A guide to the The Captain's Kid manuscript, 1982
Processed by: Historic Documents Department Staff (Brogden).
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
2012
Building E, Fort Mason
San Francisco, CA 94123
Phone: 415-561-7030
Fax: 415-556-3540
SAFR_Historic_Documents@nps.gov
URL: http://www.nps.gov/safr
A Guide to the The Captain's Kid manuscript
HDC1654
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, National Park Service2012, National Park Service
Title: The Captain's Kid manuscript
Date: 1982
Identifier/Call Number: HDC1654 (SAFR 23810)
Author:
Borden, Mary Helen
Physical Description:
1 item
Repository:
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Historic Documents Department
Building E, Fort Mason
San Francisco, CA 94123
Abstract: THE CAPTAIN'S KID manuscript (SAFR 23810, HDC 1654) consists of the self-published 244 page memoir written by Mary Helen Borden,
and is open for use without restrictions.
Physical Location: San Francisco Maritime NHP, Historic Documents Department
Language(s):
In English.
This collection is open for use unless otherwise noted.
Some material may be copyrighted or restricted. It is the researcher's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other
case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections.
Note on Description: The descriptions in this collection guide were compiled using the best available sources of information.
Such sources include the creator's annotations or descriptions, collection accession files, primary and secondary source material
and subject matter experts. While every effort was made to provide accurate information, in the event that you find any errors
in this guide please contact the reference staff in order for us to evaulate and make corrections to this guide. P
lease cite the title and collection number in any correspondence with our staff.
[Item description], [Location within collection organization identified by Collection Number/Series Number/File Unit Number/Item
Number], HDC1654 (SAFR 23810), The Captain's Kid manuscript, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
SAFR-02226
Transferred from the library collection.
Historical or Biographical Note
THE CAPTAIN'S KID manuscript is a memoir of Mary Helen Borden's life between 1911 and 1919 as a young girl aboard the JOHN
ENA and the JOHN ROLF.
Mary Helen Borden was adopted in 1914, at the age of three by her father's nephew, Vic Olsen, captain of the four masted bark
JOHN ENA (built at Port Glasgow, Scotland, in 1892 by R. Duncan). She spent the next five years aboard the vessel, visiting
ports of call in Hawaii, Australia, Chile, Panama and England. In 1919, at the conclusion of World War I, she sailed on the
four masted bark JOHN ROLF (built as the CELTIC MONARCH at Liverpool, England by T. Rordan in 1884) for San Francisco. Unfortunately
her adoptive father died en route and the ship made port in Panama, where Mary was shipped to New Orleans, and transited by
train to San Francisco, where her grandparents took her in.
In 1982, at the urging of the curator of the National Maritime Museum in San Francisco, Mr. Karl Kortum, Mary Helen Borden
wrote this 244 page manuscript as a memoir of her days as a child at sea on oceangoing large sailing vessels.
THE CAPTAIN'S KID manuscript (SAFR 23810, HDC 1654) consists of the self-published 244 page memoir written by Mary Helen Borden,
and is open for use without restrictions.
Single item, no arrangement.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Memoirs and biographies
Borden, Mary Helen
John Ena (built 1892; bark, 4m)
Manuscripts for publication
Diaries
Sailing