Captain William G. Slackford

Captain William G. Slackford, son of Capt. William J. and Gertrude (Moore) Slackford, was born in 1861 at Plaster Bed, near Sandusky, Ohio. His father was born in London, England, and sailed out of the river Thames, as did also his grandfather. He came to the United States, in 1849, and, locating in Sandusky, he soon became part owner and master of lake vessels, the first being the passenger steamer General Grant, followed by the Clinton R. B. Hayes, all of which he sailed. Previous to this in the 'fifties, he commanded various schooners for Messrs. Smith & Lockwood. Gertrude (Moore) Slackford was born near New York city, and came West with her parents early in life.

William G.. Slackford acquired a liberal education in the public schools of Sandusky, and attended the private-school of Mrs. Motley three winters. Much of his public-school life was limited to the winter months also, as he commenced sailing at the age of seventeen years, that is in 1878, when he shipped on the passenger steamer R. B. Hayes, of which his father was part owner, plying between Sandusky and the peninsula. The next season he was appointed clerk of the same steamer, holding that berth until 1887. The Hayes was then sold to the Cedar Point Steamship Company, and Captain Slackford was appointed master, and sailed her successfully four seasons. In the spring of 1890 he accepted the position as clerk on the A. Wehrle, Jr. At the close of the year she was also sold to Cedar Point Steamship Company, and Captain Slackford was appointed master. He held this berth until the close of the pleasure season of 1897, when he was appointed master of the Sandusky Tug line tug Dan Connolly, with which he closed the season.

Captain Slackford is highly esteemed as a passenger steamboat man, and bears the reputation of being a careful and successful master. Socially he is a member of the Ship Masters Association, and carries Pennant No. 850; and of the American Association of Ship Masters and Pilots.

In November, 1887, Captain Slackford was wedded to Miss Hattie Andrews, of Danbury, Ohio. The children born to this union are: William Andrews, Gertrude Sophia, Fritz and Edward Thomas. The family homestead is at No. 313 Campbell Street, Sandusky, 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.