The cache is located at a fishing access point on the Buffalo river
on Ohio St. From the riverbank by the cache, if you look to your
right as you face the water, you can see two steel beams placed
upright on the other bank. The Buffalo Dry Dock was located between
those beams and the grain elevator further downstream. The drydock
was set at an angle, with the entrance next to the elevators.
The Buffalo shipyard was started in 1808 by Nathan Bidwell. The
first graving docks were dug in 1836, on a site across the Buffalo
River from the intersection of Chicago Street and Ohio Street. A
major client, Union Steamboat Company, invested in the yard in 1872
and bought Bidwell out in 1882, renaming the yard Union Dry Dock
Company. Union sold out to the American Ship Building Company in
1899 and the yard was renamed Buffalo Dry Dock.
The S.S. Canadiana, the last passenger ship to be built at Buffalo
was constructed and launched from this shipyard. The Canadiana's
claim to fame was as the "Crystal Beach Boat".
Another semi famous ship was rebuilt at this shipyard. The "Greater
Buffalo", a sidewheel excursion steamer was purchased by the US
Navy in 1942 and converted by the yard in to the USS Sable (IX-81)
Which was a training aircraft carrier stationed in Chicago. One of the pilots who qualified on the Sable was a 20-year-old Lieutenant, junior grade, future President George H. W. Bush. The
yard was in operation until at least 1950. Currently, both of the
dry docks have been filled in, and the area is being used for
storage of fill material.An aerial photograph of the site is
below.
>
Aerial View
S.S Canadiana
U.S.S. Sable (IX-81)
Also to your right, you will see what looks like a short side
channel with crumbling concrete walls. This channel is all that
remains of the Ohio Basin outlet in to the Buffalo River. This
outlet was the furthest westward extension of the Erie canal
system.
The Ohio Basin was begun in 1836, and completed in 1852. Due to the
lack of current, the water in the basin frequently became stagnant,
and was declared a public nuisance in 1855. It was eventually
filled in and is now the site of Fr. Conway Park across Ohio St.
The cache can also be accessed by canoe or kayak as there is a
small area where you can beach your boat. There are a few benches
at the site where you can rest and watch the river flow by.
Please cover the cache well.
