I do not have any information on your particular family, but I've been wondering about researching shipmen on Lake Erie since my gggrandfather, Thomas McVetty,(1820- 1908) was a ship captain on Lake Erie, evidently around the same time as James McAdams. That's about all I know about his work, though he lived in Buffalo, NY, and in Fort Erie, Ontario. What information have you found on ships and crews? Do you have suggestions on how to find info?