Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2016 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== Buffalo Courier Tuesday, August 31, 1915 Pioneer Lake Captain Stricken by Death. CAPT. WM. FLETCHER, VETERAN OF LAKES, CALLED BY DEATH Lived Here 75 Years - Was Master of Many Boats. END COMES SUDDENLY AT HOME. CAPT. WILLIAM FLETCHER, one of the oldest lake men in Buffalo and for seventy-five years a resident of Buffalo, died suddenly at his home, No. 18 Kenefick avenue, yester- day afternoon at 3:30 o'clock. CAPT. FLETCHER was eighty-four years old. He was born in Kilkenny, county Mayo, Ire- land, April 2, 1832. He came to the United States with his parents when he was nine years old, their first residence being Worcester, Mass., where he lived two years. He then came to Buffalo, where he has since lived. He was educated here. At the age of twelve he entered on his career on the lakes, shipping on the Annie F. He worked his way up for the next three years until 1851, when at the age of nineteen, he took command of his first ship, the Margaret. This was a grain ship with a capacity of 3,000 bushels. He was master of this boat for one year, when the boat was sold. Then he worked for the E. K. Bruce company of Chicago as master of the Ashtabula. Then in succession he was master of the Yankee Blade and the brigs Young America, Geraldine, Mary B. Hale, William O. Brown and James C. Harrison. He was master of the latter ship for three years until 1870. Then he took command of the schooner Davig Wagstaff. Following that command he went into the government service as pilot on the Commodore Perry, a gunboat doing service on the lakes. He was on that boat for two years. Then he was pilot of the gunboat Michigan and a year later resigned. Afterward he was captain of the schooner G. S. Hazard. First Steam-driven Boat. In 1878 he went aboard of his first steam- driven boat as master of the H. J. Jewett, owned by the Union Steamboat line. Following this he was captain of the Tioga, Newburg, New York and Rochester, all owned by the Union line. Later he resigned his position to be the first shipmaster of the Lake Carriers' Association. He retired from active service in 1898. It was only last week that MR. FLETCHER re- called incidents during the time he first sailed the lakes. On the Margaret, the first ship commanded by him, the grain was unloaded by pails lowered into the hold. These were swung from hand to hand until they reached the dock and were then deposited into what- ever storage was awaiting. He married MARCELLA CUSACK in 1853. Four children survive - JOHN, MRS. KATHERINE DIRKSEN, WILLIAM and MRS. TIMOTHY COUGHLIN, and the late MARY, THOMAS, ELIZABETH and EDWARD. All live here. He was a member of Shipmasters' Lodge No. 1, Buffalo. The funeral will be held Thursday morning at 8:30 o'clock from the family home in Kenefick avenue and from Holy Family church an hour later. The REV. JOHN J. NASH of the church will officiate. Burial will be at Holy Cross cemetery. =========================================================================== If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access more of our growing collection of FREE online information by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/ ===========================================================================