John F. Quinn

John F. Quinn is one of the most promising of the young marine engineers sailing out of Cleveland, industrious and of excellent principles. He is a son of John and Ellen E. (Shields) Quinn, and was born in Cleveland on September 30, 1869. His father, a son of Patrick and Julia Quinn, was born June 4, 1846, in Ardfinnan, County Tipperary, Ireland, and was brought to the United States the year of his birth, his parents locating in Cleveland, where he attended the public schools and learned the machinist's trade at the old Cuyahoga furnace. His first experience in a maritime way was on the old tug Niagara, as fireman with Capt. Joseph Greenhalgh, who was also an able engineer. After two seasons he was appointed engineer of the tug Ellen, Capt. George Stevens, a berth which he did not hold long but transferred to the tug D.P. Rhodes. His next position was on the lake tug William B. Castle, where he remained one season, after which he retired from the lakes and went to work for J.B. Gates, who carried on a steam wood-sawing and splitting business, Mr. Quinn running the engine. At the close of this engagement, he went to learn the mason's trade, serving about three years, and was then appointed captain of the Main street swing bridge, being recommended by John Martin, the shipbuilder. On May 16, 1871, Mr. Quinn was appointed patrolman on the Cleveland police force, an office he has filled with eminent satisfaction for twenty-eight years, and still has the confidence of the city authorities. He married Miss Ellen E. Shields, of Cleveland, on November 16, 1868, and five children were born to them, viz.: John F., Patrick J., Charles, Rose and Emma. The family homestead is at 425 West River street, Cleveland.

John F. Quinn received a liberal education in the public schools of Cleveland, graduating at West High School, after which he learned the machinist's trade at the Globe Iron Works. He then worked in the shops of the Walker Manufacturing Company, Kilby Manufacturing Company, the Brown Hoisting and Conveying Machine Company, the Rogers Typograph Machine Company and other shops. Being desirous of becoming a marine engineer he began his lakefaring life as oiler on the steamer Geo. F. Williams, transferring to the Republic, Griffin and North West, and in 1897 applied and was granted marine engineer's license, and was appointed first assistant on the passenger steamer Flora, closing the season on the steel steamer Manola, and in the spring of 1898 he became second engineer of the fine steamer Castalia, Capt. C.C. Allen. During the winter months Mr. Quinn always finds shop work chiefly at the Globe Iron Works, and was one winter foreman of the Forest City Nail Works at Rockport, Ohio. During the winter of 1897-98, while the Wilson avenue bridge was being rebuilt, he was engineer, and holds a stationary engineer's license.

Fraternally he is a member of the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association No. 2, of Cleveland.

On October 28, 1896, Mr. Quinn was wedded to Miss Clara Schroeder, of Cleveland, and they reside at No. 300 Tod street, Cleveland Ohio.

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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.