TRANSPORTATION AND MARKETING 241 



stage routes in jMichigan. Of these one ran from 

 Detroit through Ypsilanti^ Saline, Tecumseh, Jones- 

 ville, Coldwater, Niles, La Porte and Michigan City 

 to Chicago. The schedule called for a stage over 

 this route three times each week. A second stage 

 line Joined Detroit with Monroe, Toledo and Lower 

 Sandusky, also with a thrice-a-week stage. Twice 

 in the week the stage ran from Monroe through 

 Adrian to Tecumseh. The same map indicates steam- 

 boat lines on the adjoining Great Lakes between 

 Buffalo, Detroit, Fort Gratiot, and Chicago. The 

 steamers touched at the coast villages, and ascended 

 or connected with steamers that ascended the larger 

 rivers, such as the Grand and the St. Joseph. Blois 

 gives the registered tonnage for vessels on Lake 

 Erie in 1836 at 24,045, represented by 45 steamboats 

 of an aggregate tonnage of 9,016, and 211 other 

 craft. The steamer Illinois of 755 tons, built in 

 1838 at Detroit, is credited with the maximum ca- 

 pacity for her day.^ 



It thus appears that, at about the time Michigan 

 gained statehood, immigrants and merchandise 

 could pass between Michigan and the Atlantic sea- 

 board by a route which involved on the westward 

 journey a short steamer run up the Hudson to 

 Albany, a canal passage of three or four days be- 

 tween Albany and Buffalo, a ride of forty hours by 

 steamer from Buffalo to Detroit, and thence a stage 

 or wagon journey into the interior. 



If the facilities for reaching the inner portions 



Ubid., 595. 



