Captain Fred D. Galton

Captain Fred D. Galton, is perhaps one of the youngest shipmasters on the lakes, who has attained to so important command as the ones with which he has been invested with during the past few years. His success, in being granted government license the second season he sailed, arises doubtless from the fact that he has been an amateur craftsman during his boyhood days on the St. Clair river, and being a descendant of a lakefaring family had acquired much nautical knowledge before the end of his school days, which were passed in Algonac, Mich., where he graduated from the high school. He is the third son of Captain James and Margaret A. (Buck) Galton, and was born on Hansen's island, in September, 1864.

Capt. Fred D. Galton adopted the life of a sailor in the spring of 1884, when he shipped as wheelsman in the steamer James P. Davidson with Capt. H. McQueen, and remained in her until she was wrecked on Thunder Bay island. The crew reached shore in the yawl boat. The next spring he shipped with Captain McArthur as wheelsman in the steamer J.R. Whiting, and in 1887 transferred with the same captain in the steamer Hiawatha as mate, holding that berth three seasons. In the spring of 1890 he was appointed mate with Capt. C. Chamberlin in the steamer John Mitchell, followed by a season as mate in the steamer John M. Glidden. It was in the spring of 1892 that Captain Galton attained his first command, being appointed master of the schooner George L. Warmington, and the next season he sailed the schooner Sophia Minch. In 1894 he joined the steamer Onoko as mate, holding that berth two seasons. In the spring of 1896 Captain Galton was placed in command of the steamer William H. Gratwick, and has sailed her successfully three consecutive seasons, and is at present commanding the steamer John Mitchell. He has thirteen issues of license.

Fraternally Captain Galton is a Master Mason, a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He wedded March 14, 1894, to Miss Lizzie J., daughter of James Muir, St. Clair Flats, Mich. The children born to this union are: Marion Charlotte and Florence Grace.

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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.