J. N. Gregory

J.N. Gregory, the chief engineer of the Buffalo railway power house on Niagara street, was born in Buffalo in 1850. He received his common-school education in his native city, and after leaving the high school completed his education in Ann Arbor University.

Mr. Gregory is a son of John C. and Honor (Best) Gregory, the former of whom was for many years largely engaged in the painting business in Buffalo; he died in 1868. The mother was from Somersetshire, England. Joseph N. Gregory, after leaving the university, learned his trade at the Delaney Iron Works, and after four years in their employ was with the Erie railway for a year. In the spring of 1870 he had his first experience on the lakes as oiler on the steamer Colorado, remaining in this capacity part of the season, but finishing it and the two following ones as second engineer of the same steamer. The season of 1872 he was second on the Scotia and in 1873 on the China. In 1874 he became chief engineer on the Potomac, remaining on her four consecutive seasons, and following with four consecutive seasons as chief of the Arabia. From the spring of 1882 until the end of the season of 1884 he was chief of the Syracuse, and was chief of the Albany for the first half of the season of 1885, when he bought out the Harlem, and was her chief engineer continuously from that time until the end of the season of 1891.

On February 1, 1892, Mr. Gregory was made chief engineer of the Buffalo railway power house and still holds that responsible position. He was a charter member of the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association No. 1, in which he still retains his membership; was its president for four consecutive years, and was a delegate to the national convention for four years. He was also a charter member of the National Stationary Engineers Association No. 50. He has been a member of Erie Lodge No. 161, and Adytum Chapter, F. & A. M., six years, and has been a member of Niagara Lodge No. 25, I. O. O. F., since 1872, being now past grand in that order.

Mr. Gregory was married at Buffalo to Alice A. Warner, and they have two children, Grace M. and J. A. Mrs. Gregory's father was a member of the old firm of Woodward & Warner, shipbuilders at Buffalo, who rebuilt the old steamer Globe.

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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.