Captain Frank F. Langley

Captain Frank F. Langley is the youngest son of Captain Samuel G. Langley, and was born July 4, 1860, in St. Joseph, Mich., receiving his education in the public schools of his native city and at the State Normal school at Ypsilanti, Mich., from which he was grad- uated in 1878.

His fondness for water was inherited, and as a child his parents were unable to keep him beyond the reach of its fascinating influence. At the age of nine years he ran away from home and began his career as a sailor, and when twelve years old he went for part of a season with his brother, Capt. John H. Langley, on board the Comet, trading between Buffalo and Duluth. The next year he was sent to Ypsilanti to school, but preferring sailing, he went to Detroit and shipped on the steamer Phil. Sheridan, plying between Buffalo, Cleveland and Bay City, and was on her part of two seasons. After graduating from the State Normal school he resumed sailing. In July, 1883, he bought the schooner Anna Robinson, which he sailed as master until November 17, of that year, when she was wrecked at Muskegon, Mich., becoming a total loss. He then went with Captain J. M. McGregor of Detroit, as wheelsman on the steambarge Otego, and remained with him six years, the last four years as second mate. Since that time he has not followed sailing but has operated some on the board of trade in Chicago and superintends the home farm, taking care of his mother in her old age, and worthily sustaining the dignity of an old and honored name.

He is a member of the Knights of Maccabes, and is a stanch Republican in his political preferences.

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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.