Bio of Wilcox, H. C. Wabasha Co., MN
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Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Barbara Timm and Carol Judge
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This bio comes from "HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY" 1884.
Check out Barbara's site for more great information on this book:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~mnwabbio/wab1.htm
There are also some pictures and information from descendents for some 
of the bios on her pages.

Wilcox, H. C., captain and joint owner with W. P. Dugan of the steamer
Lion, carrying passengers, freight and mails between this port and Alma,
Wisconsin. The Lion was built here by Capt. Wilcox, in the winter of
1876-7, and started running upon the opening of navigation in the spring
of 1877. She is a small, trimbuilt sternwheeler, 110 feet over all, 16
feet beam and three feet hold. Her wheel is 13 1/2 feet in diameter, with
11 feet buckets; her engines, 52 inch stroke, 8 1/2 diameter, and she
easily attains a speed of ten to twelve miles an hour against the ordinary
Mississippi current, and can make from fifteen to eighteen miles an hour
down stream. She cost complete about five thousand dollars, and is under
regular contract with the United States government to carry mails from
this city to Alma, Wisconsin, and also delivers a special mail at the
offices of the Mississippi and Beef Slough Logging Company, at the mouth
of the Beef Slough, across the river, and a few miles down stream from
this point. She makes three round trips daily, Sundays excepted, between
this place and Alma, and triweekly night trips to the mouth of the
Chippewa river, towing rafts. her crew consists of Capt. Wilcox, Henry
Lashpell, pilot; Wm. Worthington, engineer, and two hands. Capt. H. C.
Wilcox is a native of Jefferson county, New York, a practical engineer and
miller by trade, having acquired his knowledge of these industries under
his father's direction, who was engaged in the milling business at the old
home in Jefferson county. Leaving home Mr. Wilcox came west, and was
employed as a railroad engineer on the line of the Illinois Central,
before coming to this place in 1856. From 1860-3 he was in charge of the
milling establishment of W. W. Prindle at this place. Since 1863 the
captain has been principally engaged in river business; as engineer until
1876, when he put the little steamer Comet into the carrying trade between
this port and Alma, to be followed by the larger and better Lion, which he
built the following winter, as before noted. Capt. Wilcox married Adelaide
Goodell, December 11, 1855, at Lawrence, Michigan. They have six children,
all living at home. Helen, July 20, 1858; Hattie, June 4, 1864; Francis
M., September 10, 1871; Carrie, August 15, 1873; Harrie, July 24, 1878;
Albert, December 29, 1880. The captain resides at the corner of Second and
Lafayette streets, on the same property purchased by him in 1862, and
which has been the family residence for over twenty-one years. He has just
completed and taken possession of his new house, a very comfortable and
substantial frame dwelling, two stories in height, the main building 24x32
feet, with a wing 16x20, and a one-story addition, 16x20.