Captain James R. Innes

There is no better known man connected with the railroad ferries than Capt. J.R. Innes, who for twelve years has been superintendent of the boats owned by the Michigan Central Railroad Company. He was born May 1, 1845, in Chatham, Ont., but early in his life his parents, Robert and Mary (Cox) Innes, removed to Detroit, and there took the family. Robert Innes was a native of Scotland, whence he came to America, and here spent many years as a sailor on the lakes. He died at Chatham, Ont., in 1848, being survived by his wife, who died in 1896, at Amherstburg, Ont., at the age of eighty-seven years. Capt. J.R. Innes attended school at Detroit until his fifteenth year, when a strong desire for marine life was gratified by his going on the scow, Frank Pierce, at Detroit. He then went on the tug A. Pratt as cook, on leaving which vessel he sailed on a number of other boats, until he took charge of the wrecking tug Prince Alfred, where he remained some three or four years and then in 1871, went on the C.S.R.R. ferries. Later he returned to the Prince Alfred, and in about the year 1884 took a position on the M.C.R.R. ferries at Detroit, as master of merchandise and transfer, still later being appointed superintendent of all the ferries of the M.C.R.R., the position he now holds, and which he has since filled to the utmost satisfaction of his employers, who well know his ability and thorough knowledge of his work. In May, 1866, Captain Innes was married to Miss Louisa Horn, of Detroit, a daughter of Captain Horn, whose life is so prominent in connection with the history of the Detroit ferry boats, and a sister of Capt. George Horn, who sails the Excelsior at the present time. Captain and Mrs. Innes have had five children: Lulu, who is married to Frederick H. Cooper, superintendent for Walker Sons, Walkerville, Ont.; H.L., who follows the sailor's life, having been quartermaster of the North West during the season of 1896; Walter J., who is in a dry-goods store at Windsor, Ont.; Ivy and Lottie, the youngest, who are still at home.

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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.