Captain J. F. Hodell

Captain J. F. Hodell is perhaps one of the most widely acquainted men about the lakes, having come into contact with many marine men during the fifteen years he was superintendent of the fueling docks of O.S. Richardson. Although occupying a different position, he is still in the employ of that gentlemen. Captain Hodell is a genial companion, bears an enviable reputation, and would embarrass himself to do a favor for the unfortunate. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, May 1, 1857, a son of John and Barbara (Stocker) Hodell, natives of Strausburg, Alsace, France, now Germany, who came to the United States in 1851 and located in Cleveland, Ohio, where they still live, their home being No. 365 Case avenue. The father was a cabinetmaker and followed that trade. During the Civil war he became a Union soldier, enlisting in Company B, 107th O. V. I., Captain Young, late judge of the police court in Cleveland, being in command of the company. He served with honor, participating in the battles of Vicksburg and Chattanooga, was at the siege of Knoxville, and was later transferred to the Eastern army with his regiment, taking part in the battle of Gettysburg and other engagements until the close of the war in 1865, when he received an honorable discharge.

J. F. Hodell received excellent instructions in the Case school, and after serving as printer's "devil" in the Cleveland Plain Dealer Office a short time, went to Chicago. In 1878 he entered the employ of O. S. Richardson, of that city, as foreman of his Market street coal dock, after four years becoming superintendent of all of the fueling docks owned by Mr. Richardson, and continuing in that position for fifteen years. In the spring of 1897 he took out pilot's papers and was appointed master of the tug A. B. Ward, engaged in the fueling business on the Chicago river by means of lighters.

On December 25, 1883, Captain Hodell married Miss Carrie L. Cady, daughter of John and Amanda Cady, of Vermilion, Ohio, and three children have been born to this union - Norma, Frances, Henry and Percy: both sons died in Chicago while young, of scarlet fever. The family resides at No. 1525 Wrightwood avenue, Chicago. Fraternally, the Captain is a Knight Templar Mason of St. Bernard Commandery, and a Noble of the Mystic Shrine. He is also a member of the American Association of Masters and Pilots of Steam Vessels.

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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.