Sea Captains: San Francisco 1800s

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A. B. Gore

Captain A. B. Gore was born in Maine in 1826 and begain sailing on the Atlantic, where he served through 1848. Then he became mate of the brig Logan, which was lost in the Gulf Stream enroute to Cuba.

He then joined a company of "Forty-Niners," who purchased a brig and sailed for California with Gore as mate. On arrival at San Francisco in 1850, he bought an interest in a ship with Dr. Samuel Merritt, made two trips to the Columbia River and ran her to Puget Sound, where he traded for eight years.

Sun Salmon Can Label - Puget Sound, Washington

He was next in command of the bark Sarah Warren, remaining with her until the sixties, when Dr. Merritt brought out the barques Sam Merrill and Live Yankee.

The Daily Alta California reports that the Sarah Warren, with Gore as captain, arrived in San Francisco on March 1, 1853, 14 days from Puget Sound, lumber to S.S. Merrit and on September 20, 1855, 15 days from Bellingham Bay; coal and lumber to J. K. Snyder.

(Editor's note: The newspapers are difficult to read, but it appears that his named is spelled "Gove" in these last two notices.)

February 19, 1854, Daily Alta California, San Francisco

Shipping Intelligence

Port San Francisco, February 19, 1854

Arrived: Barque Sarah Warren, Gore, 8 days from Puget's Sound, with 14,000 feet of piles adn square timber and six passengers; to S.H. Merritt. Per Sarah Warren: Sailed in company with barque Powhattan; brigs Franklin Adams; Wellingsly; and another brig (name unknown) for this port. Left brigs George Emergy and Tarquina, hence just arrived.

Gore made three voyages to China and when Hunt and Scranton relinquished the Olympia and Victoria mail route, Captain Gore bought the steamer Constitution and ran her for three years, making several trips to San Francisco and finally selling her there.

October 26, 1854, Daily Alta California, San Francsico

Shipping Intelligence

Port San Francisco, October 26, 1854
Sailed

Oct. 25 - Barque Sarah Warren, Gore, Puget Sound

May 18, 1858 (also July 17, 1858), Daily Alta California, San Francisco, California

Shipping Intelligence

Vessels Arrived and Cleared from Port Townsend, W.T.

. . . steamer Constitution, Gore, from San Francisco for Port Townsend, via Bellingham Bay.

He next took command of the barque Glimpse and stranded her at Clover Point, near Victoria. She was afterward floated and sold in Australia.

In 1864 he brought the tug Cyrus Walker from San Francisco, operating her on the Sound for four years. He returned to San Francisco, where he was a bar pilot for two years, until a paralytic stroke forced him to retire to Oakland, California.

February 28, 1877: Noted as a passenger on the SS Colima from Panama

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