ABSTRACT
Spanning the entire industrial core of the US and providing a marine avenue to the sea, the Great Lakes form the basis of a unique transportation system. Economically and culturally the lakes have played a major role in the growth and development of commerce in the nation. The St. Lawrence route between the Great Lakes and overseas was not created anew with the opening of the present St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959. "Package freight" on the Great Lakes would be general cargo on the oceans. The early development of the Great Lakes transportation system is a saga of the opening of the interior of the North American continent by European explorers and traders by water travel. As trading centers became cities and the rich resources of the region were tapped and exploited, the need for transport of goods and people increased.
