468 - HISTORY OF TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY
CHAPTER XIV.
EARLY TRADE OF THE WEST.
A CHIEF embarrassment to the settlement of the Western country, was the lack of market facilities for produce. While, for want of transportation, supplies of merchandise were limited and obtainable only at high rates, the settler's main trouble arose in the fact that there was no market, even in trade, for what he produced. Southern Ohio was somewhat better off in that respect than was the country at the North. A few of the larger Rivers, emptying into the Ohio, like that stream, afforded imperfect facilities for transportation through the Mississippi to the New Orleans market; but that was a long and tedious trip, occupying six months from and to Cincinnati. The flat-boats used between those points were comparatively small, and of cheap construction, and for their movement, beyond the action of the current, were dependent on oars and setting-poles. At New Orleans these boats were necessarily abandoned, as it was impossible to get them back, while the hands had no mode of return but on foot, most of the way through unbroken wilderness, and subjected to the chances of Indian hostility. Pirogues and keel-boats to limited extent, were employed for the transportation of supplies from the New Orleans market. A writer in November, 1816, strongly urged upon the people of Southern Ohio, the policy of providing market facilities by building vessels, loading and taking them down the Ohio and the Mississippi to New Orleans ; and, if need be, to the West Indies, New York and Boston. He said the principal market then open to that section, consisted in driving cattle across the mountains to Philadelphia, and sending flour to New Orleans. Produce was rarely taken by the merchant. The little to be had came chiefly from settlers coming in. As showing what might be done in the direction named, the writer referred to gave a calculation for a vessel of 150 tons, to be launched in April or May and despatched for Boston, with a cargo of flour, corn meal, stone coal, or black walnut lumber. He estimated the cost as follows: Vessel, $7,500; 500 barrels flour, $3,000 ; 500 do., meal, $1,000 ; 1,000 bushels coal, $50 ; 10,000 feet black walnut plank, $1,000. Total, $11,650. Insurance, New Orleans to Boston, 2 1/2, per cent., $291, expenses of trip, $750; total investment, $12,691. The Vessel to sell in Boston for $9,750 ; flour, for $5,000; meal, $3,000; coal, $333; lumber, $650; total product, $18,733 profit, $6,042. This plan was largely adopt and until the opening of the New York a Pennsylvania Canals, furnished the chief out for the Ohio and Mississippi countries. 1825 a serious effort was made to attract capi for investment in transportation facilities the Ohio and Mississippi ; and to that end prospectus was issued, setting forth the prospects of that trade. Among other facts give, were the rates of fare for passengers, the distances and times for passage between the principal points on those streams, as follows
Distance. Time. Fare
Cincinnati to New Orleans 1,480 miles 8 days $25
New Orleans to Cincinnati " " 16 " 50
Cincinnati to Louisville 130 " 15 hours 4
Louisville to Cincinnati " " 30 " 6
Cincinnati to Pittsburgh. 449 " 5 days 15
Pittsburgh to Cincinnati " " 2 ½ " 12
Cincinnati to wheeling 385 " 5 " 14
Wheeling to Cincinnati " " 2 " 16
It was asserted, that the shipments of the entire State of Ohio ("except that part bordering on the Lakes "), one-half of Indiana, a parts of Pennsylvania and Virginia, were made by that route; which in 1824, amount to 68,932 tons in weight, and $3,590,000 value.
Such was the lack of market facilities in the Maumee Valley in those days, that the pioneers, unable to obtain clothing with their p ducts, were compelled to resort to trapping there being a demand, at low rates, for furs, goods or cash. Beside their own needs, there was substantially no use for produce, except what incoming settlers might require until able to supply themselves. Ten and 12 cent was regarded as liberal prices for corn ; as v 30 to 40 cents for wheat; $1.50 per hundred fresh beef and pork. But the trouble was, that there wits seldom a market even at these rat It was only when the Erie Canal was opened in 1825, that substantial relief came to the pioneer producers of this region. That came two forms-first, in the Eastern market thus opened; and second, in the demand for produce made by the large influx of settlers induced by the opening of that great channel trade and travel. For 12 or 15 years after I opening of the New York Canals, the main maud for breadstuffs in this region, was for the supply of the newcomers, largely in South Michigan, Detroit then being an import, market.
In June, 1824, the Albany (N. Y.) Gazette had a statement of what the opening of the
EARLY TRADE OF THE WEST. - 469
Erie Canal was doing and was to do in cheapening transportation. It was stated, that a barrel of flour could then be taken from Albany to New York for 124 cents, while one party offered to do it for seven cents. It was believed that a barrel of flour could be carried from Buffalo to New York for $1.00. Another calculation showed that 100 pounds of freight could be taken from New York to Columbus, Ohio, for $3.50, to wit: To Albany, 150 miles, by River; Albany to Brockport, 229 miles, by Canal ; thence to Buffalo, 74 miles, by land; Buffalo to Sandusky, 247 miles, by Lake ; Sandusky to Columbus, 120 miles, by land ; total distance, 880 miles. The cost to Sandusky was placed at $2.00, and thence to Columbus, at $1.50; total, $3.50. The cost at that time for transporting 100 pounds by land from Philadelphia to Columbus (450 miles), was $6.00.
Among the rates of toll fixed for the Erie Canal in March, 1827, were the following:
Flour, beef, pork, mutton, cheese, whiskey, &c. 1.5 cents per ton per mile. Salt, made in New York five mills per ton per mile. Household goods, one cent ; furs and poultry, three cents ; cotton 1.5 cents lumber per M in boats, one cent; in rafts, two cents Not enumerated, passing from tidewater, three cents same to tidewater, 1.5 cents. Agricultural productions (including cattle and horses), not enumerated, 1.5 cents. On boats conveying passengers -West to Utica, 15 cents per mile; and East of same, 20 cents or six cents per mile on boat, and two mills on earl passenger, as boats should choose. On each passenger in freight boats (above 12 years of age), two mill. per mile.
A Shawneetown, Illinois, paper in 1820, noticed the arrival at that place of the Steamboat Manhattan, 30 days from New York, and said:
She brings consignments for two houses in this place from New York City. Freight is $3.00 per 100 pounds only, which is at least $7.00 cheaper than goods can be brought from Philadelphia here via Pittsburgh.
The cost for transportation wholly by rail between Springfield, Ill., and New York, in 1887, is 29 cents per 100 pounds.
In 1823, while flour was selling in New York at $7.25, and wheat at $1.44, the former was worth in Cleveland only $3.50, and the latter 62?, cents. That was two years before the opening of the Erie Canal.
Cleveland prices in February, 1822, were as follows:
Flour, $2.50; Wheat, 371 to 50c. ; Rye, 31c. ; Corn, 25c. ; Oats, 18'c. ; Beans, =50c. ; Flaxseed, 50c. ; Peas, 50c. ; Butter, 8 to 10c. ; Cheese, 4 to 6c.; Lard, 4 to 5c. ; Pork. 2 to 3 c. ; Beef, 3 to 4c. ; Whiskey, 20 to 25c. ; Sugar, 5 to 7 c. ; Wool 30 to 50c. ; Hay, per ton, $6.00 to $7.00. For making fine Boots, $2.25 ; fine Shoes, 75 cents ; Women's Morocco, 62z cents ; Women's Leather, 50 cents; coarse Shoes, 37.l cents. Customers in those days furnished their own stock, pegs and thread only excepted.
A Philadelphia paper of October 24, 1821, had this statement:
We yesterday quoted flour as current at $6.00 per barrel. Today it is impossible to fix a price on that article. During the night passed, no less than six expresses arrived in this City from New York, the ostensible object of which appeared to be the purchase of flour. There was such a rush in the market for this article at an early hour, as alarmed the factors, and we understand but few sales were made. The New York market was drained yesterday by a passenger, who left the Ship Hercules. from Liverpool, pool, 60 miles from land, and was in New York nearly all day incog.