Thomas Reynolds

Thomas Reynolds, assistant engineer of the Sixty-eighth streets waterworks, Hyde Park, Chicago, was born in Little Falls, N.Y., in 1853, a son of Michael and Catharine Reynolds, who spent their entire lives in the Empire State, and when but twelve years of age our subject came to Chicago, and learned the machinist's trade in the shops of the Chicago & Northwestern railroad.

The lakes had an attraction for him, and in 1873 he made his initial trip sailing from Chicago on the barge Frankfort, being six weeks on her, after which he became second engineer on the old propeller Union, which was lost off White Fish bay, Lake Superior, then finished the season on the steambarge Nahant, engaged in the iron ore trade, and laying up in Milwaukee. The next season Mr. Reynolds accepted the position of engineer on the steambarge George Dunbar, which was engaged in the lumber trade, and after serving as assistant on her during the season of 1874, he was next selected to act as her chief, and remained as such for the following three years. In 1878 he stopped ashore, working in the machine shops, but in 1879 again accepted the position of chief engineer of the Dunbar, and remained in this position through the following season. In the fall of 1880 he brought out the new tug Alpha for the Chicago Dock & Dredge Co., and remained on her until 1882, when he brought out new the tug Calumet for the Chicago Canal & Dock Co., but after spending one season on her he returned to the Alpha, where he put in his time during 1883 and 1884. The following year, however, he again accepted the position of chief engineer on the Calumet for the Chicago Canal & Dock Co., remaining on her until November, 1886, when he entered the employ of the city as assistant engineer at the Sixty-eighth street water works, Hyde Park, Chicago, the duties of which responsible position he has discharged for many years to the entire satisfaction of all concerned.

Socially, Mr. Reynolds belongs to the National Stationary Engineers Association, No. 29; of the Independent Order of Foresters, and was at one time a member of the old original No. 4, M.E.P.A. Since 1865 he has been an honored resident of Chicago, where, in 1876, he was married to Miss Margaret Flood, a native of Waukegan, Ill. They have a family of six children: Kittie, Lillie, Ada, Willie, Margaret and Charley.

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Volume I

This version of Volume II is based, with permission, on the work of the great volunteers at the Marine Captains Biographies site. To them goes the credit for reorganizing the content into some coherent order. The biographies in the original volume are in essentially random order.

Some of the transcription work was also done by Brendon Baillod, who maintains an excellent guide to Great Lakes Shipwreck Research.