Alfred A. Green

Alfred A. Green, a highly esteemed and enterprising citizen of Muskegon, Mich., is a capable marine engineer, although at this time he is in charge of the machinery of the water works department of that city. He possesses many of the qualifications that assure advancement in the line of his calling, and enable him to obtain some of the more material comforts of life. Mr. Green was born of New England parentage, on September 14, 1849, at Houlton, Maine, being a son Lewis L. and Lydia (Morse) Green, both of whom are natives of the same State. The family removed to Muskegon in June, 1863, the father running a sawmill and also engaging in other business. After his death, which occurred on June 17, 1880, the mother returned to the old home in Maine, where she is still living with one of her daughters. Mr. Green's brothers and sisters are as follows: David, who is in the insurance business at Houghton, Maine; Elvira, Mrs. Frank Carpenter; Hannah Alma S., Mrs. Charles Raymond; Alfretta, Mrs. John Massereau, and Agnes.

It was in Muskegon that Alfred A. Green completed his early education, afterward attending a business school at Mt. Carroll, Ill. The first berth he held on the lakes was that of wheelsman on the passenger steamer Merchant, in 1867, and the next season he went in the new steamer Laketon, which plied as a passenger boat between Muskegon and Grand Haven. In 1869 he went to school in Mt. Carroll, and he subsequently shipped on the steamer Pearl, engaged in towing rafts on the Mississippi river to Memphis, and during the next four years he sailed up the St. Francis river, and returning to New Orleans sailed out of that port on the bayou or river Teche to St. Martinville and other places. In May, 1874, Mr. Green took passage for St. Louis, where he met the steamer Belle of La Crosse, from St. Paul, and shipped in her as oiler. In 1875 he went south again in a small steamer, which was sunk by a snag at Luna Landing, near Greenville, Miss. He then took passage to New Orleans, and having received his first papers shipped as second engineer on a steam canalboat which plied on Lake Pontchartrain; on the passage she broke in two, the crew managing to reach Ship island, however. Being without fresh water on the island, they made a compound of salt water and molasses which served to quench their thirst in a measure until they were taken off by a fishing boat and carried to New Orleans. Mr. Green's next berth was on the steamer Pearl, on which he served as oiler until June, 1876, when he went north and shipped as oiler on the steamer Clyde, engaged in raft towing between Stillwater, Minn., and Clinton, Iowa; he remained on her until October, when he returned to Muskegon.

In the spring of 1877 Mr. Green was appointed engineer of the tug C. P. Kingsbury, and after operating three months at Muskegon he took her to Michigan City, closing the season with her at that port. He engineered her at Muskegon the two following seasons, and in the fall of 1879 he took the tug Elizabeth Arnold, of which he was part owner, to New Orleans, where he sold her to Mexican parties. Returning to Muskegon, he shipped as engineer in the York State, plying as ferry steamer on Muskegon lake, until September, when he joined the tug Alice Campbell. In 1881 he entered the employ of the Muskegon Boom Company, as engineer of the tug Ira O. Smith, towing logs until June, when he transferred to the tug James McGordon, which he ran two seasons. In 1883-84 he served as chief engineer of the steamer Tempest, plying in the passenger and freight trade between Muskegon and Chicago, and in 1885 he was given a similar berth on the steamer Milwaukee, retaininig it until July, 1886, when she was sunk by collision with the steamer Hickox, off Muskegon; one man was lost, the rest of the crew finding safety on the Hickox. He then joined the steamer New York for a short time, but finished the season as second engineer in the Robert Holland. After two seasons as chief on the Swallow, Mr. Green was appointed chief of the J. W. Wescott, plying between Chicago and Traverse City, continuing with her three seasons. In 1892 Mr. Green was appointed engineer of the new water works plant at Muskegon, holding that position until May, 1893, when he went to Chicago and entered the employ of the Williams Transportation Company as chief engineer of the steamer H. W. Williams, plying between South Haven and Chicago; in September, 1895, he transferred to the Hurson Transportation Company as chief engineer of the passenger steamer City of Fremont, plying between Chicago and Milwaukee, and running that winter until January 20. In the spring of 1896 he was appointed chief engineer of the steamer Mabel Bradshaw, closing the season as chief of the Niko. The next season he joined the steamer A. P. Wright as chief, serving as such until September, when he took charge of the Elfinmere, and after laying her up he was appointed to the steamer Nyack, which he ran all winter. It was in the spring of 1898 that he was again appointed chief engineer of the Muskegon water-works plant.

Socially, Mr. Green is a Master Mason. He is also a prominent member of the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association, belonging to Muskegon No. 51, of which he has been treasurer since its organization; has filled the office of president two terms, 1897-98, and he represented his lodge in the National convention at Washington in 1892. Although not an Odd Fellow, he is part owner of the Odd Fellows Block in Muskegon.

Mr. Green wedded Miss Nancy A. Fairbanks of Michigan City, Ind., on November 20, 1874, and this union has been blessed with three charming daughters, Nellie, Carrie and Alma; Carrie is a graduate of the class of 1898 of the Muskegon High School. The family homestead is pleasantly situated at No. 33 South Terrace street, Muskegon, Michigan.

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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.