James Starkey, Shipwright
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Home of James Starkey, Shipwright, 1889 |
This photograph of the waterfront taken by local photographer D. Will McKay from Indian Point, shows the home of James Starkey, master boatbuilder, at the extreme left of the picture. After being diagnosed with a terminal illness, just after the deaths of two of his sons, Mr. Starkey drowned himself at his boatyard in 1901. According to Editor Armstrong of the Beacon, "He was a man of more than ordinary intelligence, with a great deal of personal independence about him. His integrity was undoubted. As a mechanic, he had few equals. During his time, he built some very fine vessels. Among those whose construction he directed were the schooners Nettie, Greta, Nellie Clark, Christina, Annie P. Odell, George Lamb and Telephone, all of which with the exception of the Nellie Clark were constructed at St. Andrews. The Clark was built at Robbinston. Of late years, Capt. Starkey has devoted his time to building boats and taking out pleasure parties in his little schooner Crusoe."
A variation on this photograph was published by McKay in 1889 as a part of a souvenir booklet. It is a well-known view of the waterfront, showing not just Starkey's, but the St. Andrews Foundry. J. F. Worrell wrote an interesting commentary on this photograph, drawn from his own personal recollections.