John Butterworth

John Butterworth, chief engineer of the Chicago Northwestern Railroad power house in Chicago, is a native of England, having been born in Lancashire in 1852, a son of James and Ann (Holt) Butterworth, also natives of England, where they passed their entire lives, and are now deceased.

John Butterworth received his education in the schools of his native place, and at the age of eighteen years emigrated to this country, landing at New York, thence proceeding to Scranton, Penn., where he worked in the railroad shops for a time. From Scranton he removed to Buffalo, and from this city commenced sailing, and after two seasons' lake experience at Buffalo, he came to Chicago in 1872 and went as fireman on the Rocket, Captain Gaynor, engaged in the grain and general merchandise trade, and touching all lake ports. After a couple seasons on her he went on the Garnet in the same capacity, out from Buffalo, and was on her for some time, and then entered the machine shops in Cleveland, Ohio, where he worked for a time, after which he took a position with the Bridge Works, located in the same city, as machinist. Leaving these works he went to Cincinnati, Ohio, and found employment in Hall's Safe Lock Works, remaining there until his permanent removal to Chicago in 1882. In that city he became engineer for the Norton Milling Company, after which he was in the employ of Frazer & Chalmers, also of Chicago, with whom he remained until 1891, when he accepted his present position with the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Co., prior to which he was employed for a time in Murray's coal yards of Chicago.

Mr. Butterworth returned to England and married Miss Josie Stanford, of that country. On the return voyage to America the vessel on which they had taken passage, the Oregon, was wrecked twenty-one miles off Fire Island, but Mr. and Mrs. Butterworth arrived safely at their Chicago home. Three children have been born to them: Helen M., Charles Edward and Robert Holt.

While sailing the lakes our subject was a member of the M.E.B.A., and at the present time is a member of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers and Engine Builders.

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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.