John D. Walker

John D. Walker is a native of Scotland, having been born in Aberdeenshire, August 5, 1868. At the age of sixteen, in May, 1884, he came to the United States and located at Detroit, Mich. He then completed his education in the night schools of Detroit, the elementary principles of which had been acquired in his native country. After his school year he apprenticed himself to the Detroit Dry Dock Engine Works for the purpose of learning the machinist's trade. His time at the shop covered a period of seven years, he thereby becoming a thorough machinist. At the age of twenty-one he went to Merced, Southern California, and worked on a canal, and shortly after was given a hoisting engine to run, which was used for the purpose of hoisting water to irrigate the land in that region. In 1890 he returned to Detroit and went to work in his old shop. During the season of 1891 he shipped on the steamer F. H. Prince, finishing that season and the one following in the capacity of oiler. The two following seasons he shipped in the same berth on the E.C. Pope and Selwyn Eddy. In the spring of 1895 he shipped on the steamer George King, as second engineer, finishing the season on the steamer Gladstone. In 1896 he was appointed second engineer, and with John Kirby on the steel steamer Alva, which positions he has held during the seasons of 1896-97-98. During the winter of 1897-98 Mr. Walker again visited his home, having an uncle who is captain of the Campania.

During the winter of 1896-97 Mr. Walker paid a visit to his old home at Crombie- Marnoch, Banffshire, Scotland, and enjoyed a sociable time with his friends and relatives. He is a member of the I.O. O.F., of the Order of the Knights of St. Andrews, and of the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association, Lodge No. 1, at Buffalo, New York.

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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.