Captain Harvey Peters

Captain Harvey Peters has the distinction of having commanded the second largest schooner on the lakes, owned by Capt. James Corrigan, of Cleveland. The Amazon has a capacity of 6,000 tons on a draft of 17 ½ feet, and is handled by Captain Peters with good judgment. Previous to his appointment to the Amazon he had been a successful master of schooners for many years.

Captain Peters is the son of Joseph and Annie (Carr) Peters, and was born in Vermilion, Ohio, on July 8, 1860. His father was a patriot of the war of the Rebellion, and served with honor four years. He enlisted, in 1861, in Company I, Eleventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and participated with his regiment in the battles of Hawk's Nest, Greeley's Bridge and Princeton, W. Va.; Bull Run Bridge, Va.; Frederick, South Mountain and Antietam, Md; Hoover's Gap, Tullahoma, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, and Mission Ridge, Tenn.; Ringgold, Buzzard's Roost and Resaca, Ga. After the close of the war he was honorably discharged on June 11, 1865, and returned to his home in Vermilion, to which place he had removed from Ogdenburg, N.Y., about the year 1855, being the owner of a fine tract of land now occupied by the Lake Shore depot. On his return home from military service he engaged in getting out ship timber, and furnished that which was used in the construction of Capt. Philip Minch's fleet of vessels.

Captain Harvey Peters, the subject of this sketch, improved his opportunities of obtaining a public-school education in Vermilion, and in 1875 he shipped as boy on the scow Ida J. Root, trading between Marblehead and Port Clinton, closing the season on the scow Malissa, with Captain Fetterley. The next year he went to work in a brickyard at home, but this occupation not agreeing with his marine proclivities, he ran away from home, went to Canada and shipped on the schooner Abercorn, carrying timber between Bay City and Kingston. In the spring of 1876 he joined the schooner M.L. Breck as boy, and soon went before the mast, and in the fall was promoted to mate's berth. The next year he shipped before the mast on the schooner James R. Benson, staying by her three seasons. In the spring of 1880 he was appointed second mate on the schooner Siberia. She went ashore above Long Point, on Lake Erie, the next season, the crew taking to the rigging. After twenty-three hours of exposure they were rescued by the lifesavers, and taken to Port Rowan lighthouse. When the sea went down they returned and stripped the schooner.

In the spring of 1882 Captain Peters was appointed mate on the schooner Grimsby, plying between Quebec and Lake Superior ports and Tonawanda in the lumber trade. His next berth was on the Thomas P. Sheldon as mate, followed by a season each on the schooner Golden Fleece and Ishpeming. In the spring of 1888 he came out as mate on the Ishpeming, but closed the season on the schooner Saveland. He then entered the employ of Capt. William S. Mack as mate of the schooner Moonlight, and sailed for him nine years in various capacities, as occasion required, until the close of the season of 1897, with the exception of part of a season, when he was second mate on the steamer Gilcher. He left her in Buffalo just previous to her last, fatal, trip, when she was lost with all hands. During the time he was with Captain Mack he was mate of the schooner Moonlight three seasons, second mate of the steamer C.H. Kershaw, master of the Annie M. Ash two seasons. It was in the spring of 1898 that he was appointed master of the schooner Amazon, one of the largest carriers on the lakes, giving universal satisfaction to the owner, and in recognition of his ability as a master was transferred to the Australia October 8, 1898. This boat is owned by the same firm owning the Amazon.

Socially, the Captain is a Master Mason, and a member of the Order of Select Knights.

On January 17, 1880, Captain Peters was wedded to Miss Martha A., daughter of Alex M. Morrison, of Ogdensburg, N.Y., formerly of Port Dalhousie, Ont. The children born to this union are Carrie M., Viola and Harvey Lawrence. The family residence is at No. 1053 Lorain street, 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.