Frank R. Gebhard

Frank R. Gebhard, born September 24, 1856 at Buffalo, N.Y., received his education at parochial schools and at the Niagara University, Niagara Falls, N.Y. He did his first sailing in 1872 as porter on the propellers Cuba and Roanoke; in 1873 was boy before the mast the entire season on the brig N. M. Standard; in 1874 was able seaman of the schooners Schuylkill and Levi Rawson; in 1875 and 1876 was helmsman of the propeller Cuba; in 1877 was second mate of the propeller Java part of the season, and the balance as first mate of the propeller Alaska, of the Anchor line. In 1880 he was mate of the propellers Colorado and Roanoke, of the Commercial line; in 1881-82-83 and part of 1884 was master of the steamer Australasia, of Bay City. In 1885 he retired from sailing to engage in other business ashore, and was so occupied until 1890, since which time he has been occupied partly sailing and part of the time ashore, being mate during this time on several boats -- the Saginaw Valley, Tioga, Russia, and George Spencer. In 1881 he married Matilda Porcher; they have no issue.

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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.