Seventeenth Century

1603 -- June 7, Champlain started on an exploration of the Saguenay river. About this time he first heard of the "Immense Sea of Salt Water" to the west.

1615 -- Lake Huron discovered by Le Caron, the Recollect friar, and by Champlain, the great navigator. Lake Ontario discovered later in the same year by Champlain.

1629 -- Lake Superior discovered by Champlain's interpreter, Etienne Brule, during this year or earlier.

1634 -- Lake Michigan discovered by Jean Nicolet, an employe of a French fur trading company. He visited Green Bay.

1641 -- Raymbault and Jogues, two missionaries, traversed Lake Superior in search of a passage to China.

1648 -- Iroquois destroyed Huron missions near Lake Huron.

1660 -- Menard, the missionary, searched for the Hurons on the Lake Superior region.

1665 -- Allouez established an Indian mission at La Pointe.

1668 -- Marquette established an Indian mission at Sault Ste. Marie.

1669 -- Lake Erie probably discovered by Joliet. Allouez established an Indian mission at Green Bay.

1670 -- First recorded passage through Detroit river, made by Sulpitian priests.

1671 -- Marquette founded the mission of St. Ignace at the Straits of Mackinac. Rude fort erected at Mackinac. St. Lusson, in behalf of Louis XIV, of France, takes formal possession of the Great Lakes at St. Mary's Falls.

1673 -- Joliet and Marquette discovered the Mississippi. Fort Frontenac erected by LaSalle on the present site of Kingston, Ontario.

1678 -- La Salle built the little bark Frontenac, on Lake Ontario, the first vessel on the Great Lakes.

1679 -- Schooner Griffin, the first vessel on Lake Erie, launched on the Upper Niagara river in June, entered Lake Erie August 7, encountered a severe storm on Lake Huron, reached Green Bay early in September. Loss of the Griffin on her return trip.

1684 -- Governor De la Barre, of New France, attempted to crush the Iroquois.

1686 -- Duluth built a French fort at St. Joseph, on the St. Clair river, the site of Fort Gratiot. English traders visited Mackinaw.

1687 -- French capture two English trading parties on Lake Huron. French expedition against the Iroquois met with defeat. Fort Niagara built by the French.

1688 -- Fort St. Joseph burned and abandoned by the French. Fort Niagara abandoned by the French. Fort Frontenac destroyed. French temporarily lost command of the Great Lakes.

1694 -- Fort Frontenac rebuilt by the French.

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Volume II

Some of the transcription work was also done by Brendon Baillod, who maintains an excellent guide to Great Lakes Shipwreck Research.