Hay Scows: Work Horses of the Upper St. Lawrence River

 

Schooner Northern Light is shown at getting underway at the Foster farm in Dexter for a short  voyage to Sackets Harbor. Originally owned by Captain William Shelley Sr., she was used to transport baled hay fro surrounding  farms as well fancy peas and beaded in the area to the seed houses at Chaumont. she was later owned by Dexter Dibble of Sackets Harbor and was operated by his sons, Spencer and Sam. While loading gravel at Calf Island in November, 1916, she broke loose from her mooring. She piled up on the bar of the south harbor on Galloo Island. A year later, during a sudden storm, she floated over the bar into the harbor and sank.  Photo courtesy of the late Robert Brennan of Sackets Harbor.

The Hay Scow: Workhorse of the St. Lawrence River

By Richard F. Palmer

Poking its way through the backwaters of Lake Ontario and the Upper St. Lawrence River well into the 20th century was a fleet of little schooner-rigged vessels that played a very important role in commerce along the mainland and island shores of this region.

Although unceremoniously known as hay scows, these vessels were a product of their environment - floating supplies to the inhabitants of the many islands and transporting farmers’ produce from the islands to market.

The late S. Kelsey Ainsworth said, “I remember the day that we moved from Carleton Island (near Cape Vincent, off Wolfe Island) in one of those old hay scows, this being in the late fall. The morning was very cold but the sun was shining and by the time we finished our breakfast, the scow had landed and was ready to load our entire belongings, household furniture and farm equipment.

“I am quite sure that the scow was named the Carleton and was sailed by Captain William Sheeley, Jr., and Preston Hollenbeck. They were both very anxious to get started because they said that there had been a rainbow in the sky early that morning which was a sure indication of a near storm.

“The loading of the scow was finally completed and ready to take off but yours truly was nowhere to be found. After an hour’s search they found me in an old smokehouse in which we kids used to play. The door was shut and I was sitting right in the middle of the dirt floor crying my eyes out.

“I was placed aboard the scow in no uncertain manner and down into the forecastle or smelly but warm old cabin and the scow got away without further delay and had just rounded the east foot of the island when the storm broke right from the west and the farther we went, the more violent the storm. The men talked it over when about a mile and a half from Cape Vincent, they debated as to whether they had better try and make it or turn back and try and make Millen’s Bay Harbor.

“But they decided to go on so my father called me up out of the cabin and said that in case something happened I would stand a better chance floating around in that ice water than I would down in that

nice warm cabin. After a fight of several hours against one of the worst storms I have ever encountered on the water, we reached the depot dock at Cape Vincent at dark and the supper was never better or the

bed never softer than they were that night at the old Union House.”

Hay scows came in various sizes but always had what was known as a punt shape - both bow and stern - and with a flat bottom, making it possible for them to back up close to shore. When not loaded, they would draw only a few inches of water. The stern deck was on hinges and would open right back onto the shore in the same manner as the tailgate on a pick-up truck. This made it easy to drive cattle, sheep, hogs or horses into the scow, or wheel on baled hay, grain, sand or gravel. 

Usually, just prior to this kind of landing, they would drop a kedge anchor about 75 or 100 feet from shore. When loading in shallow water it would become necessary to shorten the kedge anchor chain and

keep moving the scow out from the shore into deeper water so the scow would not ground on the bottom. As the scow moved out, they would place the stern deck back into place and wheel the balance of the load out on long heavy planks. A load of baled hay would not only fill the hold but would extend from four to six feet above the deck. If weather was bad, the deck load would be covered with heavy canvas tarps to prevent the spray from soaking the hay.

                         Identifying the scow

The river scow usually had but one mast with a main sail, a topsail and one or two jibs. But there were also larger schooners, such as the Northern Light, that were classed as this type vessel. The bow deck usually extended back to the mast and had a wide running-board on either side which extended back to the stern. This connected with the stern deck where the helmsman stood and guided the boat with a long sweeping helm. The cabin or forecastle was just in front of the mast beneath the front deck. It was accessible only through a companionway or sort of trap door, and down a ladder.

The snug cabin was usually equipped with two or three bunks, a small stove (bolted to the floor), blankets, oil skins, rubber boots, lanterns, oil and a few cooking utensils. The sea-stores consisted of a couple of loaves of bread, a peck of potatoes, a jug of black molasses, a can of coffee and a slab of bacon or salt pork.

The Northern Light, which was built at the Phelps shipyard at Chaumont, was mastered by Captain William Sheeley, Sr. Another schooner-scow, the Denver, was built at Grindstone Island near Clay-

ton in the St. Lawrence River. The Denver was considered a good vessel and changed hands many times. Some of her owners were Sam Wenborn, Martin Bates and John Fitzgerald.

                         Getting to market

To encourage Canadian farmers to sell their hay in New York and Boston, the New York Central Railroad reduced freight shipping rates by 50 cents a ton on all water hay. In addition to Canadians, many farmers living in Jefferson County near the lake or river, would scow their hay to Cape Vincent in deference  to hauling it a greater distance over the very rough country roads.

There were two large seed houses at Cape Vincent and one at Chaumont. Fancy peas and beans were  favorite crops in the those days, and scows did a good business every fall transporting the yield. When

bean weevils and pea bugs made raising these crops unprofitable, farmers seeded hay and raised cattle, thus using their own hay. The hay scows then brought pulpwood and lumber from Canada to Dexter and other villages on the American side.

Ainsworth said: “The first scow I remember having seen was a small one owned by Captain Coleman Hinckley, Sr., and this was the smartest scow I have ever seen. Many a good yachtsman found that he had underestimated the little scow when he tried to beat into the mouth of the river. But to be a good scow man was a real art and there was much strife between captains. I heard many a farmer said Captain Hinckley could land, load and get away while some of the other were making a landing.

“The Ferry was the correct name of that little scow but I remember that due to its fleetness and the fact that it was always occupied, some village wags dubbed it the Pick Where She Scratches.”

                         Scows along the Upper St. Lawrence

At one time there was a large number of scows owned along the upper St. Lawrence River, built at many different places, including  Sackets Harbor, Chaumont, Cape Vincent, Clayton. May were built at the  Slate Brothers Shipyard on the north side of Grindstone Island. Among them, the Allie C  - for many years owned by Captain Eugene Fitzgerald of Cape Vincent. She was remembered as a “smart little scow.”

The scow Myra was built and owned by Captain T. Brewster, a ship carpenter who built many fine, heavy skiffs. A number of scows were also owned at Grindstone Island, including the Olive Branch, owned by Captain James Carnegie.

A story was told concerning the owner of the Crazy Boy which was owned at one time at Cape Vincent. One day, having nothing better to do, he decided to paint the name on both sides of the scow. So while laying on his stomach looking down, he discovered he had painted the name bottom side up. According to local folklore, he had done such a good job of lettering, he decided to leave it that way.

On the north side of the Grindstone Island there was once a hamlet called Thurso. It had a general store, post office, large boarding house, hotel and church. Thurso boomed for a while and was a regular stop for the scows. It owed its existence to the Forsythe Red Granite Quarries which furnished paving blocks which were freighted to Chicago and other upper lake cities for paving streets. This was before the advent of Portland cement and asphalt. Every man at Thurso earned what were considered big wages for those days.

Ainsworth recalled: “I was running a branch music store at Cape Vincent for R.J. McDowell of Kingston, Ontario, and we would load our team and piano wagon into the scow Allie C. and then load a dozen or more pianos and organs in and go down to Thurso and unload them in a stone shed on the dock and send the scow back home. We would stay on the island until we had sold out and then we would load our team and wagon into the scow Olive Branch and Captain James Carnegie would land us at Clayton dock to drive back home.”

                                     Redesigned for power

Eventually the gasoline engine came into general use, which in turn led to development of the small power boat, which became numerous on the river. The scowmen took advantage of this and used power boats to haul their scows. This was the beginning of the end of the age of sail because a power boat would do the work regardless of how the wind was blowing.

Scows were then re-designed. The punt shape was retained, minus masts and sails. Completely decked over to carry the entire load on deck, it was propelled by a power boat lashed alongside. For quite a few years the flat scow did a great business in boating baled hay and other commodities. But this business was short lived.

When the automobile displaced horsepower and heavy trucks sent draft farm horses to pasture, the New York and Boston hay and grain markets disappeared. The march of time consumed the colorful hay scows and changed the whole picture of agriculture in the north country. Long gone are the informal days when the scows also provided public transportation among the Thousand Islands with the waving of a handkerchief or blowing of a horn. 

                                                  Some St. Lawrence River Hay Scows

                                                   (Also used for other purposes)

                                                             (Owners as of 1898)

Allie C. (sloop) Clayton 1890, 20 gross ton (GT), 50x14x4, Owner: John D. Fitzgerald, Cape Vincent

Ark (barge) Alexandria Bay 1900, 76 GT, 90x21x4, Owner: E.W. Visger, Alexandria Bay

Bobolink (sloop) Clayton 1897, 5 GT, 31x11x3, Owner: W.H. Rees, Clayton

Clover (sloop) Alexandria Bay 1888, 15 GT, 33x11x3, Owner: A.C. Ducton, Alexandria Bay

Cora (sloop) Clayton 1896, 6 GT, 34x12x3, Owner: Hiland Robbins, Clayton

Crazy Boy (sloop) Fisher’s Landing 1889, 23 GT, 46x14x4, Owner: D.E. Keeler, Alexandria Bay

Denver (Schooner), Sackets Harbor 1887, 33 GT, 62x16x5, Owner: M.A. Bates, Cape Vincent

Dora (sloop) Alexandria Bay 1899, 10 GT, 33x11x4, Owner: S.J. Porter, Alexandria Bay

Emma (schooner) Chaumont 1882, 57 GT, 75x16x6, Owner: Frank Phelps, Chaumont

Emma P. (sloop) Oak Point 1890, 21 GT, 46x16x5, Owner: Oliver Patterson,

Alexandria Bay

Glad Tidings (schooner) Clayton 1886, 34 GT, 66x16x5, Owner: W.H. Rees, Clayton

Mollie Hogan (Sloop) Alexandria Bay 1897, 16 GT, 47x15x4, Owner: M. Hoadley,

Alexandria Bay

Jessie (barge) Chaumont 1900, 201 GT, 126x25x9, Owner: D.O. Wheeler, Chaumont

Kate (sloop) Clayton 1900, 10 GT, 46x12x3, Owner: E. Parry, Clayton

Lena L. (sloop) Three Mile Bay 1896, 42x11x3, Owner: D. Silver, Chaumont

Northern Light (Schooner) Phelps, Chaumont 1899, 39 GT, 65x17x6, Owner: William

R. Sheeley, Sr., Cape Vincent

Permilia (sloop) Wells Island 1882, 17 GT, 46x14x4, Owner: Grant Kendall, Grind-

stone Island

Skip (sloop) Alexandria Bay 1899, 10 GT, Owner: Chancey Wheeler, Alexandria Bay

Superior (barge) Grindstone Island 1888, 94 GT, Owner: S.N. Slate, Grindstone

Island

Uncle Paul (barge) Chaumont 1900, 67 GT, 80x22x5, Owners: Adams & Duford Company, Chaumont

M.I. Wilcox (sloop) Chaumont 1894, 28 GT, 61x16x4, Owner: S. Falling, Point

Peninsula

Sources:

Ainsworth, S. Kelsey, “Hay Scow Was Familiar Sight On River In An Earlier Day,” Watertown

Daily Times, February 14, 1947.

Files on the St. Lawrence River at Cape Vincent Historical Museum.

Beeson’s Marine Directory, 1898.

Historical collection of the late Robert Brennan, Sackets Harbor.