Liberty H. Ware

Among the men in public life who have had considerable nautical experience is Hon. Liberty H. Ware, of Cleveland. He is a grandson of John T. Ware, of Philadelphia, who spent his life in building sailing vessels, and who was for a long period head ship- builder in Stephen Guard's shipyard in Philadelphia; he also held a responsible position in the United States for some time.

Samuel Ware, the father of the subject of this sketch, was a farmer who lived at one time in Philadelphia, later removing to Columbiana County, Ohio, where his son Liberty H. was born in 1844. Twelve years later the family made their home at Avon Point, and five years after that they took up their abode in Cleveland. The early life of Liberty H. Ware was spent in school, his spare time being employed in boats for pleasure. After removing to Cleveland, he commenced the study of law in the Union Law College, remaining in that institution three terms. He had been reading law for some time previous in the office of R. E. Knight and H. H. Blackburn, and at the expiration of the third term in the Union Law College he received his diploma. Up to this time he had made many occasional trips with the lake vessels of that day, having sailed in the George H. Ely, as mate of the schooner Patton, in the William B. Ogden, the Black Rover, the Addie, the Geo. W. Holt, the scows-Leo, Dido, Comfort, Ann, Black Swan, and E. K. Kane, the square-rigged scow Gladiator, and the Free Mason. While he was in the Addie, that vessel was wrecked at the entrance to Cleveland harbor by running against the pier, and sunk. The crew took to the yawl boats, but that craft was upset and the men were washed on the beach by the waves.

When Mr. Ware received his diploma, he folded it up and placed it in his vest pocket for safe keeping, then walked directly to the dock where the schooner Yorktown was lying ready for a trip across the ocean. The Yorktown's cargo of oil was on board, and, when Mr. Ware offered to ship as able seaman, his services were at once accepted. His desire to see something of the world was granted, and during the next few months he met many varied experiences. The Yorktown was chased by a privateer on the way over, but being a speedy schooner had no difficulty in getting out of the way. The voyage from Cleveland to Liverpool lasted twenty-eight days, and after spending some time in England, Mr. Ware returned to the ship Damascus. Then he took up the practice of law in what was then West Cleveland, and he has lived ever since in the home formerly occupied by his parents. In the practice of his profession he has been successful, and his fellow citizens have repeatedly asked him to serve them in a public capacity. He was mayor of West Cleveland two terms, has been a justice of the peace, member of the council, postmaster and police justice. He has always sailed more or less. With Capt. J. W. Moore he purchased the fast sailyacht Minx, and later he and Captain Moore built the sailyacht L. H. Ware, which was afterward transformed into a steamyacht. He now owns the single-stick yacht Restless, a very speedy boat of forty feet over all.

Mr. Ware's first wife was Miss Mary Jane Wroath. In 1879 he married Miss Mary A. Cobb, of Stark County, Ohio; they have two children: Liberty Bernard and Frances Alice.

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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.