Built in 1843, The Captain's Quarters was later the home of riverboat pilot Creed Milstead. Captain Milstead as born in Amherst, Virginia in 1847. In 1849, when he was only two years old, Captain Milstead's family moved to Lawrence County, Ohio. A soldier in the Civil War, he fought in such battles as Lynchburg, Kearnstown, Berryville, Hulltown, Fishers Hill and Cedar Creek. From 1868 to 1869, Captain Milstead attended Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.

In 1869, he began working on the river to learn piloting between New Orleans and the mouth of the Red River. After earning his pilot's license in 1871, Captain Milstead became the Master of the "Clifford" and the "Hamilton" running on the Red River trade.

Captain Milstead moved to Portsmouth, Ohio in 1879 where he worked in the clothing trade. In 1901, he sold his interest in the "Portsmouth Hat and Glove Company." That same year, Captain Milstead was elected Mayor of Portsmouth.