Thomas B. Kelley

Thomas B. Kelley, who is one of the most prominent and popular marine engineers sailing on the lakes, was born in 1848, at Cleveland, Ohio, where he acquired his education at the public schools. He learned the machinist's trade at the old Cuyahoga works, remaining three years. During the next three years he acquired more practical experience in the line of his trade at the machine shops of John Ayres and John Holt. In 1867 he shipped as oiler on the passenger steamer Atlantic, of the Cleveland and Buffalo line.

He then took up the duties of a marine engineer as a second on the Englemann Passenger line, plying between Milwaukee, Grand Haven and Manistee, remaining two years. In 1870 he entered the employ of the Winslow Tug line as chief engineer of the tug Clematis, holding the positions four years, and in 1875 he shipped as chief on the river tug Crusader, remaining on her four years. In 1879 he was appointed chief engineer of the steamer C.J. Kershaw, remaining two seasons. In the spring of 1881 he entered the employ of the Wilson Transit line, and engineered the steamer Hiawatha, Wallula, Spokane, Sitka and Yakima. In the spring of 1889 he transferred his services to the Cleveland Cliffs Iron Company as chief engineer of the line, and brought out the new steel steamers Frontenac and Pontiac, laying the latter steamer up in Cleveland harbor December 17, 1896. In 1898 he bought the new steamer Presque Isle for this same company. He is an active member of the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association.

Mr. Kelley was untied in marriage to Miss Mary Bergnier, of Cleveland, in 1880. The family residence is on Scovill Avenue, Cleveland, 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.