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Captain Thomas Basore sailed the Great Lakes for many years, mostly for the Shenango Furnace Co. and Kinsman Marine Transit Co. His final command was the HENRY STEINBRENNER. He also served in the U.S. Coast Guard. His career spanned the post-WWII boom of Great Lakes shipping through the closing decades of the 20th century.  

Captain Basore began sailing in 1937 as a deckhand on the COL. JAMES M. SCHOONMAKER. In 1939 and 1940 he sailed on Pittsburgh Steamship Co.’s steamers A.F. HARVEY and CLARENCE A. BLACK before becoming third and second mate on the tanker MARTHA E. ALLEN in 1943. He returned to the Shenango fleet in 1944, serving as third mate on the WILLIAM. P. SNYDER JR. He was her captain in 1955 and first mate in 1956. He moved over to the COL. JAMES M. SCHOONMAKER as first mate in 1957, was captain of the WILLIAM P. SNYDER JR. in 1959 and 1966, captain of COL. JAMES M. SCHOONMAKER in 1967 and 1968, then finally captain of HENRY STEINBRENNER from 1969 to 1972. 
 
These photos came to after a chance meeting between Toledo, Ohio, resident and MHSD member Bob Vincent, and MHSD President Roger LeLievre during a Marine Historical Society of Detroit River cruise. Vincent had acquired the original slides from a friend who found them at a garage sale and he asked if the MHSD would be interested in them. They proved an image treasure trove, particularly of the Shenango vessels, showing not only photos of the ships, but life aboard them, including pictures of officers, crew and guests, not to mention the good captain himself.

Captain Basore passed away in December 1998.