Captain Frank J. Cadotte

Captain Frank J. Cadotte of Detroit, Mich., belongs to one of the old French families of that city. He was born in the year 1844, and was about three years old when his father, who was sailing at the time, was drowned. Captain Cadotte was brought up in Detroit, attending school there, and in 1860, at the age of sixteen, began to sail starting as boy on the schooner Courtland, under Capt. Frank Frazer. In 1863 he was first mate of the schooner Ferret, and after two more seasons, one as second mate, and one as first, he was given command of the schooner George Foote. The following season he sailed the schooner Albion Benson for William Stewart, of Detroit, and then took command of the Foote again, sailing her until November 15 of that season, when she went ashore in Lake Ontario, at Niagara, Ontario. Captain Cadotte was then transferred to the Theodore Perry, another of Stewart's boats, and sailed her two seasons, later commanding the Morning Light two seasons, and the W. G. Grant one season. Mr. Stewart going out of business at this time, Captain Cadotte purchased the schooner New Hampshire, and, after sailing her two years, sold out and entered the employ of D. Whitney, Jr., of Detroit, for whom he sailed ten consecutive seasons. Two of these were on the barge Adirondack, two on the Dashing Wave, four on the Wayne and two on the Ashland; the Ashland and the Wayne he brought out new. For two years after leaving the Whitney line, Captain Cadotte was in the hotel business at Wyandotte, Mich. He returned to the lakes about seven years ago, and has ever since been in command of the schooner Michigan, for J. Emery Owen, of Detroit. He is well acquainted among Detroit vesselmen on account of his long residence there.

Captain Cadotte was married, in 1867, to Miss Emma Chase, of Columbus, Ohio, and they have had three children, Frank E. O., one who is deceased, and Arthur B. Cadotte.

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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.