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CHARLES HINMAN Little is known about the life of Charles Hinman other than he was a shipbuilder and had built vessels at Black River, Ohio, Detroit and Algonac, Michigan. The schooner John Fretter was built by Hinman at Black River in 1853. The Buffalo Daily Republic reported on April 23, 1853: The Cleveland Plain Dealer of the 20th says that a splendid and well-shaped fore and after lies at the dock. She was built at Black River, and came down a few days ago to receive her rigging, &c. She is owned by John Fretter, and will be known by his name. He intends to run her between Cleveland and Buffalo, and expects to have her ready next Saturday. Three years later, Charles Hinman built the schooner John Weber at Black River in 1856. The Cleveland Herald, Thursday, June 19, 1856 reported the following: The new fore-and-aft schooner John Webber, was measured yesterday, and is as follows - Length 109:17 feet, breadth 24:37 feet, depth 10:23 feet, tonnage 248 11-95. She was built by Charles Hinman of Black River, for John Fretter, and Abraham Frettrick of this city. She will be sailed by Capt. Thomas Burk. The scow-schooner Abe Frederick (1854), schooner With W. Willard (1856) and the propeller tug Elisha C. Bush (1857) were also built by Hinman at Black River. After leaving Black River, he built the following vessels at Algonac, Michigan: tug James E. Eagle (1859), steam paddle Philo Parsons (1861), steamer Young America (1862), schooner Berwyn (1866) and Sanilac (1867). He also built the tug Alice J. Day at Detroit in 1864. THOMAS COBB (1800-1851) Thomas Cobb was born in Connecticut in 1800. He and his wife, Armena, were the parents of Fredman and Flavons Cobb, who were both born in Ohio. In 1837, at Dunkirk, New York, Cobb built the schooner Samuel B. Ruggles, master Zephemiah Perkins. He partnered with Lorenzo Burnell in the 1840's and together they built the following ten vessels at Black River, Ohio: schooners Marion (1841), Acorn (1842), Endora (1843), William A. Adair (1845), Samuel Strong (1847) and Asia (1848); brigs Ansel R. Cobb (1844), John Irwin (1845) and Eureka (1847); and the steam propeller Delaware (1846). According to marine historian Richard J. Wright, the Cobb & Burnell yard was located at the same place where Day and Church had been located earlier. 190