Capt. James Quinn and Capt. James Wilson of the schooner White Oak

Capt. James Quinn of Oakville, master and half owner of the staunch little schooner White Oak, well known on Lake Ontario, was born on May 18, 1856, at Oakville, and there he grew up, and was educated in the Public Schools. Though he wished to be a sailor, he yielded to his parents' desire and was apprenticed to carriage blacksmithing, and served four years with Mr. Jeremiah Hagaman, of Oakville. He subsequently worked a short time for Mr. John Dixon, a carriage manufacturer whose place of business was situated at the corner of Bay and Temperance streets in Toronto. He abandoned this after two months in Toronto, and shipped in 1875 before the mast in the schooner Minnie Blakely. After one month in the Minnie Blakely he struck a better offer and shipped two seasons in the schooner Homeward Bound, becoming mate the second year.

Resolved to become his own master, he purchased the stone hooker Brig Rover in 1877. For a season and a half he kept and sailed that vessel, then he sold her and bought another coasting schooner called the Pinta. Remaining in that boat for two seasons, Captain Quinn eventually disposed of her and went into the schooner Eureka as mate and pilot, trading for three seasons principally on Lake Ontario, but sometimes going a trip through the Welland Canal to the higher waters. After leaving the Eureka, the captain went into the schooner Dauntless as captain for one season, then, in 1883, he bought the schooner Highland Beauty and sailed her for five years, being master and owner. After that he purchased the schooner Mary Everett, and handled her for one season in the Georgian Bay trade, bringing lumber and other freights from there to Kingston and Quebec. Next season he sold the Mary Everett and bought the schooner W. T. Greenwood, which vessel he commanded successfully for two years, finally disposing of her and buying the schooner White Oak in the year 1892. That ship he owned entirely until the spring of 1897, when he admitted Capt. James Wilson as half-owning partner, that gentleman desiring to again follow the water, which he had thought to abandon. Captain Quinn and Captain Wilson still own the White Oak, and sail her as master and mate. Captain Quinn and Miss Mullins of Kingston were married on December 23, in the year 1884, and four children have blessed their union -two sons and two daughters Their names are William,Annie,Nellie, and James Albert.

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