Map/Chart > The Great Lakes & Champlain

River Detroit from Lake Erie up to Windsor & Detroit

A beautiful hand drawn survey of the River Detriot dating from 1815

Chart Information
Reference:	A901
Date	1815
Hydrographer/Surveyor/Artist:	Captain W. F. W. Owen
Size Of Original:	w 15.5" x h 66.5"
Paper Type	Innova Smooth Cotton 315gsm

Further Information

This print is available at the following sizes

Chart ID	Size	Dimensions	Print Only
A901	Original	w15.5" x h66.5"	$247
A901x	Half	w11" x h47"	$123

Please go to the drop down menu (Standard Print Sizes) to select your choice.

Read the full Chart History here:  

This chart of the Detroit River was drawn in order to inform British authorities as to the various navigable channels, which in turn would help to determine and establish the international boundary between British controlled Canadian territory and the newly established American Nation.

William FitzWilliam Owen started his service in the Great Lakes region in May 1815.  He was initially tasked with a first rapid reconnaissance of the lower lakes and rivers of the region to determine a number of urgently needed facts including the collection of extensive soundings and data.  With Britain and America having, just the previous year, been engaged in a war over the territory there was clearly an urgent need for this information.  Owen’s work toward this end was not helped by the fact that both he and his crew all suffered from fever and within weeks of setting out on the task.  He also struggled with the heated tensions between the British and Americans on the Detroit frontier, which culminated in the arrest and detention of his principal surveying officer at Detroit, Lieutenant Vidal.  This of course led to time-consuming negotiations and protracted correspondence between British and American authorities, in order to secure his release.