Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2017 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. =========================================================================== Alpena Evening News February 10, 1905 CAPT. W. H. DANA The Oldest Captain on the Lakes Died at Algonac Yesterday. Algonac, Feb. 10. - HESTON WILLIAM DANA, the oldest of lake captains, died yesterday morning after two days' illness of heart trouble, aged 93 years. CAPTAIN DANA was born at Montezuma, N.Y., May 6, 1812. He followed the lakes from the time he was twelve years old until he re- tired 25 years ago. He applied for his pilot's papers when he was 17 years old, and it was a great surprise to his employers when a short time afterward he secured them. He sailed some of the oldest vessels on the lakes and built the first three master schooner that sailed on the lakes. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Port Huron Daily Times Friday, 10 February 1905 WILLIAM DANA DEAD Oldest Lake Captain Passed away at His Home in Algonac CAPT. WILLIAM DANA, the oldest vessel master on the great lakes, died Thursday at his home at Algonac, after a few days' illness, caused by heart trouble. Had he lived until next May he would have been 93 years old. He was born at Montezuma, N.Y., May 6, 1812, and when 12 years of age ran away from home. He was picked up hin Detroit by the mayor of the city and placed on board a lake vessel as cabin boy at $4 a month. He followed the martime business un- til 25 years ago. When 17 years of age he took the examination for pilot's pa- pers and, to the surprise of his employ- ers, secured them. During his nautical career he sailed many boats which have long since passed into history. CAPT. DANA was also a shipbuilder, and constructed the first three-masted vessel to sail the lakes. Until a year ago, when CAPT. DANA suf- fered from grip, he had scarcely known a sick day in his life. Up to the time of the illness which caused his death he was a voracious reader and had a most remark- able faculty of being able to commit to memory nearly everything he read. He often amazed his friends by reciting whole pass- ages word for word. His eyesight was excel- lent and he never used a pair of glasses in his life. He leaves three sons, CAPT. DOUGLASS DANA, GEORGE and FRANK of Algonac, and one daughter, MRS. J. A. MACKIMMIE, of Norfolk, Va. ========================================================================== 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/ ==========================================================================