The Bateau

The Bateau (HM1FS2)

Location: Little Falls, NY 13365 Herkimer County
Buy New York State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 43° 1.674', W 74° 48.926'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 594 views
Inscription

          The bateau (French word for boat) was the favored type of watercraft used to navigate the inland streams, rivers and lakes of New York in the 1700's. As roads were few and those that were built were hard to travel due to ruts after rain, swampy conditions, steep hills, creeks or ravines to cross, the inland waterways served as the main transportation routes for Indian traders, farmers sending their produce to market, travelers, merchants and the military - both British and American (after 1776).

          The bateaux were well suited for their purpose. They were flat bottomed; this allowed them to pass easily over the rifts (shallow water over rocky areas) that were common in the river. They needed only a few inches of water to float and could carry up to 1½ tons of cargo drawing only 1½ feet of water. They were pointed at both ends for maneuverability.

          The average Mohawk River bateau was between 18 and 30 feet long and weighed about ½ ton. It was mainly propelled by setting poles, about 8 feet long, that were jammed into the river bottom and used to push the bateau along. Each bateau was also equipped with a set of rowing oars and a mast and sail. A steering oar about 18 feet long was necessary to keep on course, as the bateau has no keel.
Details
HM NumberHM1FS2
Tags
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Monday, September 15th, 2014 at 12:33pm PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18T E 515036 N 4763929
Decimal Degrees43.02790000, -74.81543333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 43° 1.674', W 74° 48.926'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds43° 1' 40.44" N, 74° 48' 55.56" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)315
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling North
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 14 Erie Canalway Trail, Little Falls NY 13365, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. What year was the marker erected?
  9. Who or what organization placed the marker?
  10. This marker needs at least one picture.
  11. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  12. Is the marker in the median?