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Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott
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History of the Great Lakes
Illustrated, In Two Volumes, Vol. II
Chicago, J. H. Beers & Co., 1899

           [233-234]

                  CAPTAIN JAMES T. KENNY is a son of THOMAS and HELEN
               (DOYLE) KENNY, the former a salt-water sailor. There were
               four children in the family besides JAMES: PETER J., a lake
               captain for many years, now deceased, who brought out
               several steamers built at the Mills Dry Dock, at Buffalo,
               among them being the Florida, Wyoming, and Robert Mills;
               JANE, wife of FELIX HARDEN a Kansas farmer; SARAH, wife of
               PATRICK FLANNIGAN, a St. Louis police justice; and ANN, wife
               of EDWARD HALLIHAN, a farmer near Port Huron.
                  The subject of this sketch was born in the Province of
               Ontario, Canada, May 8, 1845. In 1855 he moved with his
               parents to Buffalo, where he remained a year in school.
               During the next three years he attended school at Cleveland,
               Ohio, and then returned to Buffalo, where he completed his
               education and began the work of his life, as fireman on a
               tug. The commencement of his lake career was in 1863, when
               he shipped as boy on the schooner Empire State. He remained
               three seasons on that vessel, rising to mate's berth before
               leaving her. The next two seasons he was at sea and for
               three years beginning with 1868 he held the office of deputy
               sheriff and turnkey for Erie county, N.Y. The year of 1871
               he was again at sea, and in 1872 he was part of the time on
               the Erie canal and the remainder at sea between New York and
               Mexico. In 1873 he returned to the lakes as second mate of
               the brig Waucoma. In 1874 he filled mate's berth on the
               schooner Frank Morrell, and the following three seasons he
               occupied the same berth on the bark Vanderbilt. During the
               winters of the years last mentioned he checked baggage on
               passenger trains on the New York Central and Lake Shore
               railways.
                  For the seasons of 1878-79 CAPTAIN KENNY filled master's
               berth on the schooner George W. Holt, for those of
               1880-81-82 on the schooner Thomas Parsons, and for 1883-84
               on the bark City of the Straits. In 1885-86 he was engaged
               in the grocery and butcher business on the docks at Buffalo.
               In 1887 he filled mate's berth on the Anchor line steamer
               Gordon Campbell, and for the seasons of 1888-89-90 he was
               master of the steamer John C. Prindle (owned by the
               Hollister Transportation Company, of Rochester, N.Y.), and
               the old Araxes. During the latter part of 1889 the Araxes
               grounded on Point aux Barques and became a total loss; her
               consorts, the L. W. Blake and American Giant, also went
               ashore, but were subsequently taken off and rebuilt.
               CAPTAIN KENNY wrecked the barges, first sending their
               cargoes of lumber to Tonawanda. In 1891 he was master of the
               steamer Clyde, of the Lehigh Transportation Company; 1892-93
               of the steamer William H. Barnum; and 1894-95 of the steamer
               Samuel Marshall. Since the latter season he has remained on
               shore engaged in other lines of business, but he still main-
               tains a deep interest in all lake matters. He is a member of
               the Ship Masters Association, carrying Pennant No. 109, and
               is also a member of Local Harbor, No. 41, of the American
               Association of Masters and Pilots.
                  CAPTAIN KENNY was married, in 1880, to MISS KATHERINE
               DARCY, by whom he has four children: PETER J., EDWARD C.,
               ELIZABETH and HELEN. The family residence is at No. 854 West
               avenue, Buffalo, New York.

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