He was born in Sackett’s Harbor, New York, in 1842, and his father, Kimball Hursley, was probably born in Madison County, same State in 1807.  The latter passed his early life in fishing, and in 1865 he brought his family to this city, where he carried on the Exchange Hotel and to some extent engaged in farming.  In 1871, while going by boat to a point where he owned some meadow land, his little craft was capsized and he was drowned.  The Exchange Hotel stood on the site of the Soo National Bank, and for two years after his death was conducted by his family.  His widow still survives him and is now more than eighty years of age.  She bore the maiden name of Deborah Spencer, and by her marriage became the mother of the following children: Merrill, who is living in New York; Wayne, Deputy Customs Collector of the Superior district; M.F., wife of Rev. J.E. Bidding of Sault de Ste. Marie; Burr, deceased; Mrs. Jeannette Simpson, who died in 1867; Jay, of this sketch; and A. Ford, deceased, ex-Sheriff of Chippewa County.

Jay Hursley began sailing on the water at the tender age of five years, accompanying his father, who was a fisherman.  At the age of sixteen he was employed aboard a vessel trading on Lake Ontario, and thirty-three years ago sailed on the schooner, A. J. Rogers, trading between Buffalo and Chicago.  He has been master of vessels for thirty years and also has engineer’s papers for the district of the “Soo.”  He first came to the Upper Peninsula and the Superior region to engage in fishing, and continued that business for a number of years, very successfully.  Since his arrival in this part of the State he has resided at various points, making his home in Portage, Marquette, Pequaming and Sault de Ste. Marie since 1888.  After he had followed fishing for a time he saw an opportunity to engage, with remunerative results in the timber business, and this he carried on shipping his own lumber.  He got out logs and heavy timbers generally, and from the first success attended his efforts.  In 1871 he built the tug Marquette, -his first boat, -and that year marked the beginning of his present large business.  He now owns four large boats, -the O.W. Cheney, Latham D. Smith, Lorenzo Dimick and the Mary Virginia.  In 1881 he became master of vessels owned by Charles Hibbard & Son, and continued his connections with them for nine years, when he retired to engage again in the business of tugging.  His efforts have been crowned with a high degree of success, and as his financial resources have increased he has made judicious investments, and now owns some valuable real estate in Sault de Ste. Marie, some of which is highly improved.  His own residence is one of the finest in the city, and stands as a monument to his enterprise and well directed efforts.

On the 4th of March, 1862, in Jefferson County, New York, Mr. Hursley wedded Miss Mary M. Daly, whose father, John Daly, was a soldier in the United States Navy.  Forty-five years ago he visited Sault de Ste. Marie, and remained for a time as quartermaster of the post.  It was believed that he was killed while in the Navy, for no news was every received from him after a certain trip undertaken by his command some twenty-eight years ago.  His wife bore the maiden name of Mary Soles.  Mr. and Mrs. Hursley became the parents of three children, -George E., a tug captain, who married Miss Louisa Hillman; Charles F., who married Josie Ohls and is captain of a tug; and Minnie.

Mr. Hursley and his sons are members of the Masonic order, belonging to the Bethel Lodge, and Mr. Hursley and his son Charles are members of Sault de Ste. Marie Commandery and Ahmed Temple, A.A.O.N.M.S., of Marquette, Michigan.  Mr. Hursley votes with the Democratic party, and his name has several times been used on the party ticket but always without his solicitation.  In 1893 he came within one vote of being elected Mayor, and in 1895 was elected to that office by 104 majority, when the balance of the ticket was largely Republican, yet he has never sought or cared for political preferment, desiring rather to give his time and attention to his business interests.