Captain C. H. Woodford

Captain C.H. Woodford is a son of Homer H. and Rosetta M. Woodford, who were at one time residents of Kelley's Island, Lake Erie, Ohio, and afterward lived on Catawba Island. The Captain was born on Kelley's Island in 1861, and attended the public schools until his nineteenth year, the last three years only during the winter season. He commenced sailing summers when he was seventeen years old as cook on the schooner Gilmore, going before the mast the last two months of the season. He then shipped on the scow S. B. Conklin before the mast for a season, and advancing rapidly was in 1880 appointed mate of the schooner H. D. Root. In 1881 he shipped as seaman on the schooners Theodore Voges, C. H. Johnson and J. F. Card, in turn, and the following season on the schooners Fayette Brown, Niagara and City of Green Bay. In the spring of 1883 he was appointed second mate of the Fayette Brown and remained in that position two years. In 1885 he became mate of the passenger steamer Louise, but finished that season as master of the tug Mystic. In 1886 he sailed the tug Bennett, on which he also commenced the following season, closing same on the tug Buffalo, which he continued to sail throughout 1888. The next spring he was appointed master of the steambarge Lowell, but closed the season in the same capacity on the Welcome. His next command was the schooner D. K. Clint, from which he again transferred to the Welcome, closing the season as her master, and resuming that command the following season, remaining on the Welcome until the close of navigation. In 1893 he sailed the tug Harris; in 1894 the steam barge Leland; in 1895 the steam barge Desmond; and in 1896 the steamer Argonaut, laying her up at Marysville at the close of navigation.

Captain Woodford was married in 1885, to Miss Elva Tulison, of North Bass Island, Lake Erie, and they have two children: Roy Fayette and Ruth Genevrea. Socially he is an Odd Fellow and a member of the Ship Masters Association, carrying Pennant No. 761.

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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.