LaSalle and the Voyage of the Griffon Part I - Construction at Niagara Falls

I was doing some work up in Canada last week and thought that I would come back and visit my old hometown of Niagara Falls, NY on the way back to New Jersey. I have many fond memories of my growing up in this city and my home was less than a mile from the Canadian border. I attended one of the city's high school named LaSalle Senior, our mascot was called Explorers and our school's newspaper was called the Griffon. Little did I know about the historic legacy that Niagara Falls had with the French Explorer Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle and the vessel named Griffon.

In 1678, LaSalle was introduced to Father Louis Hennepin who is best remembered for the earliest writings about Niagara Falls. Hennepin would accompany LaSalle on his explorations and would keep copious accounts of their travels and adventures. If it was not for Hennepin, much of the details of LaSalle's work would be lost today. In January of 1679, the Griffon's building party arrived at the mouth of Cayuga Creek on the Niagara River (about a mile from my high school)  where the ship would be built. The exact place where the Griffon was constructed is marked by a boulder and historical plaque at 9317 Buffalo Avenue, just north of the city marina. The Plaque reads:

          Hereabout, in May, 1679
          Robert Cavelier De La Salle
          Built the GRIFFON of Sixty
          Tons burthen. The first Vessel
          To Sail the Upper Lakes
          May 1902

The Keel was laid on January 26th and by August 7th, the ship was launched into Cayuga Creek and moved to Lake Erie and immediately began its long journey toward Green Bay, Wisconsin. The voyage to Wisconsin was very arduous and LaSalle realized that he needed another ship. Once in Green Bay and in the face of mounting pressures, LaSalle ordered six of his men to sail back to Niagara on Sept 18th and then return with the iron works needed for the second ship. By December the Griffon had not returned and runners brought LaSalle a message that the ship had never reached Niagara Falls. LaSalle must now accept the fact that the Griffon was lost.

This series of weblogs are dedicated to LaSalle Senior High School Class of 1965. Happy 40th Anniversary!

Comments

[Crystal Blessing/Szarejko]

It is wonderful to see that work is being done like this. I'm truely enjoying the new finds. It's must be fun to find a bit of history that was only written about
before hand. The joys of exploration and discovery, truley amazing!

[John Pitarresi]

Great history. I have seen the rock many times, and we learned the history of LaSalle and the Griffon all the way up through school in Niagara Falls. I'd love to see the Griffon found - it has to be someplace, right? - but after more than 300 years ... that's tough.
I can't believe I see a comment from Crystal Blessing. I think she was a year ahead of me at LaSalle and I haven't seen her in 40 years. Not everyone remembers that the LaSalle section of the city originally was a village of that name, and the downtown area was centered at 86th Street and Buffalo Avenue. The village was annexed by the City of Niagara Falls in 1927. The original high school, at 76th Street and Buffalo Avenue, is still standing and is now LaSalle Middle School. Our high school, built in 1957 on Military Road, was a victim of consolidation and has been torn down. I walked through the high school a year or two before it was wrecked, this was maybe in 2000, and it appeared as nice - all that marble, stone and glass - as it did the day it opened. My father coached football there, and all my eight brothers and sisters graduated from the school. I'm still angry they did away with it.
Well, I hope you all do find the Griffon.
John Pitarresi, LaSalle 66

[David Bright]

Hello John,

Thank you for the wonderful history regarding the village of LaSalle, the high school and your dad. I was back for a brief visit last month and it was very sad to see the rubble that was once our high school. I am very optimistic that the current ship under exploration off the eastern coastal waters of Wisconsin might be the Griffon. This summer, more underwater exploration and artifacts for identification will be retrieved from this shipwreck. Thank you for your wonderful post!

Best regards,
David Bright
Nautical Research Group, Inc.

[Dana Tweed]

I love reading history of LaSalle. I am 34 years old and still living in LaSalle. I have considered moving many times, but I love my neighbors, and my home. I recently began an effort to annex LaSalle back to the Town of Niagara. I thought you may be interested in knowing some of us are still here fighting for the area. It would be amazing if the Griffon were found after all of these years!! Keep up the great work.