William R. Kuehle

William R. Kuehle, the efficient and popular manager of the Western Sand Company, dealers in pumped lake sand and gravel, with yards at the North avenue bridge, has been identified with the lake marine since 1877 and has held his present position since 1897. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in May 1855, a son of Ludwig and Margaret (Retting) Kuehle, who were natives of Germany, and on emigrating from that country to American, in 1849, located in Cleveland. The father, who was a dyer by trade, had charge of the Northern Ohio Woolen Mills at that place, up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1895. The mother died in the same city.

William R. Kuehle grew to manhood in Cleveland, acquiring a fair education in the schools of that city. After coming to Chicago, in 1877, he commenced sailing on the steamer Charmer, engaged in the excursion and towing business, and on her remained as engineer for three years. He was then engineer on the tug Pearl, and as such made an extended trip to New Orleans. During 1884 and 1885 he was master of the Pearl, after which he joined J. W. Palmer as engineer, engaged in the tugging and excursion business. He next purchased a half-interest in the tug E. E. Rice, which he still owns, in connection with which he now owns a half-interest in the steamer Cyclone, both being engaged in the excursion business and sailing from the foot of Van Buren street, and at one time owned a half-interest in another tug, which he later sold. He now devotes his entire time and attention to the sand business and is meeting with a well-deserved success.

He obtained his first license as engineer in 1878, and for several seasons was manager of the Van Buren Street line of excursion boats. In his present postion he has from ten to twelve men under him.

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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.