Henry G. Payne

Henry G. Payne, one of the prominent and representative marine men of Chicago, is now chief engineer for the Crane Manufacturing Company, in whose employ he has been since 1891. He was born in Buffalo, N. Y., in 1849, a son of George and Mary Ann (Deacon) Payne. The father who was also a native of Buffalo and a boilermaker by trade, died in that city in 1863, and the mother passed away in 1897. Our subject was reared and educated in his native city, and there learned the machinist's trade in early life.

Mr. Payne began his marine career by sailing from Buffalo in 1872 as oiler on the propeller Java, where he remained one season, and the spring of 1873 became second engineer on the steambarge William T. Graves, which was lost in 1888. After eighteen months in that vessel, he entered the employ of the Union Steamboat Company as second engineer, and for three years of the eight spent in their service he was chief, sailing from Buffalo to Chicago. He was next with the Winslow Steamship Company on the steambarge Cumberland, and later on the City of Rome for two years, being chief engineer of that vessel for one year, and sailing out of Cleveland. On leaving the City of Rome he became connected with the Red Star line as engineer, and was with them for three years; was with the L. M. & L. S. Co. for two years as chief of steamer City of Traverse, and quit their employ to accept a position with the North Chicago Street Railway Company as watch engineer. This position being too confining, he in the summer of 1889 accepted that of chief on the Langell steamer Kaliyuga. During the season of 1890 he was in charge of the Robert Mills, continuing in this capacityuntil he again, entered the employ of the North Chicago Street Railway Company, when he later on entered the employ of the Crane Manufacturing Company, with which he has since been connected, giving entire satisfaction to all concerned.

Mr. Payne is one of the most prominent and honored members of the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association No. 4; was elected national president in 1886, and was past national president during the convention in 1887. He was a charter member of Buffalo Lodge No. 1, with which he continued to hold membership until admitted to Chicago Lodge in 1897. He also belongsto the Chicago Masonic Council of Stationary Engineers.

In Buffalo, N. Y., in 1873, Mr. Payne was married to Miss Lida E. Watts, a native of that city, and a daughter of Capt. Harry Watts, an early navigator on the lakes, who removed from Buffalo to Gibson City, Ill., where he now resides. Mr. and Mrs. Payne make their home at No. 1991 West Adams street, Chicago.

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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.