Captain John C. Fisk

Captain John C. Fisk, a well-known citizen of Cleveland is one whose interests have many years been connected with the lake marine, and he occupies a prominent position among those of his own calling. He was born June 9, 1832, in Richland, N.Y., and is a son of Ephraim Fisk, a native of Connecticut, who died in the Empire State during the childhood of our subject. He was then taken by his mother to Geauga county, Ohio, where he received a good common-school education.

At the age of thirteen the Captain went upon the lakes as a member of the Swallow's crew, running out of Fairport, Ohio. After serving as cook on that boat for a short time, he went on the General Worth, and the following season was on the Chicago, being among her crew when she capsized off Chicago, in 1850. He was then before the mast on the Bell, of Milwaukee, the Herald, John Irwin and Concord, and was mate on the Twin Brothers, H.N. Gates, Pilgrim, Messenger, Delos Dewolf and Brunswick. Before he had attained his majority he was appointed master of the Pulaski, of Oswego, N.Y., and was later captain on the Rocky Mountain and the S.J. Hawley. Retiring from the lakes in 1859, he obtained employment as a ship carpenter, first in Chicago, and subsequently in the Quayle & Martin, the La Frenier and other shipyards in Cleveland. He also worked for Stephens & Presley, and since has connected at different times with Murphy & Miller. In 1863 he enlisted in the Union army, becoming a member of the 43d O.V.I., and serving until the close of the war.

On March 28, 1859, Captain Fisk married Miss Hattie Stafford, of Erie county, Penn., who died in 1860, and the following year he wedded Miss Emma A. Butcher, a native of Suffolk, England. His children are as follows: Bertha, now the wife of John Evenleigh; Lincoln, who has for many years been connected with marine service, and has crossed the ocean several times; Maynard, who has sailed on the lakes for fourteen years, and is now captain of a river tug; Charles, who was on salt water for two years, and is now employed on the Erie canal; and Ruby J., at home. The Captain is an honored member of the Masonic fraternity and of the American Mechanics.

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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.