Captain Charles P. Sherbno

Captain Charles P. Sherbno was born in Ogdensburg, N. Y., in 1855, and is a son of Edward and Clara (Smith) Sherbno. He was a regular attendant at school until his thirteenth year, and after he commenced sailing continued his studies during the winter months until he acquired a good common-school education. Edward Sherbno, father of the Captain, was drowned off the steamer Reindeer, just below Ogdensburg in the St. Lawrence River, about 1858.

Captain Sherbno commenced his career on the lakes in the spring of 1868 as boy on the schooner Glad Tidings, with Capt. John Blackburn, of Oswego, who was drowned on Lake Ontario. In the spring of 1869 he shipped as seaman on the schooner Mystic, with Capt. Seth Lee, of Milan, Ohio; in 1870 on the schooner Dashing Wave; in 1871 on the W. W. Grant and Melrose; in 1872 on the schooner Riverside, and while still in this position he was called home to attend the funeral of his mother, she having died on the 7th of May of that year. After the last sad rites had been paid her, he returned to his lakefaring life, taking a berth as seaman on the schooner M. L. Collins. In 1873 he entered the employ of Shepard & Hall, of Ogdensburg, as surveyor of lumber, remaining with them the entire year, and the next year was engaged in a freight house with Robert Tulley.

In the spring of 1875 Captain Sherbno was made mate of the schooner H. F. Church, with Capt. H. Morey; in 1876 shipped before the mast on the schooner Telegraph, Captain Allen, and later on the Wabash; in 1877 as second mate of the propeller Lowell, of the Old Northern Transportation line, and later in the season became master of the schooner A.J. Root, remaining on her until she was sold that fall. In 1878 he shipped on the Grace Whitney as seaman, and remained on her until August, when he went to Toledo and accepted a position on the schooner C.B. Benson, with Capt. John Duff. (The Benson, with all hands, was lost off Port Colborne in 1896). He closed the season of 1878 on the schooner Brightie, and during the winter went into the woods, where he corded wood. In the fore part of 1879 he joined the schooner Emeau, finishing the season on the Maze, and the following spring, 1880, he was made mate of the C.A. King, after which he put in a season on the schooners Maze and E.R. Williams, the former owned by Carrington & Casey, and the latter by M.I. Wilcox. In the spring of 1882 he went as second mate of the schooner P.B. Locke, then transferred to the Annie P. Grover, and finished the season on the Daniel G. Fort. In 1883 he shipped topsail schooner Jury, the Lewis Rose, Mary Copely, Monterey and Grantham. In the spring of 1884 he was appointed second mate on the schooner Comanche, and closed the season on the Robert L. Seaton, and the following season found him sailing on several vessels as seaman, among them the Maze, Lyman Casey and W.H. Rounds.

In the spring of 1886 Captain Sherbno took out papers as master, and sailed the tug Belle for George H. Breyman. He took her to Racine, Wis., where Mr. Breyman had a contract to put in a new waterworks plant, and remained until August, when he took charge of the steam barge James. G. Blaine. The bones of the Blaine are now lying on Goose Point, in the Maumee river, at Toledo. During the season of 1887 he sailed the tugs Thompson Brothers, the American Eagle, at work on the channel at the entrance of the Maumee river, for Captain French, and the Edwin Eddy, for Carkins, Stickney & Cram, laying this tug up December 3. In the spring of 1888 he entered the employ of Commodore L.S. Sullivan, as master of the tug Mary A. Green, later transferring to the new government steamer Swansea, in the same capacity. The next three years were passed as master of various tugs on the Maumee, and in the spring of 1892 Captain Sherbno sailed S.C. Schenck's tug Uncle Sam, when the following season he shipped as mate on the steam yacht Sigma, conveying the owner, S.C. Reynolds, and his family to the World's Fair at Chicago. He then went to work on the tug Shelby for George Breyman, who had the contract for dredging the new cut on Lake St. Clair. In the spring of 1895 he entered the employ of L.S. Sullivan as master of tugs and dock watchman. The next spring he sailed the tug Fanny L. Baker for Capt. John Dunseith, remaining on her until August, after which he sailed the tug McCormick for Capt. John P. Nagle till the close of the season, and in the spring of 1897 he again took her out, but transferred to the large tug Saugatuck, same owner. Captain Sherbno has held every position on both steam and sail vessels, from boy to master, and is the possessor of eleven master's licenses, and it is due to him to day that he has been very successful with all boats, and has not cost the owners $20 by way of carelessness or neglect of duty. He is a member of the American Association of Masters and Pilots. On January 6, 1872, Captain Sherbno wedded Miss Maggie Cavanaugh, of Prescott, Ont. Two sons, William J. and Charles T., were born to this union. On February 19, 1896, a deep sorrow fell upon the family in the loss of the wife and mother. The family residence is at No. 617 Magnolia street, Toledo, Ohio.

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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.