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The St. Lawrence River had remained relatively quiet during the first year of the war, in fact it was for the most part downright peaceful. Both sides were enjoying a rather healthy trade relationship. The simple fact was that most of the St. Lawrence valley was occupied by Loyalists, those who went to or were forced to move to the colony of Upper Canada following the American Revolution, and many still had family on the American side of the river. This was not going to fly in 1813, as the war escalated, raids became common. On the 6th of February, a raid lead by MajorRead More →

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Well, it’s not a castle, but this 1726 building in Old Fort Niagara has earned the moniker “The French Castle.” Constructed as part of the second fortifications at the mouth of the Niagara, the French first came to the region in 1678. However, the site was abandoned due to illness and a lack of supplies. The current fortifications on the site date to 1726 and have remained occupied. The British took the fort in a siege in 1759 during the French-Indian War (Seven Years War); it remained a British stronghold through the American Revolution but was turned over to the Americans in 1796. Captured againRead More →

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During the War of 1812, Sackets Harbor was the major US Naval base on Lake Ontario, home base to Commodore Isaac Chauncy’s squadron and primary shipyard for the navy. In 1812 the Royal Navy had bombarded the base with little effect, but in 1813 following the American capture of Fort George. General Vincent having fallen back to Burlington Heights sent a message to Prevost and the newly appointed Commodore James Lucas Yeo that Chauncy’s entire squadron was at Niagara leaving Sackets Harbor for the most part undefended. The former navy point, serving today as a marina. The newly appointing commander of the Lake Ontario Squadron,Read More →

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Located in Oswego, New York, Fort Ontario, is one of three 18th and 19th century fortifications that were built to defend the Oswego River. Often confused and called Fort Oswego, Fort Ontario is located on the western bank of the Oswego River, while the actual Fort Oswego was located on the Eastern Bank, and stood approximately at West First and Lake Street in Oswego. The main gate of the fort Originally constructed as “Fort Six Nations” in 1755 by the French during the French and Indian War (part of the greater Seven Years War), following the French capture of the region that saw the BritishRead More →

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While the Battle of Lake Erie was considered the greatest inland naval battle of 1813, the Battle of Plattsburg or rather Battle of Lake Champlain was the greatest inland naval battle of 1814. By fall of 1814 the British army had beaten back Napoleon and was pouring troops into North American at a rapid pace, already General Robert Ross had burning Washington DC and was marching for Baltimore, another force had captured most of what would become Maine. Yeo and Chauncy continued to chase each other around Lake Ontario, and Lake Huron had been secured under British control with the bold captures of the TigressRead More →

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This happens when you don’t double-check things; you get an awful flare that takes out a whole top section of your photo. But rather than groan about it, I posted it anyways, because that’s a rule I laid out for myself. But enough about mistakes (I should’ve swung the camera around and shot High Falls instead…). This is probably my favourite spot to eat in all of Rochester (Dog Town is a close second), the Genesee Brew House, a brewpub attached to the Genesee Brewery with a full selection of their beers and some pretty fantastic food. Genesee traces its legacy back to 1819, butRead More →

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I figured because it was TLR Tuesday I’d share some photos I took last year in the abandoned Rochester Subway. The subway has always fascinated me since I first visited it back in 2007. But on this particular trip I was armed with my trusty Rolleiflex and a roll of Kodak Panatomic-X. The main draw for the subway is the viaduct over the Erie Canal. This area is covered with some of the best graffiti art I have come across in my explorations. And it’s not just the usual garbage, this work is just that, works of art! It’s also the area with the bestRead More →

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Still in Rochester for Week 13 and continuing with the Kodak Love! Again we have the guest camera from Andrew featured here in Week 13! The George Eastman House is now a museum dedicated to preserving the art of photography. Not only can you see the images but also the iconic cameras that created them. The famous photo of US Marine raising the Stars and Strips on Iwo Jima shows the original print at the GEH, and the Speed Graphic used to create the image. You can also tour the home of the man who brought Photography to the people. Sadly I arrived too lateRead More →

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Giving Kodak a little love for week 12. Yes, despite what you have (or haven’t heard) Kodak is alive and kicking and still producing film (marketing it under the Kodak Alaris name). So when I had a chance to go visit Rochester I decided to give some exposure to the company’s iconic headquarters. The Kodak Tower, set a bit outside the main downtown area of Rochester, NY was built between 1912 and 1914 as the ‘nerve center of photography.’ Under the watchful eye of George Eastman, the firm of Gordon & Kaelber (Main famous Rochester buildings were designed by them and listed on the NationalRead More →

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Both the United States Navy and the Royal Navy knew that who ever had control of the lakes and water ways could control the battlefields on the land. The water was the fastest most effective way to move armies and supplies. On the British side the squadron on Lake Ontario was commanded by Commodore James Lucas Yeo out of the Navy Yards at Kingston. The American’s squadron out of Sacketts Harbor under Commodore Isaac Chauncey. Sam Latta’s house as it stands today By 1813 both sides had ships roaming Lake Ontario, many conducting raids against the other’s shore targets and small villages and ports whereRead More →