Welcome to Henry's Travel Blog!

Although he kept detailed business papers, Missouri Botanical Garden founder Henry Shaw left little personal material for biographers to consider in analyzing his life. One of the few items which remain is a series of five journals. Following his retirement from the hardware business in 1840, Shaw traveled abroad and made notes, recollections, and even sketches in these small bound books. Join us as we chart Henry's journey to Europe and beyond.
 
Shaw's variable spellings, punctuation, and grammar, preserved throughout, are typical even for well-educated gentlemen in the 19th Century. Important note (4/14/09): The entries from March 11, 2009 through April 8, 2009, correspond to recently discovered text from Henry Shaw's journal. They will be posted online under the correct dates to preserve chronological accuracy.
 
   
   

Posted Online Saturday, March 7, 2009

August 6, 1840: The Beauty of Canandaighua

Spent the afternoon visiting wee lady of my sister's aquaintance at Canandaighua where we arrived by stage in a few hours from Geneva - much admired the beautifull house and gardens of a Scotch gentlemen Mr. Gregg -

This village of Geneva are the prettiest places I have yet seen this side of the Atlantic - they appear to be the residences mostly of persons of retired circumstances living comfortably and in some elegance.

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Posted Online Friday, March 6, 2009

August 5, 1840: Lake Seneca

Roused at 1:00 both my sister and self by the departure of stages - but ours did not leave till three o'clock -

A chilly morning and in passing the lofty hills to the head of Lake Seneca where we are bound found the necessity of always having an overcoat in traveling - the distance is 25 miles thro a wild country and back roads - to the Seneca Lake where we once more embarked on the placid waters - the scenery on the banks very similar to the Cayuga - width from 1 to 2 miles and about 40 -

At three o'clock came again in sight of the peacefull village and hanging gardens of Geneva.

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Posted Online Thursday, March 5, 2009

August 4, 1840: Ithaca

Went for a short and pleasant ride thro Waterloo and Seneca Falls to Cayuga Bridge - wooden structure to cross the foot of Cayuga Lake - arrived about noon and in less than half an hour embarked on the beautiful Lake in an elegant steamer -

A delightful two voyage of four hours up the Lake the shores of which are high and gently undulating - diversified with towns and villages - Aurora (fairest goddess of the morn) is the principal - the Lake is terminated or rather commences in a low swampy valley - but behind the trees and shrubery the town of Ithaca suddenly opens to our view (population 5,000) a tavern with Corinthian columns, a number of churches, and a number of retail mercantile concerns must bespeak a place of some importance. It is singularly surrounded with lofty hills on every side in the evening took a stroll to the top of them and had a glorious and brilliant sunset -

The fineness of the evening had allowed out a number of the fair sex - the gallant manners of dress of some of the younger and more handsome very refreshing to my Bachelor eyes.

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Posted Online Wednesday, March 4, 2009

August 3, 1840: Geneva on Lake Seneca

Took an excursion with my dear little sister Caroline - leaving Rochester in the Eastern Stage and with agreeable company we passed thro Pittsford and Canandaigua to Geneva on Lake Seneca - one of the lakes tho secondary in size - superior in beauty to the great northern lakes - remained here for the night -

In the evening joined the audience at the Presbn. Church and listened to a poetical composition by the author (Mr. Street) and an address of the college boys by a Reverend Mr. Henry of N. Yk - a man of good plain sense, but impolished in his manner and out of place as a literary speaker.

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Posted Online Tuesday, March 3, 2009

August 1 and 2, 1840: Genesee Falls

On Sunday went to Church in the morning - after the usual prayers of the Episcopal Church heard an eloquent sermon by the learned Reverend Dr. Whitehouse -

In the evening took a ride with our friend Mr. Delano in his gig to the lower falls of the Genesee River - passing thro that Irish suburb of Rochester called Dublin - the lowness of the River took off somewhat of the grandeur of the Genesee Falls - which if they were not so near the thundering Niagara might attract more attention - the Genesee feeds off the same bed of rock as its greater sister.

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Posted Online Monday, March 2, 2009

July 30, 1840: Solitary Walk

Early this morning (and before the ladies arose) took a solitary walk to regain the rising ground and obtain another extensive view of the surrounding country on both sides of the river - and opposite to the monument erected on Queenstown Heights in memory of the British General Brock, who fell in the engagement on the same spot in the War of 1812 -

Returned by rail road to Lockport -thence by the water and alluvial turnpike called the Ridge Road to Rochester - passing Brockport to the right and thro a fruitfull and highly cultivated country - a country rich in the productions of Pomona and Ceres -

Arrived at my Father's house late in the evening - after a day's journey of nearly a hundred miles.

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Posted Online Sunday, March 1, 2009

July 28 and 29, 1840: Niagara River

Passed at Niagara in viewing the Falls from the American and Canadian shore - descended the cliff at Goat Island and made a showery incursion under the principal - found the noise tremendous and deafening -

In the afternoon of the 29th left the Falls and its gentile company and visited the rapids on the river below called the Whirlpool - also the deap and gloomy chasm in the rock - Devil's Hole. The River Niagara flowing as a rapid torrent thro a deep channel of rocks is a romantic sight - 7 miles from the cataract it arrives at the plain level country and assumes the breadth and depth of a grand and navigable river at Lewiston where we arrived the same evening and remained all night - the noise of the great Fall still as audible as in the immediate vicinity.

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