Captain Charles H. Lewis

Captain Charles H. Lewis was born in Watertown, N. Y., April 17, 1855. He is the son of Charles A. and Mary E. (George) Lewis, the father born in Watertown, N. Y. September 18, 1825, and the mother in Lowell, Mass., April 24, 1834. The father removed to Peoria, Ill., in about 1853, where he was made agent of the Illinois Central railroad and returned to Watertown in 1855, dying there when Capt. Charles H. was an infant of four months.

The subject of this sketch was educated in the public schools of his native town, and began his lakefaring life April 21, 1872. He shipped out of Cape Vincent, N. Y., June 21, 1872, as deckhand, on the steamer Lawrence for one round trip, but not being prepossessed with that line of work he did not sail again until 1880. During this interval he worked with his stepfather on the farm, and established himself in the milk business at Watertown. N. Y. In the spring of 1880 he concluded to try the issue on the lakes again, and shipped on the steamer Portage as lookout, closing the season as wheelsman; in 1881 he went as wheelsman on the steamer Avon; 1882, on the steamer J. Gould as wheelsman, finishing the season on the H. J. Jewett; 1883, shipping on the steamer Buffalo as wheelsman; 1884, on the steamer Newburgh as wheelsman; 1885, as second mate, closing the season as mate of the Newburgh, and the following season as second mate on the steamer A. L. Hopkins, finishing the season as mate; and in 1886 as mate of the Hopkins, continuing in that position until the fall of 1890. In the spring of 1891 he was appointed mate of the steamer John C. Gault, holding that berth until 1893, when he was advanced to the position of master, and sailed her for the seasons of 1894, '95, '96, '97 and '98. He is a member of the Ship Masters Association, and carries Pennant No. 999.

In March, 1890, Capt. Charles H. Lewis was united in marriage with Miss Anna Black, of Buffalo, N. Y. The family residence is at No. 7 Red Jacket boulevard, Buffalo, New York.

Return to Home Port

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.