Captain Charles H. Stickney

Captain Charles H. Stickney, who has perhaps been engaged in the tug business as master on the Cuyahoga River longer than any other man, was born in Black Rock, Erie Co., N. Y., on June 4, 1850, the son of Orrin and Emaline (Scott) Stickney. He attended the public schools of his native town until he reached the age of fourteen years.

In 1864 he first shipped as cook on the tug Medina, on which he remained six seasons, five of which he passed in the capacity of fireman. In the spring of 1870 the Captain was appointed engineer of the Medina, and held that berth till the tug was sold to Newburg, N. Y., owners. He took the tug to that port, out of which he operated the balance of the season. In 1871 he came to Cleveland and joined the tug Monitor, and sailed her the next two years. In the spring of 1874 he brought out new the tug R. K. Hawley, and in the fall he entered the employ of the Standard Oil Company, as master of the tugs E. P. Fish and Standard, remaining with that firm eight years. In the spring of 1882 he came out in the tug Forest City, and ran her until June, when he again took charge of the E. P. Fish, as part owner, sailing her until the fall of 1883. The next two seasons he sailed the tug Paddy Murphy, in which he was also interested.

In the fall of 1886 Captain Stickney went to Detroit after the tug Allie May, which had been purchased by himself and Cleveland parties, and took her down to that port and sailed her three seasons, during which period he also sailed the tug J. S. Blazier, and Gregory occasionally, closing the last season on the Gregory. In the spring of 1890 he again joined the Allie May as captain, and sailed her until the close of 1895. The next season he came out as master and part owner of the C. Castle. During the season of 1897 he sailed the tugs J. R. Sprankle, L. P. Smith and S. S. Stone. He has twenty-two issues of license, and is a careful and trustworthy master, giving universal satisfaction to those by whom he has been employed.

Socially, he is a member of the beneficial order of Royal Arcanum, Pearl Council, No. 515.

On July 27, 1874, Captain Stickney was united in marriage to Miss Kate P. Werntz, daughter of Jacob and Lucinda Werntz, of Akron, Ohio. Millie, their only child, is employed as stenographer for the Indemnity Savings & Loan Co. The family residence is at No. 99 Quimby 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.