Text Box: Lake Ontario was a welcomed sight for most travelers with its clear blue waters, but when it was angry it was very, very angry.  Ships went down in the fury of the lake and many hands were lost.   In 1784, over in Massachusetts, a ship rescue group was started and became a model for future life saving groups.  In 1807 a boat that was specifically designed to rescue persons from floundering ships came into use.  It carried a crew of 10 that would row out to the ship in trouble to lend as much assistance as it could.  This boat was so popular that they began to show up at other coastal areas.  After the disastrous ship wrecks and loss of life in the winter of 1870-71 Congress earmarked $200,000 to create a life-saving system.  Thus on June 18, 1878 the Life Saving Service came into being under the Treasury Department.  The Treasury Department already oversaw the Revenue Cutter Service, an armed naval force to ensure that proper duty was paid for imported goods.  In 1915 the Life Saving Service, the Revenue Cutter Service, the Lighthouse Service and Steamship Inspection all merged into what is now the U.S. Coast Guard.  A good read about the Life Saving Service can be found at http://beachbum.homestead.com/LifeSaving Stations.htm Oswego Life Saving Station/Coast Guard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text Box: The Oswego harbor has played a major roll in the settling and development of the area.  The "out pouring of the river" provided a means to travel to other parts of the Country more quickly than by land.   This led to the need for help when ships met with the elements of nature and floundered. This page is to share some pictures and history of the harbor.