August 7, 1679: When the Great Lakes First Spoke Sail

They built the ship in a clearing. Not a drydock or harbor—just forest, frost, and the raw hush of Cayuga Creek. A man named La Salle had dragged the timber there, along with iron nails and plans too big for canoes.

He called the vessel Le Griffon. She was square-rigged, built by hand, meant to carry goods and dreams through the inland seas.

On August 7, 1679, Le Griffon left the mouth of the Niagara River and entered Lake Erie. She would be the first known European sailing ship to travel the upper Great Lakes—Erie, Huron, and Michigan. No one had seen canvas like that above those waters before.

The ship was part exploration, part experiment, and part claim. If it could be done, if the lakes could be crossed by sail, then they could be counted, mapped, renamed. The voyage was a beginning. And maybe, depending on your point of view, an ending too.

La Salle was searching for empire, but what he found was something deeper. A vast interior world. A connected rhythm of water and sky. Five inland oceans that didn’t belong to any one man.

He gave them flags. He gave them God. But they already had names.

The Five Sisters

Today, we call them Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. Five sisters carved by glacier and time. They are not simply lakes. They are a system. A communion. A body.

Let August 7 be remembered not just for Le Griffon, not just for La Salle. But for what they met out there on the water—what still waits for us.

The Five Sisters.

They were never conquered. Only encountered.

Check out this poem from Red, White & Verse:

The Five Sisters

In the heartland of the nation, where sky and water meet,

Lies a marvel of creation, vast, profound, replete.

A collection of colossal cups, the Great Lakes in their prime,

Echoes of the glaciers’ path, cast by the persistence of time.

The Five Sisters stand, Superior to Erie’s tide,

Michigan’s embrace, with Huron by her side.

Ontario shines eastward, her beauty unfolds wide,

Together they dance, in nature’s majestic stride.

Superior, the titan, holds dominion of the north,

A liquid fresco painted vast, with ice and winds brought forth.

A bed of ancient stories sleeps beneath her steely guise,

Her depth and breadth, a testament to time’s ceaseless reprise.

Michigan, a solitaire, kissed only by U.S. shores,

Holds in her heart the whispering winds and tales of olden wars.

Her waves dance to the rhythm of the cities in her hold,

Her “great water” nurtures life, a story to be told.

In Huron’s tranquil waters lie memories of the past,

Where tribes once thrived and spirits soared, in landscapes vast.

Named for the Wendat people, she’s a beacon from before,

A mirror to the northward skies, her beauty to adore.

Erie, the shallow sister, named for the tribe of old,

Wears a crown of emerald green, and tales of settlers bold.

Her ripples echo softly, telling tales of fur and trade,

Of progress made, and lives transformed, as old frontiers did fade.

Ontario, the eastern gem, a beauty to behold,

Cradles “beautiful lake” in her name, a story to be unfolded.

She’s the gateway to the sea, with cities in her grace,

Her sunsets paint a picture on the canvas of her face.

Each a spectacle of nature’s might, each a separate tale,

Yet bound as one, they stand in might, against time’s weary gale.

Tales of tribes and settlers, of progress and of strife,

The Great Lakes are a witness to the vibrant stream of life.

Their waters teem with varied energy, their shores with spruce and pine,

From the smallest smelt to the fishing boats that line.

They shape the lives of millions, serve as nectar to the land,

Their ebb and flow, a gentle pull, under nature’s command.

Now, they stand as sentinels, vast, profound, and wide,

A reminder of our fleeting time, nature’s relentless tide.

May we honor these ancient bodies, with reverence and respect,

For in their depths, they hold the truths, we are called to protect.

In the grandeur of our Lakes, where the five great sisters lie,

A dance of waves and whispers beneath the open sky.

Framed by rugged woodland and cities’ bustling might,

In their watery embrace, we find respite from the night.

Consider our Great Lakes, their depths both cold and clear,

A silent strength beneath the surface, a salve for every fear.

Their shores, a tranquil haven, for hearts in weary flight,

Their ceaseless ebb and flow sing songs of quiet might.

Through storms and calm waters, together they reside,

The Five Sisters chorus, with pride they confide.

A dance of interconnected waves, under the vast blue sky,

Their unity a lesson, for all who pass by.

From each playful shallow to every serene sprawl,

The Great Lakes carry a catharsis, heard in each wave’s call.

They wash away our worries, bring peace to weary souls,

A healing hymn of nature that makes our fractures whole.

By: Greg McNeilly

And if you really enjoy the Great Lakes, check out this song "The Five Sisters."

The Five Sisters: The Great Lakes