Henry Higgins
Henry Higgins, pilot of the fire-boat J.M. Hutchinson, was born at Buffalo, December 18, 1859. His father, John Higgins, was a native of Ireland, whence he came to Buffalo, N.Y. The mother's maiden name was Margaret Chambers.
Mr. Higgins, our subject, was educated in the public schools of his native city, and his first employment on the water was as a ferry boy on Buffalo creek, at which he commenced to work at the early age of nine years. He was next linesman on the tug J.D. Dudley, and in 1881 became engineer of the tug Idaho, for the seven succeeding years serving as engineer of various harbor tugs in Buffalo harbor. His next service was as master of the tug C.T. Dennis, in about 1883, and he continued as master of different tugs until July 8, 1893, when he was appointed to the position of pilot of the fire-boat J.M. Hutchinson. Mr. Higgins was master of the tugs in Buffalo harbor some thirteen years. In addition to those above mentioned he was on the tug Lone Star two years, tug Queen City five years, also in the White Star line one year on different tugs, and he has never been off the creek since he came on it as a ferry boy.
In 1889 Mr. Higgins was married at Buffalo to Miss Ellen Moore, daughter of Michael Moore, of Rochester. They have no children. He has been a member of the Catholic Mutual Benefit Association six years, the Fireman's Beneficial Association three and a half years, the Buffalo Masters & Pilots Association since April, 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.
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