Captain E. Smades

Captain E. Smades, master of the Penobscot and a resident of Hamburg, N.Y. was born November 5, 1848, in Ogdensburg, that State. His father, John Smades, was a native of that same place, born November 3, 1825, and there spent the greater part of his life, dying, however, in Prescott, Ontario, in 1885. He was a carpenter, vessel master and owner, owning and sailing the George Henry and the Harriet Ann, of Milford. In early life he married Miss Annie McLeod, of Buffalo, who still survives him, and he left a family of five sons and three daughters.

The boyhood and youth of Captain Smades were spent under the parental roof and he learned the carpenter's trade with his father. When in his eighteenth year he made his first trip upon the lakes in the propeller Lowell and he has since devoted nearly all of his time to marine pursuits. He was on the Empire State for two seasons as second mate, and in 1883 became master of the George Henry having served the intervening seasons on different boats in various capacities. Subsequently he was master of the Frank Perew, Emily P. Weed, Charles A. Eddy and R.J. Atchison, and in 1895 was made captain of the Penobscot, which was new at that time, and on which he is still serving to the entire satisfaction of the owners. His career on the Great Lakes has been a very fortunate one.

Captain Smade was married, in September, 1870, to Miss Nellie M. Hill, of Canada, who died in Ogdensburg, N. Y., in 1888. She was a sister of W. J. Hill, United States Senator from California. The captain was again married, in 1890, his second union being with Miss Mary Thompson. He is the father of the following children: Washington L., who has been second mate on the Emily P. Weed, and is now wheelsman on the North West; Harry Albert, who is wheelsman on the Appotamatox; and Edwin Bruce, Ethel Blanch, Irene Lillian Marguerite, Florence R. and Harold, all living at home. In social affiliation Captain Smades is an Odd Fellow, belonging to a lodge in Buffalo, where he made his home for twelve years. He changed his residence to Hamburg, N.Y. in the spring of 1896.

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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.