Henry F. McGinnis
Henry F. McGinnis, son of John and Catherine McGinnis, was born in 1842 in Dublin, Ireland, and removed to the United States with his parents in 1852, locating in Cleveland, Ohio. Before leaving his native city he attended school for a short time, completing his education in Cleveland. He was one of the prominent engineers sailing out of the port of Cleveland, and attained to the position of chief engineer of the Black line, under the management of Capt. George P. McKay, and of the Mutual Transport- ation line, under the same management.
In 1858 Mr. McGinnis began to learn the machinist's trade, in the shop of Thomas Manning, remaining there three years, after which he entered the employ of the Cuyahoga Furnace Company, working at this trade one year. He commenced his career on the lakes in 1863 as second engineer with William Kennedy, on the steamer Michigan, remaining on her two seasons, and in 1865 he was appointed chief of the steamer S.B. Caldwell, which position he held until the fall of 1868. In the spring of 1869 he took the Ontonagon, and engineered her two seasons, followed by four seasons on the steamer Plymouth. During the spring of 1875 he joined the Vanderbilt, and engineered her two seasons. In 1877 he opened a crockery store on Lorain street, and continued that business until the spring of 1882, when he again took up marine engineering as chief of the Black line, filling this office on the steamer Sparta, on which boat he remained four seasons. In 1887 the [sic] brought out new the steamer Cambria, and was chosen chief of the Mutual Transportation line of boats; in 1888 went as engineer on the steamer Ohio.
During the seasons 1889 and 1890 he took the George G. Hadley, after which he retired from the lakes, and opened a plumbing and gas-fitting establishment at No. 728 Lorain street, in company with his son Henry F.
In 1869 Mr. McGinnis was united in marriage with Miss Louise Gumlich, of Cleveland, Ohio, and at the time of his death which occurred April 24, 1894, he left four children: Henry F., who is carrying on the business which his father established; Frank; Lizzie E.; and Anna S. Mr. McGinnis was a member of the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association, a competent engineer, and gave good satisfaction wherever employed. He had twenty-one issues of license.
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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.
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