Theodore Lustig

Theodore Lustig, chief engineer of the C. H. McCormick estate, has had charge, since 1890, of the Reaper block, the Owings and the Shepherd buildings, Chicago, and has the entire confidence and respect of his employers. He is one of the honored citizens that Germany furnished to the New World, his birth occurring in that country in 1855. His parents, Charles and Mary (Slottan) Lustig, were also natives of the Fatherland, where they spent their entire lives, dying there when our subject was only ten years of age.

Mr. Lustig received a good practical education in the schools of his native land, At the age of fifteen years he crossed the Atlantic and took up his residence in Davenport, Iowa, and from that place engaged in sailing on the lower Mississippi in 1871. The following year he came to Chicago, and for eighteen years was actively identified with marine affairs, being especially interested in tugging as engineer and owner, though he also served as engineer on barges for a time. He owned an interest in the tugs he ran, and still owns the tug Torrence, used in towing. He is one of the best known marine engineers, and tug owners of Chicago, and in business circles stands deservedly high.

Socially, he is a member of the old M. E. B. A. No. 4, and the Independent Order of Foresters.

Mr. Lustig was married in Chicago, in 1880, to Miss Emma Buchholtz, also a native of Germany, and to them have been born eight children: Minnie, Alvena, Augusta, Clara, Charley, Paula, Lulu and Emma. T. C. LUTZ

T.C. Lutz, secretary and treasurer of the Hausler & Lutz Towing & Dock Co., No. 9392 Ewing avenue, South Chicago, is one of the well-known and self-made marine men of Lake Michigan. His father was a fisherman, and with that example before him it was natural for our subject to drift into the lake service. He began in the "free hold' of a vessel, and whatever success he has attained by his energy and ability is due wholly to himself.

The Hausler & Lutz Towing & Dock Co. owns the only line of tugboats in South Chicago, and the four craft which the firm owns and operates are the tugs T.C. Lutz, M.G. Hausler, Chas. Halladay and C.W. Elphicke. Of these the Lutz is the largest and most powerful tug on fresh water. The company not only engages in the towing business, but also conducts large and successful operations in dredging, docking, pile driving, building foundations, bridges, etc.

Mr. Lutz was born in Sheyboygan county, Wis., in 1858, and is a son of John and Margaret (Schumach) Lutz, natives of Germany, who emigrated to America early in life, the father coming at the age of thirteen years. He was reared in Wisconsin, married there and became a fisherman. His wife, the mother of our subject, died at Sheyboygan, and since then the father removed to Escanaba, where he now lives. Our subject was educated at Sheyboygan, but early in life he assisted his father with the fishing boats. At the age of seventeen he started out in life for himself, and took to the lakes. He began at the bottom, and has worked up to the command of vessels and their ownership also.

In 1875 Mr. Lutz, then only a boy of seventeen, started in the tug business at Michigan City, and with him was associated A.D. Campbell. One of our subject's tugs, the Anna C. Waters, burned and sank between Chicago and Michigan City in 1885, proving a total loss, but losing no lives in the disaster. Mr. Lutz also owned and operated an extensive fishing plant at Michigan City, which was destroyed by fire in 1889. He was also financially interested in a fish-freezing plant at St. Joseph, Mich., the second plant of the kind in this country. In 1896 Mr. Lutz moved to Chicago. For some years previous he had formed business relations there, and had taken the contract to build all dockage and similar work at the World's Fair. At Jackson Park he had at the time a force of 500 men engaged under him. This contract work extended through the years 1891-92-93. When he left Michigan City one of the tugs owned by Lutz and Campbell was sold to B.B. Inman. The Pearl B. Campbell was lost off Marquette in the fall of 1895.

In 1885 Mr. Lutz was married to Miss Gertrude W. Wells, in St. Joseph, Mich., and to this union one child, Julia, has been born. Socially, Mr. Lutz is a member of the Windsor Park Lodge No. 836, F.& A.M., and is also a member of the Chapter and Commandery, and of Medinah Temple. He has prospered in business, and is a thorough lake man. He has shown ability in the management of men, and in the extensive work in which his firm is constantly engaged a large number of hands are daily employed. His acquaintanceship with vessel men is very large, and all know him as an efficient and prominent representative of the Great Lakes.

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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.