Harry Benson McFarland was born in Washington on August 24, 1898 to Frank McFarland and Mary Roberts. Mr. McFarland passed away in July of 1976 in Port Angeles, Clallam, Washington.

Mr. McFarland wrote: “I was first married in Mobile, Alabama, to Millie D. Good [Goodwin] from Kentwood in Tangipihoa [Tangipahoa] Parish of Louisiana on February 23, 1937. I was then working as a marine engineer on various crude oil tanker ships sailing out of gulf port cities, mostly out of Port Arthur and Beamont, Texas, and making the round trip every ten days to the oil refinery at Bayone, New Jersey. I lived in the deep south for a number of years at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Columbia, Mississippi. I came west again in 1940 and we settled in Port Orchard while I worked in the Puget Sound Naval Ship Yards and the “Military Sea Transportation Service.” We moved to Port Angeles in January of 1960 and my wife, Millie, passed away with a stroke on February 14, 1965 and is laid to rest in the Mount Angeles Cemetery. Elsie Taylor and I were married June 26, 1965.”

COURTNEY FORD (1902) The 146 foot three masted wood schooner (originally a brigantine) Courtney Ford stranded and was lost at 8:15 p.m. September 7, 1902 at Glen Island. The vessel had departed St Michael September 2nd and was bound for Port Townsend, Washington and San Francisco. The Courtney Ford was in ballast with no cargo and had eight crew and one “workaway” on board. Three crew were lost; 1st mate C N Sanderson (47) from Sweden, Walter Olson (22) from Denmark and Seaman C Carlson (37) from Denmark.

The wreck is reported to have been caused by “Iron about the compass”. Other reports mention that Amak Island was mistaken for Akun Island while the crew was dead reckoning in the fog because of the faulty compass.

Source : U S Customs Wreck Report filed at San Francisco (http://alaskashipwreck.com/shipwrecks-by-area/south-central-alaska-shipwrecks/south-central-alaska-shipwrecks-c/