Captain L. H. Waterbury

Captain L.H. Waterbury, who was a prominent steamboat master in the earlier years, but who was retired from active service on the lakes, was born in Middletown, Orange Co., N.Y., in 1831, son of Selick and Hester Waterbury. He attended the public schools of his native town until he reached the age of thirteen years. In the spring of 1843 he went as boy with Captain Waite on the old schooner Constitution, and the following season was on the brig Constellation with Captain Anderson. In 1845 he remained ashore and attended school during the year in order that he might better qualify himself for a master's berth. In the spring of 1846 he shipped as wheelsman on the steamer William Henry Harrison, with Captain Piatt. In 1847 his father purchased for him the schooner Temperance, which he sailed successfully for six years. The Captain received his first papers from C.L. Russell, a well-known Cleveland man, recently deceased. In the spring of 1853 he shipped as wheelsman on the propeller Oregon, of the New York & Erie Steamboat line; he passed the season of 1854 as master of the schooner Fredericks; in 1855 he was appointed mate of the propeller Granite State, of the Northern Transport- ation line; in 1856 mate of the Pacific, of the New York Central line; in 1857 second mate of the propeller Portsmouth. He then shipped on the Lady of the Lake, and was second mate of her when her broilers exploded, causing the death of two of her crew. After this disaster he went as second mate of the propeller Cushman, and in the spring of 1859 was made mate of the propeller Olean, with Capt. Thomas Holland; in 1860 he served as mate of the steamer Tioga with Captain Sisson, and in 1861 held the same berth on the Olean with Capt. Michael Driscoll.

In the spring of 1862 Captain Waterbury was appointed master of the steamer Tioga, 1863, master of the steamer Olean; 1864, mate of the steamer S.D. Caldwell, in the Lake Superior trade; 1865, mate with Captain Rawson on the propeller Brooklyn; 1866, master of the propeller Evergreen City; 1867, mate with Capt. Gil Traverse on the propeller Pacific. In 1868 he again entered the employ of the Northern Transportation Company, then under the management of George Eddy, as mate with Capt. John Brown on the propeller Young America. In 1869 he became mate with Capt. Robert Richardson on the propeller City of Toledo, remaining on her three seasons, when he was appointed master of the Young America; in the fall of 1873 she went through her cylinder, and thus being rendered helpless went on the beach. In 1874 he was appointed master of the City of New York. The following year the boats of the old Northern Transportation line were thrown into the hands of a receiver, but in August, when an accommodation had been made and the steamers released, he again assumed his old command. In the spring of 1876 he was appointed master of the propeller Milwaukee. During the year 1877 he stopped ashore, and the following season again commanded the Milwaukee. He is a member of the Ship Masters Association and hold Pennant No. 193.

In 1879 Captain Waterbury entered the employ of the Cleveland City Forge Company, and has remained in the office of that firm eighteen years as superintendent of weights and supplies. He has gained the reputation of being reliable and trustworthy in all the responsible positions he has held, and has well earned the confidence of the people by whom he has been engaged.

Captain Waterbury was married to Miss Maria Borne, of Cleveland, in 1852, and three children have been born to this union: L.H., who is captain in the Cleveland fire department of engine No. 17; John S., who is lieutenant in the Cleveland fire department of engine No. 8; and Fanny E., now Mrs. N. Clancey. The family residence is No. 62 Portland 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.