John H. Gilbert collection

This collection contains material compiled by John Gilbert during his career as a tugboat captain on Lake Erie. The collection contains mostly captain logs and account books for the tugboat TOURIST for 1921-1939. Records highlight business affairs, ports of arrivals, passenger lists, crew lists, cargo lists and prices, maintenance entries, cash accounts, newspaper clippings and a 1952 end log entry of the transfer of the TOURIST to Standard Towing Corp. in New York, NY. An account book for the tugboat SCHNODEN begins on September 15, 1921 and continues to November 26, 1921.

The engine room logs documents engine maintenance and includes newspaper clippings, Ontario's Welland Ship Canal's 1932 rules and regulations, and a personal diary account of the TOURIST being immobilized by ice in Lake Erie for four days in late December, 1929.

Two Account books, spanning the years 1875 - 1893, are cash accounts kept by George William Gilbert, John Gilbert's father.