Joseph R. Diebold

Joseph R. Diebold is the son of Charles and Mary (Doherty) Diebold, and was born April 1, 1872, at Buffalo. Charles Diebold formerly owned a hotel on Ohio street in that city, but at the present time is the proprietor of a store on Main street, and is closely associated and well acquainted with marine men of the Great Lakes, who frequently visit Buffalo.

Until his fifteenth year the subject of this sketch attended the public schools of his native city, at that time entering the employ of E. & B. Holmes, where he served an apprenticeship of three years in the machinist's trade. He then left Buffalo and entered the employ of the Globe Iron Works Company, at Cleveland, where he remained eighteen months, after which he spent the same length of time on the steamer New York, as oiler. From this boat he went on the steamer A.L. Hopkins, as second engineer, and in the same position spent one season on each of the steamers: Montana, Vega, George N. Orr and North Land.

In August, 1896, Mr. Diebold accepted the position of machinist in the Buffalo Waterworks, and there remained until January 1, 1897, when he was appointed engineer of the Police Headquarters building, which position he holds at the present time.

Mr. Diebold has proved himself to be thoroughly competent in all departments of his chosen occupation, and a successful future for him seems certain. His position is one of responsibility, and is highly complimentary to one of his age. He is unmarried, and resides with his parents at No. 91 Eastwood Place. Socially, he is a member of Marine Engineers Beneficial Association No. 1.

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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.