FEATURED RESOURCE
The
Phoenix Kit
In
1819, the steamboat Phoenix mysteriously caught fire
during a routine trip down Lake Champlain. Six of the forty-six
passengers lost their lives. Primary documents are used to study
this dramatic event in Lake Champlain’s history. The kit
also includes video, books, artifacts, maps, and more.
Cost:
$20 for 2-week loan (delivery not included).
Order this Kit by Phone,
802-475-2022
Order
Your Copy by Phone,
802-475-2022
NAUTICAL
ETYMOLOGY
Scuttlebutt
During
the days of sail, drinking water was kept in a butt or cask in
an easily accessible spot aboard ship. In order to ensure that
the fresh water would last until the next landing, a “scuttle”
or small hole was sawed out of its side so that the butt could
only be half-filled at any given time. The forerunner of the water
cooler, the scuttlebutt was a place where sailors could congregate
for a moment to relax and exchange a bit of gossip.
From When a Loose Cannon Flogs a Dead Horse
There's the Devil to Pay,
by Olivia A. Isil.
Available at LCMM, 802-475-2022.
QUICK LINKS...
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WHAT'S NEW AT LCMM
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Free
and Subsidized Winter Outreach Programs!
This year we’re pleased to announce the receipt
of two grants which will allow us to offer our winter
outreach programs to regional schools at subsidized
rates or free for schools
in need. The Leo Cox Beach Philanthropic Foundation
has awarded $15,000 and the George W. Mergans Foundation
$5,000 to LCMM for support of educational programming.
Teachers can select from a menu of programs: Colonial
and Revolutionary Studies, Underwater Archaeology,
Nineteenth Century Commercial Era, Buoyancy, and Songs
and Stories of Lake Champlain. Click on the link above
to find out more. Sincere thanks to both foundations
from LCMM and the thousands of students we will be
able to serve.
In addition to these funds, LCMM has other strategies
that allow us to continue offering our programs to
schools who are restricted by tight budgets and rising
bussing costs. Ask about our “buy one - get
the second at half price” field trip policy.
Some teachers use both our Basin Harbor and Burlington
(Lois McClure) sites. Our staff can help
you come up with a combination that suits your needs.
If you are an educator, or know of
a school that could benefit from this financial support,
contact Chris McClain at chrism@lcmm.org
or call 802-475- 2022.
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DID YOU KNOW?
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Did you know
that Philomene Daniels of Vergennes, Vermont was the
first licensed female steamboat pilot in the United
States and possibly the world? Born in 1843, Philomene
Ostiguy dit Domingue moved to Vergennes and married
Louis Daniels in 1862. Together they operated the
Daniels Boat Line on the Otter Creek, ultimately owning
no fewer than four propeller driven steamboats including
Water Lily, Little Nellie, Victor, and Alexander.
With the success of their early vessels, Louis encouraged
Philomene to obtain her pilots license. The Burlington
Free Press and Times of May 5, 1887 reported that
she was “undoubtedly the first woman to receive
a pilot’s license in this country, if not in
the world." The Daniels Boat Line was a constant
sight on the Otter Creek towing canal boats, and on
Lake Champlain taking passengers on day trips.
Captain Phil was not your average steamboat pilot
with her long skirts, gold jewelry, and fancy hats.
Despite her appearances she was more than capable
of taking care of herself. “Once, when a young
man’s behavior began to annoy her and the other
passengers, she simply pushed him overboard. When
he came back on board, dripping wet in his good clothes,
he and the other passengers had a lot more respect
for their captain.” (From “The Captain
Wore Petticoats” by Jane Vincent, Historic Roots
April 2000.)
Learn more about Captain Phil and the Daniels boats
in the Nautical Archaeology Center at the Lake Champlain
Maritime Museum.
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