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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY 105
lake is quite open here so that at times a very heavy sea comes thundering
in upon the quays at either side of the river mouth.
The harbor improvements immediately attracted capital from Buffalo,
Detroit and other lake cities, and a great impetus was given to ship
building. Milan not yet having secured the canal, Huron was much the
more prominent place of the two.
In 1828 the steamer Sheldon Thompson, of 242 tons burden, was
built here by Capt. F. Church. In 1832, the United States, of 336 tons,
and the Delaware, of 170 tons. The Columbus, of 391 tons, was completed
in 1835. Captain AValker, in 1836, built the De Witt Clinton, of
493 tons, and the Little Erie, 149 tons. In 1837 the Cleveland, and in
1838 the Great Western, of 780 tons, probably the first upper cabin
steamer on the lakes, and the General Scott, of 240 tons, were finished.
Among early vessel men of particular prominence were Captain Reed,
Capt. F. Church, Captain Pangborn, Capt. B. Parsons, Capt. F. D.
Ketchum, Capt. W. Cherry, Capt. Asa Keating, Capt. Joseph Keating,
Capt. S. Wilson, and Capt. S. F. Squires.
Huron was a general stopping place for the boats that carried all the
passengers and freight that was moved from east to west until the completion
of the Lake Shore & Alichigan Southern Railroad. J. B. Wilbor,
who came here on the steamer Walk-in-the-Water, in 1820, from Tonawanda,
New York, used to tell how some eight yoke of cattle were hitched
to the old steamer to assist in bringing her up the current of the Niagara
River from that port, her engines, like those of other steamers of an early
day, being too weak to propel her against any considerable resistance.
In 1832 Air. AVilbor, with N. AL and Charles Standart, engaged in
commission business and general mercantile operations under the firm
name of Wilbor & Co., continuing until 1837, when the firm dissolved,
and Air. Wilbor went into trade with J. Fleeharty. The latter firm continued,
until 1844, when Air. Wilbor moved to Milan, where he remained
a few years, but returned to Huron, from whence he was elected county
treasurer in 1850, and removed his family to Sandusky in 1854. Returning
to Huron in 1857 he werit into partnership with J. W. Sprague, building
several large vessels here, and doing a general commission mercantile
and fonvarding business until 1861.
A. Shirley came to Alarblehead Peninsula in 1810, Avith his Avife's
family, the Ramsdells. He resided on the peninsula when the Indians
killed the three pioneers whose death is commemorated by a little granite
slab near the Killey farm. It is said that he took an active part in driving
the savages away. He removed to Huron in 1828 and kept the old
red tavern for several years, when he'purchased the land known as South
Huron and laid it out in town lots. The surveying was done by S.
Van Rensselaer and B. Carman.
Air. Shirley built the Shirley House, at the corner of Alain and Berlin
streets, in 1833. He died a year or two later of Asiatic cholera. He was
an active and respected citizen, taking an important part in all matters
of general interest. His Avife was noted for her benevolence, intelligence