of the New York
State Canal System. Canalside communities will celebrate
their distinct contributions to canal culture by creating
their own events to embrace the arrival of the Lois
McClure at their ports.
Erick Tichonuk, LCMM’s Replica Vessel Coordinator
and captain, spent 13 days on the road in March, surveying
docking facilities along the canals and speaking with
community representatives. He reports that the response
has been phenomenal. “The smaller towns have a strong
Grand Canal Journey Itinerary
SCHOONER LOIS MCCLURE
Grand Canal Journey of Schooner Lois McClure
Through New York State’s Erie Canalway
VERMONT
June 15-17 Basin Harbor VT
NEW YORK
July 2–3 Ithaca
July 7-8 Seneca Falls
July 10–11 Geneva
July 14 Lyons
July 17–18 Pittsford
July 21–22 Medina
July 24–25 Lockport
July 28–29 Buffalo
July 31–Aug. 1 Tonawanda
Aug. 4–5 Brockport
Aug. 7–8 Rochester
Aug. 11–12 Palmyra
Aug. 17–18 Syracuse
Aug. 21–22 Oswego
Aug. 26–27 Rome
Aug. 29 Utica
Aug. 30 Herkimer
Aug. 31–Sept. 1 Little Falls
Sept. 2 Canajoharie
Sept. 4 Amsterdam
Sept. 7–9 Waterford
Tugboat Roundup
Sept. 11–12 Albany
Sept. 15–16 Schuylerville
Sept. 18–19 Fort Edward
Sept. 21–22 Whitehall
VERMONT
Sept. 24 Basin Harbor, VT
connection with
the canal, it’s
deeply woven
into the fabric of
their communities.
They’re planning
exciting events
around our
arrival. One
Western Erie
Canal village
even wants to
tow us into town
with mules!”
E17 lower gate: The
mighty lock E17 outside
Lockport with
its 40’ lift is one
of 59 locks Lois
McClure must pass
through, twice.
Buffalo Commercial Slip 5: Buffalo’s historic
commercial slip was the original stopping
point for western bound canal boats
on the Erie. Lois McClure will be the first
replica to use this newly renovated venue,
restored using the original stones.
Frank Dean, Executive Director of the Erie Canalway
National Heritage Corridor, characterized the event by
saying, “Canal boats like the Lois McClure brought
excitement, fortune, knowledge and growth to communities
on the Erie Canal in the 1860s and shaped New York
as the Empire State and New York City as the premier
seaport of the world. In view of this amazing heritage,
this momentous voyage will leave a lasting impression on
the public and visitors for years to come.”
“The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum is looking
ahead to the 2007 Grand Canal Journey as an opportunity
to fulfill its mission of connecting the public to the significant
collection of shipwrecks found in the waterways
of our region. Lake Champlain, the Hudson River, the
Finger Lakes, Lakes Ontario and Erie, all hold vast collections
of intact wooden ships that reflect on all eras of
human history,” commented Art Cohn, Executive
Director of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. “We
look forward to hosting the public aboard the Lois
McClure and traveling back in time along the Erie Canal
Corridor, engaging our visitors in a discussion of the
region’s extraordinary history and archaeology.”
Ship’s Log & Itinerary at www.lcmm.org.
802-475-2022 www.lcmm.org
11

DISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS SERIES
Distinguished Speakers Series 2007
Free, humanities-based presentations designed to inform and enlighten,
held in the Hoehl Family Education Center at LCMM’s Basin Harbor campus.
Jeanne Brink, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 7PM
The Western Abenaki: History and Culture
Native American scholar Jeanne Brink explores the
lifeways of the native people of Vermont. This lecture
examines the importance in Abenaki society of elders
and children, the environment, and the continuance of
lifeways and traditions. Sponsored by the Vermont
Humanities Council.
Arthur Cohn, THURSDAY, JULY 5, 7PM
Independence Day Reflection on the Revolutionary
War in the Champlain Valley
Join LCMM Director Art Cohn for a memorable tour
of Lake Champlain’s tumultuous Revolutionary War
years. Hear why Benedict Arnold is a hero, and what
warships left on the bottom of the lake tell us about
naval life on Lake Champlain. Presentation includes an
opportunity to view artifacts recovered from Lake
Champlain in 2006.
Chip Stulen, SATURDAY, JULY 14, 1PM
The Preservation, Restoration, and Reinterpretation of
Steamboat Ticonderoga from her first century to the
next
Chip Stulen, Shelburne Museum's curator of the
Steamboat Ticonderoga, illustrates the procedures
and treatments used during one of the most significant
maritime restoration projects of the past decade. Get
the inside view of Ticonderoga's 1906 construction and
continuing maintenance demands. The only remaining
steamer of her type, with her original beam engine and
boilers, this National Historic Landmark of maritime
heritage is shipshape for her next century
Fred Wiseman, THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 7PM
Preparing for Champlain: An Alternative View of the
French Discovery of Lake Champlain
Professor Frederick Wiseman of Johnson State
College will share his research on the backstory to the
arrival of the French in the Champlain Basin. Using new
data and interpretations, Professor Wiseman will illustrate
how the upcoming Quadricentennial can be
viewed as originating in the foreign policy of a little
known, but still existing Native American alliance. The
lecture will be illustrated with video and artifacts.
Erick Tichonuk, SUNDAY, AUGUST 26, 1PM
Memoirs of a Revolutionary War Gunboat Captain on
Lake Champlain
Erick Tichonuk, LCMM’s Replica Vessel Coordinator,
uses underwater archaeology, archival research, and
experimental archaeology to explore the life and times
of one of Benedict Arnold’s gunboats and her captain
on Lake Champlain. This program is offered in conjunction
with the museum’s Rabble in Arms Living History
Weekend.
Adam Kane, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 7PM
Shoreham Sloop: Discoveries from the South Lake’s
Murky Waters
In conjunction with Vermont Archaeology Month,
LCMM Nautical Archaeologist Adam Kane presents
recent findings from LCMM’s excavations of the
Shoreham Sloop. Investigations of this 1820s canal
sloop between 2004 and 2007 have yielded fascinating
new details about Lake Champlain’s commercial heyday.
Get the latest scoop on this season’s finds and
view newly discovered artifacts.
John Johnson, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 7PM
The Granite Workers of Barre
Historian John Johnson presents an illustrated discussion
of the granite workers of Barre, Vermont. Using
themes such as cultural values, industrializaton, labor
unions, environmental changes, and science and technology,
Johnson will examine the Barre granite workers
and their role in America’s industrial heritage.
Sponsored by the Vermont Humanities Council.
12 www.lcmm.org 802-475-2022

Dive Destination: Fort Edward
MARITIME RESEARCH INSTITUTE
In October 2006 the Maritime
Research Institute crew had the
opportunity to do some unique
diving around Fort Edward, New
York. We were diving on behalf of
the Environmental Protection
Agency and the consulting firm
Ecology & Environment to look at
several wrecks lying in the swift,
tea-colored waters of the upper
Hudson.
The sediments in this stretch of
Photo: Peter Barranco
Archaeologist Pierre LaRocque checks
over LCMM Director Art Cohn’s gear
prior to a dive off Rogers Island
the river are contaminated
with PCBs.
PCBs are a family of
chemicals that were
used as fire preventives
and insulators
in the manufacture
of capacitors for
much of the twentieth
century. We now
know they cause
adverse health
effects and are probable
human carcinogens. These PCBs
come from General Electric’s plants
at Fort Edward and further upriver at
Hudson Falls. The plants dumped
PCBs into the river between 1947
and 1973, building up behind the
Fort Edward dam. When the dam
was removed in 1973, PCBs were
sent downriver leaving some 40 miles
of the Hudson contaminated.
Today GE and the EPA are working
to clean up the contamination.
As one of the steps in what will be
the world’s largest dredging project,
the bottom of the river needs to be
looked at to make sure no shipwrecks
or other historically important
artifacts will be destroyed. Over the
last several years six wooden wrecks
have been found in the waters
Archaeological drawing of the bow of a pile driver barge
Chris Sabick
around Fort Edward and Rogers
Island. This is no surprise as Fort
Edward is at the junction of the
Champlain Canal and the Hudson
River; watercraft are bound to sink in
the waters around a bustling port
town.
Our dive team, clad in protective
gear, studied two wrecks. One
appears to be a small early 1800s
sailing vessel and the second a
twentieth century pile driver barge.
Documenting the wrecks was made
more challenging by swift currents.
Our divers had to be tethered to the
dive boat lest they be swept downstream
to Albany! The results of our
study are now being used to determine
what the future holds for these
wrecks.
LCMM Collection
Historic images of Lake Sloops are rare, so LCMM's investigation
of the Shoreham Sloop is an important source of
new information for understanding these long-vanished
vessels. Nautical Archaeologist Adam Kane presents recent
findings at our Distinguished Speakers Series lecture on
Sept. 6 at 7 pm.
802-475-2022 www.lcmm.org
13

MARITIME RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Conservation Lab Update
The Conservation Laboratory is busy throughout the
year. A number of jobs have been completed during the
months before we open to visitors for the summer season.
We treated a collection of artifacts from the New
York State Museum that included a number of very nice
brass buckles, knife blades, and
buttons. We also finished work on
a group of artifacts from the War
of 1812 burials that were uncovered
in the north end of Burlington
by the Consulting Archaeology
Program at the University of
Vermont. This collection consisted
mostly of buttons but also some
fascinating pieces of leather and
two bone handled pocket knives.
The other major project we
have been working on is the conservation
and repackaging of a
large collection of items from the
United States Military Academy at
West Point. This group of more
than 3,500 artifacts was recovered
from a series of excavations that
took place on Constitution Island
in the Hudson River. These artifacts
represent a wide range of
time periods including Native
American projectile points,
Revolutionary War Military equipment,
right up to modern day material. The types of artifacts
are also quite varied: a large amount of faunal
material, mostly bone; a significant collection of ceramic
and glass; and personal items like buttons and buckles.
Of this collection about 350 artifacts were documented
and conserved, while the remainder were completely
reorganized, relabeled, and repackaged in accordance
with archival standards. This has
been a very satisfying collection to
work on and we look forward to
receiving another group of items
from West Point when these are
returned in April.
This summer will also see us
working on a number of collections
that were the centerpieces of MRI’s
fieldwork last summer. Conservation
of artifacts recovered from the
Valcour Bay Battlefield site will
include treatment of additional
fragments of the exploded cannon,
numerous pieces of shot and shell,
a pair of eye glasses and a number
of other interesting personal items.
In addition to the Valcour artifacts
we will be working on objects that
were retrieved from the Shoreham
Photo: Chris Sabick
Conservation Lab Technician Brian Spinney
organizes a portion of the Constitution Island
artifacts from the USMA at West Point
Sloop site. There are many interesting
artifacts from both collections,
so be sure to stop by the
Conservation Lab to see what is
under treatment on this summer!
Outreach to Schools
We have had a wonderful outreach season this 2006-
2007 winter. Thanks to generous support from the
Leo Cox Beach Philanthropic Foundation, John LeClair
Foundation, Neat Repeats, Lyndon Bank, and the
George W. Mergens Foundation, we were able to bring
nearly 50 subsidized educational programs to 29 schools,
engaging over 1,400 students. The funding from these
sponsors made it possible for many schools to bring an
LCMM boatbuilder, Revolutionary War militiaman, Lake
Champlain Troubadour, or a nautical archaeologist to
their classrooms.
LCMM Education Specialist Dale Henry visits classrooms as
an eighteenth century boat builder. Henry forged the iron fittings
for replica 1776 gunboat Philadelphia II in the museum’s
blacksmith shop, and helps to bring the eighteenth century to
life for museum visitors at the Rabble in Arms Living History
Weekend, this year on August 25-26 (see page 10).
LCMM Collection
14 www.lcmm.org 802-475-2022

DEVELOPMENT
LCMM would like to thank the following donors and
foundations for recent grants in support of Museum
programs and operations:
Charles E. Burchfield Foundation: $2,000 in support
of tugboat C.L. Churchill repairs and restoration
Lake Champlain Basin Program, Partnership Grant:
$2,500 pledged to support Valcour Bay Research
Project exhibit travel to and from Plattsburgh
Lake Champlain Basin Program, Education Grant:
$4,500 pledged to support Shipwrecks! on-water
excursions for students
South Lake Champlain Trust: $2,000 in support of
Lake Champlain Sloop Project
Jane’s Trust: $25,000 in support of Lake Champlain
Sloop Project
Amy E. Tarrant Foundation: $10,000 in support of
repairs to Stone Schoolhouse; $15,000 in support of
Philadelphia II restoration; $15,000 in support of
Lake Champlain’s First Navigators program; $10,000
in support of Quadricentennial book
Bay and Paul Foundations: $33,000 final payment
of $100,000 challenge grant in support of
Champlain Discovery endowment
In Memoriam
Charles Bernt
Walter Borden III
Luther H. Bridgman
Jessie Gatow
Ralph B. Goodrich
Sylvia Keiser
Dick J. Murphy
Robert P. Smith, MD
Gardner Northrup Soule
Barbara Wadhams
John A. Williams
Photo: Nick Patch
Spotlight on
Volunteer
Al Stiles
PEOPLE
Many thanks to volunteer
Al Stiles who has spent
many hours this winter in
the workshop. In addition
to crafting wooden toy
canal boats and tugboats
for our sandbox, he is also
working on creating and repairing demo models for use
on board the schooner Lois McClure as she tours the Erie
Canal this season. Many folks step aboard Lois McClure
and ask, “How did they get those huge rocks on board”
One of Al’s projects answers their question; this onboard
hands-on scale model represents a shoreside crane, typical
in the 19th century for loading heavy cargos onto
canal boats. Thanks, Al!
Staff News
Welcome to Associate Director Jeff Meyers. Education
Specialist Brett Campbell returns this year, also taking on
the responsibilities of Volunteer
Coordinator. Good to have you
back, Brett! Richard Isenberg, PhD
joins our crew of educators this
year also. He has 30 years of
experience in the Vermont education
system as a teacher and principal
and will be a tremendous asset
to our team. Sarah Lyman is now
Education Coordinator as well as
Webmaster. Erick Tichonuk is
Replica Vessel Coordinator, managing the operations and
logistics of schooner Lois
McClure and gunboat
Philadelphia II. Congratulations
Lianna and Alice Mae
Rich Isenberg
Photo: Sarah Lyman
to Archaeologist Joanne
DellaSalla who completed her
Masters Degree in Anthropology
from the University of Colorado.
Boatbuilder Lianna Tennal and
her husband Don Peabody welcomed
baby Alice Mae Tennal
Peabody in February.
802-475-2022 www.lcmm.org
15

An Expression of Thanks to our Members, and a Lesson in Maritime Vernacular!
Members of LCMM enjoy many great privileges
like unlimited free admission to the Museum, discounts
at the Gateway Store, advanced registration
and discounts for LCMM’s Courses and Workshops,
reduced admission to over 150 Vermont Museum and
Gallery Alliance member museums and so much more!
We are very thankful for the support of our members and
offering special members-only privileges is how we thank
them. But today we also want to talk about what our
members do for us!
When we tried to put into words just how important
members are to the Museum, we found that some maritime-related
expressions perfectly capture what we want
to say . . . if anyone could understand them! So here is
our expression of thanks to our members, wrapped in a
lesson in maritime vernacular:
“Members of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum,
you…”
“…keep our sails from luffing!” (Luffing is when the
wind drops off and the
sails empty of wind, often
causing them to flap noisily.
In other words, members
help us keep moving
forward…smoothly!)
“…are the oxygen in our tanks.” (Though technically
we breathe "air", which is made up of 21% O2; the rest
is CO2 and inert gasses, unless we're breathing NITROX
which has a higher percentage of O2, or TRIMIX which
has a blend of three gasses, sometimes including helium
which makes you talk funny. In other words, members
sustain us!)
“…are the oakum in our
seams.” (Oakum is a natural
fiber that is pushed into the
seams of wooden boats to
keep the seams from taking
on water. In other words,
members keep us afloat!)
“…are our linstock!” (Linstock is a tool that holds slow
match, a piece of rope soaked in saltpeter that holds a
slow flame. This is used to set off the charge for cannon.
In other words, our members get us fired up!)
“…are our mainstay.” (A "stay" is a
line that supports a mast; the mainstay
holds the main mast. In other
words, members are the backbone
of the Museum, maintaining the
entire organization through their
operational support!)
To renew your membership, to give the gift of membership to a friend or
to become a new member, please use the envelope enclosed in this
newsletter or call (802) 475-2022! Thank you for your support!
4472 Basin Harbor Rd., Vergennes, VT 05491
802-475-2022 www.lcmm.org
Photo: Bob Hardy
A non-profit organization for preserving and sharing the history of Lake Champlain.
Member of the Vermont Museum and Gallery Alliance and the
Council of American Maritime Museums.