J. H. Gilbo

J.H. GILBO, is one of the prominent and well-known engineers of Chicago, and is a through mechanic, having had an extended and varied experience as an engineer both on the lakes and on shore. He was born in Cape Vincent, N. Y., December 16, 1842, and received the advantages of a common-school education. He learned the machinist's trade at Ogdensburg and at Cleveland, and was early attracted to the lakes, when a boy sailing on schooners. Before he became regularly identified with the lakes, however, he had gained experience as a stationary engineer. Mr. Gilbo began sailing in 1865, shipping from Ogdensburg on the propeller Cleveland, plying between Ogdensburg and Chicago, and remained on this boat eight seasons, subsequently becoming engineer of the Milwaukee, the passenger steamer Nashua and the Milwaukee until 1877. In that year he removed from Ogdensburg to Bay City, Mich., and for two seasons was engineer on tugs for Mitchell & Co. Mr. Gilbo varied his mechanical experience by becoming a stationary engineer, and then returned to the lakes as assistant engineer of the S. D. Caldwell, in which position he remained four months.

In 1880 he came to Chicago, and was for a time engaged as an engineer on the West side. In 1882 he fitted and brought out the George T. Burroughs, remaining on her until August of that year, finishing the season as engineer of the Granite State. For three years thereafter Mr. Gilbo was engineer of the C. P. Kimball Carriage Factory, on Wabash avenue, but in 1886 returned to the lakes, becoming assistant engineer of the Chauncey Hurlburt for one season; for a short time he took charge of a building in Chicago, and subsequently became chief engineer of the steambarge Fayette, and filled the same responsible position successively on the Ida M. Torrent, the Waverly and the Fayette Brown, of Detroit. Laying up the last named propeller, he was chosen engineer of the Olympia, of Cleveland, for a part of the ensuing season, and was next assistant engineer of the Pontiac. Receiving the appointment of chief engineer of the Superior, he was successively on that vessel, the E. B. Hale, the Hesper, the Morris P. Graves, and during the season of 1898 on the Pasadena, of the same line. Throughout his long and responsible career Mr. Gilbo has been a careful and efficent officer, and has acquired a valuable and extended experience that is equaled by that of few lakemen. He is calm in manner, never disturbed by trifles, and is, withal, decisive when prompt action is required.

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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.