Captain Simon O'Day

Captain Simon O'Day of Muskegon, Mich., was born at Kilrush, County Clare, Ireland, in 1843. In 1850 the family emigrated to Canada, landing at Quebec, and after a residence of three years in Hamilton, Ont., removed to Buffalo, N. Y., where the Captain secured his education in the public schools. When he was but sixteen years of age he shipped on the schooner Petrel, and afterward on the schooner Chief Justice Marshall, on which he served during the season of 1859. Upon the opening of the season of 1860 he joined the schooner Circassian, and was transferred to another vessel during the season, and sailed on various vessels until the year 1872, when he took charge of the schooner Contest, of Chicago, remaining master of her five seasons. For three years subsequently he was master of the schooner H. C. Albrecht, and in 1881 he purchased an interest in the steambarge C. Hickox, and ran her as master eight years. He then purchased an interest in the steamer D. W. Powers, and was master of her four seasons. He sold his interest in the Powers in 1892, and in 1893 sailed as mate and master out of Chicago, finishing the World's Fair year as mate of the steamer George Burnham. In 1894 he sailed the steamer J. H. Shrigley, and in 1895 became master of the Samuel F. Hodge. In 1896 he was master of the Isabella J. Boyce, since which time he has been sailing the lakes.

In 1868 Captain O'Day was married to Miss Mary Brennan, of Buffalo, by whom he had six children; Mary, Brian, Thomas, Jennie, Simon and Annie, all of whom are living. After their marriage Captain and Mrs. O'Day moved to Muskegon, Mich., where they resided until 1899, in which year they moved to Buffalo, N. Y., where they now make their home. Captain O'Day is well known as an inventor of an oil projectile, used for calming the waves.

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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.