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Page 7 brigantines, barques and men-of-war. In the late 1800's it was written that, "the harbor formed by the Detroit River contains more room than the harbors of Buffalo, Erie, Cleveland, Milwaukee and Chicago all combined, and the water is deep enough to float the largest ship of war, and in any kind of weather, vessels find safety here." The physical development of Detroit's waterfront began when colonists from the fort ventured out into the river to sail their gaily painted canoes decorated with large Indian symbols. These canoes were about six feet wide and thirty-five feet long. In 1796 the first wharf was constructed in Detroit and called the Merchant's and King's Wharf. It is shown on T. Smith's map of the town drawn at the same time. After the surrender of 1796, communication between the two banks of the river increased. Those citizens that didn't have canoes preferred to be ferried over by skilled oarsmen. Soon this business of ferrying became quite profitable and had to be regulated. On March 5, 1802, the first license was granted to a Gabriel Godfoy for a ferry "from his house across the river Detroit". In 1802 specific regulations were spelled out concerning the transportation of people across the river. In 1806, a ferryhouse was built on the river fifty feet west of Woodward between Atwater and Woodbridge Streets. The physical configuration of Detroit's skyline and waterfront began to change as waterborne transportation increased on the Detroit River. Construction began on many new piers and wharves. On June 11, 1816a wharf ten feet wide and extending two hundred feet into the river was authorized. Fees were to be fifty cents for tying a boat five tons or under, coming from a distance of ten miles or more. Boats up to twenty-five tons were to pay a dollar and half and larger craft had to pay two dollars. The waterfront at that time was along the south side of Woodbridge Street. In 1818 he first steamboat on the upper lakes, the WALK-IN-THE-WATER, came to Detroit. The whole of the city's population turned out to see this remarkable sight. The social and economic significance of this visit by the WALK-IN-THE-WATER cannot be stressed enough. It changed the lives of all Detroiters and had a great effect on the city proper. Potential new settlers were encouraged to visit Detroit. The dreaded two-week voyage across Lake Erie was now cut down to just a comfortable few days. A regular schedule was established between Detroit and Buffalo. Because the WALK-IN-THE-WATER could accomodate one hundred passengers, a special wharf was built especially for it at the foot of Bates Street. It didn't take long for the population of Detroit to increase. In 1817 it was nine hundred. In 1830 it grew to twenty-two hundred and by 1837 it had grown to ninety-seven hundred. Although steam navigation was revolutionary, it didn't eliminate the use of sailing vessels until many years later. All during the 1800's sailing craft were predominant on the Detroit River and the Great Lakes. The use of sailing vessels came down to a matter of economics. Steam engines and boilers were very expensive and they also took up space in the vessel that could be used for valuable cargo. As it was then, the Detroit River was busy with sailing and steam vessels plying its water. It became so busy that the United States Congress declared on December 31, 1819 that the Detroit River be designated a "public highway". With the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825, the advantages of waterborne commerce took a quantum leap. Overland travel had been hard, hazardous, and for commerce quite expensive. In 1815 a barrel of goods sent to Buffalo cost five dollars. In 1825 that same barrel of goods cost only fifty cents, transported by water. In 1827 the City Council of Detroit voted for an improvement to the waterfront facilities. This improvement consisted of a dock, sixty feet wide, to be built at the foot of Woodward Avenue. By 1857 shipments were coming into Detroit from Europe and Detroit's reputation as a major port in the world was gaining. As one influential Detroiter said at that time, "[Detroit] offers one of the largest and safest harbors in the world. London is the largest port, but more tonnage passes Detroit than enter the Thames." In 1863 the first harbormaster was appointed by City Council. Among his normal duties he was also entrusted with the "charge of 26 life preservers owned by the city, which, by vote of the council on August 25,1871, were ordered placed along the docks. Four others were provided at Belle Isle. By the late 1800's the Detroit River was lined with docks five miles along the waterfront of Detroit In 1909 it was proposed that the waterfront of Detroit be re-designed and a new series of