Circa 1938 postcard of the company's yard in Lorain, Ohio
The Lorain, Ohio, Yard served as the main facility of the company after World War II and to this day five of the 13 separate 1,000ft (300m) ore carriers on the Great Lakes were built in Lorain, including the M/V Paul R. Tregurtha (originally named the William J. Delancey)[2] which is the largest vessel on the Great Lakes (1,013'06" long). Built in 1898, the Lorain Yard quickly grew in size and importance. The facilities eventually included two dry docks over 1,000 feet (300m) long built to handle the largest of the Great Lakes ore carriers. The Lorain Yard closed in 1983 after a series of labor disputes.[4] Most of the buildings associated with shipyard were demolished with only the water tower and Ship Building Pattern Warehouse remaining. The pattern warehouse became The Shipyards dining and events venue, and then since 2024 has been home to the Lorain Brewing Company.[5][6] The remaining lands are now being redeveloped as HarborWalk Residential Community, an upscale housing development.[7]
MVCalumet, built as William R. Roesch, sold to Oglebay Norton in 1994, renamed David Z. Norton. Sold Lower Lakes Towing in 2006, renamed to Calumet in 2008. Sister ship to M/V Manitowoc and M/V Robert S. Pierson. Built in 1973 in Lorain.
MVManitowoc, built as Paul Thayer, sold to Oglebay Norton in 1994, renamed Earl W. Oglebay. Sold Lower Lakes Towing in 2006, renamed to Manitowoc in 2008. Built in 1973 in Lorain. Sister ship to M/V Calumet and M/V Robert S. Pierson
MVRobert S. Pierson, built as the Wolverine for Oglebay Norton, sold to Lower Lakes Towing in 2008. Sister ship to M/V Calumet and M/V Manitowoc. Built in 1973 in Lorain.
USNSPaul Buck(T-AOT-1122), launched in 1985, Tampa Shipyards (subsidiary of The American Ship Building Company)
The United States Maritime Commission had Delta and eight other emergency shipyards start building Liberty ships in 1941; 2,710 were produced during the war. Many were built in less than two months. The Delta shipyard was started specifically for the war effort, at a site on the Industrial Canal near the Almonaster Avenue Bridge, immediately south of the present-day I-10 high-rise bridge. The yard was shut down after the end of World War II.[9][10]
Wauketa, "White Star Line," Launched at Toledo Ship Building Company's Yards, Toledo, Ohio, 1908
The Toledo Shipbuilding Company, which became an operating unit of the American Shipbuilding Company by consolidation in 1945,[11] was itself the builder of several of the most well-known coal-fired steamships of the Great Lakes, such as the SSChief Wawatam (built in 1911).
Steinbrenners
In the early 1960s, the American Ship Building Company acquired Kinsman Marine Transit Company, which was owned by the Steinbrenner family. As a result of the transaction, the Steinbrenner family acquired a controlling interest in American Ship Building. Frustrated after years of fighting with unions over cost-saving work changes, the Steinbrenners closed the Lorain shipyard in December 1983 and moved all operations to Tampa, Florida. The principal member of the Steinbrenner family who was involved in the operation of the company at this time was George Steinbrenner, who by then already was becoming better known as the principal owner of the New York Yankees.[12][13][14]
The company began having difficulties in the 1980s, going through a bankruptcy in 1993.[15] The company was sold in 1995.[12][14]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
