ABSTRACT
Phoenix was designed by master carpenter Edward Roberts as a passenger steamer for the purpose of making the round trip between Whitehall and St. Johns, the same route offered by Vermont. Although neither plans nor drawings of Phoenix have ever been found, records from the Champlain Transportation Company describe her as a wooden paddlewheeler 146 ft. The hull of Phoenix was somewhat rounded, and her single mast was square-rigged to harness the wind when favorable. Captained by Sherman, Phoenix began steaming on Lake Champlain in September 1815, making the trip between Whitehall and St. Johns with an hour stop at Burlington in passing each way. During the 1816 and 1817 seasons, Phoenix and Champlain ran a continuous service between Whitehall and St. Johns, departing from opposite ends of the lake. On the clear moonlit evening of 4 September 1819, Phoenix was docked at the wharf in Burlington to pick up passengers before continuing on her way north to Quebec.
