Maritime History of the Great Lakes

Adz, Caulk, and Rivets: A History of Ship Building along Ohio's Northern Shore, 1963, 2017, p. 59

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family on the chain of lakes. Augustus Jones's sons were William Augustus, who maintained his father's yard after his death; Benjamin Bule who later had a yard at Milwaukee; George Washington, who moved to Cleveland; Francis Nelson, who built in Buffalo; and James Madison, who maintained a yard at Detroit. To round out the family, Augustus Jones had four daughters, Maria and Fannie, who married lake steamer captains; Mehitable who married a steamboat clerk; and Marie Antoinette who naturally enough married Sir Francis Drake, descendant of the famed navigator. All five sons stayed with their father in Lorain until he died on June 10, 1841. He is buried in the Cleveland Street Cemetery in Amherst, Ohio. The Jones's yard was located on the east side of the river, about where the United States Coast Guard Station stands today. A fitting memorial to the skill of Augustus Jones and Fairbanks Church was left us by one of their contemporaries, Captain Augustus Walker: Their vessels, as a general thing, were far in advance of those previously built - both for sailing and carrying heavier burden for their tonnage, and drawing less water than those previously introduced. They bore a greater proportion of beam to the length of keel, and less depth in the hold, and being very broad on the transom, were enabled to carry sail as long as their canvas held together, which sometimes is very important when jammed upon a lea shore. There was a particular grace in the set of those vessels. In that particular these builders excelled. Their vessels had a sort of swan-like appearance upon the water that attracted attention while at the same time they were simple in their rig - mostly fore-and-aft schooners, though in after years they built and put afloat quite a large number of brigs and steamboats. Captain Jones was the most successful so far as sail vessels were concerned. His style of sparring vessels, cut and proportions of sails, etc., was quite different from any other before introduced upon the lakes. The foremast was stepped further forward, the mainmast further aft, giving greater spread to the foresail, which is an important item when hauled upon the wind. Capt. Jones' vessels were always known in the distance by their masts being wider apart, as well as their great length of gaffs, both fore and aft, a distinguishing feature which characterized them from other vessels of that day.75 The first vessel built in the Jones yard was the sloop William Tell, in 1828. This was followed in 1829 by the schooner President, and in 1831, the steamer General Gratiot which was launched on April 17, 1831, "under a National Salute."76 46

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